#2556 #S1256 - R Place, Seattle - 6/1/2014

R Place, Seattle, WA

For about five years "R Place" was a classic dive gay bar at the foot of the Hotel Waldorf on Pike Street, across from what is now the Seattle covention center. In 1989 they opened up in the four-story building on Pine that remains their current location (the Hotel Waldorf was demolished in 2000 and the old location now contains a Cheese Factory).

At first the place had few differences from the old -- only the first two floors were open at the time, and they continued to sell only beer and wine amidst a sports theme and pull tab bins. In 1997 new owners took over, expanded to hard liquor, and added a dance floor, and eventually converted the third floor into a clubby dancing section. Or as thestranger describes it:

R Place, Seattle, WA

'For centuries, R Place was where fratty A&F-ers went to pose with beer and dartboards. Now it's a tri-story dance emporium ruled by bonsai eyebrows and thrusting retail hips. And a cover charge. The first floor remains pretty much the same (a bar, some boys), but the second floor is now the loungey "living room" decorated in mod furniture. And the third floor? Dance, dance, dance!'

Over the years they added events like the "legendary Lashes Drag show" and a weekly amateur strip show. General manager Floyd Lovelady explained the origins of the latter to seattlegaynews:

"In 2001, Lovelady and company created the famous Thursday-night Amateur Strip Show - more commonly known as ASS - when they added the strip pole. 'The liquor laws in our city prohibited us from serving alcohol and paying performers to strip,' he explains. 'That's why clubs like DejaVu and others, who employ female dancers, only serve beer and wine. But I thought, 'What if it was a contest and the clientele was allowed to strip?' We checked with the liquor board and were given the thumbs-up! That's how ASS was born!'"

It remains "Seattle’s semi-beloved old school gay bar" (seattlegayscene) with Wet Wednesdays, Thirsty Thursdays, karaoke the first three days of the week and a "twerkologist" on Tuesdays.

619 E Pine St, Seattle, WA 98122 - (206) 322-8828
Est. 1989 (1984 in earlier location) - Building constructed: 1917
Previous bars in this location: None known
Web site: rplaceseattle.com - facebook
Reviews: seattlegaynews - capitolhillseattle - thestranger - yelp - tripadvisor