Strip Club Reports

Long-time lurker and long-time Rick's/Honey's visitor here. Ricksfan sums up the current Centerfolds situation accurately and here are a couple of other observations.

Parking/Entrance: The two parking lots closest to the club have signs stating "Business X Parking Only" and neither of them mention Centerfolds. The dancers mentioned (as did Ricksfan) that the parking lots across the street are available (Value Village, and next door, Safeway).

There's one entrance to the club: right on 15th Ave NW which is a fairly busy arterial during the day. No word on if the close parking lots are available later at night. If you're a daytime visitor this can be a slight distraction. Cover is $10 and there's a mandatory $5 drink. No glass filled with ice and a splash of soda, it's the whole can. Woohoo!

General seating is either the single-seat couches on wheels (like the ones at Lake City Vu) or bar stools/bar tables further from the stage. The floor is just concrete at the moment which really makes the place feel. Yucky.

They've taken out the catwalk and the stage/pole/mirror setup is getting a remodel; same with the bar. After reading the bathroom situation from Ricksfan I didn't even check it out (yay for this board!). Apparently these changes won't be for another month at least.

I had a few dances in the VIP section furthest from the entrance and can confirm Ricksfan's report. Be careful of the short coffee table in the center when you first walk up. The lighting is odd and you'll come close to knocking your knees if you're not careful. The ladies dressing room/restroom entrance is closeby and there's a couple of too-bright lights nearby when doors are opened.

I'll wait for the remodel before coming back. I guess it'll be Lake City Vu for a little while.

FYI, a few Ricks dancers went to LC Vu and this past Friday night the average number of hotties definitely went up (in my opinion, at least). More on that later. Have fun and be safe!

I went there recently on a week night. There were about 5-6 girls but more were coming in about 10pm as I was on the way out.

I recognized a couple of faces from Ricks and the dancers seemed friendly enough but I have to say, the floor manager (pear shaped, wears tie, seems like Michael Scott of 'The Office') is a dick.

I was having a dance in the back and he starts talking/joking and interrupting my dancer right in the middle of the song. Then he stood there in the walkway 3 feet away.

I hear it's because he wants better tips to leave the girls alone? Maybe.

I'll try again after the months remodel is done and maybe the furniture will be improved, but if that dick bothers me again I'll stop the dance and tell them I'm not paying for it.

So I decided to give Centerfold's another chance, a little less than a month later. The sign out front now says "Grand Re-opening June 25th & 26th". I'm sorry to say that it'll be a waste of time, and in my opinion this place should just shut down now. This ranks among the worst strip club visits I've ever had, and I don't think this place is going to make it.

When I first visited (see my review earlier on this club in mid-May), there were a handful of dancers, and the place had that "under construction" feel. I was willing to cut it some slack since it was just after the Rick's etc closures, figuring the good dancers were still feeling things out or working on arriving, etc. Surely a good percentage of the remaining good dancers at Rick's and elsewhere would find this place soon enough, right?

However, this time around? I can only assume that any good dancers have since been fired for giving *good* dances, or simply quit because they can't be making any money here and have switched to escorting, are dancing out of state, or simply quit the lifestyle. When I went in Friday afternoon there was I think two other male customers, a DJ- for god knows what reason- and the door girl who was an awkwardly cute young redhead, the kind of nerdy girl that reminds me of high school.

The dancers? Sweet fucking christ. The first to harass me by plopping down next to me was "Theresa" or "Delaney" depending on what she said versus the DJ's announcement. This creature HAD to be pushing 60, or a hard-living 50, claiming to have worked for TW clubs for the last 9 years. I was, and I'm not proud of this, simply and completely repulsed. She mentioned her "real" sister was working, Autumn. Autumn I think I might have seen at Rick's once or twice, but never gave her a second look since she also certainly seems to be in the Autumn of her career. Both should have hung up the stiletto's DECADES ago. It was embarrassing and awkward, with their gizzard necks and wrinkled faces. I'm no prize, but where is their sense of shame to not realize how unbelievably, epically far past their sell date they are? I can't imagine their dances were any good, but boy were they bitter when I wasn't biting; not surprised, I can't imagine they see more than a handful of faces all day.

These were the worst of the bunch, but no one else was much better. When trainwreck druggie lush Carrington is the best pick there, it's not a good scene. There was a Vixen was probably 30, reasonably thin but nothing special and kind of awkward face. A Mickey/Nikki was on stage but aged about 20 years as she walked closer. April was bleh, but also the only person in the "VIP" area with some bald dude. No one else was giving dances, and why would they? Oh, a Wednesday was there, and I'm still confused: I remember quite fondly a Wednesday from Rick's 2-3 years ago (Lara Flynn Boyle lookalike). This Wednesday apparently worked at Honey's, had similar black hair/large fakes and even if I recall correctly the same tattoos of pantyhose seams down the backs of her legs. Yet the woman I met today had a face that was completely different, and she claims she only worked at Rick's briefly in the fall of 2009. So either this was the same girl who's mistaken about her time at Rick's and she's absolutely PLUMMETED in looks, or eerily similar in some ways- breasts, one of the tattoos (if I'm remembering right), stage name- and yet a totally different person. I remember seeing her picture at the Talents West Best facebook "Last Night" photo album posted back on May 6th and thinking "Is that the same Wednesday as I remember from a couple of years ago? " and apparently no it's not. Or she lied about when she worked at Rick's, and her face is the tragic result of some type of addiction. Ouch.

This whole visit, which lasted all of 20 minutes and one lukewarm coke (it goes without saying I didn't spend more than $20: $10 cover, $5 coke can, and $5 tip for the drink girl who I felt sorry for having to work here), was incredibly depressing like something out of a nightmarish David Lynch film. I don't know if it's because the owner used to run a male strip club, but how he thinks any customers will come back if he's hiring geriatric has-beens or never-wases, I can't imagine. For all the shittiness of DV clubs, at least they hire some dancers who are in their 20's and moderately good looking (or occasionally hot, at least from the last time I was in there with any regularity a decade ago). When your business model is firing anyone giving high mileage dances and hiring grandmas, customers won't return and the dancers will leave without making any money.

A month ago, this place had possibility: the owner has apparently proven he doesn't grasp the basics of a strip club ecology. So unless I start hearing that all my old Rick's favorites still under the age of 35 are sucking and fucking in the VIP with wild abandon at cut-rate prices, I'll not be going back. Not when I can get a cute or even super hot 18-22 year old on tnaboard to come to my house and suck me dry.

So I'm heading out there tonight. Anyone have any recent things to say about them? I'll usually go there (cause its close and I know the girls), but I haven't been in a few months. At least since Rick's closed. How the "atmosphere" there now?

[QUOTE=wdone]I went there recently on a week night. There were about 5-6 girls but more were coming in about 10pm as I was on the way out.

I recognized a couple of faces from Ricks and the dancers seemed friendly enough but I have to say, the floor manager (pear shaped, wears tie, seems like Michael Scott of 'The Office') is a dick.

I was having a dance in the back and he starts talking/joking and interrupting my dancer right in the middle of the song. Then he stood there in the walkway 3 feet away.

I hear it's because he wants better tips to leave the girls alone? Maybe.

I'll try again after the months remodel is done and maybe the furniture will be improved, but if that dick bothers me again I'll stop the dance and tell them I'm not paying for it.[/QUOTE]I heard that the nosy manager got fired. The remodel is still scheduled for the end of the month and like myself, lots of customers are waiting until after that is complete to start going. It may be a good time to check out the prospect of a private with some of the ladies.

Just wondering if anyone has been to Centerfolds since they had their Grand Opening?

I went about a week before and it was terrible.

Three dancers
Door woman also was the floor manager and during my dances she practically sat down next to us.
Dabcers promise anything you want, and do not deliver.

Is it the same post Grand opening?

The place is still in construction. I was there during the evening- a few guys, around 8 dancers.

It seems the seating is in place. Two VIP areas with mini booths. One area near the door and the other in the same back area. The lighting in these areas is pretty bad. Dark with a glaring table lamp, makes it hard to watch your dancer.

I guess the idiot floor dude is gone but the woman manager is like a hawk, always pacing about. It's a bit much.

They have some attractive dancers but I really wonder if they will stick it out with such a low volume club? I'm not expecting the mileage to be that great with the hawk watching so that's not going to help them.

So I went back on my way home from work and checked it out.

Seems management is bound and determined to get rid of everyone who would want to patronize this place.

Door fee is now 10, and you still need to buy a drink. I got a bottle of water and paid with a 20, and the dick floor manager brought me a five and 5 ones back. Now I hate it when people assume a tip, but really dude, 5 bucks for you to hand me a bottle of water out of the fridge.

The lighting is low now and they seem to be really making a go at being a club. There were 3 girls on at the time but I was still the only guy there. I hate that, it's all eyes on you.

Got a dance with a sweet little (like 4 feet tall) spinner that said she used to work at Ricks, I tried talking that line up a little, How long she worked there and what not. Even dropped the "I used to have a LOT of fun there. " line but she wasn't biting.

Not that there was any privacy to do anything anyhow, not the way the booths sit and with mr. I expect a five spot checking on us twice in one song. And lastly, they cut the damn song short.

I took my one dance and left. I had to get home not smelling too much like stripper.

So how do you guys approach the girls, I was certain she works on the outside, but with no hints from here I was hesitant to breach the subject.

Just the outside of this place is so seedy that even I won't go in.

I visited Pittsburgh recently, where I used to live, and noticed that a lot of the strip clubs are way out in East Bumfock Township, way out on some county road where the nearest house is at least a couple miles away. That made me wonder, why do the clubs in Seattle locate right on the main drag? I know Seattle is more densely populated than Pittsburgh, but why not out in some unincorporated part of King Co, or near some industrial flats? And then there's this joint, the dancing bear, which seems to go out of its way to be an eyesore. At least Rick's was fairly nondescript on the outside...

Has anyone been to the Sands recently? My experiences there have been hit and miss in the past. For every amazing time (I dreamed about this older dancer with fake tits that took me on a trip to Russia, and the only question ever asked was "are you allergic to latex? "), there are several annoying times (I'm the only guy sitting in the chairs, nursing my stupid drink while all the girls are elsewhere).

Seems like no matter when I go there, the odds are I'll be the only guy out in the chairs, while the two girls working at the time are in the VIP with people that are not me.

I suppose I'm going to have to go take one for the team, but I hate the odds.

Have things gotten any better? Are there ex-Talents West dancers there now?

Sp,

I was just there recently. I recall back in the day it was better or as good as Ricks, alas, no club is even close now. If you visit, be prepared to still nurse that drink.

There were several guys when I was there which is good since the girls will actually dance on stage then. That was actually the reason I left this place before. The new girls were so lazy they would never get on stage, especially if you were the only customer. I recognized one Ricks girl but she seemed depressed.

Jamie is gone now, missed her by a week I guess. Blair recognized me and gave me a great welcome back dance routine. Just missed a hot blonde- arrived as I was leaving.

I guess I'll have to visit the DV now. Crap.

Can anybody give some details on dancer named Lily that works there?

she is vietnamese blonde.

Does anyone know where Bella from foxes is working now?

Thanks

[QUOTE=Tire Doc]Does anyone know where Bella from foxes is working now?

Thanks[/QUOTE]I don't remember a Bella, but when I hit up Club Sin Rock last month several of the ladies mentioned they came up from Foxes.

In the P-I today:

[url]http://www.seattlepi.com/local/424192_strip30.html[/url]

They mention it's the same guy who tried to open a club on Aurora Avenue North.

It was previously mentioned here that the club this guy was trying to open would be yet another Vu-related club (like Little Darlings and Dreamgirls).

So I see this as part positive (Yea Rick's!) and part negative (Boo Vu!).

I also see this as jumping the gun a bit, because as is mentioned in the article, the building hasn't even been sold yet, so the guy filing for the permit doesn't even own the property yet. Either he knows something that I don't (which is most likely true), or he is really jumping the gun here.

On another note, I've been perusing the strip club reports from other cities (and, um, wow, there are some amazing stories out there), and it seems that Deja Vu doesn't always have a reputation of being the McDonald's of Strip Clubs. Take, for instance, some of the stories out of the Deja Vu in the City of Industry (that's one of the weird places in Los Angeles). Those stories actually sound better than some of the most amazing stuff I heard about Rick's and the Sands.

I also wonder why someone doesn't go out into unincorporated county land and build a club there. Avoid admissions taxes, avoid city vice squads, pay your taxes, give us some fun.

That being said, I also wonder why there aren't any gentlemen's clubs on indian reservations. Casinos seem to pass their moral test. I can only imagine that fun could be had in a club located on land that enjoys quasi-sovereign status.