Erotheek Gay Ron (Closed Permanently)

One of only two gay businesses remaining in the former gay ghetto just north of the Central Station, Ronald Tielemans's 'erotheek' Gay Ron opened in 1994 and continues to cater to men who see the light in darkrooms. A well-stocked and orderly DVD-and-toys shop on the ground floor gives little indication of the murky atmospheres and stained sofas found in various rooms on the three floors above, accessed by steep and narrow stairs, like an old house. It's sometimes unclear whether the audible groaning is live or emanating from one of the big-screen TVs that adorn the rooms. There's a darkroom with glory holes and three private cabins to boot. Tielemans opened shop-cum-darkroom Man Playz [see entry] in 2012.