Gold Diggers was transformed from creepy strip club to cool scenester hub earlier this year, but its owners have been relatively low-key about the takeover until recently, letting the space find its groove organically. Melanie Tusquellas (of the now-shuttered El Chavo) and Dave Neupert (Short Stop, La Cita, Footsies) have turned the once dingy and sad dive bar into a gilded grotto that spotlights the space's original allure; they stripped the walls inside to reveal gorgeous flocked wallpaper from decades ago. There's more to come at the legendary space, which once was home to Plan 9 From Outer Space filmmaker Ed Wood's studio, as its stretch of Santa Monica Boulevard evolves, possibly including recording studios and a hotel. The stripper pole may be gone but Gold Diggers still offers a unique mix of sexy, sketchy neighborhood ambiance enhanced by stiff drinks and hot DJs spinning everything from metal (every other Saturday) to international funk and disco (Fridays).

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