The Jewel Box is an absolute...

The Jewel Box is an absolute dump, and is little more than a front for prostitution. It's located on the infamous Baltimore Block, which is home to a multitude of dingy, hole-in-the-wall type stripclubs. The bartender, Joe, is a pretty cool guy, but the girls...well, the girls...

The girls at The Jewel Box are pretty much representative of the girls on the rest of the Block. Generally speaking, they are often ill-educated, missing a few teeth or carrying some extra weight. For the right price, certain "extras" can be bought, including a few hours in the downstairs "VIP room" with a lockable door. Drug use is rampant and ill-disguised, if disguised at all. The experience is further marred by the fact that the girls have to hustle both drinks and bottles, and are often quite pushy about it. Like most other Block clubs, they strip on the stage, then walk around the bar asking for tips.

The Jewel Box itself is rather small, very dark with a large rectangular stage with two poles. Music is provided via a jukebox and chosen by the girls, so it runs the gamut from 80s power ballads to the most recent hiphop hits. Lapdances are also available, and are given in 3-sided booths visible to any passerby. The presence of a police station just down the street gives the impression of relative safety, but mark my words - the Block is generally not a good place to be on after dark.