
The expression “Central Avenue strip” was not unique to Toledo. In Los Angeles, Central Avenue had become a celebrated center of Black nightlife and jazz by the 1930s, and the stretch of clubs and businesses was subsequently remembered as the “Central Avenue strip.” The expression has appeared in a few other places as well, but in those instances strip is consistently lowercase. Only in Toledo have I found Strip capitalized.
Having some familiarity with the slogan, I was certain it got its start in the early 1980s. However, my initial research shows that it appeared as early as 1976.
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