The End Of Baltimore's "Gayborhood" ??? (Mount Vernon: apartments, rental)

[Clark Park]

Hi, I'm a regular visitor to Baltimore from Philadelphia.

Last weekend I discovered long time established LGBT entertainment venues in the Mount Vernon neighborhood are gone ... The Hippo, The Drinkery, Jay's On Read.

Does this spell the decline of a popular "gayborhood" in Baltimore?

Someone who was optimistic at the Mount Vernon Stable tavern and restaurant told me it's possible these places will re-open under new management. He mentioned The Drinkery, which could be rowdy, had their liquor license pulled because it was poorly managed and a nuisance to neighbors.

Believe it or not Baltimore is weekend and vacation destination for many LGBT tourists. The home and celebrated locale of John Waters films, Divine, the Museum of Visionary Art Museum, the restaurants and bars and night clubs of Mount Vernon. I'm sure some of the hotels in Mount Vernon enjoy a gay following.

I fear if Baltimore is no longer as much a fun place for the gay tourist, they will go elsewhere: DC, Rehoboth Beach, Philly.

[goldenage1]

Originally Posted by Clark Park

Last weekend I discovered long time established LGBT entertainment venues in the Mount Vernon neighborhood are gone ... The Hippo, The Drinkery, Jay's On Read.

I'm sorry to hear that. Even I, as a straight woman, had heard of The Hippo. It seems like the end of an era.

Or is it just that Mount Vernon has become more of a straight neighborhood, and new management will change the emphasis in the bars?

[Kamms]

Originally Posted by Clark Park

Hi, I'm a regular visitor to Baltimore from Philadelphia.

Last weekend I discovered long time established LGBT entertainment venues in the Mount Vernon neighborhood are gone ... The Hippo, The Drinkery, Jay's On Read.

Does this spell the decline of a popular "gayborhood" in Baltimore?

Someone who was optimistic at the Mount Vernon Stable tavern and restaurant told me it's possible these places will re-open under new management. He mentioned The Drinkery, which could be rowdy, had their liquor license pulled because it was poorly managed and a nuisance to neighbors.

Believe it or not Baltimore is weekend and vacation destination for many LGBT tourists. The home and celebrated locale of John Waters films, Divine, the Museum of Visionary Art Museum, the restaurants and bars and night clubs of Mount Vernon. I'm sure some of the hotels in Mount Vernon enjoy a gay following.

I fear if Baltimore is no longer as much a fun place for the gay tourist, they will go elsewhere: DC, Rehoboth Beach, Philly.

"Gayborhoods'' are in decline all over the U.S., including Philly. Not as much need for ''gay enclaves'' as they go the way of the old ethnic neighborhoods in the U.S. It's called assimilation.

[Clark Park]

Originally Posted by Kamms

"Gayborhoods'' are in decline all over the U.S., including Philly. Not as much need for ''gay enclaves'' as they go the way of the old ethnic neighborhoods in the U.S. It's called assimilation.

I think you nailed it. The Philly Gayborhood - also known as Washington Square West and Midtown Village - was back in the 1940's, '50's, '60's and '70s a not very desirable and somewhat rowdy (bars, all night coffee shops, etc.) section of Center City. It was where lower price rental apartments were available and younger gay and lesbian as well as artists and service industry workers moved to if they wanted to be near the center of town.

We see it all over the US. Gay people move into a rundown affordable part of town. They fix things up, make it pretty. Then gentrifying "hip" straights buy everything up and drive the prices up. The gay move out looking for new 'undiscovered' locales ...

It happened in NYC's Greenwich Village, Chelsea, Brooklyn Heights.

[james777]

And you can thank the gays for revitalizing Baltimore City. Baltimore City government has poured billions of dollars into neighborhood revitalization and has little to nothing to show for it. The gays were the early investors who jump started every trendy neighborhood, even neighborhoods commonly described as "family oriented".

[Calvert Hall '62]

Back in the day, you folks had only the "Pepper Hill" bar located on -- get this -- Gay St. I don't think that it was intentionally placed there because of the nomenclature, but then again who knows?

[Infinite_heights77]

I'm not gay, but we used to venture out to The Hippo because of HOUSE MUSIC, and that spot has significant role promoting the music in the city.

Originally Posted by Clark Park

Hi, I'm a regular visitor to Baltimore from Philadelphia.

Last weekend I discovered long time established LGBT entertainment venues in the Mount Vernon neighborhood are gone ... The Hippo, The Drinkery, Jay's On Read.

Does this spell the decline of a popular "gayborhood" in Baltimore?

Someone who was optimistic at the Mount Vernon Stable tavern and restaurant told me it's possible these places will re-open under new management. He mentioned The Drinkery, which could be rowdy, had their liquor license pulled because it was poorly managed and a nuisance to neighbors.

Believe it or not Baltimore is weekend and vacation destination for many LGBT tourists. The home and celebrated locale of John Waters films, Divine, the Museum of Visionary Art Museum, the restaurants and bars and night clubs of Mount Vernon. I'm sure some of the hotels in Mount Vernon enjoy a gay following.

I fear if Baltimore is no longer as much a fun place for the gay tourist, they will go elsewhere: DC, Rehoboth Beach, Philly.

[Infinite_heights77]

Baltimore City government has poured billions of dollars into neighborhood revitalization and has little to nothing to show for it.

*LOL! Hahahahahahahahahahaha!

Originally Posted by james777

And you can thank the gays for revitalizing Baltimore City. Baltimore City government has poured billions of dollars into neighborhood revitalization and has little to nothing to show for it. The gays were the early investors who jump started every trendy neighborhood, even neighborhoods commonly described as "family oriented".