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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 19, 2005)
august 12. 2005 • There was some controversy early on in that the women wanted it to be a lesbian bar and the men had the opposite opinion. Instead, the establishment ■vKX. became a meeting place A V TX for several groups \ ,' including Gay Men V\ \ \\ Together, Oregon Fair Share, a William Temple House coun- seltng group and the BBB/ Portland Gay Men’s HHy Chorus. Metropolitan Community Church of ' Portland members often brunched there, and on \ Easter Sunday in 1977 they held , BX an Easter breakfast there ||BX after having a sunrise B^B\ service around B\ Skidmore fountain Oscar’s was fllB / wildly popular, HBfl //^r L I //- jsfaj . • Backtrack to Stark and continue west / to Southwest Fourth Avenue. Rounding the comer brings you to a building that •----- was constructed in 1890 as the New Mayer Hotel. At 424 S.W. Fourth Ave. now stands The City—a sports bar and restaurant. For sev eral years in the 1970s, this was called The Water Closet or just WC’s. A narrow stair- > way took patrons upstairs to a large open space, excellent and popular for danc- /^B. ing. A bar served the libations, and several fables and seats were /JKSS1 ——arranged on a t stepped riser in BJIKF ™ the back. \ wfeW The kx) ifl \\stairs’ J £ /BBki ’ » >fi I it'» • Sff SV. fc / rJgyaU, j j. ■•Z to the point that JR ? 'lK l ">dl''id dvi id w T O^RBi y cd to double the rent \y : * JBS£3PB| in I9.SP I here had been some difficulty with the Oregon Liquor Control >3‘. lH IB V/ Commission concerning the liquor license, and Wright decided to close one of gay | al run- \ where anoth- I er bur called I Fli’s func- I Honed in the // ,9SlV h°un Staircase. 4’ ~-■«‘SB-X/ After closure, the .Xz space became Polyesters. Head south on Fourth, and _____ under the Greek Cuisina at 509 is a 0 bolted doorway that once led X. to one of the oldest /x rVs. /yf Portland’s classier spots. It is • W' ■ B*\\ ITIUCh m'ssed by F «'those who were < • L fWf\\ *rtA|ucnt t 1 Jan // baths in ^^X Portland /‘3B* called Mahon’s. /W| . Ul'pr B II it Pu'H'ess g / ^’an 111 1903 and i activity. / Mention die Circle to just about any- one active in the ’70s and their eyes often glaze over with memories. Behirid the theater on Third was the popular Pink Cat Brxrkstore and Arcade at 523 S.W. Third Ave. Looking across Fourth, you see the site of the once-famous Louvre Cafe on the northwest comer at Alder. In 1912, several men involved in the famous YMCA same-sex scandal were known to meet there. The owner, Fritz Stroebel, reportedly kept company with several young men and often ttxik one of them to Seattle to recruit performers L ' - • for his “bohemi- 7 - an” place- He E' 1\ C11’SC(-1 *r ’n g|^B\ 1913, but it -J al''Pcarc<^1 >r < j|| I years in the — B W ] newspapers in ...... reference to JEB ^B/ •_ // betaine Up the WBHBw. -. * X 1960s, when it became the downtown Olympic Baths after the original Olympic on Morrison was closet!. Across the street, you will see a parking struc ture. This was once the site of the Circle Theater at 516 S.W. Fourth Ave. Famous as a place for anonymous encounters, there were two balconies where such meetings took place. De facto, the right side balcony was a men-only ^^^BX spot, where in as the B other bal- cony was I “reserved” Z ■ / for straight - uas \\ down- '19 I jUSt OUtj23 I*' I ’ \\ ; JW Continued on Page 24 through the OREGON THEATRE CUPISTOPHER STOWE IL / ARTISTIC DIRECTOR * August 29 - September 3 11 AM - 5 PM daily Portland’s South Park Blooks J » FREE *• A. special showing in THE TENT of a classic Cole Porter film 7:30 p.m., Friday, September 2nd Sf ASON SPONSORS Call 503.2.BALLET for details or visit www.obt.org Bring your lunch and enjoy the shade of our BIG WHITE TENT as dancers take daily class and rehearse for our Fall Program, which will feature new choreography by Christopher Stowell set to music by Cole Porter. FAi I. OCTOBER 9 16 New Siawt.l / In the Night / Angelo f1- WiNlEP FFBRUARY 13 25 New Mclntyie / Quick Time / Who Cares? SPRING - APRIL 22 29 Divertimento No 15/ New Kurfelka / Concerto Six Twenty-Two JUNE 9 1 1 FULL LENGTH Swan Lake
