I came to Ashley Street in the '80's, when it was on its last legs, but it still had a certain savage charm, and folks came from miles around to party at the juke joints and nightclubs that dotted the neighborhood. I remember how we used to charter school buses to go to American Beach (another Black landmark that has gone the way of the dodo), to party and enjoy the company of friends. By the time I got to Uptown, as we called it, Lenape's was an illegal drug emporium, and the famous rail where Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington once sat and smoked cigarettes, served as a waiting area for junkies while pushers brought their purchases out to them. I remember drinking fountain sodas at Reyno's Drugs, but soon all of the legitimate businesses abandoned the area for greener pastures, leaving only bars and poolrooms. There were specialty clubs, where certain societal groups would gather: the older folks would drink at Braren's Bar, or "Wineborough", as it was nicknamed. The cool "Superfly" dudes would congregate at Pik-Up, and there was even a sizable gay contingent that frequented the Paradise Bar. I recall just going from bar to juke joint to poolroom, to diner to shine house, and on and on, all through the night. There were several joints that stayed open ALL night, something that would never happen today. I know, it all sounds really decadent, and it was. But it was never boring...PEACE.
