Ariadne Addams
Google
Standing right next to Church in a historic part of town, is Lore. I met my girlfriend and future wife here, star💫crossed at the end of the night.
Here’s my honest take:
It can be loud and obnoxious at times, compared to other places, as it seems to compete with next door but hold its own candles. For an introvert, the space appears large but in reality it’s rather squeezed in, making it difficult when packed to order drinks, dance flamboyantly without bumping into someone else, or find space to chat, other than out back, and maybe the front door. When I say it’s LOUD, I mean it— it’s overwhelming for a queer veteran who’s an audiophile, loves music, but can’t get comfortable with the volume at my age. It makes patrons have to scream or duck away into the bathroom, or recede back down the stairs for recharge and conversation, in order to save your energy. So I highly recommend bringing your earbuds or plugs. Getting drinks can be tricky with people flocking around the bar and posting up.
Before I was kidnapped from the dance floor, energy among what I’d assumed were regulars was discomforting. People asked for cigarettes but couldn’t afford to hold a conversation, often talking past me and scurrying away to immerse themselves in any other distraction but making friends with me. So personal agendas often felt more filled than genuine.
A few tried to acclimate me, but they often melted back into the crowd or took off with their own friends entirely too quickly to make a sensible connection. 99% of everyone I met tried to break loose and not commit to exchanging numbers or words, other than some people just advertising their own events on social media and looking for followers or customers. This is oftentimes just how Atlanta tends to be; rambunctious, scatterbrained, flighty and predictably unpredictable.
I’m plenty used to the scene at my age, and perhaps the anxious energy & determined drug users are what guide me away, but this has been staple to Atlanta for decades and all the time I’ve been creeping the streets.
If you want to eat, you have to leave and you can’t bring food in or you’ll be stuck arguing with sarcastic front door security guards.
Just before closing, my eyes met a gorgeous lil gremlin across the room, leaning against a column upstairs. I'd just devoured a mountain of pizza & wings and was swinging around the dance floor, working it off, when I saw that beautiful creature smiling. I had to smile back. The dance floor had cleared, and as I was deep in my usual dance shenanigans, we locked eyes, stealing each other's attention and breath away.
It was sapphic night, and I was determined to make at least one genuine friend. When she flirted back, that was it—we were stuck together for the rest of the night. In fact, we spent a full 59.2 to 60 hours talking, cuddling, and kissing. We ended up being the last to leave, herded out by the security guard doing his final rounds.
Most times, I'd run straight back to my coffin and chill, but that weekend was surprisingly hot, even with the thunderstorms. So, despite the overwhelming, zoo-like treachery of this place, many positives were found that Friday night. For a start, I found the most strange and gorgeous thing in the world there.
