{"id":4,"featured":0,"modified":"2025-03-17 22:08:27","latitude":40.44161763157895,"longitude":-79.98482418421052,"title":"Hurricane Lounge","address":"1603 Centre Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15219","thumbnail":"https:\/\/hillhistory.org\/files\/square_thumbnails\/38fbcf9a06f2b652f5dbaca0d5212a4b.jpg","creator":["Amanda Ryczek"],"description":"Opening its doors in 1953, the Hurricane Bar and Lounge served as one of the numerous hubs for jazz music and night life in the Hill District. The Hurricane Bar set itself apart from other nightclubs nearby by its tropical d\u00e9cor, excellent cuisine, and diverse clientele. Located at 1603 Centre Avenue, it was frequently dubbed the \u201cHappy House of the Hill District\u201d. With an ample seating capacity of 120, the Hurricane attracted guests eager to hear the evening\u2019s jazz ensemble; a stage tucked away in the back provided a platform to dance and listen to aspiring jazz artists. Performers at the Hurricane entailed a variety of jazz stars for the time; Gene Walker, with his \u201cwailing sax and combo\u201d were a favorite at the Hurricane.
The Hurricane was run by husband-and-wife Shine and \u201cBirdie\u201d Dunlap. Birdie was no stranger to running a nightclub on Centre Avenue; in fact, she had run \u201cBirdie\u2019s Crib\u201d prior to opening the Hurricane. Miss Dunlap \u201cspared no expense\u201d in the designing of the Hurricane, wanting the lounge to serve as a \u201creal show piece\u201d of Hill District culture and life. The elegant d\u00e9cor, which had a tropical flair, was described as both \u201cswanky\u201d and \u201ccozy\u201d by patrons. Aspiring musicians frequently found themselves performing at the Hurricane to a diverse clientele that consisted of both Black and white audience members. These musicians would later go on to become high salaried performing artists such as Jimmy Smith, who Birdie Dunlap personally knew and assisted in the purchase of his first musical instrument. Other big hopeful musicians who made their debut at the Hurricane were names such as Kenny Burrell, George Benson, and Wes Montgomery. The Hurricane attracted bands such as The Lun-A-Tones, a five-piece outfit that was touted as \u201c[making] a bigger sound than most larger groups.\u201d Robert Banks Organ trio from New Jersey would frequently open at the Hurricane, attracting headlines and crowds. The Hurricane\u2019s food was as acclaimed as the music; Dinner specials at the Hurricane varied, but customer favorites included fried chicken, jumbo shrimps, and juicy steaks as well as a variety of \u201ctempting\u201d sides.
\r\n\"The Hurricane Club was one of my favorite stops, because Birdie always kept things jumping. There was no such thing as being overcrowded. If you had money, you got a seat.\" -Ralph Proctor, from Song of the Hill<\/em><\/strong><\/blockquote>\r\nJazz clubs in Pittsburgh\u2019s Hill District stood as more than just a place for people to congregate and enjoy libations, they were focal points of the area where social gatherings and nightlife thrived. Jazz music in the Hill District carried a long-standing history of cultural significance, just as night clubs provided a space for black female performers to carve out a stage to broadcast their entertainment. The Hurricane was no different; embracing a \u201clive and let live\u201d attitude which permeated the Hill District during the 1950s.\u00a0 The Hurricane\u2019s contribution to jazz culture in the Hill District provided a space for entertainment and comradery that was unmatched. With its ritzy atmosphere, it is no surprise the Hurricane was one of the most in-demand bars on Centre Avenue; it was just down the street from other jazz clubs such as the Crawford Grill. During the height of jazz culture in the Hill District, local musician Al Dowe remembers that \u201ceverybody from New York either came to the Hurricane or the Crawford Grill\u201d.
The Hurricane\u2019s blissful existence would be unfortunately short-lived. Like other bars in Pittsburgh\u2019s Hill District, it fell victim to the changes in the surrounding area. Urban redevelopment demolished much of the Lower Hill, displaced thousands of residents, and dramatically altered the community and its business environment. In 1970, the Hurricane suffered a fire that shut its doors for good.
Despite the Hurricane\u2019s demise, its influence was recognized on several occasions. In 1973 the Crawford Grill celebrated \"Birdie Dunlap Night\" to show appreciation for all Birdie had done to encourage and develop the city's young musicians. In 2007, the Hill House Association announced a monthly event that paid tribute to the jazz and culture of Pittsburgh\u2019s historic Hill District. The jazz redux, titled \u201cLive at the Hurricane\u201d sought to recreate the \u201cfunky\u201d atmosphere of the Hurricane lounge, showing that the legacy of the Hill's \"Happy House\" was not forgotten.","sponsor":"","subtitle":"Influential Incubator for Pittsburgh Jazz","accessinfo":"","lede":"In the 1950s and '60s, the Hurricane served as an upscale jazz lounge that nurtured young musicians, a vision of its dynamic co-owner \"Birdie\" Dunlap.","website":"","related_resources":[],"files":{"https:\/\/hillhistory.org\/files\/fullsize\/38fbcf9a06f2b652f5dbaca0d5212a4b.jpg":{"id":26,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","title":"Hurricane Lounge exterior","thumbnail":"https:\/\/hillhistory.org\/files\/square_thumbnails\/38fbcf9a06f2b652f5dbaca0d5212a4b.jpg","description":"Photo of the Hurricane Lounge exterior, as featured in a retrospective news story. | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette<\/em>, February 4, 1980, 19. | Paul Slantis"},"https:\/\/hillhistory.org\/files\/fullsize\/e08b138b6cb7435f95d2607b5396d40c.jpg":{"id":12,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","title":"Untitled","thumbnail":"https:\/\/hillhistory.org\/files\/square_thumbnails\/e08b138b6cb7435f95d2607b5396d40c.jpg"},"https:\/\/hillhistory.org\/files\/fullsize\/759579add5dce9d3ef14185aab922689.jpg":{"id":13,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","title":"Untitled","thumbnail":"https:\/\/hillhistory.org\/files\/square_thumbnails\/759579add5dce9d3ef14185aab922689.jpg"}}}