The Duck Island Club, an LGBT+-friendly dive bar, opened at 2102 Freeman Avenue in 2000. Owners Jeff Eisenberg and Mike Weigand envisioned Duck Island Club as being a “nice” and relaxing “place where [anyone] could hang out” away from the hustle and bustle of more popular area bars. The Duck Island Club contained a small bar, lounge, and a cozy outdoor patio area. Throughout the week, Duck Island regularly hosted a variety of live entertainment acts and themed event nights. By the mid-2000s, the Duck Island Club became the “‘in’ place for the A-list of the city’s gay male activist community” to gather. Duck Island underwent a change in ownership after Andre Long purchased the bar in 2012. In 2019, however, Long was forced to close the Duck Island Club after he was “served a felony charge accusing him of bribing a Cleveland police officer.” Though Long initially denied having “bribed an officer with money in January [2019] so the bar could operate past the mandated 2a.m. cutoff for serving alcohol,” he ultimately pled guilty to the charge in late 2020. The Duck Island Club remains closed.
Additional information coming soon.
Resources
- “About the Duck.” Duck Island Club.
- Crea, Joe. “Duck Island Club.” Plain Dealer. December 18, 2013.
- Ferrise, Adam. “Black Shield President Faces Discipline in Internal Probe.” Plain Dealer.
August 27, 2021. - Glassman, Anthony. “June Sees Changes for Three Ohio Gathering Spots.” Gay People’s Chronicle. June 29, 2001. Page 2.
- Roy, Chris. “Duck Island.” Cleveland Historical.
- Shaffer, Cory. “Duck Island Club Bar Owner Charged in Attempt to Bribe a Cleveland Cop, Prosecutors Say.” Plain Dealer. May 25, 2019.
- Shaffer, Cory. “Tremont Bar Owner Gets Year in Prison for Bribing Police Officer to Stay Open After-Hours.” Cleveland.com. January 14, 2021.
- Trattner, Douglas. “A Comfortable Feel: Duck Island Is All It’s Quacked Up To Be.” Plain Dealer. November 29, 2002.
- Trattner, Douglas. “Duck Island Club.” Plain Dealer. July 21, 2006.
- Trattner, Douglas. “Duck Into Duck Island For Quick Getaway.” Plain Dealer. February 13, 2004.