Everytime we mention Lewis St to the 40 and over crowd, the first thing that gets mentioned is 36 Lewis and its wild reputation.
"That 36 Lewis was quite the place."
"36 Lewis, you could get anything there!"
"There's a lot of ghosts of good times over at 36 Lewis."
"You could always tell a person was a good time if they hung out at 36 Lewis."
We are too young to remember when this was a happening spot, but it sure sounds like there are some good stories an we'd love to here them. Do you have any tales to tell of this great spot? We'd love to put together a collection of stories from the heyday. Feel free to leave them here in comments or send them in email.
Don't have to be 40 or over necessarily, I'm just a touch over 30 and i remember 36 Lewis St as an afterhours spot, (Vibe) back before afterhours spots were basically outlawed in the city. Maybe it wasn't its heyday, but i spent many a early Sunday morning with the sun rising through the empty Hartford streets with ears ringing trying to remember where my damn car was parked after way too many hours spent there..
ReplyDeleteYup. From the 1999-2001 era, 36 Lewis Street was one of the two after hours clubs in Hartford - the other being the old Club Blu and current Russian Lady. Of course, the Hartford Brewery was right around the corner on Pearl and also a pretty happening spot. The club opened at 10 PM and stayed open till 4 AM with NO alcohol served. E and glow sticks were ubiquitous, and everyone pretty much looked like this:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bM3xf87CbIQ
There was a time when you could go out all night in Hartford (and not just here). And not just go out all night, but experience a scene that no longer exists. Bump into random people and talk for hours, get lost dancing in a mixture of fog, strobe lights and sirens blaring over the music, or even lay on a couch if you felt like it.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing to think this place actually happened. No cameras, before youtube and social media, so its not like you can go back and show anyone what it was like. I'm sure as hell glad I was there for it. Getting amped right now thinking aback bout it...untz untz untz untz...
Vibe and Insomnia...remember them well. Favorite after hours spots from 99-01
ReplyDeleteMe too!! I lived at Vibe and wasn't an E fan. Loved to dance to DJ Sydog and DJ Rampage. I still have their CDs. I too remember leaving the club with the sun coming up, ears ringing and followinging a long line of cars to a house in Newington where the party continued. Those were the days~99 to 01. Great times...
ReplyDeleteI can't speak for the over 40 crowd, but the over 70 bunch remembers Lewis St. as the advertising center of Hartford in the early '60s...think "Mad Men". 36 Lewis was home to a very prestigious agency as I recall, whose art director could be seen cruising around the city his '55 Ford Thunderbird.
ReplyDelete