Here's Why We Love Gold Dust Lounge

Such a shame that a piece of San Francisco history will be demolished, at the Handlery's whim.  Sucks that San Francisco can't stand up and preserve it.  Not many of these types of places left in town.  Pretty soon the only bars around will be the new trendy, hipster bars.  What are we turning into, LA?  Tear down the old, in with the new.  Actually, though, LA has a lot more old school, true barfly bars than we do. 

Whether you think the Gold Dust Lounge is a great bar or not, you have to admit it has a lot more character than a CVS escalator! One thing Union Square absolutely doesn't need is another big chain drugstore. Save the Gold Dust Lounge!

Honestly the gold dust lounge sucks. quit acting like its the best bar in sf it never was , ever . If every one on here commenting about how wonderful it is and how they love the place so much was telling the truth they wouldn't be closing . Born in SF . Everyone i know born n raised dont go there either so stfu

> so stfu

OOH! Internet tough guy!

Let's hug it out, bro.

;_;

Another reason I love the Gold Dust: Johnny Z and the Camaros every single night. I live in Portland, Oregon but travel to San Francisco for work several times a year. Every single trip, I make it a point to stop in the Gold Dust for a few drinks and a couple of sets of the band. It's one of my favorite traditions, going solid for nine years now. I'm bummed it very well could be over. Thankfully I got one last visit in this week. Stupid Handlery. 

Oh man I can almost smell the urine and watered down drinks from here.  No.  Wait.  I can't.  Thankfully.

I liked it mainly because it was cheap.

Your use of the past tense is bumming me out, man.

I hope the people responsible for this travesty are killed in a horrible escalator accident. 

This shall be meted out.

http://hampshirehouse.tumblr.c...

WHEREAS The Gold Dust Lounge is a San Francisco institution - one that’s been open since 1933.
WHEREAS The Gold Dust Lounge is a class joint, but an unpretentious one. It may have velvet banquettes and cherubs on the ceiling, but it also has cheap drinks and a 60’s cover band.
WHEREAS The Gold Dust Lounge is a unique space in San Francisco where people of all varieties: rich and poor, tourist and local, old and young, gay and straight, nerd and jock, urban and suburban, can gather together and share the pleasure of a whiskey and coffee.
WHEREAS The Gold Dust Lounge is a money-making enterprise already paying a nice chunk of change to its landlord, who hardly needs to take out a beloved historic landmark to make a few extra bucks.
WHEREAS Powell Street already has enough places to buy pants.
WHEREAS Even if it didn’t, visitors are not drawn to our fair city by the opportunity to purchase the same clothing they could purchase in Minneapolis, Oslo, or Hong Kong. They are drawn by San Francisco’s taste for its eccentric past, its easygoing hedonism, its fabled tolerance of both the strange and strangers.
WHEREAS three generations of the Handlery family have managed hotels dependent on the historic appeal of San Francisco!
WE KNOW that this city has lost hosts of small, local, eclectic, glorious, and important institutions to the forces of greed and shortsightedness.
WE REMEMBER when 711 Market Street was a beautiful art-deco bar, and not a 711. We remember when the Starbucks on Upper Fillmore was a classical music store, and before then the Batman Gallery. We remember when that generic boutique on Divisadero Street was the African Orthodox Church of St. Jon Coltrane. We remember when the usually empty banquet room at the Cliff House was our beloved Musee Mechanique, the last tie to nearby bygone Playland at the Beach. Downtown has already been malled enough!
Cities everywhere were born free and are now in chain stores.
WE SAY not one more. Not this one anyway. Save the Gold Dust Lounge!
We Sincerely Appeal To You,
Occupy The Gold Dust Lounge!

Thank you for a very articulate capsulization of the places that make SF unique and the need to preserve and honor them.We don't wish to villify the Handelrys, but enough comments like yours may show them the range and depth of resistance to the bleaching and plasticizing of the Union Square neighborhood. Don't make it like Peoria, Ill.or Walnut Creek.

We would love to have you join us when we speak to city hall about saving the lounge. Interested? Email us at savethe@golddustloungesf.com

So it's final? The city won't save it?

Also, where are Jimmy Z and the Cameros going to relocate?

Thats Johnny Z, pal. And we don't know yet but if we rise from the ashes it won't be no big secret dude! We'll be in the city's face big time!

Oh Snap! Sorry, Johnny, blame Powell and Perelta videos and the skate rock bands within! Good luck! Hope to see you soon!

I payed my respects last weekend with copious amounts of fernet. Gold Dust, you will be missed.

The thing I loved about the Gold Dust was the low likelihood of running into anyone I know there. It felt like going to an airport bar, except it was conveniently located in the heart of the City. That's where I go when I feel like I need a break from the City. I'm a little worried that all of this hubbub is going to change that.

Oh, and the other thing I love about the Gold Dust is the band. Those guys are some of the coolest cats around.  They're playing is rock solid  and they banter like the old pros they are.

Thank you from Johnny Z and The Camaros. We have worked very hard to establish a fan base and work the room the way it should be done, and Richie, Johnny and all the guys thank you and the staff for their support. We need people like you to let us know you like what we do. Save the Gold Dust!

>> and turns into something atrocious and forgettable...

A fucking escalator. That's it.

It may not happen in this lifetime, but I am positive that Emperor Norton will dish out some serious pain to Jon Handelry at some point.

ETA: These photos are wonderful. My first instinct when thinking about losing the Gold Dust is rage, obviously, but these photos are great. Thank you.

Stumbled in here on my way to The End Up from a party on Bush and Stockton once. Perfect. It will be missed.