For as long as Vitrano can remember, Leon’s has always been a neighborhood spot at heart. “You can tell right away there are lots of regulars,” says Frank Vitrano, who himself has been a regular of Leon’s since 1982.
Vernon’s artists and hippies, started to promote itself as “gay friendly.” Now, it’s believed to be the longest continuously running gay bar in Baltimore. In 1957, Leon’s, a bohemian hangout for Mt. Coming out of Prohibition, Leon Lampe purchased the bar in the 1930s and gave it its name, which has remained ever since. The two-story building that houses Leon’s was occupied by its forerunner, Georgia’s Tap Room, in the 1890s. But locals are already drinking inside.Īnd they have been for more than a century.
From outside, it’s hard to tell if the tiny corner bar tucked in between Park Avenue and Tyson Street is open for business. The day is still young, and the streets are barely awake, with only a small crew of road workers and a few brunchers on the block. Vernon has opened its doors at 12 p.m.-four hours earlier than usual-in celebration of Pride. It’s a hot Saturday in June, and Leon’s in Mt.