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Oct. 13--It's called the L Club and it's for women only, but despite what that might lead you to believe, the club's management insists that while most of the club's patrons are lesbian, it's a club for all women.
"We cater to the female gender," says club manager Tri Ligon. "We don't want to alienate anyone."
The club, which opened in late August on Peace Street in Raleigh, is a members-only, women-only club. That doesn't mean you won't find men inside, they're just not on the member roster.
"We have a lot of our members who come with male friends, we have couples that come in, we have bachelorette parties," says Ligon. "We don't turn anyone away, but we are a private club."
L Club is the first in recent years to offer a meeting place for Raleigh's lesbian community. Popular gay clubs such as Legends and Flex attract lesbian patrons but are primarily patronized by gay men.
"We haven't had one [a club for women] in Raleigh in many years," says Ligon. "Particularly in Glenwood South, there isn't a nice elegant club like this just for women."
The Glenwood South location practically ensures what you'll find inside: a hip, trendy setting with hot female bartenders working a sleek, marble-top bar backlit with red lights. Relatively small inside, the club is intimate enough to accommodate small groups and couples who huddle around tables to talk. But it has a remarkably spacious dance floor that easily accommodates larger groups who come to dance.
And dancing is one of the main things patrons do at L, with DJ Awsum spinning everything from '80s and '90s retro to techno and house.
What you won't find at L Club, the management says, are lecherous men and intolerant attitudes.
"We're trying to create a place where women can feel comfortable and have a healthy, safe environment," Ligon says.
Meanwhile
For a lot of women, the idea of combining shopping and wine is practically a dream come true. That very thing is happening at two Raleigh boutiques in the coming months. Fleur, in Cameron Village, is hosting "Fashion Tastings," which are combination trunk show/wine tastings. Scheduled for 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 9 and Dec. 14, they will feature French wines and tutorials by Sommelier Inez Rubistello, formerly of World Trade Center Restaurant Windows on the World. Reservations are encouraged: fleur@fleur-boutique.com.
A similar event is taking place at North Hills boutique Vermillion with shopping and wine from local restaurant Bistro 607 from 4 to 8 p.m. Oct. 21, Nov. 18 and Dec. 9. Reservations are encouraged: events@vermillionstyle.com.
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Copyright (c) 2006, The News & Observer, Raleigh, N.C.
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