Wikipedia

Purr Cocktail Lounge

Purr Cocktail Lounge was a gay bar and nightclub in Seattle, in the U.S. state of Washington. The video bar operated on Capitol Hill from 2005 to 2017, when it relocated to Montlake. Purr hosted events and activities ranging from drag shows and karaoke to viewing parties for elections and television shows. Magazines Out and Out Traveler included the venue in their lists of the world's 200 "greatest" gay bars. Purr closed in 2018.

Purr Cocktail Lounge
Red-and-white graphic logo with a cat and the text "Purr Cocktail Lounge".
Logo
Photograph of the exterior of a building
The bar's exterior on Capitol Hill in 2012
Map
Address
  • 1518 11th Avenue
  • 2307 24th Avenue E (2017–2018)

Seattle, Washington
United States
Coordinates47°36′53″N 122°19′04″W / 47.6148°N 122.3179°W / 47.6148; -122.3179
OwnerBarbie Roberts
Type
Opened2005
Closed2018

Description

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Purr Cocktail Lounge was a gay bar and nightclub[1] in Seattle. The business initially operated on 11th Avenue between Pike Street and Pine Street on Capitol Hill,[2] and later relocated to Montlake.[3][4] In addition to cocktails,[5][6] the video bar[7] served Mexican food such as tacos,[8][9] as well as burgers and beer.[10][11] Purr's logo depicts a cartoon cat with a diamond or studded collar.[2][8]

The venue's interior had polished concrete floors, "high-end" red leather couches, exposed brick and timbers, purple lanterns, and a "massive, lovely" wooden bar, according to The Stranger's Bethany Jean Clement. Behind a "three-foot-high set of doors" was a cloakroom and staff changing area. A "VIP" lounge with a full bar, sound system, and two plasma displays was sometimes open to the public and was sometimes available to rent. In 2006, Clement said the patrons were approximately five percent women and that: "Purr's drinks are big and strong and served in heavy highball glasses that are narrower at the top than the bottom, seemingly designed to be dropped. The cute, tidy crowd is prone to hugging, smiling, and intermittent photo taking."[8]

Out Traveler said: "Guaranteed to be packed every weekend is Purr, a magnet for the Aeropostale-Ben Sherman crowd with a super friendly staff. There's lots of space to sit or stand as you jam to the hottest tunes and watch music videos or a big game on 15 flatscreen TVs."[12] Matt Baume of Bay Area Reporter called Purr "a little slice of West Hollywood with trendy outfits and slick video monitors".[13]

History

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Purr's owner Barbie Roberts, a former employee of the video bar Manray, opened Purr in 2005[14] in a space that previously housed a bar named Bad Juju.[8][15][16] Out Traveler described Roberts as "the hostess with the mostess and longtime supporter of the community, helping raise thousands of dollars annually for various LGBT charities and organizations".[12]

 
Interior of Queer Bar (pictured in 2018), which has occupied Purr's former space on Capitol Hill since 2017

In 2009, Purr was one of eleven gay bars in Seattle that received anonymous letters threatening ricin attacks.[17][18] In response, Purr joined other businesses in organizing a pub crawl "to combat Hate and Fear". A press release for the event said, "All people are encouraged to support our efforts to bring life to our local bars for support against Fear and Hatred posed to our local Gay community."[19]

Purr hosted events and activities, including karaoke on select weeknights from 2010 to 2016,[20][21] an election viewing party in 2016,[11] and a screening of the premiere episode of the television series Feud in 2017.[22] Purr invited RuPaul's Drag Race contestants, including Raja in 2016,[23] and Violet Chachki and Katya in 2017, to perform for Pride Month.[24][25] The bar also held weekly Drag Race viewings with local drag performers, as of 2018,[26] and monthly brunch meetings for Seattle Men in Leather, a gay social group within the leather subculture.[27]

Relocation and closure

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Queer Bar (pictured in 2022) occupied Purr Cocktail Lounge's Capitol Hill space after Purr relocated to Seattle's Montlake neighborhood in 2017.

Purr operated on Capitol Hill for twelve years before relocating to Montlake in 2017.[1][28][29] Roberts said the move was necessary because of high rent costs caused by gentrification.[30][31] Queer Bar began operating in the Capitol Hill space in 2017.[4][32] After relocating to Montlake, Purr closed within a year.[33]

In 2018, Nathalie Graham of The Stranger wrote:

Purr Cocktail Lounge has a storied past. It was a bustling hub on Capitol Hill until it shuttered its doors last year and moved to Montlake. Naturally ... Purr is dead and the space on 24th Avenue East is vacant again. The Montlake queer community could be bustling, but not enough to revive Purr.[34]

Reception

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In 2006, The Stranger's Bethany Jean Clement called Purr "the new Manray, meaning that it's the default, where you go to regroup if your night's not going as it should or to meet people before going to Neighbours [Nightclub]".[8] In 2007, Out Traveler described Purr as Seattle's "most popular" gay bar and said: "The venue is nothing flashy and the layout of the service area makes it difficult to get a drink, but it's the bar where you're most likely to find the city's hottest boys, and they were in full force on Saturday night."[35] A list of the world's 200 "greatest" gay bars published by Out magazine in 2013 and Out Traveler in 2015 said Purr was "where the drinks are strong, the Whitney [Houston] is blaring, and the boys are waxed to a T. This Capital Hill cocktail lounge gets pretty cruisy on the weekends, but during the week the laid-back atmosphere makes it the perfect place to unwind after work."[36][37] In a 2017 guide of Seattle, Attitude magazine's Nick Levine wrote, "If you fancy somewhere more mainstream, make a beeline for Purr Cocktail Lounge, a camp, poppy gay bar with a welcoming atmosphere. It's the sort of place where they'll restart the video screen if it starts skipping midway through Cher's 'Woman's World' (this happened while I was there)."[38]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Beloved Gay Bar Purr is Moving to Montlake". Seattle Magazine. July 8, 2022. Archived from the original on January 29, 2023. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  2. ^ a b Clement, Bethany Jean (September 4, 2008). "Bar Exam". The Stranger. ISSN 1935-9004. Archived from the original on July 6, 2022. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
  3. ^ Werner, Christopher (June 29, 2011). "The Capitol Hill Block Party and How It Grew". Seattle Metropolitan. ISSN 1931-2792. Archived from the original on May 17, 2023. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
  4. ^ a b Hill, Megan (August 3, 2017). "Queer/Bar Intends to Fill the Void Left by Purr Cocktail Lounge". Eater Seattle. Vox Media. Archived from the original on February 19, 2019. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  5. ^ Seattle. Fodor's. 2007. ISBN 978-1-4000-1854-3. Archived from the original on August 5, 2023. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  6. ^ Insight Guides: Seattle City Guide. Apa Publications (UK) Limited. October 11, 2013. ISBN 978-1-78005-712-5. Archived from the original on August 6, 2023. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  7. ^ Grant, David (April 3, 2017). "Meet the gay cop who is kicking butt and looking hot on 'The Amazing Race'". Queerty. Archived from the original on November 30, 2021. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  8. ^ a b c d e Clement, Bethany Jean (April 13, 2006). "Bar Exam". The Stranger. Archived from the original on August 5, 2023. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
  9. ^ Clement, Bethany Jean (April 20, 2006). "Bar Exam". The Stranger. Archived from the original on November 28, 2022. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
  10. ^ "The evolution of Capitol Hill's artsy, sassy 11th Avenue". The Seattle Times. The Seattle Times Company. July 31, 2008. ISSN 0745-9696. OCLC 9198928. Archived from the original on August 5, 2023. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  11. ^ a b "Where to watch the election : Seattle watch parties". KING-TV. November 7, 2016. Archived from the original on August 5, 2023. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  12. ^ a b Rodriguez, Albert (July 20, 2014). "Seattle Nightlife: Dance, Drink and Be Merry". Out Traveler. Archived from the original on February 4, 2023. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  13. ^ Baume, Matt. "Seattle slew". Bay Area Reporter. Archived from the original on May 17, 2023. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
  14. ^ "Capitol Hill Neighborhood Map". Seattle Gay News. December 23, 2005. Archived from the original on May 17, 2023. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  15. ^ Moreno, Joel (June 13, 2016). "Seattle nightclubs rethink security needs for Pride events". KOMO-TV. Archived from the original on October 24, 2016. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  16. ^ "Belltown Bar the Juju Is Closed, For Sale". Seattle Metropolitan. Archived from the original on May 17, 2023. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
  17. ^ "11 gay bars get letters threatening ricin attacks". The Seattle Times. January 7, 2009. Archived from the original on July 3, 2022. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  18. ^ "Seattle Gay Bars _targeted By Anonymous Ricin Poisoning Threat". Queerty. January 6, 2009. Archived from the original on April 21, 2021. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  19. ^ "Capitol Hill Pub Crawl". Seattle Metropolitan. Archived from the original on October 2, 2022. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  20. ^ Seale, Shelley (December 7, 2010). Insiders' Guide® to Seattle. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-0-7627-6731-1. Archived from the original on August 5, 2023. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  21. ^ Mandel, Pam (October 13, 2016). "Plenty of pride in Seattle's gay scene". San Francisco Chronicle. Hearst Communications. ISSN 1932-8672. OCLC 8812614. Archived from the original on December 9, 2018. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  22. ^ "'FEUD: Bette And Joan' Screening Series At A Gay Bar Near You!". Instinct. February 22, 2017. ISSN 1096-0058. Archived from the original on September 23, 2020. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  23. ^ "42 Glorious Events to Mark 42 Years of Seattle Pride". Seattle Weekly. June 22, 2016. ISSN 0898-0845. OCLC 17527271. Archived from the original on July 7, 2022. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  24. ^ "Every Party, Parade, and Drag Show Your Proud Heart Can Handle". Seattle Weekly. June 21, 2017. Archived from the original on February 2, 2023. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  25. ^ Burns, Chase. "Purr's New Location Is..." The Stranger. Archived from the original on December 4, 2022. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  26. ^ Burns, Chase. "Where to Watch the Premiere of RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars 3 in Seattle". The Stranger. Archived from the original on August 5, 2023. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  27. ^ "About SML". Seattle Men in Leather. October 19, 2017. Archived from the original on May 17, 2023. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
  28. ^ Frizzelle, Christopher. "Rumors Are Swirling That Purr Is Being "Priced Out" of Their 11th Avenue Location". The Stranger. Archived from the original on August 5, 2023. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  29. ^ "3 surprising Seattle restaurant closures — plus 11 more". The Seattle Times. August 21, 2017. Archived from the original on June 28, 2022. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  30. ^ "Popular Capitol Hill cocktail lounge relocating after 60 percent rent hike". KIRO-TV. July 26, 2017. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  31. ^ Burns, Chase. "Update: Queer/Bar Cancels Sharon Needles Performance". The Stranger. Archived from the original on December 22, 2022. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  32. ^ Coughlin-Bogue, Tobias. "Joey Burgess is Bringing a Gay Bar Back to Former Purr Space". The Stranger. Archived from the original on March 1, 2023. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  33. ^ Millman, Zosha (July 29, 2018). "Report: Longtime Capitol Hill gay bar closes after 13 years". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Hearst Communications. ISSN 0745-970X. OCLC 3734418. Archived from the original on December 24, 2019. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  34. ^ Graham, Nathalie (July 31, 2018). "Slog AM: King County Homeless Shelters Don't Reach Goals and May Face Penalties, Farewell to Ofo, Where Are the Montlake Gays?". The Stranger. Archived from the original on December 5, 2022. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  35. ^ "Exclusive | The great gay stud road trip". Out Traveler. Archived from the original on February 8, 2023. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  36. ^ "200 of the Greatest Gay Bars in the World". Out. ISSN 1062-7928. Archived from the original on October 27, 2020. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  37. ^ "OutTraveler's 200 of the Greatest Gay Bars in the World". Out Traveler. Archived from the original on May 17, 2022. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  38. ^ Levine, Nick (September 7, 2017). "Attitude city guide: Seattle". Attitude. ISSN 1353-1875. Archived from the original on August 5, 2023. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
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