Boston strip club peeps new spot on busy Stuart Street
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Centerfolds and The Glass Slipper are currently tucked away on Lagrange Street. Photo: David Goldman/Boston Herald via Getty Images
One of Boston's two remaining fully nude strip clubs plans to move out of the shadows of Lagrange Street and onto a busy, pedestrian-packed stretch of downtown.
- For decades, Centerfolds and the Glass Slipper have survived off the beaten path, tucked away on a side street in the Theater District.
Why it matters: Now, one of the clubs — it's unclear which — is eying a prime five-story building on Stuart Street next to the shuttered Jacob Wirth restaurant.
Zoom in: 27-29 Stuart Street is in a busy pedestrian area where the Theater District meets Chinatown, Tufts Medical Center and the South End.
- It would be a big change for the area that houses the Wilbur Theater, Moxy hotel and the state Transportation Building.
Driving the news: Boston's Zoning Board of Appeal approved renovations related to groundwater for the site, the first green light for a "multi-story nightclub adult entertainment complex for 246 patrons," according to a city filing.
What they're saying: "This would be the potential relocation of an existing adult entertainment license about a block and a half away to this location," attorney Dennis Quilty told the board.
- He said the plan still has to be fully vetted by the community through public hearings on transferring the food and beverage and entertainment licenses.
- Quilty told Axios he couldn't say which strip club plans to move due to an NDA between the owner and applicant.
The intrigue: The Stuart Street location is within the city's original "adult entertainment district," which could make it easier to relocate one of the clubs.
Friction point: City Councilor Ed Flynn said in a letter to the board that neighbors were caught off guard about possibly having a five-story strip club located on their main drag.
- "This is a major change of use on one of the busiest blocks between Chinatown and Downtown, which regularly sees public safety, traffic, and double-parking challenges with existing restaurants and nightclubs," Flynn wrote to the board.
- Flynn noted that occupants at AVA Residences next door have already been complaining about the area's "loud music, large crowds and nuisances late into the evening."
Flashback: The Glass Slipper and Centerfolds are the last vestige of the old "Combat Zone" red-light district that stretched for blocks with peep shows, dirty theaters and other strip clubs.
What's next: There will be more boards, hearings, approvals and public meetings before any dollar bills or garments land on the stage.