Last day is March 30th. Sadly I can't be there. :(
https://photos.app.goo.gl/SidmjvaB8SvKGPny9
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Last day is March 30th. Sadly I can't be there. :(
https://photos.app.goo.gl/SidmjvaB8SvKGPny9
Wow! It's difficult to believe its actually closing. The rumors of its demise have been going on for years, and I'm very sad to see it close, as I've been there many, many times and I've made friends and have met some of the most beautiful trans women on the planet there.
Hopefully, something will rise from the ashes, but I doubt it. I sure won't miss it's sleaziness and its hustle, but it was a truly unique place.. Alas, SF is changing, for good and bad, I consider myself lucky to have been able to experience it.
Cheers to Steve for running it for so many years.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lorca81
I was in the service and then school for a lot of the 90s, so I only hit the Motherlode a couple of times and I didn't know Mark. So this is secondhand, but I believe the original concept was that "Divas" was to be the name of the whole complex. The first floor would be the new Motherlode, and the third and fourth floors would be Dragon, a club aimed at young Asian men. But Mark's partner Joe died and Mark got sick, so they canceled the Dragon part and Steve came in as a buyer. Steve told me it took until 2001 before he was finally able to get all the financing together to complete the sale, but Mark was basically out of the picture as of late 1998.
One of the other Divas regulars, a guy a little older than me from out in the Avenues, told me there was a little-known drag bar in the TL called Divas that was combined with Motherlode in the new building, but Steve says that's not true.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Stavros
Such great memories in the slideshow, Stavros. Sonia, Carla, Andrea… Is the Vietnamese girl Sonja? I can remember her laugh, but not quite sure about the name.
Does anyone have any proof that divas is sold or closing?
The info comes from one of the long time girls, and another has confirmed.
Which girls?Quote:
Originally Posted by wombat2k
Jasmine and Lily/Kataluna
Hello, everyone. I was hoping people could share some insight as I have only been to SF once and didn't have time to check out Divas (sad to hear it's closing). So, how's it like? Is it worth a trip to SF before it closes? Is it more of just a place where tgirls hang out and socialize or a strip club or a little of both? Is it best to visit during the weekend (presumably when it's at its busiest) or are weekday nights lively as well?
Alexis confirmed to me that the building was sold and Divas will close March 30. End of an era, for sure. So head on down to see it all one last time, but really the glory days ended around when Brianna put that guy’s eye out with her heel back in 2010.
My god! Were you there? Any word on what happened?Quote:
Originally Posted by thombergeron
I personally wasn't there, but know several peeps who were there. A fight between two girls broke out in 2013. A guy tried to break it up (he is 6'4/250 lbs) and lost an eye from a girl's heel, which she was took off her foot and had in her hand.
Brianna had been previously banned from the place, but slipped in. The guy tried to sue Steve for not having proper security (there was never any security, besides Steve), but was unsuccessful. The guy had a really bad reputation among the girls, and he's an avid Trump supporter from Marin County of all places (according to his Facebook page), so fuck that guy.
This is sad news, truly the end of an era. There are not many of these gritty fun casual bars left around the country, El Gato in Chicago, Peanuts in LA, Edelweiss in NYC, Jacques in Boston still open but has changed, Le Round Up in NOLA, The Oxwood in LA, the old Ziegfields in DC, .....all gone. A few remain open like Cruisin' on 7th in Phoenix, SRO in San Diego, and the Las Vegas Lounge but with Divas closing those are the only ones left.
Thanks for the info. Even though I'm local, I've never been a regular or met the owner and only been there a handful of times, when then-current girlfriends wanted to go.Quote:
Originally Posted by thombergeron
That said, I'm still sorry to hear Diva's is closing because represents a vestige of San Francisco's edgy past, which has been largely forgotten with gentrification. Also, I know for many transwomen and crossdressers, Diva's is a very special place.
This would be a nice development if they could find a new location and re-open but the new building won't hold the memories of the original location. The places like Divas where all pretense is checked at the door are nearly extinct. No place, however, rivaled Edelweiss back in the day. Wild, wild times.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lorca81
So sad. I heard from Alexis that it's over. The 30th of this month is the closing party. Alexis wants to keep it going somewhere, but I don't think she has the resources to do it.
Such a bummer. I've been going there off and on ad long as I can remember. It's gonna be hard to get a replacement spot. Asia SF is cool but it's not the same. Although who knows, with Divas gone maybe the downstairs bar at Asia SF will become more trans attractive.
I hope someone that attends the last night at Divas posts some photos from the final curtain for this legendary bar. At some point we should start a thread on all of the classic gritty bars from the past. When I lived in DC I would take Amtrak up to NYC once or twice a month to go to Edelweiss. Club Edelweiss was just insane in the late 1990's and early 2000's.
I had been planning to go in the near future anyways, but due to the news I went last night. I finally got some dances from the legendary Rose and she is a very sweet lady. I hope something else comes along to replace Diva's, but as times change I will not hold my breath.
So many great Asian Tops. I would love to service Sabrina one last time.
Even THAT is on the clock. I’m heading there on Saturday so I can get the complete scoop.Quote:
Originally Posted by crutsinger
Seriously? SRO is facing the end too? There will not be any of these old school bars left before too long. You, like me, probably remember all these places in their glory days. So many great times at all of the aforementioned places. I wish I could write up reviews of all of them but to say that anything went at them would be an understatement.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ben in LA
The T-girl only bars are dead. With rising rents, they just can't attract a big enough clientele to keep the doors open 7 days a week. There is a promoter down in LA who has a weekly t-girl night at Hamburger Mary's in Long Beach:
http://tgirlnights.com/mobile/
I can't think of any t-girl night in SF. Plenty of drag shows, even a drag bar called Oasis, but that caters to a mostly gay crowd. AsiaSF has been taken over by bachelorette parties. Definitely not the place to go for cruising.
Upstairs, yes, but there is a bar downstairs and its leads into the dressing rooms for the staff, and who knows what might happen after the show? A long shot, yes, but someone, sometime must get lucky!Quote:
Originally Posted by Huevos_Rancheros
A few years ago I went there a few times to check out the bar scene. They get lots of people, but no trans girls. The only time you can talk to any of the trans girls is when you catch them outside having a smoke between shows. Maybe the trans scene will get better at the power exchange but I doubt it. Ever since they moved from Otis to Jones st it hasn't been that good. It's been about 3 years since I've been there. But who knows. Maybe it's better now.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stavros
Now the lead location for meeting professional girls in the West is the Las Vegas Lounge. Things have really changed in the last 40 years.
Is this the last weekend at Divas??
Sorry to hear that. When I lived in SF and I got horny, I would go to Divas. I really like talking to a lady and getting to know her a bit
before getting it on. Divas was a good place for that, at least back then.
when is the last day - I would reall like to visit one more time before they close??
I agree with you, the beauty of places like Divas was that you could hang out, have a few drinks and get to know the girls a bit. That is nearly impossible in some loud nightclub with music blaring. I hate that these places are all closing, or have already closed, around the country. I hope SRO in SD does not close too.Quote:
Originally Posted by mikey_stl
What are the girls of Diva's going to do now to make a living - and where can we find them for some fun!!
This question, regardless of Divas, has always concerned me. How many girls that rely on sex work can move to mainstream jobs after their looks fade? How many pay income tax in order to receive Social Security when they "retire" or have any savings to speak of?Quote:
Originally Posted by golffool
Not many outside the big porn girls. Its hard to clean dirty money if you don't have a good front.Quote:
Originally Posted by njjohn
For Diva's final night, it was so crowded, the heat from so many people there was almost unbearable. And they ran out of beer.
I'll sure miss that dank shit-hole of a bar!
lolzzzz.. wow..summer time madness... its greatQuote:
Originally Posted by dc_guy_75
Did anyone take any Photos last night at Divas?
I figured it would be chaos and I am glad I went last Friday instead when it was a normal sized crowd. I can think of three different girls I wouldn't mind spending some quality time with outside the club, but never had the chance. I hope another spot pops up where we can see the girls. Because of the SESTA / FOSTA thing I do not expect any of them to have a internet presence anytime soon. Times are changing for sure.
Although I haven't been a regular customer there in over three years. I did stop in for an hour or so on Friday and Saturday night. It was crowded as hell, like the old days back in the early 2000's, especially on Saturday night. I probably tipped at least 100 bucks to the dancers on Friday night. Then I left. Saturday night was much of the same, minus the dancers . Probably a lot more people too. Unfortunately the bartending was a little slow because they were understaffed and the bartenders probably forgot how to serve a crowd that big. But it was good and every floor was packed with people. It's definitely one of the best clubs ever, especially for trans girls and those guy who appreciate them . Makes me wish I would have gone there a lot more in the past few year. But I just don't spend that much time in the city these days. Hopefully a replacement to Divas will open up somewhere . Maybe somewhere in the SOMA area or the Castro. That whole Polk Gulch area has turned into a bust. Most of the straight clubs have closed as well. That whole area will probably be converted to low income housing eventually. It seems like the younger crowd seem to be attracted to the more boujee areas of San Francisco. A true bummer.
Any update on the status of SRO in San Diego?
If there are any girls from Divas on this site - please PM me. I would love to get together.
Hahaaaaaa. Great pickup line.Quote:
Originally Posted by golffool