The word voyeur can mean a few things: a peeping Tom, an observer of sensational or sexual subjects, and now Voyeur means Philly’s hottest Gayborhood destination! It will replace Pure as our favorite dance-the-night-away-spot. This is keeping with the many changes and additions going on in the Gayborhood!

We have at 12th & Locust Knock, an establishment that finally shows no signs of leaving that corner, the tenants of which never seemed to stick around. Woody’s was – not that long ago – revamped with a new look while retaining familiar faces and vibes. The fun eatery and bar Camac Martini Lounge seems to be a favorite with day-trippers to the Gayborhood and regulars alike. Bump has been taken over by a former Mr. Gay Philadelphia, soon to be reopened as Q- Lounge. While not in the Gayborhood proper Stir is a welcome addition to Rittenhouse Square, and is yet another venue we can call our own.

Then there is Pure, where we all have been guilty of staying out a bit too late at least once or twice a season…or weekly, depending on your habits. Pure too is also being revamped and redone! While the late-night spot has not changed owners it is certainly changing its look. I decided to speak to the ladies of Pure, Tre Rios and Natasha Hulme to get the inside scoop on what we can expect on opening night. Which, if you have been living under a rock, is scheduled to reopen as Voyeur this Friday, September, 25th.

PhillyGayCalendar: Tre you are certainly a fixture at Pure. How long have you been there, what’s your title? Or are you the all-around mistress of Pure?

Tre Rios: My title is Vice-President but I prefer your title, All-Around Mistress! I’ve seen two changes, from 24 to pure and now pure to Voyeur!

PGC: Philly has – & is – certainly seeing a lot of changes in the Gayborhood! What do you think of this Gayborhood Renaissance?

TR: It’s great for the community. We are keeping up with the times…instead of taking money out the area they’re putting money into the community.

PGC: Have the owners changed as well as the look of the club?

TR: No we have the same Board of Directors.

PGC: What prompted the name change?

TR: The name change is because the look of the club has changed, and the name goes with the new theme of the club.

PGC: What changes can we expect? I remember when the club was revamped a few years ago. Will the space, feel and atmosphere be altered considerably?

TR: You will be pleasantly surprised.

Tre is trying to lure us in it seems! Let’s see what Natasha Hulme, who entertains and rules the Pink Lounge was willing to share about Voyeur’s new look. She also has her hand in multimedia design, and has worked with clubs and venues all over the US via her company Lux55, one of Philadelphia’s premier multimedia design houses.

PhillyGayCalendar: In addition to being the Mistress of Pink Lounge – which it seems is being renamed the Ruby Lounge – you have your hands in club and multimedia design, and implied you were doing some of the hands-on renovations to the Pink Lounge. What was fun about that?

Natasha Hulme: Well- the stage and my events, to me, are always “works in progress”. I believe that if I am getting bored with a game show, or format, then my wonderful core group of regulars could be getting bored too. The plans and visions I have for my stage, might not have been completed by the opening, but the room looks amazing!

PGC: How long have you been associated with Pure?

NH: I started in January of 2004, when it opened.

PGC: You state on the Lux55 website that you “combine the unique with the familiar.” What will remain familiar? What is unique? Is it more difficult to be your own client than working for others?

NH: It says that? Well I like to mirror a business’ website to the actual character/feel of said business. If you looked at Bump’s website and then walked into Bump, you got it. You knew you were in the right place. The unique part is that you won’t look at one of my web designs and say… “that site resembles so and so’s site”. Unless of course so and so is copying my original design.

PGC: Voyeur, the name change implies we will see not only a different venue but feel a different vibe. Can you let our readers know what this means to you?

NH: It’s really all about seeing and being seen, and if anyone says that’s not his/her scene, then someone will need to explain the phenomenon of going out on the town, and by the time you get home, 30 friends have already commented on a photo of you, online, sipping an Absolut Ruby Martini. It’s a mobile uploaded, Bluetoothing, Facebooker, Tweetin’ good time out there. Of course the sordid nature of voyeurism is examined with new and re-invented elements you’ll see at the club.

PGC: Philly has seen a lot of changes – Knock, Bump becoming Q-Lounge, Woody’s changing hands, etc. How do you feel about this Gayborhood Renaissance?

NH: Like Capitol Hill in Seattle, Greenwich Village in Manhattan, SoBe in Miami and The Castro, straight people want to be where it’s fun. Unfortunately there’s still a group that are closed off to straights and do not like sharing the party. In the same breath, I leave the Gayborhood on Friday and Saturday nights around 12:30 when I’m done working and I think it’s great that you can see younger gay men and lesbians coupled up in Old City, Rittenhouse or Northern Liberties, proudly going wherever they please.

PGC: What are your favorite elements of the new Voyeur?

NH: It’s dark and sexy and mysterious. And I will gladly share all of my favorite elements on Friday night, when I see it all polished and complete.

Well, it seems as if these Voyeur ladies are not being exhibitionists with the inside knowledge they have of Philly’s latest incarnation of our favorite late-night hot spot. If the email invitation is any hint – smoky, dark, pictures of sexy clubbers – their efforts will be a welcome gift for those looking for a place to sip, play, flirt and dance the night away! Pure for me, and many others, is a venue to show out of town guests, to show off that Philly possesses panache. Certainly, Voyeur will have everybody coming back for more.