Carol Doda and the Condor Club

On the night of June 19, 1964, a dancer named Carol Doda performed topless at the Condor Club on Broadway. It is widely cited as the start of topless nightclub entertainment in the United States, and it happened in North Beach.

The Condor Club

The Condor sits at 300 Columbus Avenue, on the corner of Broadway and Columbus. Carol Doda had been working there as a cocktail waitress and go-go dancer. Her act featured a white grand piano that was lowered from the ceiling on hydraulics, with her dancing on top of it.

What followed

Within months, much of the Broadway strip had gone topless, and the trend spread to other cities. In 1965 Doda and the club’s owners were arrested on indecency charges and were acquitted. The Condor’s neon sign, which included a figure of Doda, became a fixture on Broadway.

Later years

Doda retired from dancing in the 1980s and ran a lingerie boutique in the city. She continued to perform as a singer at North Beach clubs. She died in 2015 at the age of 78. A documentary on her career renewed interest in the story.

The strip today

The Condor Club still operates at Broadway and Columbus. It was added to San Francisco’s Legacy Business Registry in 2022.