While these events didn't happen today, i found out two of maryland's few remaining player's poolhalls are closing down. Bluejays, maryland's oldest poolhall, having opened it's doors around 1910 i believe have decided to close down. Barry, the owner apperently just came in one day, and said "f*ck it im done" and closed down. He sold most of the tables and such. It's a shame, it was one of the few PoolHall pool halls left.. no jukebox, beads used for straightpool strung about the lights, sigh....
but you can't blame him for shutting down. rent was 10k a month for a place that probably made nowhere near that per month. i had noticed that after the smoking ban, business had fallen a lot, and in the back of my mind worried if that would effect business, but never would've believed/guessed that it would shut down.
I was truely saddened when i heard about this news.
to add salt to a fresh wound, i found out jack and jills was closing also. this was the poolhall featured in tony anglioni(sp)'s book, when he went to maryland and played danny green. Jack and jills used to be THE action room in maryland. a lot of the best players/roadies/hustlers went through that room throughout the years. there was a point in time a few years ago that you could find 1k - 5k action there on several tables every night.
it's a sad state of the sport we all love and enjoy when tons of history are being closed down just because owners can't afford to pay rent any more.
With those two rooms, and bill and billies having shut down a few months ago because the house man there was a dickhead who decided to sue the owner maryland has lost 3 quality poolrooms in the span of 5~6 months.
Quality pool rooms, may you rest in peace.
i will now mourn a beautiful game which deserves better than what it's at now.
but you can't blame him for shutting down. rent was 10k a month for a place that probably made nowhere near that per month. i had noticed that after the smoking ban, business had fallen a lot, and in the back of my mind worried if that would effect business, but never would've believed/guessed that it would shut down.
I was truely saddened when i heard about this news.
to add salt to a fresh wound, i found out jack and jills was closing also. this was the poolhall featured in tony anglioni(sp)'s book, when he went to maryland and played danny green. Jack and jills used to be THE action room in maryland. a lot of the best players/roadies/hustlers went through that room throughout the years. there was a point in time a few years ago that you could find 1k - 5k action there on several tables every night.
it's a sad state of the sport we all love and enjoy when tons of history are being closed down just because owners can't afford to pay rent any more.
With those two rooms, and bill and billies having shut down a few months ago because the house man there was a dickhead who decided to sue the owner maryland has lost 3 quality poolrooms in the span of 5~6 months.
Quality pool rooms, may you rest in peace.
i will now mourn a beautiful game which deserves better than what it's at now.