As it turns out I had to work on my 50th birthday, but since I got off work at 11:00 AM I decided to head to downtown Washington for the day, to visit some of my old haunts. I headed down to 14th and F st at the National Press Club Building and more specifically The Shops at National Place, where I visited the former location of The American Cafe, my first waiter gig in D.C.
From there I made my way down the street, past the old Woodward and Lothrope Building to the 900 block of F st and The Atlantic Building, former home to both it's predecessor The Atlantis Club and the now famous 9:30 Club. Across the street is the Equitable Bank Building, former home of The Fifth Column nightclub, and on a historical note, just to the right is the alley through which a certain John Wilkes Booth made his escape from the rear entrance of Ford's Theatre, located nearby.
This area has been beautifully restored and gentrified, but back in the day you put your life on the line on these mean streets in the late night hours. I remember coming down here and parking in the alley lot behind the 9:30 club late at night, only to be greeted by hundreds of foot long rats which would stream out of the dumpsters upon slamming your car door, as if in some horror flick.That bad. If nothing of interest was happening at the Atlantis/9:30 club, I would apprehensively make my way down F St, past The Fifth Column, the Gallery Place Metro and it's attendant, harrowing urine soaked and derelict strewn National Portrait Gallery concourse, to D.C Space.
I have fond memories of D.C.Space, from the beautiful but dilapidated Le Droit Building in which it was located (now restored to it's former glory and housing The Spy Museum and restaurant Zola, among others) it's Bass Ale on tap, and this wondrous assemblage of urban hippies, artists, and some rather frightening Punks (ala Sid Vicious) back when they were the real thing. Saw some pretty strange stage acts too. As it turns out, I was in attendance the day that Dot and Charles Steck shot the photos found on the DC Space Photo Gallery, and was delighted to run across them on the web.I guess I wasn't interesting/cool enough to be a subject.
