Sunday Past Blaster

This picture of The Phoenix Cafe ran in the Cincinnati Enquirer's Sunday magazine back in the 80s. The Phoenix had the bragging rights to being the only bar continually open since the repeal of Prohibition. They refused to serve women at the bar because it was unladylike. They had news clippings framed on the wall about Women's Rights protesters invading the cafe and crowding the bar in the 60s.
I have fond memories of The Phoenix. Sipping $1.00 longnecks. The little old man who threatened to kill me & dissolved into laughter when I told him, "ok".
I admired the Sex Pistol pink and green neon lights that framed the tinned ceiling and the woodwork that hadn't been touched in gok how many years.
With the opening of the Aranoff and the development of upscale condos in the area and the notion that we need mixed income residents to make an urban core "work", it wasn't surprising to see the low end Phoenix targeted for removal. Dealing with police requests, the Phoenix cut hours and called the police whenever they saw anything going down even if it was across the street and totally unrelated to the bar.
In liquor permit renewal hearings this cooperation & calls for service were cited as reasons to shut the place down. Actions by people in the vicinity of the bar when the bar was closed were cited as reasons to pull the bar's liquor license. This type of railroading was not unique to The Phoenix, in fact, it's pretty common. It left a bad taste in my mouth regarding The Phoenix, tho & I doubt I will ever go to the new Righteous Room that now resides in The Phoenix' corpse.
5chw4r7z visited and had a great time there. He has assured me the tin ceiling is still there. Apparently the Righteous management has no taste for timeless pink and green neon. I will assume they have adopted the crassness of the 21st century and now serve women at the bar. But I don't think they will be serving me. Well, maybe if I'm really drunk. wataminnit! - that's the only way I went to the Phoenix in the first place......