It really encompassed and embraced the alt-sex communities.”īars like 5801 in Shadyside, Blue Moon in Lawrenceville, and P-Town in North Oakland are still a thriving part of the LGBTQ community, even as Pegasus in Downtown, The Eagle on the North Side and Holiday in Oakland have closed. “When you end up in a new place and didn’t know where to go, Cruze was where to begin,” she said.
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Pinolini and her partner Lauren Hoffman, who both identify as queer, have attended not just LGBTQ events, but also kink-friendly and furry-friendly events at Cruze, which Hoffman said was in a well-situated location to meet friends or to end the night after events in other neighborhoods. With more people moving to the city, having that place to start and “dip your toe in the water” in a new city is important, she said.
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Courtesy of Cruze Bar “The sky is not falling”Ĭruze was the first bar Melissa Pinolini visited after moving to Pittsburgh about four years ago at the suggestion of several friends. “We’re a family here.”Ī peek inside Cruze. “I think the 15th will be an emotional night for the staff and the guests,” he said.
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“We are not able to perform the extensive construction scope with tenants in the building, so we have worked with them to relocate,” she wrote in an email.Ĭampo said Cruze’s ownership group considered relocating but ultimately decided not to, declining to give further detail. When asked about working with the current tenants, Warmouth said McCaffery Interests was unable to accommodate them. Owners from Xtaza and Room16 night clubs, also housed in the building, did not return requests for comment.
GREG FROM THE EAGLE GAY BAR WINDOWS
Rossilynne Culgan / The Inclineįeatures like its Southern pine floors, numerous windows and high ceilings will remain a part of the four-story building, constructed next to the 16th Street Bridge in 1921 for a cable manufacturer, NEXT Pittsburgh reported.Ĭostume World, also located in the block-long building, closed in April. Upstairs business Stout Training plans to relocate to 27th Street in a newly renovated space. The building was bought, and that’s the way it is,” he said.Ĭhicago developer McCaffery Interests plans to close on the deal for 1600 Smallman Street this fall to renovate the 120,000 square feet for retail and restaurant spaces on the first floor with office space above, according to the company’s marketing manager Melissa Warmouth.Īn application for redevelopment. “We wish we had more time to throw a couple more things we were known for, but we’ve got to go. While patrons look back at Cruze as a welcoming space, its closure reflects the changing role of gay bars for the LGBTQ community, even in the time since it opened. “We’ve always focused on being a safe space for everyone to come together and get along.” “We tried our hardest to be an all-inclusive bar,” said Greg Campo, the bar’s manager and part-owner, who moved to Pittsburgh with his husband four years ago to operate Cruze with bar owners Peter Karlovich and Steve Herforth. The building along Smallman Street it has occupied for seven years has been sold to a Chicago developer. Saturday’s “Last Dance” party will now be called the “It’s Not Over” party. It had initially announced Saturday’s “Last Dance” party as its final event, but the bar was granted a last-minute extension to keep operating for now, with an exact closure date to be determined. This story has been updated to reflect the new information.Īs drag performers Sonia May-Bottom and Blade Matthews hosted Cruze night club’s open stage contest earlier this week, they bid the crowd farewell with sadness: “We’ll see you when we see you,” Matthews said.Ĭruze, the landmark club in the Strip District that calls itself “gay-owned, gay-operated, and gay proud,” will soon close, citing development in the neighborhood. An exact closure date has not been announced. 14: Cruze has been granted an extension and now will not close on Sept.
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8 with “ The Once & For All Closing Ball.” 30, 2019: Cruze will close on Friday, Feb.