This is the storefront of Angel’s Share Wines and Liquors, the location that used to be the nightclub John’s Place in the 1980s. The structure does not appear new, and I would venture to guess that it is the same building as John’s Place, reworked for its new purpose. Its clever logo appears on the sign above the front entrance, a barrel with an angel’s wings and halo.
Digital Archive: Ordinary Liquor Store
This is a broad view of the interior of Angel’s Share Wines and Liquors. The cashier gives me a confused look as I take a picture of his rather ordinary establishment, before I explain to him our purpose for being there. Shelves behind the counter contain cigarettes and other tobacco products, and refrigerators line the back wall where the “BUD LIGHT” poster can be seen. There is also a second unmanned register; perhaps they have busier hours.
Digital Archive: Mural
This is the mural on the northern wall of the store. The image of a passionate black musician seems representative of historical African American musical culture. The singer’s dress and the waves of vibrant colors seem to allude to another musical era, and the art exudes innovation, creativity, and happiness.
Digital Archive: Premium Cigars
Upon entering Angel’s Share Wines and Liquors, there is this locked cabinet of various different “premium cigars.”
Digital Archive: Row Houses
Across S street from the northern exterior wall is a sequence of residential row houses that appear to be older and more reminiscent of Shaw’s housing in past decades.
Digital Archive: New Construction
Across 7th Street is the 7th Flats apartment building, in front of which is a bus stop and a stairwell down to the Shaw-Howard University Station. Built in 2013, the apartments are modern and chic, ostensibly marketing to young, hip population.
Digital Archive: Basement Staircase
This is the concrete staircase leading to the basement, which appears to be used for inventory storage. The conveyor belt offers a more efficient, easy way of moving heavy cases into the store’s main floor for sale.
Digital Archive: South Wall Courtyard
This is the southern wall of the building’s exterior, the left side if facing the entrance. The graffiti is less purposeful and does not take the form of a mural. The closed in plot of land appears to have no practical use.
Interior Description
Walking into Angel’s Share Wines and Liquors, the man at the counter probably expected that my two classmates and I were paying customers. I approached the cashier and explained that we were Georgetown students, and, weirdly, we had traveled across DC to his establishment for a class project. I told him that in the 1980s, his shop had been a nightclub, and we were exploring its transformation and the history behind it. He seemed more confused than intrigued. Angel’s Share Wines and Liquors is a pretty standard liquor store, with bottles lining the walls and shelves, refrigerators at the back wall, and tobacco products on the wall behind the counter. The floors are a dark red, and the shelves are made of a light-colored wood. From the ceiling hang chandeliers of sorts with light bulbs attached to metal poles that branch off in all directions from the center. Immediately on the right upon walking in is a classy cigar container, with a sign reading “Premium Cigars.” On the far side of the store, where the fridges are, to the right there is a concrete staircase going into the basement, where they presumably store inventory. The left side of the staircase has a conveyor belt for transporting the inventory up into the main floor, and there are disorganized stacks of both full and empty cases of various liquors and spirits at the bottom. I was curious to go downstairs and look around, but I had to draw the line somewhere. I imagine that in the era of John’s Place, they (the owners and employees of the club), too, made use of the basement for alcohol storage, and perhaps any other inventory they would keep. Maybe they had glasses, straws, and other items that a club requires but a liquor store does not, or maybe they had a few chairs and employees took their breaks there. Additionally, the liquor store is a functioning Western Union location, which may offer more insight into the demographics the store serves as many modern users of in-person Western Union locations are immigrants and, in some cases, refugees. Obviously, there was not much to recognize or extrapolate from what I found on the inside of the store; no real signs of a 1980s nightclub remained. On the way out, I felt like I should buy something so as not to be rude. After all, I had snooped around for a few minutes and we were the only people in the store. Of course, I’m 18 years old and not of age to buy liquor, so, to the cashier’s amusement, I bought a Red Bull, and we continued on our way.
Exterior Description
In S Street Rising, there is a nightclub on S Street, in the Shaw neighborhood of DC, called John’s Place, outside of which the narrator recalls crack exchanges. Today, the building on the corner of 7th and S is Angel’s Share Wines & Liquors, and no discernible trace of a club remains. It is not a large building; it is one story with a relatively narrow entrance, from which it extends further back into 7th street to create a rectangular shape. On the front of the building is the large black sign with “Angel’s Share Wines & Liquors” in curved, white block letters surrounding the store’s logo, a barrel with the wings and halo of an angel. The building’s exterior is made up of dark reddish-brown brick, and besides the glass door entrance and large windows revealing the shelves of bottles inside, the walls are nearly covered in vibrant graffiti art. On the 7th street side wall, there is a large mural-like image of a black male singer, mic in hand, and to his left is a string of brilliant streaks of colored lines and arrows, woven in with cheerful images of music speakers and pencils. The colorful street art exudes an uplifting mood surrounding themes of creativity and innovation in the artistic space. Indeed, the building does not necessarily appear to be reminiscent of a 1980s nightclub or a drug epidemic, but subtle elements of the location seem to illustrate certain aspects of its historical context that may have lingered. The area appears to be a predominantly black, lower to middle class neighborhood, with rowhouses lining 7th street and other commercial establishments on S. It does not appear to be a particularly “bad” or dangerous area per se, but it surely does not cater to the wealthier demographics that inhabit more supposedly high-end areas of DC, like Georgetown (where the M Street is lined with designer brand retail stores). There are a few multiple-story office buildings and other glass-happy structures alike that suggest new construction or renovation in recent years, yet the humble liquor store on the corner of 7th and S, while transformed into a new establishment, still seems to harbor the spirit and history of another era.