Fabulous Strip Club Ruins of Detroit

**Mama Jackson** · September-02-09, 05:32 PM

Detmich, I wish I could send this message to you privately. Women have been used and abused throughout history-sometimes it's self-inflicted and mostly not. Please don't feel you have to revisit an era of your life that is painful to you. May I suggest something? You sound like a strong, faithful person, and I am sure you have chatted with God about that phase of your life. Forgive yourself for what happened then, because He already did. Move on and leave the hatred behind, but use your anger to prevent such incidents for others when you can.

Everybody has some phase of their lives they aren't to proud of, especially if you lived through the 60's-70's. It's how we process the our experiences about those times that determine if we have grown in maturity. You have matured.

9mile&seneca · September-02-09, 05:40 PM

[quote=waz;63661]On Outer Drive north of 7 Mile was a place called Antekâ€™s, subtitled â€œThee Body Shopâ€. It was like a regular neighborhood hangout except with near-naked girls.

That was the beauty of Strip joints versus Gentleman's clubs

**pgn421** · September-02-09, 05:47 PM

Anyone remember the drumsticks at Biscoes? Janice or Joanne?
How about Cafe Chablis , by City Airport on Six Mile?

**gnome** · September-02-09, 07:42 PM

Attachment 2938

Well, Kimba, ... lookin good.

http://www.debwalsh.com/kimba/kimbalinks.html

**RickBeall** · September-02-09, 08:34 PM

I used to work right near 8 mile, and sometimes on a hot summer night after working late, I'd go the Duchess because it was nicely air conditioned and my apartment was not. [[How is that for an excuse?) I had a friend whose wife used to work there as a dancer. Sometimes we'd go and he'd stuff dollars in his wife's thong, sorta circulate it in the family I guess. Afterwards, we'd go to Mexican Village for a late night dinner.

I remember at the Duchess there was this really cute short girl, really stacked. I had a thing about her. I even wrote a song about her. Here are a few of the words that I remember.

Well Melissa can dance
take your heart away.
a look of romance
just the price of a table dance

Well Melissa can smile,
stay with you awhile
remembers you name
takes away the pain.

When I went back to give her a cassette of the song, she no longer worked there and I never saw her again.

**kraig** · September-02-09, 09:25 PM

Originally Posted by detmich

You're all so glib and callous. I spent time walking the streets because I had to. It is not fabulous, or warm and funny, and there were no emotional connections except hatred. I did what I did because I had to, and I spent time catering to the whims of suburban husbands and high school kids as well as thugs from the east side and immigrants from Mexicantown. It was demoralizing and brutalizing.

You are, each one of you, more like Garrido than you care to admit to yourselves. You love to demean and punish women, to control them because you have no control any where else in your life. The joke is we street walkers have ways of getting back at you that you don't realize until it is too late, and your wife is wondering why she has blood in her urine.

I am wonder how many of you would want to do what Garrido did to those poor desperate women. Think about your mother sucking some fat pigs c*ck because she is hungry next time you are at the gentleman's club.

Are we talking about the same thing here? I thought we were talking about strip clubs, not street walking. I feel bad for anyone who's in so desperate a situation that they feel compelled to make horrible choices and decisions. But, what does me and some friends going to a strip club for a bachelor party or just hanging out have to do with anyone selling their body and dignity on the street? Sorry, but I've spent nearly my entire life in Detroit and I've witnessed people in the most desperate situations still conduct themselves with dignity and respect. So sell the bullshit guilt trip somewhere else, John from New York, I'm not buying it.

**softailrider** · September-02-09, 09:34 PM

Originally Posted by detmich

You're all so glib and callous. I spent time walking the streets because I had to. It is not fabulous, or warm and funny, and there were no emotional connections except hatred. I did what I did because I had to, and I spent time catering to the whims of suburban husbands and high school kids as well as thugs from the east side and immigrants from Mexicantown. It was demoralizing and brutalizing.

You are, each one of you, more like Garrido than you care to admit to yourselves. You love to demean and punish women, to control them because you have no control any where else in your life. The joke is we street walkers have ways of getting back at you that you don't realize until it is too late, and your wife is wondering why she has blood in her urine.

I am wonder how many of you would want to do what Garrido did to those poor desperate women. Think about your mother sucking some fat pigs c*ck because she is hungry next time you are at the gentleman's club.

Hmmmm, a streetwalker who can write, spell and punctuate. Something doesn't add up here.

**RickBeall** · September-02-09, 10:30 PM

A lot of prostitution and drugs happens in strip clubs, but Kraig is right, we were not focusing on that in this thread. Let's get back to .... Kimba!

**satellite beach** · September-03-09, 07:26 PM

I was one of the bouncers at the Gold Diggers on Michigan in the early 70's. Dirty Diane was the big draw. The name fit her well. She could get the crowd all fired up.

**vetalalumni** · September-03-09, 07:37 PM

Anything else detmich?

**funjon1** · September-04-09, 06:23 AM

Here's one still operating. The Booby Trap on 8 Mile west of John R. Kirk Gibson met his lovely wife "waitressing" there!

**lpg** · September-04-09, 09:50 AM

On my 21st. birthday in 1970, I was treated to a tour of the strip clubs along Michigan Ave. We started at Gold Diggers and ended up at Pompei in Dearborn. There was a club just west of Michigan Ave and I think Oakman, I can't remember the name. Had live music. The only song I can recall them playing was "Montego Bay". In Southgate there was Starvin' Marvin's on Fort Street. Also in Southgate was Sygo's on Dix-Toledo Road. "Little Martini" was the 300 lb. go-go dancer. Actually she just told jokes and funny stories. It's now under another name.

**vetalalumni** · September-04-09, 03:19 PM

Just noticed the similar New Strip Club Rules in Detroit! thread.

**Ocean2026** · September-04-09, 03:24 PM

DETMICH you see the title of the thread - if you don't like it go to another thread. Its ok to talk about 90 year olds being murdered, the 1967 Riots. Strip clubs may or may not have demeaned women- arguments could be made both ways but threads about killing - race vs race things which really paint a negative picture of Detroit - those are ok with Detmich. This thread has nothing to do with demeaning women- its just another part of memory lane for many folks. Detmich would love to censor history- maybe he should try -in another country.

**gnome** · September-04-09, 05:37 PM

lighten up Ocean,

**RickBeall** · September-04-09, 09:45 PM

I value DETMICH's point of view. As a subtopic, it enriches the thread. Now, back to the fabulous ruins ....

detmich · September-05-09, 09:17 AM

Thanks to all of you who supported my post. I know this is not the right forum to be doing this. To be clear I no longer live in New York City, and I do live as a man. I hope no one has an issue with trans-gender people, but there it is.

**vetalalumni** · September-05-09, 09:39 AM

Originally Posted by detmich

Thanks to all of you who supported my post. I know this is not the right forum to be doing this. To be clear I no longer live in New York City, and I do live as a man. I hope no one has an issue with trans-gender people, but there it is.

Hopefully you receive counseling etc... regularly, or as needed. As you know, TG's tend to have an especially high occurrence of adjustment issues. Google for professional and community resources in your area. DYes is not the optimal place for that type of guidance.

**RickBeall** · September-05-09, 11:57 AM

Hi DetMich,
You are full of surprises!

As in any wide ranging community, some folks will have issues, others just take you as you are. But you know that. I bet you could write a couple books on a couple topics from your personal experiences alone. .Or write a couple illuminating short stories. That's just the way I think. I turn everything into art so I can process it.

But, I'm wandering away from the topic of this thread and may have empty beer cans thrown at me. Chink. Ouch!

**katiebee** · April-19-10, 01:17 PM

Back on the topic-I worked at Red Umbrella- did a few 'guest' dances at Goldigger's and Starvin Marvin's.
I had a blast when I was working. Didn't get into drugs and ended up marrying one of the customer's from Canada and had 2 children.

Now I live in the UK.

Those were the good days!

**terryh** · April-19-10, 04:24 PM

ahh the misty morning melancholy memories we have....ME---MORIES....remember Cantalupos on Woodward between 8 and 7 mile...vacant lot now..I liked the Wood six on Woodward at 6 mile porno theatre with polaroid snapshots displayed at top of stair-entrance of the three strippers that would each perform while the movie was playing then sache out into the dark theatre to give lap dances or a little extra..the women were strip club quality...usually..what a rush and kick that place was....

Cass1966 · April-24-10, 07:55 AM

Originally Posted by Sludgedaddy

Let's not forget Benson's Boobs Galore on Davison just east of Mound. It's notable for it's exterior which was painted "titty pink".

Another existed on Conant Between Carpenter and Charles right next door to a store front cathedral. Don't remember the name back in the day, but used to pop in there every now and then for a pack of smokes.There was no vestibule and when the door was opened in the winter, the girls would get a cold blast to the ass. The place now is under going re-modeling and was recently known as The Adult Playground and was a Black owned establishment.

I remember going to Benson's topless bar. I think I read somewhere that it was the first licensed topless bar in the city when the law was changed to allow them. Does anyone know if that is true? The old place looks pretty rough today.

**Hermod** · April-24-10, 09:11 AM

Detroit strip clubs probably died for two reasons:

1. Failure to ensure parking lot safety for patrons

2. Too many of the dancers were "motorcycle discards".

**exmotowner** · April-24-10, 10:34 AM

Originally Posted by gnome

I'll ask Vincent Chin what he remembers.

Not funny :-[[

**Huggybear** · April-24-10, 12:53 PM

So did the Greatest Desire guy really have a 14-inch tongue? I used to drive down Fenkell on the way to work and would always see that sign painted on the window of Henry's and chuckle.

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

I used to dance at Watts Club Mozambique and at Henry's Palace. Being a white guy, my stage name was Kimba. The chicks would swoon when I'd start dancing to "Kimba, Kimba, whose the one from deepest darkest africa? Kimba the White Lion is the one!"