Intrepid reporter Justin Juul hits the streets each week for our Meet Your Neighbors series, interviewing the Bay Area folks you'd like to know most.
Mr. Floppy’s Flophouse is a cluster of buildings in East Oakland that has been used throughout the years as a saloon, a venue for underground raves, a brothel, and most recently as a movie set. It also used to be Jack London’s favorite place to get drunk. I wanted to interview George, the crazy guy who owns the place, but he repeatedly denied my request, stating with obvious disgust that he has no desire to “get his name out there.”
Welcome to Mr. Floppy's!
Luckily, one his tenants, Sarah Doppler, had no qualms.
Sarah is one of those free-spirited traveler types who pops into a city for a few months, makes a bunch of friends, and then disappears before she gets sucked into their drama. Very smart. The following interview took place in front of a bonfire in Sarah’s backyard.
SFBG: So where are you from, and how did you find yourself living in this weird floppy-house complex thing?
Sarah Doppler: I’m from Seattle, Washington and I moved to the Bay Area about 4 months ago. I needed to find a room so I just answered an ad on Craigslist. It said “Female Artists Wanted: $400.” So I came and checked it out one night. It was really creepy because there are all these pianos and statues and about 50 dark rooms throughout the place. It’s like a maze with weird art and raccoons and this huge backyard by the freeway where I can chill with all my homies.
SFBG: Yeah, dude, I just spent twenty minutes looking for the bathroom and finally had to leave when I accidentally barged in on a film crew and a bunch of vampires eating fried chicken. What’s up with that?
Doppler: Oh man, this place is amazing! There’s that saloon right behind my room; that’s where you were. It’s fully decked out with mahogany and stained glass and it’s been there since the 1880’s. There are pictures of Jack London all over the place and my landlord rents it out to movie studios. They do a lot of horror flicks back there. The vampires have been chillin’ for weeks. I got drunk with them last night.
Sarah Doppler, flopper.
SFBG: They used to have raves back there too, huh? I was reading something about your landlord…
Doppler: Yeah, dude, my landlord is cool as hell. He’s from Hollywood and his mom was a silent film actress. He used to dress up in a wizard costume and serve top ramen to the ravers. The raves don’t happen anymore, but George still does stuff like that. I’ll get up in the morning to make breakfast and he’ll just be sitting there, tinkering around with wood in the living room. He’s really nice.
SFBG: Did he have anything to do with the brothel?
Doppler: Ha! No, no. The brothel part of the house is up on top. Real spooky. The rooms are still there, but now they’re just little studio apartments. I can’t imagine what it’s like to live up there.
SFBG: How many people live here anyway?
Doppler: I think like twelve or fifteen, officially, but the parking lot is always full and we have some dude living in a tent over there in the corner. I don’t really know how many people live here to tell you the truth. I don’t see the brothel people very much.
SFBG: So why did you choose Oakland over of San Francisco?
Doppler: Well, at first I felt like I was settling for a cheaper place, but I spent some time here and realized that there are tons of artists and cool people living Oakland. I’ve had the chance to move to the city, but I decided to stay here. It’s cheaper and the people seem more interesting. Plus I have this crazy-ass house to entertain people at.
SFBG: I can’t believe you’re only paying $400 for this place.
Doppler: Ha, ha, Sucka! You gotta move to Oakland, man. SF is cool, but you guys are paying way too much. It only takes twenty minutes to get to the city from here too, so it’s not like I’m living in the ‘burbs. I love it here.
SFBG: Well, shit. If my rent goes up anymore I might just have to throw a tent in your backyard.
Doppler: Hey man, have at it.
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Comments (6)
Ahh yes. It's been a long time since I've been to the Oakland Riviera, but back in the day we used to dance until dawn. There were 30 or so rooms decorated with black light mushroom gardens complete with a naked man playing sitar in one. Ecstatic tunes spun by Wisdom and Tumbleweed. I even got my fist chance to play there, grabbed a selection of George's exotica LP's from his bedroom and went at it.
Props to Eddie for keeping the booze flowing, the doormen for keeping it safe, and the entire floppy crew and community for making it fun. I miss you all.
Aloha from Hawaii,
Mr. Floppy
Posted by Mr. Floppy | November 30, 2007 10:46 AM
Good to hear Mr. Floppy is still remembered, it was the best of times, with the greatest people, how's Hawaii
Posted by Floppy Eddie | November 30, 2007 07:32 PM
Diolch yn fawr! Bore da! from deep in the Hills of Wales. I doing some more archeological digs in Danyrogof Cathedral Caves. Do you dig? The Cymric "Fwngi cwlt" carried out all their rites (raves) ov passage here many Mushroomoons ago! LuvX23
Posted by Mr Floppy | December 2, 2007 11:04 AM
Senor floppy~wow-him and the entire crew that made it all happen-could be the godfather of my ilk..mahalo senor-luvsya and thanks for thee energie
Posted by Rita McLachlan | January 6, 2008 02:42 PM
I am new to the area and have heard so many great stories about Mr. Floppy's Flophouse. I wish you were still here. Is there a chance that you may re open your doors?!!
Posted by Teresa | January 19, 2008 02:57 PM
George, where are you now? I met you back in 1992 at the height of Mr Floppy's Flophouse. Going to Maui in early May, you there? Would love to connect with you again. Email me, please: isambolin@hotmail.com
Posted by Irving Sambolin | March 24, 2008 02:54 PM