Remembering Downtown Clubs

After Pleasure Island closed and CityWalk left me unimpressed, I discovered this vast bar and club district in Orlando known as Downtown.  It was so overwhelming that I crafted a hand-drawn map of city streets to mark off bar locations. I came across the 2009 document the other day and found it fascinating how many changes there have been over the years. Zinc Bar at 13 N. Orange featured House music and shortly thereafter became Senso which also brought-in world class DJ's Sadly, it's now a restaurant called Avenue Gastropub.

Antigua was a large, long-operating dance club that was split into Don Jefe's Tequila Parlor and The Dubliner Irish Social House. Those failed and the location stayed closed for a couple years. The former remains empty while the latter has been replaced with Irish Shannon's, a bar with live bands playing.  Bring back Antigua!

A trio of changes along Orange Avenue occurred in 2014 when leases ran out and The Beacham took over operations. Bar-BQ-Bar became Olde 64.

While Eye Spy became The Patio.

And SkySixty became Aero. No real format changes to any of them but they did some cleaning up, fixing up & upgraded equipment!

Club Paris operated for a short while in the former Cheyenne Saloon building. I believe they paid a huge licensing fee to use her name with a promise of occasional appearances by the famous for being famous socialite. I recall 3 for 1 drinks here but rarely any crowds.  Also on my map are Blue Room at 17 W. Pine, Red Square at 118 S. Orange, Ybor's at 41 W. Church, Kate O'Brien's at 42 W. Central, AKA Lounge at 68 E. Pine & Knock Knock at 50 E. Central (Entrance on Magnolia). Time marches on!