And Monster and The Duplex, where off-Broadway stars will often drop in for some piano action. The Stonewall Inn is serving cocktails to ‘disorderly’ gays to this day and even though it may have seen better times, we still need to support it. The Stonewall Inn, you may remember, was the bar where, one night in 1969, the gay and trans punters started an ongoing riot when one too many police vans arrived to arrest them for simply having that drink and a little light dancing.
Back in the day it was all Tennessee Williams, Rudolph Nureyev and Truman Capote, but even now John Cameron Mitchell, the director of Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Shortbus, hosts regular parties to celebrate those homosexuals who demanded their right to be served cocktails in an act of defiance that eventually changed the law.Īt the other end of the spectrum, and much more celebrated, were the Stonewall Riots, an example of gloriously bad behaviour, where many of the protesters were wearing high heels rather than jackets, tube dresses instead of ties.
Located on the intersection of West 10th Street and Waverly Place – or is it the other way round? – Julius’ still has the real affection of gays in the know. The Mattachine Society was the respectable face of gay liberation back in the late 50s and early 60s and the ‘Sip-In’ was a non-violent, alcohol-based act of civil disobedience – albeit carried out in smart jackets and ties – against regulations prohibiting the sale of booze to openly gay men, who were considered ‘disorderly’, just by being gay. Bearing in mind this is probably the first bona fide gay bar in the whole wide world, it’s great to see there’s still life at the location where they recently celebrated the 52nd anniversary of the Mattachine Society’s ‘Sip-In’, which happened right there at that long, brown bar where cocktails have been rested since the 1800s. So New York, the city that never sleeps but sometimes passes out drunk on the bed. It doesn’t look much from the inside either.Ī spur-of-the-moment Vogue-ing ball has just broken out among some gay boys too young to know the history they are trampling, and little do we realise that it’s all going to end in a conga round the bar to something by Gloria Estefan. You can check out the best drag shows or cabaret performances, but these queer spaces all offer something unique, from cozy vibes and cheap drinks to high energy dancing and brunch parties - sometimes in the same place on different days! Maybe your interests skew more trendy and urbane, or perhaps you're more of the down-and-dirty, "what happens on the weekends, stays on the weekends" type - we're not here to judge! There are plenty of LGBTQ+ things to do in New York, but if it’s a bar you’re looking for, we’ve got you covered.It’s Julius’, the oldest gay bar in New York, and who knows what time it is because daylight would never dare come in here. The West Village is a classic destination for queer nightlife, but you’ll find something exciting and welcoming in pretty much any part of the city. The best queer bars in NYC range from dive bars to dance clubs, with historic spots like the Stonewall Inn anchoring them all.
New York has played a major role in LGBTQ+ history, and it’s no wonder there are a slew of bars that have been beacons for the community (and prime party spots) for decades.