(Image: Gold Bar)

(Image: Afterlife)

A South Lake Union hangout and party place’s expansion to Capitol Hill has come to an end. Somewhere along the way, E Olive Way lounge Gold Bar and its conjoined nightclub sibling Afterlife shuttered for good.

“This space was never just a bar or a dance club, it was a portal. For artists, for ‘weirdos’,” the Afterlife goodby message reads. “For people who believe in community, lights, cocktails, great fucking music and the power of the night. We built a scene. A sandbox. A safe space. And we’re proud of what we made.”

Ownership says they lost their lease as the result of a recent “real estate deal.” County records show the 1920s era building the lounge and club called home has not changed hands.

CHS reported here in 2022 as the 9th Ave N-born Gold Bar made its way to Capitol Hill, opening a second location on E Olive Way as its original location faced an uncertain future due to development. The bar was a project of tech CEO Zach Huntting of the Crown Social agency.

Gold Bar moved in where Jewish and Eastern European-flavored Dacha Diner closed abruptly in 2022. Before that, it had been The Saint. Gold Bar joined the street with new new E Olive Way neighbors including The Crescent, Hula Hula, Montana, Revolver, Hillside, and Dino’s. Laurel has since joined the mix in the former Crumble and Flake space while Aamrai Indian Kitchen & Bar has moved in around the corner on Bellevue Ave.

We’re not exactly sure when the Afterlife club portion of the Gold Bar business got started but complaints about noise from the E Olive Way nightlife venture ramped up this spring. As of June, the music stopped there, too. The Afterlife project says to stay tuned for a possible restart in a new location.

As for the E Olive Way venue, there is a new project in the works from a Pacific Northwest hospitality veteran. Stay tuned for updates.

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