Contents:
- GUI TO GAY STREET KNOXVILLE, TENNSEE
- GAY STREET CEMA
- DID YOU KNOW THE 100 BLOCK OF GAY STREET WAS RAISED? TAKE AN UNRGROUND TOUR
GUI TO GAY STREET KNOXVILLE, TENNSEE
Gay Street Cema.
Gay Street,. In the early-1970’s, there were two adult movie theaters on Gay Street. Bis the Bijou Theatre, which was then showg X-rated movi, there was also the Gay Street Cema which had opened on September 25, 1969.
Dpe the name, they showed straight, not gay, movi. The 100 block of Gay Street was raised one story 1919 to the level is today. Storeonts are still visible the unrground tate velopers see an opportuny to re-purpose unrground the 100 block of the Gay Street we know today is the 100 block of yterday or, rather, ytercentury.
GAY STREET CEMA
Fixg 'the Death Dip' The 100 block of Gay Street was raised to rolve what lol historian Jack Neely referred to as "the Death Dip. "As Gay Street grew and the railroad got by, acmodatg dozens of tras every day, the cy built bridg over the rail yards. "By 1900, the downward slope of Gay Street and the upward slope of a bridge created a road that seemed more like a roller aster — "a pretty absurd thg to fd a by part of town, " Neely said.
The pavement lights people walk over daily on the Gay Street siwalk are illumated om the tunnel directly below where the siwalk ed to unrground street area is now jt a ncrete wall led wh utily box. People who wanr to the bottom floor of the buildg on the east si of Gay Street n peer through glass doors at a mural pated on a wall where the street once was.
DID YOU KNOW THE 100 BLOCK OF GAY STREET WAS RAISED? TAKE AN UNRGROUND TOUR
But jt a few steps away om the mural, out of sight for Emporium visors, is a portn of unrground Gay Street that Hez believ has the most potential.