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The 725-seat Strand
Theatre - a former vaudeville stage on Market Street that dates
back to 1917, when it was known as The Empress - closed its
doors on April 2, 2003. Less than a month earlier, the theatre was raided
by the SFPD for open drug dealing and prostitution. Officers said crack
smoke filled the air in the theatre, where prostitutes served johns in
the balcony and in the theatre seats. Used condoms and pipes were strewn
all over the floors. The Strand, 1127 Market Street, became an adult theatre
in 1994. It's decline as a vice parlor marks the end of a once great cultural
landmark.
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