Friday, September 19, 2014

Two SF Gay Sex Venues Have Closed
By Todd Swindell and Michael Petrelis


More queer male space has vanished from San Francisco and the strange thing is it happened more than two months ago and we've not seen any reporting about the closure of two sex venues.

For decades, the City Entertainment adult store and peep show arcade with glory holes provided valuable sexual release to gay, bisexual and curious men and was located on Folsom Street between 6th and 5th Streets. Evenings and weekends were when you were guaranteed a crowd of cruisers.

It was also a venue where HIV and STD prevention posters and information were always on-site and a good amount of education, especially about where to get testing and medical care services was imparted to sexually actives dudes.

The second floor in recent years was remodeled into at least two incarnations of a sex club with slings and lounge areas available, at a slightly higher price than the arcade, but neither club caught the fancy of a large, dedicated and horned clientele.

The most recent sex club to occupy the upper level, The Brig, announced on its web site back in June that both venues were closing at the end of the month and they promise to reopen in a new location.

We wish them the best of luck, but we also vividly remember the same promise from the owners of the Mack Prison sex club formerly located on Folsom Street near 9th Street, when they shut their doors and failed to reopen.

Due to rampant condo development all over the South of Market district, according to several sources, the property where The Brig and City Entertainment used to be is slated for new luxury housing construction to begin before the end of the year.

This photo was snappy late this afternoon outside the shuttered sex venues and we note that these businesses were giving the customers what they wanted for thirty years. There's a lot to be said for that.

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