Update July 13: From the club’s Facebook page: “Ladies and Gentlemen, Pandora’s is OPEN FOR BUSINESS! Club hours are 1pm to 230am, cover charge is $10 and $5 for a drink. Hope to see you all here!”
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On its Facebook page the new strip club on Lake City Way indicates it will open this afternoon at 1 p.m., and stay open until 2:30 a.m.
In a post from around midnight, the club said “we’ll be open tomorrow.”
Pandora’s Adult Cabaret, 8914 Lake City Way N.E., was originally set to open July 6, but but was still awaiting an inspection, the club has said. That location is right on the line that splits the Maple Leaf and Wedgwood neighborhoods, and the community councils of both have written the city to say they believe the club’s permit was improperly issued. But the city refused to step in.
The sign outside the club, which used to be the Seven Seas Restaurant, is now covered in black. At 8 a.m. workers were visible inside the open door.
The club has posted several photos on its Facebook page, including one of a stage, at right.
The club has generated considerable discussion, with around 200 comments on the Maple Leaf Life and Wedgwood View neighborhood blogs and their Facebook pages.
I can see and hear the Shanty from my back porch, I love hearing the sound of live music coming up through the neighborhood. In the Summer I can practically hear the lyrics, as well as snippets of conversation from people smoking outside. But hey, I also love hearing my neighbor’s have a bbq or party, love seeing people bike and walk around the neighborhood, working in their yards, walking their dogs, etc. That’s what an active city neighborhood should have instead of everyone shut inside watching TV. The Seven Seas occasionally had bands play in the bar area, I was hoping when it was up for sale another live music joint would open up there. Maple Leaf needs more adult nightlife (of the non-strip club variety)
On the weekends I hear the music from the Shanty very clearly. The music ends at midnight, thank God. I wonder how people who live closer stand it.
Once again the Lake City neighborhood is looking backwards instead of forwards. Enough of strip clubs already! Miss the Seven Seas and the gang there. At least you could get a decent drink and play a game of pool. Hate the idea of this new ‘club’.
Disappointed Neighbor- Apparently you have poor reading skills. I’m hardly a fan of the strip club, you must have missed the part where I talked about what a dump it looks like. I just don’t get why people need to exaggerate or lie in their arguments against it. Since I don’t share your exact opinion and actually know the area because I live there, means in your mind I’m defending it? I’ve said multiple times, I’m probably the closest homeowner, I probably have more at stake than any of you. Hence why I’m encouraging them to make a lot more improvements in the building and lot so it doesn’t look so junky. So far the club has been pretty quiet. Friday and Saturday nights the music and crowd at the Shanty were audible easily from my back yard, as were neighborhood bbqs, parties, dogs barking and babies screaming, so we couldn’t hear any noise from the club. It will be interesting to see if we can hear the club on weekday nights when the Shanty is closed.
Thumbs up on the new brew pub, that’s awesome!
For those interested, this is an article on the brew pub that Dee mentioned:
http://lakecitylive.net/2011/05/17/elliott-bay-brewery-starting-renovation-for-lake-city-brew-pub
I think it is Elliot Bay Brewing. It will reside in the building where the American Eagle Hobby Shop was. I have heard very good things about the place. This is their 2nd or 3rd location? Very good for Lake City. I just wish it didn’t mean the closing of the Hobby Shop.
and oh yeah, you kids be nice to each other.
A new brew pub in Lake City? EXCELLENT. I’m there.
“no one calls living across a highway from someone as next door” . Really? Seems like someone already has. Who elected you the mouthpiece for the neighborhood? You seem to have an inordinate amount of concern with everyone else’s opinions.
Dan is the self-appointed defender of the strip club. Apparently since he lives nearby the club, he is the authority on everything. He has routinely dismissed anyone else’s concerns and is very patronizing. I wonder if he has a share in the ownership. A lot of us do not agree with Dan.
David, your neighbor accross the street from you is not your next door neighbor, you don’t share a property line. And Lake City Way is a state highway 5 lanes wide, no one calls living across a highway from someone as next door. I’m the closest homeowner to the club, I know the area better than you, exaggerating or lying about it weakens any point you’re trying to make.
Dan – There are 21 new townhomes going in on the NE property line. I believe I live “next door” to my neighbors across the street.
@18- No one lives next door to Pandora’s, the nearest residential places are the apartments across the street, so no worries there. But yes–a new paint job, some fake windows instead of boarded over ones, and a new sign instead of trying to reuse the Seven Seas one by painting over it–would give that place a major upgrade on the outside appearance and stop pretty much all of my complaints. I seriously drove by it 6 times yesterday (I live very close) and it looks dumpier than all the other strip clubs in town.
Dump is right but I really didn’t expect otherwise. I’ll save my hard earned dollars for the nice new brewpub opening in Lake City.
When you live next door to a strip club, it does impact your life on a day to day basis. What a dump.
As someone who lives close by and passes by everyday going to and from work, I have to echo what others have said. I hope they do pay a bit more attention to the exterior. The light gray paint looks like primer, makes the club look cheap, and sends a message that the owner doesn’t really care about fitting in to the neighborhood.
We need a lost pet thread to refocus people’s attention on what truly impacts their lives on a day-to-day basis.
Note people that they are still working on the place. It’s MUCH better than some of the other clubs I’ve been to in Seattle! And it’s the SIGN that I was talking about. I have never worked for any club, but I am a patron of 40 years in various states. I go there because I’m catering to my favorite dancer.
I’ve never been propositioned by her or ANY dancer in ANY state. I am a professional worker & don’t go to bars nor to whore houses. Please stop pre-judging clubs, patrons, and dancers! Thanks!
(My guess is the previous poster works there.) The outside does not look promising but maybe the inside is less tawdry looking. I hope the owner puts a little money into the exterior because the appearance does not lend itself to attracting the well-heeled with fat wallets. And presumably the “7” ladies are not dancing for their health.
I went to Pandora’s Adult Cabaret on opening night, 7/12/2011, and was quite impressed. There is plenty of parking, the inside looks great, there are ceiling fans for keeping cool, a decent VIP lounge area, an entertaining DJ, and the girls are “7” or above! The outer signage isn’t finished, but the proposed look is quite good.
Support your local club guys! Seattle tends to make it hard for these clubs to stay open! There are several people that have JOBS now, and this is a DECENT place! I will be going there frequently. I highly recommend it.
@ Joel How pedestrain friendly would that be. Have a drink at the Shanty, hit Pandoras then repent at the next door church. Life is good.
Maybe one of the Mars Hill churches can open next door.
@Bill- Drinking is not generally why people go to strip clubs. Although I have to say, the Portland version where they are more like a neighborhood bar with food, booze, boobies and sometimes bands and stuff like stripperaoke (karaoke with a stripper) seems less creepy and more fun.
@Dee- Ha, but I did say high end/classier, not high class. It’s all in a relative sense, just like their are nice bars and dive bars, there are higher end strip clubs and divey clubs. Right now Pandora’s is looking pretty divey, they haven’t done much to improve the building, lot or sign from the dump it was when it was the Seven Seas. As someone that lives a half a block away and passes that building at least twice a day, I was hoping for at least an upgrade from how junky it’s looked for the past 20 years.
The inside looks pretty skanky too. I’m sorry, but high class and strippers just don’t go together.
I don’t understand why guy would want to go to a strip club in Seattle…you can’t even drink…also I just drove by the building today…its so ugly it looks like they were just shoring it up…to get ready to raze it.
@Simon – Please report back to us all on quality of the talent…
@5 – I know, the gray does look like primer. I was hoping for black and a new sign. I think their attempt to re-use the Seven Seas sign is going to look pretty much like a poorly done DIY job. I know they’ve been spending a lot of money and time refurbing the inside, I think it would go a long way with the neighborhood if they’d class up the outside as well. If we’re going to have it, we might as well have a classier/high end looking strip club.
Oh no! I thought that hideous gray paint was primer. Please tell me they are going to paint it. At least make it look a little less “cell block 13” … Poor Lake City Way just can’t catch a break. All you guys with really sharp cars please park in front so at least the parking lot looks nice. LOL
Gotta agree with driver. A Home occupation, in this case child care, doesn’t meet the city definition of child care center. Question was asked and answered by the city.
I guess I’m missing something, the city’s explanation dated July 5th that the house in question is not legally established as a “child care center” as defined in Seattle Land Use Code seems pretty clear. Do you have information to the contrary?
Free MyBallard
Actually the city improperly issued the permit. The day care within the 800 foot encroachment does indeed apply under the statute, despite arguments to the contrary, but it was not researched or disclosed as required. The city should have stepped in to correct the permitting error.
Mike, I think your comment that “the city refused to step in” is misleading. The city responded to the councils requests and their explanation seems pretty clear that the club is legally permitted. The Department of Planning and Development has done exactly what they were suppose to do, issue or deny permits based on Seattle Land Use Code. In this case they found everything in order and issued the permit. Why would they need to “step in”?
Free MyBallard