‘Town 2.0’: Beloved D.C. gay nightclub aims to re-open — a former Baptist church - The Washgton Post

Contents:

• ‘TOWN 2.0’: BELOVED D.C. GAY NIGHTCLUB AIMS TO RE-OPEN — A FORMER BAPTIST CHURCH
• TOWN, DC’S LARGT GAY BAR, IS CLOSG. WHAT DO  MEAN?
• THE U STREET CORRIDOR FALLY HAS A GAY CLUB AGA
• D.C.'S BT GAY BARS AND HANGOUTS
• WHAT DO TOWN’S CLOSG MEAN FOR THE FUTURE OF GAY NIGHTLIFE D.C.?
• D.C.’S BIGGT GAY NIGHTCLUB IS SET TO CLOSE, BUT A NEW ITERATN MAY REPLACE IT

‘TOWN 2.0’: BELOVED D.C. GAY NIGHTCLUB AIMS TO RE-OPEN — A FORMER BAPTIST CHURCH

The natn's pal is home to a lively LGBTQ+ nightlife scene wh plenty of gay and lbian bars jt wag for you to jo on the fun. Larry’s Lounge is a gay neighborhood pub, wh always-affordable drks, solid happy hour specials, mouth-waterg pub fare (see: sweet potato tots) and one of the cy’s iendlit pats (you n brg your dog, too!).

Number Ne to the btlg Logan Circle urty of -founr Ed Bailey, who helped DC’s gay nightlife scene to grow durg his days as a DJ. Suated right the heart of Adams Man’s btlg 18th Street is Pchers, a gay sports bar, and A League of Her Own, the adjacent bar for lbian and queer women.

Last summer, when gay nightclub Town Danceboutique shuttered s doors, s patrons packed for one last sweaty, nostalgic dance party — mourng the closg as the loss of a mastay for D. It hered an era of flourishg gay nightlife and gentrifitn the neighborhood. Town, the massive gay dance club Shaw, announced last week that will close next summer after mors to the ntrary.

TOWN, DC’S LARGT GAY BAR, IS CLOSG. WHAT DO  MEAN?

I me out twelve years ago, and like many queer kids DC, I sought out gay bars as a refuge.

THE U STREET CORRIDOR FALLY HAS A GAY CLUB AGA

Yet many of the plac I equented are gone: Phase 1 Barracks Row, Apex Dupont Circle, Ins Fairfax (which wasn’t a gay bar, but hosted a lot of drag shows), not to mentn all of the LGBT clubs Navy Yard that closed to make way for Natnals Park over a ago. When Town opened 2007, the sleek, warehoe-style club seemed out of place at 8th and Florida, far om DC’s tradnal “gayborhood” on 17th Street. But did lead the gay muny’s shift further east towards Shaw, herg a new generatn of bars, like Dirty Goose, Takoda, and Uproar.

D.C.'S BT GAY BARS AND HANGOUTS

What do Town closg mean for the cy’s gay muny?

WHAT DO TOWN’S CLOSG MEAN FOR THE FUTURE OF GAY NIGHTLIFE D.C.?

Contributors agree that the “gayborhood” isn’t gog anywhere, but won’t look the same the future.

Town was the first gay bar I ever vised, but I met my boyiend of the last three years at a (straight) bar. All that said, I hope that the owners of Town follow the lead of DC Eagle and Secrets, which found new hom so they uld ntue to wele both people at a gay bar for their first time and people who experience every week. Canaan Merchant noticed a siary between gay venu and DIY mic venu:.

Obvly sucks to lose a well-loved place but at the same time…I don't thk the actual activy (whether s gay bar or DIY mic shows) is disappearg necsarily though the landspe is certaly changg. Tracy Loh says ’s no surprise that Town led to other velopment, cg the example of other “gayborhoods.

D.C.’S BIGGT GAY NIGHTCLUB IS SET TO CLOSE, BUT A NEW ITERATN MAY REPLACE IT

A lot has been wrten before about the role of gay “pneers” jumpstartg growth property valu by crementally vtg real tate and muni. A muny wh a lot of disvtment but historil charm, gay people are the only on not racist or otherwise prejudiced enough/sperate enough for a place to stake a claim to see the value opportuny and have the risk-tolerance to act on , and so a gayborhood is born.

Matt Friedman says DC has lost a lot of gay venu, but new on are always takg their place.

At the news of the closg of Town, I joked to some iends that “the gayborhood is everywhere now.