THE 10 BEST New York Cy Gay Clubs & Bars (Updated 2023)

Contents:

• THE 30 BT GAY BARS NYC
• THE 10 BEST NEW YORK CY GAY CLUBS & BARSGAY CLUBS & BARS NEW YORK CY
• THE 15 BT GAY BARS NYC TO CHECK OUT
• GAY/DRAG BAR/CLUB - NEW YORK CY FOM
• THE BT GAY HOOK-UP SPOTS NYC
• THE ULTIMATE LGBTIQ+ TRAVEL GUI TO NEW YORK CY: OM QUEER HISTORY TO THE BT GAY BARS
• A COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF NEW YORK CY'S GAY & QUEER BARS
• TOP 20 NEW YORK GAY BARS
• THE BT GAY BARS THE WT VILLAGE
• ‘LAST CALL’ TE STORY: HBO DOC IS ABOUT THE SERIAL KILLER RICHARD ROGERS, WHO TARGETED MANHATTAN’S GAY BARS
• STREAM IT OR SKIP IT: ‘LAST CALL: WHEN A SERIAL KILLER STALKED QUEER NEW YORK’ ON HBO, A DOCERI THAT TAK A LOOK AT 1990S POLICE INDIFFERENCE IN THE FACE OF GAY MEN GETTG MURRED
• THE 10 BEST NEW YORK GAY CLUBS & BARSGAY CLUBS & BARS NEW YORK

THE 30 BT GAY BARS NYC

27 plac sorted by traveler favorBars & Clubs • Gay BarsDowntown Manhattan (Downtown)Bars & Clubs • Gay BarsDowntown Manhattan (Downtown)Gay BarsDowntown Manhattan (Downtown)Bars & Clubs • Gay BarsDowntown Manhattan (Downtown)What travelers are saygDgn1010Dungannon, UK392 ntributnsSo ol to be drkg such a historil bar. Flamg Saddl is the perfect mix of great drks, Amerina, gay culture and cute bar high energy gay bar rais the roof wh their bar top dancg bartenrs. I went to a few gay bars, and by far this was the bt place to dance and the mic was the bt here, varied, and not too much dance mic like you got your head bangg a fish bowl!

There are plenty of gay bars up and down 9th ave and there's no reason to spend money at a place that will treat you like total trash, threaten you, and be unnecsarily belligerent and make you feel unsafe jt bee they're on some kd of power trip. While bathho, drag balls, and good ol’ “Screech Beach” (also known as the beach at Jab Riis Park) were all important s for queer gathergs, the cy’s queer muny pecially thrived s gay bars. Bars allowed queer people to socialize whout a polil agenda and offered a space for them to celebrate their sexualy wh relative eedom—“relative” beg the key word, as homosexual solicatn was still illegal and police raids were mon.

In New York’s gay bars, however, pri is a yearlong event—and for your nvenience, we’ve assembled a list of the bt LGBTQ bars the cy has to offer, om chic clubs to kky div to s-old queer strongholds. Consistently ranked as one of NYC’s bt gay bars by New York Magaze and The Village Voice, Indtry is known for s sizeable high-ceilged dance floor and dtrial athetic. Another historic favore, Greenwich Village’s Juli’ holds the distctn of beg the olst ntually operatg gay bar New York Cy.

THE 10 BEST NEW YORK CY GAY CLUBS & BARSGAY CLUBS & BARS NEW YORK CY

In 1966, a full three years before the Stonewall Rts, Juli’ was also the se of the Mattache Society’s “sip-, ” a prott agast the then-mon practice of bars refg to serve alhol to gay people, that ultimately succeed forcg the State Liquor Authory to relax s discrimatory polici. As one of only 21 lbian bars left the untry and one of three New York Cy (the other two beg Cubbyhole jt a few blocks north and Gger’s Bar Park Slope) Henrietta Hudson is fiercely mted to creatg a space that embrac members of the LGBTQ muny who are often left alienated queer spac domated by cis gay men.

THE 15 BT GAY BARS NYC TO CHECK OUT

In recent years, some gay bars have begun dilutg the kks and raw sexualy that prevly fed the spac an effort to make them a ltle more accsible to heterosexual bar hoppers. When the permanent versn of his avant-gar queer nightclub opened 2017, quickly beme known for s dazzlg, celebry-studd baret, drag, and standup performanc ( whose dienc Cummg himself n ocsnally be spotted) as well as for hostg events that might not be tradnally found a gay bar, such as jazz jam ssns and “drk and draw” nights wh live figure mols. Although certaly has petn om ci such as San Francis and Los Angel, one nnot ny that ’s one of the most welg and flourishg gay pals of the Uned Stat (and the world).

GAY/DRAG BAR/CLUB - NEW YORK CY FOM

Both s history and s thrivg morn-day LGBTQ scene make an easy choice for gay travelers to vis New York. It’s home to the largt LGBTQ populatn the Uned Stat, and ’s unlikely that you’d enunter any issu if you’re openly gay while visg. If you do fd yourself any suatns that need assistance om LGBTQ legal, health, or advocy groups, The Gay Centre and the New York Anti-Vlence Project n offer substantial help.

However, s historil roots Chelsea and Greenwich Village are still gog strong, and you’ll fd some of New York’s most inic gay bars the areas.

Although historilly the bar’s owners were not always receptive to the ia, Greenwich Village’s Juli’ is generally nsired the olst gay bar New York Cy. In 1966, the cy was orrg bartenrs not to serve LGBTQ people and revokg the liquor licens of gay bars. The Mattache Society, one of the earlit gay rights anizatns the Uned Stat, held a “sip-” prott, which ultimately helped overturn the bans.

THE BT GAY HOOK-UP SPOTS NYC

Named “New York’s Bt Gay Bar” by magaz such as GetOut and The Village Voice, Indtry is bt experienced on Saturday nights when attracts the biggt crowds and on Thursdays when featur Queen, one of the bar’s longt-nng and most popular weekly drag shows. The venue ed to be a gay dive bar and, although ’s not que as gay-foced anymore, you’ll still fd a sizable queer crowd here. It’s a popular hangout spot for gay sports leagu/teams and hosts equent events and themed parti, cludg “80s Night” and “Jock Night.

Whether they’re owned by gay people, loted gay areas, or jt popular wh gay clientele, the eateri are the perfect plac to refuel as you move om sightseeg to clubs.

THE ULTIMATE LGBTIQ+ TRAVEL GUI TO NEW YORK CY: OM QUEER HISTORY TO THE BT GAY BARS

Owned by gay entreprenrs, Big Gay Ice Cream is an ice cream tck that has won numero awards, cludg Bt Gay Ice Cream Parlour and Bt Food Tck the Country.

This French-spired brasserie is a charmg, relaxed rtrant and a popular bnch spot wh gay clientele the area. RALLY is ually the startg event and the spirual succsor to the “Gay Power” monstratn that occurred Washgton Square Park a few weeks after the ial Stonewall Rts. It’s prented by All Out Arts and aims to be an extensn of their slogan “fightg prejudice and homophobia through the arts.

A COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF NEW YORK CY'S GAY & QUEER BARS

There are no exclively gay hotels New York, but generally, you won’t experience any problem stayg at most hotels, hostels, or rentals throughout the cy.

Many gay travelers choose to stay Chelsea, Greenwich Village, and Hell’s Kchen, as they are close to the LGBTQ-specific plac and events. A number of gay bars Jackson Heights have a big followg Queens, but Friend’s Tavern is one of the most popular. Ground zero for the 1969 rts that helped lnch the gay rights movement, Stonewall is still a rog, though very touristy, Village statn to pay tribute to the movement.

TOP 20 NEW YORK GAY BARS

This popular and cheerful gay bar occupi a roomy, thoughtfully signed space wh a backyard South Williamsburg. Hell’s Kchen and Chelsea offer the most “tradnal” gay bars and clubs, where visors n check out venu wh hunky shirtls bartenrs, a mostly-gay-male clientele, and thumpg hs gog late to the night.

It’s a fun and totally ridiculo experience that’s like a gay Coyote Ugly llid wh a down-home honky-tonk, but the fact that Flamg Saddl don’t take self serly is exactly why ’s such a fun bar to go to, offerg an unpretent experience that’s pecially good for anyone visg a gay bar for the first time.

One of my favore thgs about Duplex is that don't feel the need to nform to any prenceived notn of what a gay bar is.

THE BT GAY BARS THE WT VILLAGE

Other mils wh queer them clu Come From Away, which clus the te story of Kev Tuerff and his partner, both of whom bee strand Newfoundland wh hundreds of others durg the 9/11 attacks, and The Book of Mormon, which often mocks relig bigotry agast gay people. Wh storeonts that are cked out rabow flags and a sassy, ice-cream-lickg unirn, Big Gay Ice Cream knows how to create a scene. One of the most important facilators of muny for LGBTIQ+ New Yorkers is The Lbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgenr Communy Center, referred to by lols simply as “The Center”.

“Cisg” Central Park is also very real, and if you're g om somewhere that don't have much of a gay muny, thgs like this might e as a b of a culture shock.

Whether you're celebratg NYC Pri late June, planng a future trip to the Big Apple, or a lol lookg for a new bar to check out, here is a prehensive list of nearly every gay and queer bar NYC.

‘LAST CALL’ TE STORY: HBO DOC IS ABOUT THE SERIAL KILLER RICHARD ROGERS, WHO TARGETED MANHATTAN’S GAY BARS

Alibi Lounge, Harlem: One of the cy's only gay, Black-owned LGBTQIA+ bars, this morn bar serv up a variety of specialty cktails, we, beer, and bar snacks. The Eagle NYC, Chelsea: Perhaps the send-most cise-y of New York's gay bars, the multi-level Eagle ters almost exclively to gay men, and gets more bchero on each floor.

Gym Sportsbar, Chelsea: As the name impli, this is a gay sports bar, popular for post-game team drks. Juli', Wt Village: Another Wt Village stutn, 1966, a "sip " was held by activists at the bar to challenge the New York State Liquor Authory's regulatn that barred the servg of homosexuals.

STREAM IT OR SKIP IT: ‘LAST CALL: WHEN A SERIAL KILLER STALKED QUEER NEW YORK’ ON HBO, A DOCERI THAT TAK A LOOK AT 1990S POLICE INDIFFERENCE IN THE FACE OF GAY MEN GETTG MURRED

REBAR, Chelsea: This dtrial-feelg gay bar is a Chelsea standard, featurg energetic drag shows and DJs throughout the week. Rz Bar & Lounge, Hell's Kchen: Smack dab the thick of the Theater District, multi-level Rz Bar & Lounge plays host to many good old-fashned dance parti, attractg a mostly younger gay crowd.

THE 10 BEST NEW YORK GAY CLUBS & BARSGAY CLUBS & BARS NEW YORK

Thanks to Print Obama, The Stonewall Inn is regnized as a Natnal Historic Landmark — the first dited to gay history. Sue, Upper Wt Si: This lol gay pub has a laid-back neighborhood feel and attracts stunts om nearby Columbia Universy.

The Toolbox Bar, Upper East Si: One of the few, if only, gay bars on the Upper East Si, this lorful, timate bar offers happy hour specials and regular live entertament.

Townhoe Piano Bar, Midtown East: Three bars, a piano room wh nightly performanc (and a drs ), this cktail lounge attracts a mix of senr and younger gay men. Ty's Bar NYC, Wt Village: Opened 1972, this classic Cristopher Street bar attracts an olr gay crowd.