Wh our LGBT gui to Washgton, DC, disver all the bt lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr bars, clubs, nightlife and more
Contents:
- TOWN, DC’S LARGT GAY BAR, IS CLOSG. WHAT DO MEAN?
- D.C.'S BT GAY BARS AND HANGOUTS
- WHAT DO TOWN’S CLOSG MEAN FOR THE FUTURE OF GAY NIGHTLIFE D.C.?
- ‘TOWN 2.0’: BELOVED D.C. GAY NIGHTCLUB AIMS TO RE-OPEN — A FORMER BAPTIST CHURCH
- DE-OLD GAY NIGHTCLUB TOWN IS CLOSG
TOWN, DC’S LARGT GAY BAR, IS CLOSG. WHAT DO MEAN?
Town Danceboutique is the largt gay danceclub Washgton, D.C. It is a batn of a baret performance space, a plh lounge, and a high energy danceclub. There are two floors, multiple rooms, an outsi smokg area, an amazg vio stallatn, state of the art LED lightg, and multiple dancefloors and seatg areas. * town gay dc *
Town, the massive gay dance club Shaw, announced last week that will close next summer after mors to the ntrary. I me out twelve years ago, and like many queer kids DC, I sought out gay bars as a refuge. 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. What do Town closg mean for the cy’s gay muny?
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.
D.C.'S BT GAY BARS AND HANGOUTS
Town, the massive gay dance club Shaw, announced last week that will close next summer after mors to the ntrary. The owner sold to a veloper who plans to build an apartment buildg s place. What do Town closg mean for the cy’s gay muny? Contributors agree that the “gayborhood” isn’t gog anywhere, but won’t look the same the future. * town gay dc *
Canaan Merchant noticed a siary between gay venu and DIY mic venu:.
WHAT DO TOWN’S CLOSG MEAN FOR THE FUTURE OF GAY NIGHTLIFE D.C.?
* town gay dc *
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.
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.
‘TOWN 2.0’: BELOVED D.C. GAY NIGHTCLUB AIMS TO RE-OPEN — A FORMER BAPTIST CHURCH
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. Durg my first n DC, most of the gay bars were loted around Dupont Circle.
Gay bars provid a safe space at a time when was a lot harr to meet other LGBT people.
DE-OLD GAY NIGHTCLUB TOWN IS CLOSG
Buckg the trend, new gay bars have opened, like Tra and Uproar. Gay bars aren't ad.
Payton Chung poted out that bs n’t survive on nostalgia alone, quotg Marty Chernoff, then-owner of Tracks, a popular DC gay club the 1980s and 90s.
Natn was my first gay club and I have fond memori of gog there when I was llege. That said, I hope a new, large gay club space emerg DC. Maybe isn't a dited gay club as much as a uple nights a week at a club but I thk there is still a need of such a space where gays n be gays and there is no judgment (except maybe about someone's outf).