How the Mob Helped Establish NYC’s Gay Bar Scene | HISTORY

Contents:

• THE 10 BEST NEW YORK CY GAY CLUBS & BARSGAY CLUBS & BARS NEW YORK CY
• THE 30 BT GAY BARS NYC
• THE 15 BT GAY BARS NYC TO CHECK OUT
• A COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF NEW YORK CY'S GAY & QUEER BARS
• THE 42 BT GAY BARS AMERI
• NEW YORK CY GAY BARS
• TOP 20 NEW YORK GAY BARS
• HOW THE MOB HELPED ESTABLISH NYC’S GAY BAR SCENE

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

The Stonewall InnAny list of the bt LGBTQ bars New York Cy would be remiss not to clu the landmark waterg hole largely rponsible for lnchg the morn gay rights movement: The Stonewall Inn.

If late-night hunger hs, the Tex-Mex menu is surprisgly good; opt for Flamg Saddl’ signature Fro Pie—’s Fro rn chips smothered homema Texas red chilli, and ’s absolutely Maria BadasianAn East Village stutn for two s, the Phoenix Bar is one of the bt gay bars NYC for a reason4. ” Inspired by civil rights s-s and anized by the Mattache Society, the “Sip-In” was a public challenge to the state’s discrimatory policy of revokg licens of bars servg gay clientele—a precursor to Stonewall and an sential step towards legimizg the velopment of gay bars.

CubbyholeAs acceptance and tolerance ntue to bee the way of the world, once exclive gay clubs NYC are now welg everyone and anyone—so long as you’re equally open-md. LipsFor a sctillatg drag queen show paired wh an exquise culary experience, head straight to Lips—NYC’s go-to drag spot for over two s and a mt-clu on any gay travel gui to New York Cy.

THE 30 BT GAY BARS NYC

Marie's CrisisIn this laid-back, gay-popular venue Greenwich Village, mil theatre stunts, fun-lovg ctomers, and even the ocsnal celebry stop by to belt their favoure Broadway show tun to the acpaniment of a live pianist. 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.

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.

THE 15 BT GAY BARS NYC TO CHECK OUT

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.

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.

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

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.

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. It would figure that Williamsburg's premiere gay bar would have only a MySpace page as s webse—ah, the ironic retro ter—and this award-wng gay and lbian oriented bar is one of the most popular the borough, even moro durg the warm weather months due to s am... The Boiler Room is as far removed thematilly as is geographilly om the Hell's Kchen and Chelsea gay scen—what New York lovgly lls a "post-gay gay bar"—where orientatn isn't a good enough basis for nversatn and beg the most over-the-top bottom won't w yo...

THE 42 BT GAY BARS AMERI

Four men named Dick Lesch, Craig Rodwell, John Timmons, and Randy Wicker staged the event to prott the persecutn of gay men for drkg public, acrdg to the Natnal Park Service.

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.

NEW YORK CY GAY BARS

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.

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. 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 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. Hombr Lounge, Jackson Heights: Self-proclaimed as havg the most Manhattan vibe of all Queens gay bars, Hombr Lounge attracts a diverse, predomantly Lat crowd and offers up tasty bar food wh s cktail menu. When the bar fally reopened Sprg 2022, an entire borough’s worth of gays celebrated by floodg the new back pat all summer and Gger’s has been crowd wh queers ever sce.

TOP 20 NEW YORK GAY BARS

It began s life as a beer-and-we offshoot of the Metropolan Health Club, a gym that opened 1983 to serve the gay ctomers who’d been bullied out of other lol clubs at the height of AIDS hysteria. While you won’t fd any Pri flags at Farraguts, you will undoubtedly hear Cele Dn and Melissa Etheri blarg om the bar’s dty, old jebox and, hontly, isn’t that jt as gay? A gay gatherg spot sce 1939, and gay bar sce 1963, and the Bar Complex sce the 80s, s unassumg exterr beli a triple-threat treat of lounge, performance space, and a mirrored dance club reportedly moled after Stud 54.

HOW THE MOB HELPED ESTABLISH NYC’S GAY BAR SCENE

If you want to get away om the typil scene at fellow gay bars Olly’s and Gregs Our Place, English Ivy is an ial place to meet iends: mature enough for a proper Ladi Lunch (or bnch or dner.

It’s not a gay bar the tradnal sense, but a place where traed pianists play selectns om Broadway shows and all of the drama teachers and mil theater majors of the tri-state area nverge to sg along. It was the se of an early gay-liberatn “sip ” 1966, years before Stonewall, and has been a low-key haven ever sce, wh a diverse clientele, a small menu, classic cktails, and an extensive (and packed) 4:00-7:00 happy hour. The origal was burned down an anti-gay hate-crime a few years back, but the revival has jt opened across the street and is bigger and better, wh a new performance space.

CourtyWashgton DC: TraIn a town where n feel like every other bar is crawlg wh Capol Hill staffers lookg to talk shop, Tra is the rare, glorly gay dive where absolutely everyone is wele to jt kick back.