Urban explorers, photograph Phelps Lounge before it is gone

[RickBeall]

Music lovers and Urban explorers, the front door of the Phelps Lounge has been broken into. BB King played there. George Clinton turned the Parliments into the Funkadelics there. The building is on Oakland Ave just N of Holbrook. Get your cameras and go exploring and maybe save a little history. The building has been locked up tight for 40 years. Although, even 10 years ago old man Phelps used to go in there once a week on Saturday to check it out. I did walk into the entrance. It was a mess inside. Lots of water damanger. Plaster just about all gone. The rounded, wavy bar was still there down all one side of the building. Some of its table top thrown to the side. The rounded ceiling ouline followed its outline in a way popular in the '40's & 50's.

[WaCoTS]

interestingly, Google places 9000 Oakland both at the Blvd, and just north of Holbrook

[detroitbob66]

Music lovers and Urban explorers, the front door of the Phelps Lounge has been broken into. BB King played there. George Clinton turned the Parliments into the Funkadelics there. The building is on Oakland Ave just N of Holbrook. Get your cameras and go exploring and maybe save a little history. The building has been locked up tight for 40 years. Although, even 10 years ago old man Phelps used to go in there once a week on Saturday to check it out. I did walk into the entrance. It was a mess inside. Lots of water damanger. Plaster just about all gone. The rounded, wavy bar was still there down all one side of the building. Some of its table top thrown to the side. The rounded ceiling ouline followed its outline in a way popular in the '40's & 50's.

Hey Rick...Thanks for the tip...Im gonna go check it out tomorrow

[Steve bennet]

Don't post this stuff on here. Some people are going to have a fit and bitch, and then word is going to get around and a bunch of ...... bags are going to start going there. Ever hear of keeping a hobby a little more underground and on the down-low?

[RickBeall]

The place is going to fall apart real fast. Better to get it out fast to whoever has their ears attuned.

[RickBeall]

And anyway, ha ha, I'm so out of the loop, to me this is "underground".

[Steve bennet]

Alright, the first Flickr-tard I see photographing themselves wearing a gas or bunny mask inside of this place, I'm blaming those here who are spilling information,

[Django]

The place is obviously in its last days Steve. I see no need to try and keep it "underground".

Im with you Rick, to me this is underground.

[warsaw7]

Alright, the first Flickr-tard I see photographing themselves wearing a gas or bunny mask inside of this place, I'm blaming those here who are spilling information,

Uh oh it's the fun police...........

[Steve bennet]

Uh oh it's the fun police...........

I'm no fun police, I'm just sick of all the Frickr pricks who took a once fun/interesting hobby and ruined it.
Aside from a large group of them all going to the same 5 locations over and over again, they started photographing themselves wearing STUPID masks, and those who don't know any better think they are deep artistic geniuses and innovators.

Once word gets out on an easy location, all the regulars flock to it, posting about it as if they are the brave ones who dare venture. Ugggg.

[Django]

Flikr link for the masked ppl? Key words anyway so I can find it. I havent heard of this.

[eno]

Sounds elitist

[RickBeall]

When my friend went in there, when you first walk in, you walk over a pile of white bricks. It looks like when the facade collapsed a number of years a go, Phelps just opened the door and threw the bricks inside. To the left there is a small room with a desk. He did not look in the drawers. To the right there are stairs going upstairs. As you walk in the place looks big, and then once you clear a little alcove you realize it is twice the size it looked at first. I wonder if there is a basement. He stood there waiting for his eyes to adjust to the light. The wooden beams in the ceiling looked surprisingly strong and not rotted or anything. But the ceiling tiles had all apparently "melted" away. You could not really see the floor because of debris and darkness. Little Willie John took the stage, his ghost thought it was a talent show night, and sang a few songs. My friend ran out of the building.

[masterblaster]

Since it is of historical significance, why not encourage people to BOARD UP the building, and try to preserve it? Inviting people to come in there and take photos is going to lead to its further deterioration, ransacking, or torching.

[RickBeall]

I just don't see the local community organizing around this waterlogged building and saving it. I see bums taking a dump inside the door.

[detroitbob66]

Since it is of historical significance, why not encourage people to BOARD UP the building, and try to preserve it? Inviting people to come in there and take photos is going to lead to its further deterioration, ransacking, or torching.

I dont know any photographers that ransack or torch anything. There maybe some out there that do that sort of ignorant sh*t, but the people I explore with [[some are DetroitYes members) would NEVER do such a thing. We are all about preserving history and exploring is OUR hobby. This is why you see me try to never post anything on here that is open. All locations that I post on are demolished, being demolished, or are sealed up good, secure, and tight. Although masterblaster, please believe I think I understand what you are trying to say and I can agree with you there. It attracts non-explorers and non-photographers too. But this website is pretty down-low and many of us on here are respectable people. I think???? LOL

[surenowinlife]

Does any one have any recent pic's inside?

[detroitbob66]

I tried to post pics on this website of Phelps Lounge, but just like every other time I try to post a picture on DetroitYes, it gives me a exclamation point and tells me that it is UNDEFINED! What do I do?

[RaumVogel]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/detroitderek/3156968225/

[DinNC]

It's funny and sad to me to think that if I were driving around Detroit yesterday and I drove by Phelp's Lounge I would have thought it was just another crap whole wasting away in the city. Then I read this thread and I look at it and imagine all the history that's been made in that building. If more people new and understood the history of these buildings maybe they would respect them and preserve them as opposed to vandalizing and tearing them down.

[detroiturbex]

From a few months ago.

[stromberg2]

^^^
Wow, that's some bar. Thanks!

Stromberg2

[Django]

Man Id like to get the bar outta there, legally of course

[ynot]

maybe 12 or longer I was there for 3 yrs straight eddie would call me there like he was going to reopen he pull up with a green suit and a car I cant remember it was sad it was still in good condition when I was there poor eddie it was like in a movie he stood there like he was watching what was and then would say how the coolers had to be working for the inspection I wondered buck died a friend of eddies and never heard from eddie phelps again he always paid to like he was really going to reopen

[Zacha341]

"Flickr-tard" ........!

Alright, the first Flickr-tard I see photographing themselves wearing a gas or bunny mask inside of this place, I'm blaming those here who are spilling information,