Crowds have been tripping on sounds there from psychedelic 60’s rock to disco and punk of the 70’s, to New Wave, house, industrial, acid and techno of the 80’s and 90’s to the present time.” “The Stud has always been a place of inclusion where you can fly your freak flag high. Opened in 1966, the bar is The Stud is the oldest continuously operating South of Market gay bar, and the last bar from the Folsom Street “Miracle Mile” gay take-over of the neighborhood in the 1960s. The Stud is two weeks away from celebrating its 50th anniversary. “In addition, bartender Brian Feagins offered to pay The Stud’s increased September rent of $9,480, an offer that drew cheers from the assembled crowd and would potentially buy this effort one more month,” reports SFist who was present at the meeting that mostly consisted of employees, promoters and performers of the club. Group called SOS (Save Our Stud) coming to rescue of this iconic SF bar! /UrlM2m7YDX Within hours of the meeting a community co-op was formed with intentions to buy the bar, and possibly move locations to avoid the rent hike. The rent increase will go into effect on September 1. SFist reports that “between the rent increase and health concerns for his mother, he (McElhaney) is returning to his home state of Hawaii and relinquishing The Stud.” “Throwing an anniversary and Pride with all that shit going down was really difficult,” McElhaney said, stating that the building was put into escrow to be sold on June 20.
Funded by impact fees on nearby commercial developments, the plaques are expected to go before the city's arts commission for approval in the coming months.Happy 50th anniversary! #sanfrancisco #thestud #stud #bar #disco #party #dancing #california #lgbt #lgbtq #50th #anniversary #golden #goldenanniversaryĪ post shared by Peter J Luna on at 8:32pm PDT
Just this week, the Leather Cultural District announced plans to install sidewalk plaques in front of historic buildings in the district, including the Eagle. The Eagle is also the namesake of the new Eagle Plaza, a redesign of the adjacent intersection at Harrison and 12th streets that aims to celebrate SoMa's kink and leather history. A low-key hangout and cruising spot, it's known for its array of theme parties, dance nights and film screenings, and its generous back patio. The Eagle is part of an international family of leather fetish-themed bars, and has long been a haven for the kink scene. The collective is now searching for a new space to revive the bar. The business was purchased by a collective of artists, performers, business executives and political strategists, which secured its lease through the end of 2020.īut after the pandemic forced bars to close, the Stud shut down in May, citing a loss of income. After its building was sold in 2016, a new landlord tripled the rent, causing the bar's owner to pull out. It reopened in 2013.Ī similar situation befell the Stud, another staple of SoMa's queer nightlife scene. After queer organizers rallied around it, it was purchased by a different set of owners, who promised to keep it as a gay bar. In 2011, the bar closed to become an upscale restaurant. This isn't the first time the Eagle has been in jeopardy. Cal Callahan, the manager for SoMa's Leather and LGBTQ Cultural District, said the district hadn't heard anything beyond the news of the sign being posted. Representatives from the Eagle haven't responded to a request for comment at the time of this posting. The building isn't listed for sale online yet the agent said it's still too early in the process. "We are trying to work out with the bar tenant to see if they're interested in possibly purchasing the building," they said. A listing agent from Compass Real Estate wouldn't directly comment on whether the business itself, or just its building, is for sale, but hinted that it's likely the latter. It's still unclear exactly what the listing means for the bar. A "for sale" sign went up on the face of the SF Eagle earlier today, prompting fears about the future of the bar, which has been a fixture of San Francisco's gay and leather scenes for nearly four decades.