So, I'm sure a lot of people know where 157 East Rosemary Street is...AND what is housed there. (At least until the name changes next week...sarcasm intended)
This area current houses a bar/dancehall simply called 157 East: a "kick ass bar located just off Franklin Street in the heart of Chapel Hill. Boasting two full service bars and 3200 square feet of usable space, we are the perfect location for private parties and benefits. Our full stage and audio/lighting equipment allow us to offer great live music in the form of full bands, singer songwriters, and DJs. With seven flat screen televisions, you are sure to find us an excellent choice come game day! Some of our additional features include comfortable couches, Wii, Playstation 3, etc." (as quoted by BarflyChapelHill.com) And this venue also can also be rented out by all the UNC Greeks, organizations and party promoting groups for weekend parties.
Now how does this relate to Black Chapel Hill?
Whichever club is at 157 East Rosemary Street this week is normally a club that plays or host musical tastes and parties that relate to the Black student populations' social needs from the surrounding colleges. (UNC, NCCU, Duke, Shaw, St. Augustine, etc.) But like a lot of nightclubs that appeal to the black population, this area just can NOT get away from the stigma of not having the staying power and longevity of the other bars/clubs in Chapel Hill like Players, East End, and The Library.
In the past four years, the venue has been called several different names and been out of business for months at a time. In 2007, the club was called Blend Nightclub and Lounge and was a club that wasn't the greatest looking like the area but with the intention of being a jazz & blues venue was supposed to be the place to "mix it up". However, the next year the club was closed and the area was cleared out. Then, the area became Boogaloo Green Ultra Lounge with a new bar, new stage and updated technology for a great club experience. The club even hosted Raheem Devaughn in a performance or two. However, as soon as it came, Boogaloo was just another club that didn't make it at 157 East Rosemary. Currently, 157 East is still going strong to be club with yet another new look and a promise to be a sports bar, which would allow it to appeal to even more people.
What's The Issue??
Any venue at this location barely lasts past the two year mark. The first issue that has to be noticed is that area is a breeding ground for crime. It's not well lit, it could potentially be "sketchy" and it's not as policed as the other venues. Listed as one of the top 100 places to get arrested in Chapel Hill at Number 34, the area has had crimes from trespassing to assault with a deadly weapon. This area is surrounded by the Number 6, Number 10 and Number 32 places to get arrested as well. So, crime keeps people from coming and therefore, the business fails and then it has to close. The second issue is that the club has great competition from other clubs and bars including Hell/Chapel Hill Underground which is located below the 157 East venue and Bub O' Malley's which is located above the venue. Not to mention, the traditional favorites as previously mentioned.
Investigative Work:
Calls were made to the establishment several times but no calls were returned. Also, the use of Google and talking to other students and a few party promoters help to get some of the information. The calls will still continue and a survey will be posted up. If interested, stay tuned for a link for the survey.
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