South Limestone Street in the early 00s

[Ron Mehico]

I just looked up and noticed I'm at post 5,000. Since I'm horribly bored at work today and feeling sentimental and nostalgic since its rainy outside I started thinking about when I first starting posting on this site. I actually had the name "FzBl" that I made super quickly that really made no sense to troll my roommate who I caught posting on here who went by the name "Summer of '98". It was 2001 and we lived in Royal Lexington, and life was grand. This place was called wildcatchat or something like that. A couple years later we were living above Two Keys and it was the year we lost to UAB in the tourney after going undefeated in the SEC. We used to hit up Varsity Blues on Tuesday, Kitty O'Shea's on Wed, Two Keys was rocking on Thursdays, Gambino's on Fridays (which was ridiculously out of place in Lexington). Pazzo's had free mug night whenever the hell that was. The Tin Roof used to be Huddle House, an absolutely disgusting abomination that we went to way too much. Slice of Chicago was behind us, Subway was below us and is now a liquor store, and this place called the Paddock had just opened up. We also finished up pretty much every night at Tolly-Ho.

I went back last year for our annual college buddy meet up that we started a couple years ago and couldn't believe how much things had changed and it truly made me realize how fast time is going by. My buddy bought the Paddock back in 2004 right when I left Lexington and there are still pictures of us hanging up in there from college and it was just surreal looking at them. I'm now 34, bought my first house, am happily married, living in Columbus, but still always think back to those years. Summer of '98 has a cute baby boy, everyone is all grown up and changed. Well except my buddy that bought the Paddock who is now a bloated looking 33 year old that looks about 45 due to heavy partying, but he's great for our annual meet-up.

Those of you still in college better enjoy it, time goes by fast. Feel free to post any memories you have if your a 30 something that went to UK back in the day, will probably spark some memories for the rest of us.

 

[FzBl]

Testing to see when it really was.

 

[TravisKY]

My Sophomore year, I lived above the Paddock! Slice of Chicago is no longer...It is now Insomnia Cookies.

 

[Mashburned]

I remember when a dime bag cost a dime, ya know?

 

[argubs2]

I left in 07' and things were just starting to change.

There are some things I miss, some that I don't. I do miss having unlimited, unrelenting access to a plethora of mind altering substances and no responsibilities to detract from my utilization of them.

I also miss Spicy Beef Wraps, however cliche that may be. I've been told they went to prepackaged servings after I left, and I am very glad my memory of them was not tarnished by that foolishness.

 

[DSmith21]

South Limestone will never be the same without...

 

[JumperJack]

And you know who you were then
girls were girls and men were men.
Mister, we could use a man like Erik Daniels again.

 

[UK_Memphis]

I just looked up and noticed I'm at post 5,000. Since I'm horribly bored at work today and feeling sentimental and nostalgic since its rainy outside I started thinking about when I first starting posting on this site. I actually had the name "FzBl" that I made super quickly that really made no sense to troll my roommate who I caught posting on here who went by the name "Summer of '98". It was 2001 and we lived in Royal Lexington, and life was grand. This place was called wildcatchat or something like that. A couple years later we were living above Two Keys and it was the year we lost to UAB in the tourney after going undefeated in the SEC. We used to hit up Varsity Blues on Tuesday, Kitty O'Shea's on Wed, Two Keys was rocking on Thursdays, Gambino's on Fridays (which was ridiculously out of place in Lexington). Pazzo's had free mug night whenever the hell that was. The Tin Roof used to be Huddle House, an absolutely disgusting abomination that we went to way too much. Slice of Chicago was behind us, Subway was below us and is now a liquor store, and this place called the Paddock had just opened up. We also finished up pretty much every night at Tolly-Ho.

I went back last year for our annual college buddy meet up that we started a couple years ago and couldn't believe how much things had changed and it truly made me realize how fast time is going by. My buddy bought the Paddock back in 2004 right when I left Lexington and there are still pictures of us hanging up in there from college and it was just surreal looking at them. I'm now 34, bought my first house, am happily married, living in Columbus, but still always think back to those years. Summer of '98 has a cute baby boy, everyone is all grown up and changed. Well except my buddy that bought the Paddock who is now a bloated looking 33 year old that looks about 45 due to heavy partying, but he's great for our annual meet-up.

Those of you still in college better enjoy it, time goes by fast. Feel free to post any memories you have if your a 30 something that went to UK back in the day, will probably spark some memories for the rest of us.

Is your buddy named Ruben?

 

[Vandalayindustries]

The old BW3/laundromat was incredible - I spent many hours there. Anyone go to JDI's?

This was around 95/96.

 

[-LEK-]

Is tolly ho gone? Does ken still own kitty's? I remember getting drunk with deuce there after hours one night. Well, him and like 20 others... George the bouncer.

 

[DSmith21]

The Tolly-Ho moved to S. Broadway a few years ago.

 

[blueboy08]

Kittys was torn down in about 07 or 08 so that Pazzos could build a patio. Was it penny pitchers or something like that on Tuesdays?

I remember going into the Paddock a few times and there was porn blasting on the tvs? Always a weird crowd in there it seemed like.

Tolly Ho used to be downtown, didn't it? Prior to the Limestone location?

Downtown is where the real change happened. I lived on Jefferson near Main when I was fresh out of grad school, and remember there being like a shooting a day one summer within 3 or so blocks. Last weekend I was down there visiting some friends and walked from Main to West 6th, and probably a quarter of the houses are fixed up, Chase taproom moved to Third, and County Club opened next to what used to be a pretty rough apartment complex. Then there is everything around the courthouse square.

I still miss the original Dame and Busters.

 

[B.B.d.K.]

The Melodeon ftw. Really hit the spot on Wednesdays after .25 drafts at Millennium.

 

[Mashburned]

Laser Quest

 

[ukalumni00]

If there is anything I have learned from this thread is I am getting older, I would get lost on campus now, and I miss the 90's.

 

[Vandalayindustries]

Loved Melodeon. Forgot about that place.

 

[HossCat73]

JDI's?

Loved that place. Now, it's an indi or pakastani restaurant. Yay.

 

[P19978]

At least Sqecial Media still lives.

I graduated in '86 so most of these places mentioned weren't around... and I'm too damn old to remember them anyway.

Back then you didn't need the clubs because folks would put bands on flatbeds in backyards behind Linden Walk and Aylesford, tape the yards off, and sell cups for $5 with kegs trucks placed strategically around the yards.

A magical time as I recall...

 

[TheTruCatsFan]

Loved that place. Now, it's an indi or pakastani restaurant. Yay.

Yep the old Jefferson Davis Inn. I spent a ton of good times there with bands like Catawampus, Groovzilla, etc...

Jefferson Davis actually lived there when he attended Transy. I used to know the whole story, but those brain cells are gone. If there are any Ethingtons that post on here, they could tell us more.

 

[P19978]

Who remembers the band "Gov't Cheese"?

A great band name IMHO.

 

[krazykats]

Damn I forgot a lot about my time in Lex.

We had our routine: two keys on Thursday, house party friday(until we burned our house on university ave), Varsity blue on Saturday, some place in Rupp on Sunday(not yesterday's), Varsity Blue for a slow and say Monday night, and Fishtank on Tuesday and Wednesday.

I worked at south Broadway BW's for most of my time there which was perfect for all the gambol we did.

Always fun to look back, only regret is never living in the dorms.

 

[electricdreammachine]

Before it was Varsity Blues there was Lexinton City Brewery, used to go in 98-99,that place was always packed. Restaurant by day bar at night, you get get a pint for a $1. It was the easiest bar in Lexington to drink at if you were under 21, which is probably why it shut down. Lot of good memories there, as well as Kitty's and Two Keys.

Anybody remember when ESPN Classic did their Classic Roadshow series and broadcast live from Two Keys, I think it was 2000 or 2001. It was on a Sunday, bunch of old players, Joe B, Denny Crum. I remember talking to Charley Steiner, Skywalker. Pretty neat, I've tried to find a replay on YouTube but no luck.

 

[StubbornPenny]

I lived on campus from 99-03, and have worked on campus from 2012-now. I was so lost when I arrived in '12.

Tolly's new facilities are much better, but the old location was much better. I miss the Dame, even though they only rarely booked my band. Oddly, the Dame being shut down led to my current career, so I guess I can only bitch so much about it.

My old dorm was across from Kitty's. I got to hear all the crappy cover bands all night while playing Diablo II. Man, I was coooooool in college.

I never understood their weird "Italian monster nightclub" thing. There were like 3 at one point, gambinos, and two others I forget the names of. It's like the current Lex trend of naming things _____bar. Seriously, skybar, soundbar, sidebar, the other bar, bar bar, the bar, maybe get creative, damn.

I'm surprised no one has made the old Blue Moon location work. It was well attended for over a decade before it became a string of awful dance and violence clubs. Same with A1A but it truly died when they bulldozed all the parking.

 

[Strokin_Bandit]

LaBamba's!

 

[B.B.d.K.]

Blue Moon was awesome for a random/sketchy time...same for the A1A+Gay Club (no homo) afterhours on a summer night.

RIP LaBamba, at least the one in Louisville lives on.


Cut Corner, ftw. They used to sell No Limit, Cash Money, (and other) CDs up to a week early if you paid in cash and were a regular...

^ Same for Sami's Music (RIP) behind Smoothie King.

Marcus Welby a porn magazine for me in college.

 

[Ron Mehico]

Is your buddy named Ruben?

I know who Reuben is, but no it is not.

Completely forgot about Blue Moon and A1A, solid spots! Blue Moon was great for tagging a MILF on a bored Monday night. Dissapointed Lynaugh's closed down. And just heard the other day that Haggin Hall (where I stayed my first year) and K-Lair got bulldozed. WTF. Chicken Fingers and fries with that spice on it FTW.

 

[blueboy08]

Lynaugh's closed? I thought it was still there after I stopped in great bagel last fall.

 

[StubbornPenny]

Lynaugh's closed? I thought it was still there after I stopped in great bagel last fall.

He may mean lynaghs music club, which after a few false starts, is now cosmic Charlie's, another music venue.

Lynaghs proper was sold to new ownership, but I believe they're open. They're trying a brunch thing.

 

[blueboy08]

Ah ok. Cosmic Charlie's is the old Fish Tank people, from what I remember.

 

[GrandePdre]

Bear's Wax was another CD store. Went there all the time. And the UClub always seemed to be in trouble for underage drinking citations.

 

[Ron Mehico]

He may mean lynaghs music club, which after a few false starts, is now cosmic Charlie's, another music venue.

Yes, my bad. Also and surprisingly, the CD store on South Limestone is still open while everything around it has changed up, which I found both refreshing and weird. Guess CD stores are like antique stores nowadays.

 

[StubbornPenny]

Yes, my bad. Also and surprisingly, the CD store on South Limestone is still open while everything around it has changed up, which I found both refreshing and weird. Guess CD stores are like antique stores nowadays.

They sure are. They survive off local cred. As much as I love them, I wonder how long it can truly last in this day and age. I used to go there all the time, but I haven't bought a CD since probably 2007. With spotify, I doubt I ever will!

 

[backbeatcat]

The old BW3/laundromat was incredible - I spent many hours there. Anyone go to JDI's?

This was around 95/96.

My band played there a lot. Our PA system burned up in the fire :<
Anyhoo...on the thread topic. Our stay in the Two Keys apartments was a bit earlier (91-92?). We lived on Tom's Pizza (sucked but was right behind us), The Ho, and I can't remember the name of the sandwich shop that had a monster meatball sub - It was beside Sqecial Media.

 

[StubbornPenny]

Ah ok. Cosmic Charlie's is the old Fish Tank people, from what I remember.

Yup. Tressaloni. Nice guy, I work up there every once in a while. Fish tank is now called "best friend bar" after some highly regrettable temporary names.

For like 4 months it was called #hashtags hahahhaa. Before that it was T-bar, and they gave away montezuma tequila shots (which is an illegal practice) every hour. Very few people even drank them.

 

[cawoodsct]

Anyone remember the Wrocklage on West Short Street? Good rock club.

 

[cawoodsct]

By the way you know that bar that changed names a bunch of times on the corner of Woodland and Euclid? That's where the original Lynaugh's started.

 

[blueboy08]

By the way you know that bar that changed names a bunch of times on the corner of Woodland and Euclid? That's where the original Lynaugh's started.

Thats Fish Tank, TBar5000 or whatever, #hastags, BFFbar, right? Lynaughs had always been in its current location by the time i was in college. My mom told me that used to be the Library which was apparently legendary?

 

[backbeatcat]

Anyone remember the Wrocklage on West Short Street? Good rock club.

Yup. Fun fact...the sign from the Wrocklage is on the wall in the music side of The Green Lantern

 

[argubs2]

Used to catch Sexual Disaster Quartet at the Fish Tank regularly...nice little band they were.

 

[StubbornPenny]

Thats Fish Tank, TBar5000 or whatever, #hastags, BFFbar, right? Lynaughs had always been in its current location by the time i was in college. My mom told me that used to be the Library which was apparently legendary?

So says my mom, but she says it was in the building that became lyngahs music club and is now cosmic Charlie's. It was called high life lounge for a couple years in the mid 2000s and before that it was "the library" again for like, 3 months.

I've been to way too many bars around here lol.