Bethlehem Central High School
Delmar NY

The Paradise Showboat; the Floating Nightclub

In 1931 two local entrepreneurs towed an old 5 mast schooner, “The City of Portland” to Albany
with the intent of turning her into a luxury, upscale nightclub on the Hudson. It docked at Riverside Park
on the River. But Albany officials said not so much.

Still the conversion went ahead, and the newly renovated and re-named Paradise ultimately anchored
in Troy, at the base of Fulton St.

For about 5 years the Paradise was the hottest Club in the area. (Prohibition didn’t end until 1933,
but we suspect it functioned as a speakeasy in its first years - which added to its popularity.)
It seems to have exuded that unique 1930s nightclub glamour you see on old movies. Cocktails, women
in slinky dresses, great jazz - so much sex appeal.

If you could afford the Paradise it was an escape from the height of the Depression. It booked the best
talent, including Cab Calloway from the Cotton Club in Harlem and Ina Ray Hutton, a female bandleader
with an all female band - the Melodears. (Hutton had performed with the Zeigfield Follies.)

But all good things come to an end. The constant battering by the Hudson River, esp. ice, took its toll on
the Paradise. Safety issues arose and the club finally closed in 1936. The boat was sold for scrap in 1937.

Copyright Julie O’Connor

Posted on

Thursday 31 March 2022

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• Old Photos from around Bethlehem / Old Albany Photos

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