Legendary Montrose gay club reopens this weekend after four-year closure – Chron

“It was just brutal with COVID, and then the Delta variant hit,” said South Beach owner Charles Armstrong. “I really felt morally conflicted about opening up a dance club with people breathing on each other during a raging global pandemic.”

Armstrong, affectionately nicknamed the “Mayor of Montrose,” is no stranger to the area’s sceney nightlife. Before opening South Beach at the corner of Pacific and Grant, he operated Heaven in the same space, which was destroyed by a fire in 1997, and Meteor, which was demolished after being sold to a real estate developer. He also currently operates JR’s Bar & Grill, Houston’s oldest continuously open gay bar neighboring South Beach.

His earlier concepts may be gone, but they are not forgotten. Enlisting the help of renowned interior designer John Robinson of Houston-based Robinson & Associates, the design for South Beach 2.0 is heavily inspired by Meteor, for which Robinson previously won a design award for. “People who knew Meteor and loved Meteor will feel its essence around them,” said Armstrong.

South Beach totals 11,500 square feet of indoor and outdoor lounging space, with the main attraction being a dance floor illuminated by whimsical LED lighting and a 450-pound, 8-foot-tall rotating quartz crystal chandelier. Drawing inspiration from Meteor, the club’s chic finishes include black granite, oak wood flooring and Carrara marble—the very same stone used for the Statue of David. “We warmed up the space to make it more attractive to women,” said Armstrong, who notes 80 percent of his customers are male.

Guests may notice a familiar artifact on the resort-style patio: the original Meteor monument sign. With the addition of various luxury mid- and high-rises in the area and the newly opened Montrose Collective, Armstrong’s goal was to pay homage to the past, but also evolve with the neighborhood, calling his choice of style “Restoration Hardware meets Montrose.” Large planters from the elite furnishing company grace the front walk, giving the club a warm and homey feel. “It was always a cold, concrete porch with glass doors,” he said. “I want people to feel as if something has changed.”

Much may have changed aesthetically, but loyal South Beach patrons of times past can still look forward to it being a destination for dancing the night away. Resident DJs Joe Ross and Mel Frausto will be spinning house, dance, EDM and pop until 3 a.m.

In reimagining South Beach, Armstrong considered his loyal fan base, along with a new flock of Montrose party-goers. He isn’t blind to the fact that his target audience continues to change. “There is a whole new generation of Millennials who have yet to experience South Beach,” he said. “And then there is Gen-Z—I’ll have to figure out what the hell they want!”

For now, Armstrong feels confident in reopening the doors to the public. He says Houstonians have been given countless opportunities to be vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19, and it’s not unreasonable to assume people will make responsible decisions. “If someone is an idiot, or listens to FOX News instead of listening to the CDC, Dr. Fauci, and the brightest minds in America, or if they just don’t care, that’s on them.”

Come Friday night at 9 p.m., Houstonians may travel to the glittery club once again. If or when it comes time to close, change, or reopen another concept, the Mayor of Montrose will surely take it in stride. “If I had a tattoo on my arm—I don’t, but if I did—it would read ‘evolve or die.'”

South Beach

Find it: 810 Pacific St, Houston, TX 77006; (713) 521-0107

Hours: Wednesday-Sunday 9 p.m.- 3 a.m.