Tell me if this sounds familiar: A restaurant/club named Rare Soul could open at 2312 Boston St. in the coming months. That address might ring a few bells -- it used to be Club Phantom, and before that, Kamp.
According to liquor board documents (the hearing to approve the license transfer is Thursday), a woman named Yolanda Espinet wants to add live entertainment, outdoor table service and to remove the restrictions on the license. Those restrictions forbid the club to bring in outside promoters.
What do you think is going to happen here? Let me peer into my crystal ball ...
I'll bet you all the money in my wallet ($7) that history will repeat itself. The liquor board will most likely approve Rare Soul's license transfer request, as long as the club doesn't bring in outside promoters.
Rare Soul will, inevitably, bring in outside promoters for parties. The neighbors with the nice houses across Boston Street will complain about the noise and violence, and Rare Soul will lose its license.
Why am I so sure? Because this has happened numerous times on the same little strip of Boston Street in the past few years.
That's what happened to Club Phantom. I'm not quite sure what happened to Kamp, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was relatively the same thing.
"That place is a Bermuda triangle," said Stephan Fogleman, the liquor board's chairman.
"It's one of the toughest blocks in Baltimore to get a good concept. You've got neighbors across the street – neighbors who pay lots of property taxes. Theyre in that no man's land between Fells Point and Canton proper."
Don't get me wrong -- I wish Yolanda all the best with her new venture. But I'm not holding my breath.
(Baltimore Sun archive photo)