User:S Lansdown/sandbox

Odell's Nightclub
Odell's Nightclub, opened by Odell Brock in 1976, was one of the premiere disco clubs in Baltimore until its complete close in 1992. Located on East North Avenue, Odell's attracted adults aged 18-40  from all over the city. Odell's was very popular during its beginning, however its popularity was short lived, as in 1984, Odell Brock sold the club. The club would continue to be bought and sold by multiple other people, such as Philip A. Murray in 1985, and Milton Tillman Jr. in 1989, both of which were sentenced to prison due to involvement in a heroin ring and attempting to bribe a city zoning member respectively. Only 16 years after its initial opening, Odell's Nightclub was officially shut down in 1992 due to complaints of noise and violence.

After Odell’s death in 1985, the nightclub’s popularity started to drop as problems began to arise with the club’s change in ownership. Odell’s was well known for being the spot where many teenagers and young adults were able to let loose and be themselves. “Odell's was hugely popular and is still revered by some as the heart of house and dance music in Baltimore in the 1980s.”. Being described by its regulars as a popular place for dance  and music, seeing variety was not uncommon. "It was a culture and a lifestyle, and if you were a part of it then you felt like you were a part of something special. Not many clubs these days try to capture that emotional connection." . After Milton Tillman Jr. gained rights to the club, it faced closing charges due to “Mr. Tillman, who is awaiting a federal trial on charges of attempting bribery to win favor in a zoning case involving Odell's” and it “operating without a zoning permit”. The overall outcome of the famed nightclub, home of disco and dance, was its final closing in 1992.

Reception
Despite its short lifespan, Odell's received its share of positive and negative opinions. Residents who lived in a neighborhood near Odell's blamed the club for an outbreak of crimes such as car theft, shootings and street robberies. Owner (at the time) Milton Tillman attempted to remedy these complaints, saying, "A lot of the neighborhood's problems are blamed on us... We've never had any incidents inside of Odell's, so how can they blame what happened two blocks away on the crowd that comes here? That's not fair because it's not our fault what happens away from the club."