The premise of this thread is gather peoples opinion regards the Other Place. All opinions are welcome, and please keep them to the place and not any person(s) associated with the Other Place. (If this thread descends to the personal level, the appropriate action will be taken)
Loving the new coffee shop incarnation of the club! It's a really nice, relaxing place to go during the day, and an insanely sensible use of a very restrictive space. As a nightclub I love the new bar position, and the fact that upstairs is now far more of a relaxed space than before. The staff are always incredibly nice to me and I have to give them credit for always supporting new ideas and innovations on the scene. On the downside I don't think the decor is all it could be, the Grub Cafe section looks good but the back stairs and the dancefloor are somewhat on the shabby side. The last time I went there they'd made a huge effort with the front stairs, all red feathers and glitter and candles, and it was great, but the downstairs didn't really match up.
Only on the rare occasion have I been to the club over the last few years... Upstairs is a nice space and a friendly atmosphere...but downstairs isn't my cup of tea! However I have to say that the Grub Cafe is excellent..it was a brilliant idea...and I'm delighted to see it's doing so well! Long live Grub!
Not one of my favourite locations. The downstairs is pretty vile and seedy, although it has been improved slightly. I remember the first time i went in there, i was brand new on the scene and the place scared me! It was like a sleazy dungeon. I cant say i miss it all that much since it went to a once-a-month club. In fact i havent been there since pride-weekend. I think its on again this weekend, and i think my friends wanna go....so i'll give it a bash.
lost my club virginity last sat first visit to the club last sat night .what a vile spot dark and dingy smooking room is a joke music was good and staff were nice the place just gave me the creeaps defo wont be going back :must try harder a lot harder ;and 10 € thanks very much
Yes the place downstairs is still frightening and creepy but i had such a brilliant time there last weekend (7th Oct)...i'm not into drag-shows AT ALL but i found it very entertaining and enjoyable. Of course being there with loadsa friends helped big-time and the music was great. Helpful, efficient and one-very-cute barman added to the experience. Now if only something could be done about the 'dungeon'.
A little birdie tells me there are plans to have themed club nights in here where both upstairs and downstairs will be decorated temporarily to suit the theme of the night. I think its a great idea!
Dungen ? The other place ? I always said it would make a great sleazy cruising club but Cork is still too timid
Members Room is being revamped and designed (beautifully may I say) so when it's ready it'll be open to regulars...
I always liked how the cafe was before they tried to turn it into a 'real' cafe... The staff are even wearin uniforms now! Getting rid of the computers has created more space but has kinda made the place a bit boring... I feel awkward askin can I go use the comps in members room! But I do love grub.. Never been to the club must give it a look... But when theyrs better spots in town to go I prob wouldn't make it a regular thing... Downstairs is a bit dingy! The staff are fab though cos they use the cafe as much as us!
i have to say, i used to avoid the place on account of "the club", but they've made a very dramatic changeover, and i love the place now! lunch is quite good, lots of variety and specials created daily by Clive (the new manager). i'm a latte-fiend, and have loved the flavours they've got in to make a bit more of an effort in the coffee front. I also love the free wifi in the place. Lots of us, who have laptops or other wireless devices, find it really useful. the computers which were available to the public beforehand were often taken over by those who wanted "a bit o Gaydar and a pint". I think that, by making the computers, library, dvds and social area private, its moving away from the seedy reputation that the place has had. we had a gaycork.com meetup in the other place not too long ago. they were VERY accomodating, and even put on a few drink deals for us. plus, its a great meeting space. UNITE meets there weekly, and we used the downstairs area for Pride quite a lot. The UNITE play was actually quite a treat (i admit, the breif chat from the person in the Parents Group who talked before the play made me cry!). the basic membership for the computers, as i understand it, is either wholly or partially made up of service hours...basically, by giving some time back into the community, you can use the members area. i'm sure there will be some more news on that in the near future.
The other place! I've been living there now for four years (Like most people lol) and I was even at the last night of the club to see the "Spice rack girls" with lady marmalade and DD, 00 birdie etc That place has undergone so many changes, I have so many good memories there! So I'll go on a bit of a trail if ye don't mind I've been digging quite a lot with Corks gay history, its really fascinating and often scandulous, so naturally I'm going to leave out a load of names and am going to be vary vague in some parts lol Well, it began with the public mens toilets in the city, as ye all know that was the place to meet men back then, it was very dangerous but it was the only way. Long story short some of the gays then got fed up meeting in toilets and started meeting up instead in social outings/groups in the likes of the metropole and hotel lobbys for tea/coffe and a social chat, but they soon got asked to basically not come back as the owners who just took over a certain hotel didn't want them to meet there anymore. Around the same time the Quay Co-op had a varied and interesting selection of people coming through its doors, activists/hippies/Lesbians/Gays etc and they used to meet there too. From there certain individuals from different backgrounds and groups came together some having set up the likes of the half moon and they also used to frequent the likes of the bodega, the opera house lobby etc the places now that gays still frequent, it was the scene back then and today it still remains very much the scene outside the scene. Another long story short some otehr individuals etc got a lease on the other place (one of those old leases, 100 years plus job) from X who wasn't really pleased so I hear when X foudn out it was going to be a gay venue years on etc and so they started out various groups like dancing, acting, theatre at the beginning and it goes from there... Around this time also The Other Place it used to be used as a centre for where basically you came to when you were at deaths doors dying from Hiv/Aids, you were often taken to a house were you would die because your family more than often didn't want you when you were gay and dying from HIV/AIDS back then. Thats one of the stigmas attached to the building and why most people, particulalry the older gays, avoid the place. So then it became, "The club" which had a monopoly for a while beign the only gay club in the city at the time, there was the "knock three times", couldn't get in if you DIDN'T look gay and were only allowed one straight friend. But the club (or the bat cave as it was called by most gays) was a seedy, black walled place that did the job, it was very underground apprently drugs were flying around the place. So that added another level of stigma to the place but then Taboo opened and it goes from there etc etc So for a long while it had a huge stigma attached to it. Then it became for a few years home to the SGMHP and grub cafe was set up and the club never operated again...and so leaving yet more long stories short with the SGMHP it came to be known as a resource centre and slowly it began to lose some of it's stigma. Through the selfless works of ertain individuals the othe place caters for a wide and varied group settings, most notably UNITE, which is only one group that uses the premis a full list can be found there if asked. So just recently they moved the SGMHP to the North Mall because of todays overload of work etc etc long story short and so ended the stigma attahced to the building. And now just recently the new manager has undertook a very tedious job in bringing the building up to date, which is absoulty wonderful and badly needed IMO as the building has taken soem knocks not to mention a chimmney collpasing etc etc in the past etc I think after seeing the building change so many times over the last four years, how protocall has changed and from all the in-depth research I know about the place and people who have passed through its doors, the recent renovations are nothing short of brilliant. Once the upstiars is done there going to tackle the downstairs, which only makes sense. I've got loads of detaisl what there going to do to the place but I won't say them just in case I spoil anything, but they are fabulous. So geting back to the orignal point (Unlike my countrepart who goes off on a tagent ) Ive had nothing but good memories from The Other Place it has been a second home for me over the last four years and has been there for the worst of my life when I knew I could go there get a coffee and escape the difficult times I had in the past, I even meet my first bf through there...and my second But I just can't wait I think somewhere before Xmas the place will really be the talk of the town, not that it isn't already but more so
It's always very interesting to hear stories such as Tylef's. If The Other Place really want to make a go of things in the future, they may like to consider renaming the venue. The name just has too many negative connotations for me and I'd say many others.
OMG i havent gone there in a whole week!!! My day off today so headin in Yay The Other Place is reallly special Place for me. Its where I se my firends everyday and catch up with them on how they are. Actually its where I became friends with half of them even. Its a really welcomiong cafe and everyone in their gets on great. Makes you feel like a good community. The computers are gone yes and its being doe up but I dont really mind as much as I thought i would. Me and my friends still go though there EVERY day and waste our lives away over a good cup of coffee and great company. Basically, its our version of Central Perk See ye later guys
Wow Just found this while on my break from The Other place. cool anywho the members area is soon to be set up so it won't require asking us to use it as far as i know it will be a card members system. Plus need updating the computers as i'm using one now and it's a bit slow lol The library already has all the books indexed and a swipe system set up Still more changes left though, and been properly renamed from 'grub' to 'The other place cafe' with a new logo The new website is just up and should have a menu soon but not done www.theotherplacecork.com Just an idea of the logo anyway. Also on the facebook you can see how lovely TJ revovated the old offices and room into an amazing members area with couches and a conference room ^_^
