South Florida Night Life Memories (Miami, Hialeah: lenders, hotel, house)

[Miami Disco]

The Disco movement was huge in Miami through out the 70's & 80's, and with it came a fast growing night life and scene with many clubs opening all over South Florida as well as many local bands becoming international recording stars.

While the scene was hot, filled with excitement and great times, it was also filled with drugs, murder, sex and corruption.

Welcome to the Magic City!

Let the memories begin!

Alexandre (Omni hotel-downtown Miami)
Before becoming a Hollywood star, actor Andy Garcia ran the light show at Alexandre's.

Allegros (formerly Alexandre)

Backstreets (Ft. Lauderdale) DJ Scott Blackwell & Bob Mero

Backstreets was an enourmous club that mainly catered to the gay crowd, but also welcomed a mix of gay & straight club goers in it's western saloon multi level design, it's exterior offered a swimming pool, jacuzzi, tiki bar, outdoor stage and dance floor.

Backstreets later became The Edge

Banana Boat (Kendall Dr. 107th) DJ Avy Gonzalez Banana Boat's DJ Avy Gonzalez went on to have a successful career as a music producer & remixer, he worked with such groups as Expose, Genuine Parts, Hazell Dean and many others.

Banana Boat is now a salsa club named Crystal's

Casanovas (740 E. 9th St.,Hialeah) DJ Carlos Nodal - Ciro Llerena

Casanovas was not one of S. Florida's hottest clubs, it wasn't located in a fancy hotel, nor did it sport a million dollar light show, but Casanovas hands down was Miami's most talked about spot, even today Casanovas name is spoken as if it's still standing.

One can compare Casanovas appeal and popularity as being Miami's own Studio 54.


Cheekers (Dania,Fla)

Faces In The Grove ( Mayfair-Coconut Grove) DJ Scott Blackwell

Faces was one of Miami's hard to get into hotspots, one had to formally dress up, or be turned down.

Firehouse Four (1000 S. Miami Ave) DJ Roli

Firehehouse's happy hour is legendary, at times Firehouse goers would spill out to the sidewalk in order to have room to dance.

Gambits (LeJeune Rd.- Marriott) DJ George Rivero

Set inside a Marriott hotel, Gambits was a small but quaint spot located near Miami International Airport, if one wanted to party at a central location and stay close to home, Gambit's was one of the many options.

Honey For The Bears (Miami) DL Carlos Nodal

Another hard to get into club where dressing up was a must to get in, 21 was strictly enforced, the music was provided by the late DJ Carlos Nodal who was the original Casanovas DJ as well as by legendary Jock, DJ Jimmy Yu

Limelight (Hallandale,Fla) Bobby Lombardi - Lewis Martinee

The first Limelight was built in South Florida in the same location as another legendary club "Rumbottoms" in Hallandale once occupied.

The Limelight quickly became the model for clubs to come all over the world, as it sported a million dollar sound & lightshow,a sunken stainless steel dance floor was always packed anytime Limelight's doors were open.

The creator of mixing records using the BPM (beats-per-minute) DJ Bob Lombardi was recruited from Long Island where he was a staple in the Long Island club scene from his days at "The Corral" & "Rumbottoms" where his muscial selection kept the party going, which he also did at Limelight.

Once Bobby Lombardi parted ways with the Limelight, S. Florida DJ turned mega music producer (of Expose fame) "Lewis Martinee" took over the turntable duties until the Limelight was closed down after a fire destroyed the place.

Bobby Lombardi was a talented DJ remembered for using "carts" instead of records, which lead him to create the use of BPM's.

Lombardi who has now passed on to heaven will always be remembered as one the of innovators of DJ'ing & mixing.

Manhattans (6620 Red Road South Miami) DJ Billy Swan

Located next door to the University Of Miami and owned by an African American, Manhattan's was a staple in the South Miami club scene, it's dance floor was a small version of the multi-colored flashing dance floor seen in "Saturday Night Fever"

Mix 2 Club (N. Bay Village)

Mix 2 one of the earliest Disco clubs will always be remembered for it's Wednesday nights, $10.00 not only got you in, but included your drinks for the entire night.

The Mutiny (Mutiny hotel Coconut Grove) DJ Jimmy Yu & DJ Humberto Fleites

Located on the penthouse level of The Mutiny hotel, The Mutiny was the favorite spot for Miami's infamous drug runners and Miami's most elite, it featured multiple dance floors scattered across the room rather then just one, The Mutiny's elegance and upscale decor was enhanced by it's view of the bay.

My Place (127th & 8st.)

Nepenthe (3937 N. Federal Highway Ft. Lauderdale)

Nepenthe's one of many Ft. Lauderdale nightclub giants featured a sunken stainless steel dance floor with an incredible sound & lighting system, Nepenthe's spared no expense with it's lush decor that included custom made bar counters that were illuminated with tiny lights, a very classy and wonderful spot to go.

Pagoda (N. Bay Villlage)

Pagoda's like Mix 2 both just blocks from each other are early examples of nightclubs in South Florida that paved the way for future night spots.

Parallel Bar (Bakery Center)

A fitness gym by day, a club/restaurant at night, Parallel Bar loaded it's wooden dance floors with club goers dancing to the sounds provided by Rayomnd Hernandez, two floors occupied Parallel Bar's interior while the club it's self was located on the second floor of the failed Bakery Center mall in South Miami.

The Bakery Center was demolished to make way for a new outdoor shopping & entertainment complex "Sunset Place Mall", Parallel Bar maybe history, but "Martini Bar" is doing a great job following in the footsteps of Parallel Bar in bringing South Miami's nightlife back to life.


Penrod's Beach Club (1st & Ocean Dr.)

Penrod's is located on South Beach and sits where the south point pier once stood, following in the footsteps of "Woodys On The Beach", Pendrods drew in a massive "Top 40" crowd with it's multi level complex that featured an open air experience with it's large sliding doors, opening the way to a romantic view of the ocean, as well as an enourmous lower level exterior complete with tiki bars and a small pool, as well as an outdoor fitness gym.

As if conquering the nightclub scene on Miami Beach wasn't enough, Penrod's sandy beach area hosted some of Miami's biggest outdoor concerts, that included "Bon Jovi" as over 50,000 were in attendance, even when no concerts were going on, Penrod's was jammed packed by beach goers during daylight hours as patrons sat back to work on their suntan as food & drinks were offered from the lower level and exterior bars.

Penrod's is now Nikki Beach, a trendy hotspot that has spawn into more then just a club.

Passions (1235 Washington Ave,MB)

Short lived Passions did not have the success as it's predecessors 1235 & Deco's, now home to Mansion

Pete & Lenny's (Commercial Blvd, Ft. Lauderdale)

Pete & Lenny's was one of South Florida's premiere dance clubs, it featured an erray of entertainment in it's multi level complex, that included live house bands such as "The Real Thing & the band "Ecstasy".

Pete & Lenny's set the standard high for rival clubs all over South Florida as it always showcased some of the top recording artist at the time on a weekly basis.

Pete & Lenny's was also used for filiming the television program Disco 77.

Scaramouche (Downtown Miami,Omni Hotel) DJ Joe Lenders

Scaramouche as well as Alexandre's was located inside the Omni hotel in downtown Miami.

Scaramouche also like other upscale spots had a strict dress code, and if you were lucky to get in, once inside the plush decor and mirrored trimmings were a sight to see as white couches against the walls and tables directly around the dance floor gave Scaramouche's well deserved reputation for being one of South Florida's most glamorous dance clubs which also featured one of the first ever laser light shows ever seen in the are.

Studio 51 (Oakland Park Blvd, Fort Lauderdale)

Studio 51 is yet another example of how hot the Ft. Lauderdale club scene was years ago, it featured a black plexiglass dance floor, incredible light show with a heart pounding sound system.

The Studio 51 logo would spin around just beneath the plexiglass.

Studio 51 dancers, waitresses as well as the bartenders wore Egyptian themed costumes.

Top Draw (79 Street Causeway in N. Bay Village) DJ Jimmy Martinez

The Top Draw was a private club as well as an upscale restaurant where the likes of Frank Sinatra could be seen having drinks near the piano bar area.

At Top Draw one could easily make a night of it starting out with dinner, then slipping away to the piano bar lounge while fueling yourself until the disco dance area opened and stayed open until 5 a.m.

Widow McCoys (Miami)DJ Jimmy Yu

Club Z, 1235, Deco's,Facades, Egoiste, Club Nu, Electric City, The Sands, Ricks Bar, Cameo Theatre, Maxim's, Swiss Chateau, Hearthrobs, Forrest, The Beat Club, Illusions, Skylite, Studabakers, Lime Key, Village Inn, Confettis, Christophers, Heatwaves, Spinners, Pack Jam, Strawberries, 94th Aero, Suzzane's In The Grove, Cats, Stefano's, Samy's, Fire & Ice, Flynn's, Ronnie's, Sugars, Waterfront, Uncle Charlies, The Copa, Kitchen Club, Albert & Manny's

[Kathleen1971]

Some of those places do bring back memories but me and my friends were more into the hard rock/metal scene so we had a much more limited choice of where to go lol.

[jcblanco22]

305Disco, it is good to see you on here, I have very much enjoyed your site as well as your comments in the Nightclubs/Discotheques section on the MOD DELETED Thank you for sharing your knowledge, great thread!

[dadeguy]

305disco,

your post brought back lots of memories. I first saw my wife at rumbottoms so that's where I started laying the mak down.

[Miami Disco]

There were 2 Rum Bottom locations,one in the Grove and the other in Hallandale where the Limelight once stood.

[dadeguy]

right, it was the one in hallandale by the dog track on federal. wasn't it rumbottom's first then the limelight?

[dadeguy]

Originally Posted by Kathleen1971

Some of those places do bring back memories but me and my friends were more into the hard rock/metal scene so we had a much more limited choice of where to go lol.

there was a great rock bar on las olas and A1A but for the life of me the name eludes me. anyone remember the agoura ballroom?

[Miami Disco]

Correst, Rum Bottoms did occupy the space before the Limelight.

I've heard of the Agoura but cant find much on it on the net.

[dadeguy]

I just remembered the name of the rock bar on las olas and A1A, it was called the button.

[Miami Disco]

The Button was great, had alot of great times there as well as Ocean's