Memories of extinct NYC gay bars

"Anyone else care to share their memories?"

That's what this site is for.

Pieces is still there. So is the Monster.

Is Julius still there? That place skeeved me out just from the outside, and I never set foot in there. I remember hearing they had great hamburgers there, but that wasn't enough motivation to get me in there.

Alex in wonderland, a little on the seedy side but what fun. Same with the Anvil!!!!

Club USA was so beautiful! I loved the mugler room I think that's where the would play a lot Of classic disco. Also loved going up to the roof bar in the summer A great, great club- so much fun.

I used to like the Ninth Circle when I felt like wearing clothes, and the Mine Shaft when I didn't. I got kicked out of the Mine Shaft once for having cologne on, but I met some hot guys there. And I met the un-love of my life at the Ninth Circle.

Harry's Back East up on Third and 88th Street (?). Sweaters worn over the shoulders and tied in a knot in the front, Gucci loafers and no socks and pleated khakis pants.

In fact, you could walk up Third Avenue on the East Side from 14th Street to Harry's. Non-stop cruising. Hustlers at 52nd and 53rd Streets and married johns in cars in the 60s.

Julius is still open. I don't know it from it's heyday but it's pretty cleaned up now. Believe it or not but a monthly gay hipster party called "Mattachine" is ran there, which is how I know about this bar. It was only after someone told me about its history that I learned that it's NYC's oldest gay bar.

Saint.

when did Charlies close?

The Mineshaft.

The Anvil.

Is Townhouse still open? IIRC it was the place for suit and tie happy hour in the 90's. I ended up on the west coast and never went there.

Thanks for this thread. Uncle Charlie's - Oh my Lord yes! And you couldn't dance so if anyone felt the beat of the music they would stop you. Wasn't there an Uncle Charlies on the upper east, too?

Sunday nights at Limelight with the back room up in the attic. I only went once and midblowjob felt the guy going for my wallet. And here I thought he liked me!

The Roxy, upstairs with Andy Anderson as DJ.

And I remember a huge place near FIT that was like a huge boiler room or something -- what was it called, anyone remember? I met some guy at the coat check and we had a summer long affair.

And there was a loft in the west 40's that you walked around messed around with guys in cubicles. Bumped into my married super giving head to three guys. Awkward.

Would love to know the gay bars of the 60's and 70s -- come on eldergays -- give us our history. Someone told me there was a place near the Belvedere in the west 40's called "Big Spender"

I'm still amazed that NYC has so many gay bars left.

[quote]Believe it or not but a monthly gay hipster party called "Mattachine" is ran there....

Oh, dear.

The boy bar on St. Marks Place was the 2nd gay bar I went to. The first one I mustered up the guts to go to was Boots and Saddle, which was, in 1982, totally clone. Didn't fit in there as I was kind of New Wave. Arriving at boy bar was transcendent for me.

At one point in the mid-80s there were FOUR Uncle Charlie's - Village, East Side, Upper West Side and Gramercy (I think).

I remember The Works on Columbus opp. the Planetarium. Nathan Lane was always there at the end of the bar, drunk and crying....

Which bar was the inspiration for the bar in Cruising? The Mine Shaft? I'm thinking they actually filmed there, but called the bar something else.

In Conversations with Capote, Truman talked about a gay bar called Twilight "on the East side in the Twenties."

His description was pretty surprising, especially considering the way many gay men feel about anyone over 26.

Evidently the bar was a place that was frequented, as he described, by young handsome stockbroker-types who went there to meet men the age of their fathers or even grandfathers.

R7, Harry's Back East was at about 81st Street, making it an easy commute to Charlie's Uptown, at about 74th on Lexington. The Uncle Charlie's on 37th was involved in the Bronfman kidnapping. No surprise, really; the chain belonged to Lou Katz, enforcer for Roy Cohn and alleged killer of at least one of his own boyfriends.

The Townhouse is still there, although its restaurant has closed. It is the successor to The Regent East, which was at 204 East 58th Street, an address I committed to memory well before I had the nerve to walk in. The Regent East was down a few steps, and was loaded with hunting prints, club chairs, and had a piano in the back. The lights were supplied with the pink bulbs that were typically used in funeral parlors to make the corpses look natural.

There was also Bogart's, on East 59th Street, between First and Second. The number of people walking between the two seemed as though it would justify chartering a shuttle bus.

When one graduated from the Regent East, which happened very, very late in life, one could move on to the GH Club, way over East on 53rd. Known as the Wrinkle Room, it was essentially an alcoholic assisted living facility.

Isn't Shep Smith a regular at the Townhouse?

The meat trucks over by the West Village piers is where I used to pick up all my rough trade.

Anyone else remember The Works? All those preppy boys from Boston in chinos that were two sizes too tight.

not very old, but Hannah's Lava Lounge (aka the Westerly) was a fun dive bar on 8th and 54th-ish, closed maybe 10 years ago. I worked at a nearby theatre and we would often go there between shows on matinee days. I remember they had gay bingo on Sundays, I think.

LOVED The Works, R23. Is The Candle still up there?

What about the bars in Queens, NY? I know there a bunch now in Jackson Heights/Astoria, but what about the ones that used to be in Forest Hills & Kew Gardens? Hatfields, Sunset Boulevard,...what were the others...?

I went to Stella's a few times in its last days. Lots of cute black and latino dancers/trade to flirt with. I ran into two guys from my gym who danced there: one a personal trainer and the other a really cute Brazilian guy I'd had a crush on. Fun just to be a voyeur and watch the trade interacting with potential customers.

Spike, Anvil, Mineshaft, Eagle (original0, the Lure Yum.

Uncle Charlies on Greenwich and on Christopher and on E38 & 3rd Ave.

Okay, what's with getting kicked out for wearing cologne?

Anyone know the bar used in one of the opening shots of Boys in the Band? Was it Stonewall? It's the scene where Hank goes to grab Larry and sees him flirting with some other guys. That was definitely shot on location. Just wondering which bar.

It was Julius.

The burgers at Julius rule.

OP, you sound uptight.

Kellers- on West Street, was fun on Sunday afternoons saw Mapplethorpe hang out in a corner, and met a guy I saw in the documentary Word is Out.

Rounds - E. 50-something and 3rd, where a friend and I used to go to try to get johns. the two room basement bar was way over-air conditioned, a super hot bartender named Chris competed in some 'Mr. Gay' contest, and a chanteuse warbled at the piano. antsy rent boys used to circle the bar like sharks, among the tire kicking looky-lou johns. my friend, standing with an over priced drink in his hand once drifted off to sleep and fell to the floor

The Lure - meatpacking district, the strict dress code prevented me from going in with my sneakers, but I was meeting someone there so I waited outside.

all their 'loaner' boots were being used, so I sat on a platform and scanned guys feet, looking for a pair of sneakers coming out of the bar, which would signal a pair of loaner boots had just become available.

before I knew it I was really liking just watching men's feet, and didn't even look up to see who they were attached to.

Wasn't Marcia Johnson an angel? She once told me she had been in Rikers for a while and I told that was a shame and I felt bad for her. She looked me in the eye and said "Don't you worry about me honey-Rikers is where men are men". I first remember going to Uncle Charlies in '79 (It was the same year I got sober so I was probably was there before that, but with all my blackouts I just can't remember). They had two men's rooms. There was a ladies' room door but it was actually an exit door that led to the street. The first bar I recall was in the '60's somewhere near or on East 53 where I saw two men kiss and I burst out laughing out of embarrassment because I had never seen anything like that anywhere (I had had sex before that time whrn I was in H.S.,but kissing never occured to us.)

Private Eyes!!!! The best music and hottest men!

ooo

ooo

ooo

Before Uncle Charlie's on Greenwich Avenue, it known as The Steak Joint. Now it's Fiddlesticks

The Yukon on East 53rd was replaced by an office tower. Jerry Fitzpatrick was the handsome, hot, hairy muscular bartender.

He moved on to The Coven, Hudson near Charles. Later it became Ruby Fruit. Now Swine, a restaurant specialzing in pork.

R28, the Mine Shaft and its poseurs were Damned Serious about Their Leather. Anything that didn't fit into that little way of looking at things was forbidden, including cologne, and a hell of a lot of clothing that wasn't black, navy, or dark.

You could sometimes get away with wearing Polo, I have been told, but I wore Eau Sauvage.

Sally's Hideaway, a drag/TG/male strip club on West 43rd. Originally between 7th and 8th Avenues but later moved down the street to the notorious Hotel Carter. Dorian Corey used to emcee there, and the opening and closing scenes of [italic]Paris Is Burning[/italic] were shot outside the original location.

Rome had hot GoGo boys all in togas.

The greatest hustler bar ever - Cowboys and Cowgirls. Rounds, the Phoenix - Puerto Rican hustlers near 14th and 9th Ave. The Sewer, The East Four Seven (with Houston Allred on the piano), Mona's Royal Roast (strictly Cherry Grove queens), The Toilet (for the golden shower set), Christopher's End (indeed), Kellers (better leather scene than the Eagle's Nest), Nickel Bar (hot black men looking at each other). Those were the days, my friend...

Anyone remember this sleezy dive called Red that was, I think, on 55th and 2nd a few years back that had twinky latino dancers?

I used to love Ox on 11th, and Mangrope that was somewhere in Murray Hill. But my fave was the basement bar under Shelly's Wine Table, which at one time was called Lester's Glamour and then just changed to the Rock Hole.

A distinct memory of going to the 9th Circle when I was about 20 on a Friday night in June. I had seen a report that evening on WCBS about a gay cancer. I asked an older friend about it. I couldn't pronounce the name (karposi sarcoma). He said I was nuts.

Guys started dying soon after.

There are not many gay guys my age in NYC (52), at least not nearly as many as there should be.

Uncle Charlie's on Greenwich was always my favorite.

It was a fun place to go and especially for the comedy stand up clips they'd show on the big screen. It made the experience more fun than just hanging out in a gay bar. It was the first time I ever saw Roseanne (shows how long ago it was).

I used to find The Saint too intense or something like that. Creepy, maybe.

There was another place on Varick St (nr. Carmine) that I liked. It was more of a dance place than a gay bar. Can't remember the name.

In fact I can't remember the names of anywhere else, just roughly where they were.

The bOy Bar was fun. I had friends who used to perform there.

There was a place on Ave A (nr 7th St) that wasn't gay but a lot of gays went, where there were performances and fat ugly women on the bar doing go-go dancing. Anyone who lived in NY in the 80s would remember it. I can't believe I've forgotten its name. I used to love it ...I remember now...Pyramid.

It pretty much depopulated the Village, didn't it, R44?

Yes. Christopher on a Friday and Saturday was like a big party, just jammed with men.

It got really empty and sad for a long time. It was one of the reasons Chelsea took off. The guys who were left couldn't take it anymore.

God, what I wouldn't give to have been in my prime in NYC in the 70s! It sounds like so much fun, and so deliciously seedy.

[quote]It was one of the reasons Chelsea took off. The guys who were left couldn't take it anymore.

So they moved twenty blocks?

I moved to fucking London (& I'm still here).

R48, one of the best parts of my life is that I was able to live in NY during the '70s. LA, too.

Thanks for doing so, R49.

The Nickel Bar on West 72 street between Columbus & Amsterdar. Hot black men indeed!

UWS: The Wildwood (a.k.a The Wedgwood) Jasper's/Main Main on Columbus. Boot Hill on Amsterdam.

I remember just about all of these places, and spent way too much time in many of them. Quite literally fresh off the farm, I walked into Julius' one summer night in the mid-seventies and spent the next decade sampling whatever New York had to offer. I would come in from the suburbs after work on a Friday afternoon, and with the kindness of strangers, stay through the weekend.

Having been told qrowing up that I was dumb and ugly, I was a quick learner. I adopted the preppie clone look - tight chinos, polos in every color, and penny loafers. Got me everywhere, except the Mine Shaft, where I was unceremoniously evicted one night. From the mid-seventies to the mid-eighties, with hundreds of "tricks" and a few short-lived relationships, I have lots of great stories and no regrets. I think that my innocence saved my life since I never really got into what later became known as unsafe sex.

I still stop off at Julius' a few times a year. The crud and cobwebs are gone, pretty much, but the burgers are still great.

I loved the piano bars - Marie's Crisis, the Duplex, Brandy's, etc. My favorite was The Five Oaks with Miss Marie Blake at the piano.

...Down in the depths

On the ninetieth floor!

[quote]There are not many gay guys my age in NYC (52), at least not nearly as many as there should be.

They're there, they're just avoiding you. You're obviously nasty.

wonder bar was great!

r52 was the Nickle bar nick named 'Nairobi Lounge?' I'm not being a smartass, that's the nickname of some bar I had gone to up in that area back in the 80's.

also, what was the scary/sad hustler looking bar on West Street above Christopher Street? for some reason Sneakers comes to mind

The Cell Block on 11th near West. Named for the former prison on the corner that became co-ops.

Is anyone going to explain the cologne?

R38 did explain the cologne, R59. It's not that unheard of, most leather bar used to have a pretty strict dress code (no sneakers, no khaki pants, etc...) that often would extend to wearing cologne, perceived as unmasculine and too "precious".

R59, please read R38

[quote] the Mine Shaft and its poseurs were Damned Serious about Their Leather.

How is that being a poseur that they didn't want perfume ruining all that nice leather?

R62, is it incorrect to call people who literally stand around posing "poseurs"? It may be. It may only mean "pretenders." I struggled with it before pushing "save post," but decided to go with it.

Because I never saw such posing, *literal posing*, in my life as I saw at the Mine Shaft. It was like being in a bad play or a static photo shoot on the set of "Cruising."

I found it difficult at times not to laugh out loud at some of these Mine Shaft queens. This one guy in wet leather and Levis (piss?), with his dick and balls hanging out, leaning on a post, offering a faceful of Serious Leather Attitude, really cracked me up one night. He tried to have me thrown out for laughing at him. Thankfully, I was with someone else, and I said I was laughing at something my friend said, and the bouncer let me stay.

Laughing was obviously verboten at the Mine Shaft. But oh, the posing.

King. I spent a good chunk of the mid 90's hanging out there...

There was also a great dive bar in the east village called Dick's or Dickies?? It's gone now.

Stella's had a great happy hour

For r5.

I got deadly drunk with my then lover at Uncle Charlies back in the early 80s and then somehow got home to New Jersey late New Year's Eve.

No one has mentioned The Gilded Grape on 8th Avenue. God, that place was fun.

Does any one else remember Dean Johnson's Pubic Hair Club for men? It wasn't a club but one night a week at a west side hwy location.

I loved uncle Charlie's. the works. Monster. Roxy. Townhouse. Rounds. Bogarts. Always a fun night out in the city. The bars of Chelsea on 8 th ave were lots of fun. Ramrod. Billy's.

r63: I once heard the Mineshaft referred to as the ultimate S&M Bar - "Stand and Model".

Is View Bar on 8th Ave still around? When Chelsea was the IT place to live about 10 years ago, I'd go there once in a while, sit near the opening, and watching the 8th Ave parade of hot guys.

I miss the Three of Clubs - a tiny little place in the basement of an old brownstone on 75th between Broadway and West End.

Sadly, no, the View closed quite some time ago. It was one of my favorites for a long time. The massage night on Sundays was my fucking favorite thing EVER.

Sunday afternoon in the late 70's and 80's was always fun. We'd either do Christopher Street Ty's and then stroll down to Badlands and lean against the building outside holding a can of beer in a certain way against the thigh that was meant to look way butch.

Or for a change go uptown to The Works for beer blast.

El Hombre in back of Port Authority. Dear sweet jesus was that hellhole something else. Low-rent (as in sub-basement) hustler bar where you were more likely to get mugged than hook up.

I read about in Interview Magazine as being a place that Jean-Paul Gaultier liked so I went. Naive little homo that i was. Not more than 10 minutes after getting there, some guy pulls a knife on me in the bathroom. Luckily the bartender - big puerto rican guy - came barreling in, knocked the shit out of the guy and threw him out. He then bought me a few drinks at the bar.

We ended up dating for a couple of months. ha. What a crazy crazy time.

I know NYC is safer now, but I really do miss how crazy, unpredictable and dangerous it could be. Sigh.

I guess no one misses Sneaker? Down on the West Side Highway. It was something out of a Jean Genet novel.

And I'm still going to Pieces!

Anyone recall the name of the bar on the south side of 73rd or 74th between Broadway and West End? IIRC, it as a few steps down.

I used to like the Works on the UWS - I can no longer remember the exact address. It was a fun place. It closed some years ago.

How long ago, R78?

I remember a motorcycle bar on the south side of W. 75th IIRC, in 1975-76. I lived on 75th, and I used to pass it the time. I never went in because I was afraid I'd get raped on the pool table.

I don't remember the name, though.

R79, the Works was on Columbus, around 80th-81st. I had an ex who lived on E. 80th. He used to take cabs to 79th and Columbus to go to the Works so the cab driver wouldn't know he was gay.

Hence the "ex" status.

R78 and R80 - see R73.

As much as I like to say how much I wish I came of age during the 70s and 80s, it's probably a great thing that I didn't as I know I probably would be dead now.

There really isn't any discernible gay area anymore in NYC. Even walking down 8th Avenue is completely different. There's more yuppie stroller mamas now than anything else.

Is Ty's still open on Christopher Street? How about Boots and Saddles? (aka "Bras and Girdles")

Thanks, R82.

Save the Robots was a favorite of mine as well as Tunnel. Lots of first time experiences at those places.

Someone on another thread said that the actor who played Uncle Vic on Queer as Folk was a regular at the Works.

I was to the Mineshaft two or three times back in about '82. It was frankly a little extreme for my tastes, but at least I can say I was there, AND, interestingly, I recently went to the restaurant which is today housed in the same exact location as the Mineshaft was. It's called Sea and it's a Thai-themed place, with a club atmosphere (younger crowd of course) and a regular nightclub I think upstairs which is where part of the MineShaft also was of course. That place that used to be the Toilet now has various businesses in it but that elevator is still there at street level, today it's a little fixed-up and says 400 right on it. I think Toilet was on the 3rd floor. Nasty! The Triangle building has some yuppie type bar in the basement now, it's called 675; this basement area had been a sex club for years (they even filmed that movie Cruisin in there and dressed it up to look like the MineShaft)!!

R19: Twilight in the east 80s was NYC's Asian bar. Amateur gogo boys competition was the funnest. It was in all the european gay guides and was always packed weekends. It became Sapphire and Star Sapphire at various midtown locations in the 90s.

Ye Olde Cornholery. James Madison visited when in town in the 1820s.

I used to go to the Gold Bug on W. 3rd in the early 70s. I'd never ordered a drink before. So I ordered a 7 & 7 because I thought that sounded good. Ugh. The song playing was "Nathan Jones" by The Supremes (*minus Miss Ross). After a while, places like David's Loft (Bleecker & B'way) became fashionable among the fashionable set. One small room had 4 voice of the theater speakers in each corner. The song playing (as the sun came up) was "Here Comes the Sun" by (the late) Richie Havens. The Tenth Floor went all night long and was somewhere in the West 30s or maybe 20s. You went into a dark, industrial building with nobody around, on the street, etc., got into a freight elevator with a bored looking elevator guy and when the doors opened it was all industrial grey carpets, pin spots, palm trees, and rattan peacock chairs. The song playing was Love Train by the O'Jays. For a brief moment in time Le Jardin was the epitome of disco. It was a forerunner to Studio 54 and occupied the basement and the penthouse, which had outdoor waterbeds and a white baby grand. The song that was playing was "Doctors Orders" by Carol Jones. Anyone who is interested in this era in NYC should go to the link below.

Does anyone remember a bar called Rome, early to mid 90s?

R78 R80 the one with the backyard with fucking and sucking going on - or so I was, erm, told? It was called the Bicycle Bar. Nasty friendly fun.

R35 I see what you did there.

R73 R78 R80 R82 now why did I think it was called Bicycle? Maybe the bicycle wheel outside? Maybe just a local thing? But yes now i remember, it was called Three of Clubs. A hard hard bar.

Wondering if anyone knows or knew Tom Moulton, the "father of the disco mix." He started out at the Sandpiper on Fire Island and if you wanted a long version of a song that was immaculately produced, you hired Tom. He was also a model in the 60s.

IIRC, scenes from "Cruising" were shot in the Mineshaft, and perhaps 1-2 other dives in the meatpacking district.

Now we can add Rawhide to the list. That was my long time go to bar to pick up tricks.

I remember so many of these bars mentioned. Harry's Back East when I first moved here in 1979 had so much attitude.

I also remember the Stud and Company, two very different gay bars I don't see mentioned upthread.

I will forever remember the Mineshaft and the tub room. It was like a part of Dante's Hell. Totally fascinating and sexy. Some of the most gorgeous men I have ever seen used to go there. Too bad it helped the spread of aids.

"Uncle Charlie's on Greenwich was always my favorite.

It was a fun place to go and especially for the comedy stand up clips they'd show on the big screen."

They were great. Does anyone remember who did the parody of Mary Jo Buttafuoco? It was so funny.

Stage 45 The Charade The Roundtable Willies Westside The Table Tops Andre's Jay's The Big Apple The Bonsoir

Extinct NYC gay bars? I'd head for The Townhouse. There are more extinct types there than in any other NYC bar. Some of them go back to the age of the trilobites!

Ninth Circle 12 West Flamingo - private dance club The Saint - the early years Ramrod Regent East - one of my real cute twink buds "worked" there...paid for BA at Columbia

Late 70s-Late 80s:

Ice Palace - 57th off, 6th Ave. Sunday Tea Dance was legendary & phenomenal. Ppl would line up to the red 9 building down the block (the Avon Bldg). Robbie Leslie DJ'd. Celebs all the time.

The Saint...beyond legendary. Anyone who ever went there will tell you that & it's not an exaggeration. Saw Grace Jones perform, NYE like 1981 or 82.

Stix on like 38th & 2nd Ave. Tuesday was their big night. Packed to the rafters.

Crisco Disco - after hours, 3 floors. 15th St West Side Hwy (before they re-did the highway). DJ was in the middle of the dance floor, in a huge Crisco can!

Escuelita on like 30th on the West side (?) Divey, but fun. All Latin. Only closed a few years ago from what I've heard.

Private Eyes (we used to calll it Private Thighs)...like 28th & Bway? Fun, sophisticated video bar with a dance floor.

Loved the Works, Harry's Back East, 12 West, Boots & Saddles, the Flamingo, the Garage.

Been to the Mineshaft & the Anvil...too much for my taste.

Did like Alex in Wonderland in the Meatpacking District. They filmed part of Cruising there - I know, I was an extra in the flick (scene where Pacino snorts the poppers & goes wild). Several of my friends are in the scene as well, but all of them died before the 80s were over.

R99: Company was a restaurant, not really a bar & definitely not a nightclub. Ate there a few times...food & service were quite good, as I recall.

The Eagle in 3,2,1.

The Boiler Room was great. Really chill, laid-back crowd.

R25: There was one in Kew Gardens where John LaFleur in drag used to hold court each week. I want to say "Colors" but I don't think that's the name. This is late 70s, early 80s.

Hatfields, Sunset Blvd & Breadstix (gay restaurant on Queens Blvd in Forest Hills).

The disco in Saturday Night Fever became a gay bar a few years later & kept the same name. It was actually pretty good, but such a far ride from Manhattan, that we only went once.

Twilo in Manhattan.

109 posts and nobody has mentioned Oscar Wilde's. I think it is just O.W. now.

Now I remember...it wasn't "Colors" in R109, it was "Flavors"...

Friend and I hung out at The Web/Club 58. It was the Asian bar of NYC after Star Saphire closed. I believe it closed down last year. Anyone know why?

I went to Uncle Charlies on my 21st birthday. The bouncer said DAMN MARY YOU DIDNT WASTE ANY TIME LOL

How about some from the NYC 'burbs?

The Playroom in Yonkers

The Talk of the Town & Stutz in White Plains.

Millenium, Cheeks, The Silver Lining, the Barracks in Long Island

Feathers in Jersey (this may still be open, anyone know for sure?)

Mid-late nineties to the early 2000s

Champs (Beer Blast) Tunnel Palladium Roxy Twilo Limelight

xxoxox

R115: Most of those places were born before that timeframe, but all were fun.

I think Tunnel & Palladium closed in the early 90s.

I go waaayyy back...

The first gay bar I ever went to in New York City was located on West 8th St. near the corner of Sixth Avenue. A small intimate place called, of all things, "Mary's".

it was diagonally across the street from the Bon Soir, where Streisand would make her debut, almost ten years later. And right around the corner from the MacDougal Street section of the Washington Square Park "meat rack." .. Those were the days.

I'm talking 1950's, folks. I was a freshman at NYU. I still have some fond memories of that place. Anybody else go back that far??

Were you at the Stonewall riots, R117?

No, unfortunately, I was not. By the time they occured I had moved to Paris.

GG's Barnum Room

The Gilded Grape

R117: In all seriousness, please tell us about NYC gay life in the 1950s (or even earlier). Fascinating to hear...

Ask questions, R121, when you want to know something.

R117, here. Without going into detail, it was or at least seemed to be, quieter, less political and more accepting of one another. Being gay together was a comfort to most of us. . There were very few divisive personal agendas between ourselves. Remember, those were simpler times. Personally, I am happy I was young and gay back then. It seems more "complicated" now.

It wasn't a bar, but The Adonis Theater always had lots of action.

R117: What was your social life like then?

Were there many bars in NYC then?

How did gay ppl meet, for the most part?

Any personal stories of repercussions if your or friends were outed?

Everything was much more low key. Not much, if any, outrageous behaviour. Remember, being gay was "against the law." That might be a hard concept for young people of today to comprehend. But for us it was a reality, around which we worked and, in many ways, thrived. There were a few exclusively gay bars, but for the most part, clientel was mixed. But we knew who we were looking for. And usually found him. We met in many different places. I met sexual partners at school, at the library, and yes, at "tea rooms" and at the baths. Discretion was the order of the day.

Marie's Crisis, Duplex, and the Townhouse are not extinct. Rose's Turnand 88s are though.

G was one of the iconic bars in its day - I live in NYC but have not been there for over a decade. What is it like today?

J's was fun. A jerk off bar. Check clothes at te door. Rolls of paper towels everywhere. I went once, walked into the center of the room and jerked off with aa crowd of people circled around me.

Oh anyone remember Cats? And Stella's?

how about the Alamo bar on the corner of 6th and 58th st up a flight of stairs i met my first lover there in 1967

Those were the days my friend.

I can recall in the late 70's and early 80's when people were openly having sex in a lot of the bars. You could walk in and see hot men in leather getting blow jobs. At the Anvil, dancers got fisted onstage or sucked each other off.

I remember trying to get a bartender's attention at a bar on West Street. He was shirtless and hot and standing still drinking a beer. Apparently, I had to wait until a patron finished giving him a blow job and he came in the guy's mouth. Then he asked me what drink could he get me.The Ramrod?

Bras & Girdles --I mean, Boots & Saddles-- is closing soon. The owners blame a steep rent increase and hope to move it to a new location.

My Uncle Charlies story that felt perfect NYC to me then: Flew in for a weekend from L.A., my first time in the city, mid 80s so still nice and dirty NYC. Went to Uncle Charlies on Friday, met a cute guy, made date for next night.

Went on date, dinner at the guy's apartment, wasn't that in to him so cut out early. Went back to Uncle Charlies, met half the cast of "Chorus Line: the Movie" there, then met amazing Dream Guy. One of those great great nights including back in the hotel.

Go back to L.A., all giddy and hoping to see him again next trip. Get a letter a few weeks later with a familiar sounding address -- the apartment where I had gone to dinner with that first guy. Turns out Dream Guy and Date #1 had met each other independently of me at, yes, Uncle Charlie's and moved in together as a couple. I meet two guys out of millions in NYC and they end up together. But not for long, I bet.

I was 19 in 1981, brand new to NYC, a freshman at NYU - and the first gay bar I ever stepped into was Ty's on Christopher Street.

I was scared to death.

Can we please get to the smokin' hot hate-fucks those hot papis were throwing down in The Ramble.

Pointless el-der-gay nostalgia from the nursing home.

R138 = likes to shit on people

Wasn't Save the Robots an after hours place? I remember going there after 4am so no liquid served then. Maybe it was a regular gay bar at other hours as well I don't know.

The four Uncle Charlie's were UES, Murray Hill, Greenwuch Avebue and off Christopjer street near the Eest Dide Highway.

There were 2 Escuelita's - both in the same place, different managements? Owners?- but the first incarnation was when they'd pat you down for weapons before they let you in.And the bar kept bottles for straight regulars that they were brought out and placed on the table every time they came. It turned gay at 11at night. Gorgeous drag queens. Rows of gays and Trans danced the electric slide. The second time around it did not have the atmosphere of the first.

Round the corner from it was Savoy's, the terminal gay bar to end all gay bars. The last place the most forlorn bereft people washed up to. Gay straight rent boys nothing mattered any more there.... Samuel Delaney was a regular there I think.

Sorry about all the typos. Was pecking away on a small screen.

But as long as I'm back, let me add that what I miss is the demimonde, the shadows, the rubbing shoulders with all classes of men, of gay NY then. It made me feel at home strangely enough, made me feel happy to be in the Big Bad Apple.

Just heard last night. Imminent extinction--"Boots & Saddles"

Vanishing NYC Gay Landmarks: Boots & Saddles On Christopher Street to Close After 40 Years

Yeah...save the robots was only after hours but a blast.

They didn't serve liquor but serve spiked drinks on the QT.

Loved that place....

I just heard that Bartini (what a terrible name!) in Hell's Kitchen recently closed down. Does anyone know the story behind that?

Don't know the story R146 but a couple of things; Who wants to walk WAAAAY over there in this cold weather? Also, a lot of confusion about who the owner was/ were/ whatever

Does anyone know why The Web/Club 58 the Asian bar closed?

What is on The Village Uncle Charlie's site now?

R147, I don't know either who was/were the real owner(s) of Bartini. I remember that a few years before, there was another bar in that location called 10th Avenue Lounge, but that place was probably owned by someone else. As you pointed out, it seems like 10th Avenue is a tough location for gays bars: most of them are concentrated on 9th Avenue instead.

South Dakota on 3rd avenue near 29th street. One of the most popular bars of the 90's, 2000's, Splash is now closed. The Break in Chelsea on 8th Ave (same owner as The Works). Grand Central in Rockville Centre, Nassau County, LI. I believe Candle Bar is still open on the UWS in the 70's.

What is that place called on 2nd avenue in the east village on the corner? Used to go there in 88 and 89....ahh the good old days!

Boots & Saddles = Bras & Girdles

'70s and '80s queens will enjoy this book:

R149, it's now a pub named Fiddlestick's. Stupid place for baby-makers.

I was too afraid to go into a gay bar when I first came out and then discovered the Works on the UWS of Manhattan!

sorry to be the gai-ling of this thread! I loved Heaven on 6th Avenue, the original Cock on Avenue A, and a small hole in the wall bar called The Flamingo that hosted a party called Pop Rocks. When I wasn't clubbing, I was at The Big Cup in Chelsea, where the cruising was fun and constant.

New York was sexier then and more personal then....

The Magic Touch in Queens. Go go boys Tuesdays, great drag Fridays, always boys on the bar, and theme parties!

Another bump for the Gilded Grape, first above ground club for Drags in NYC, moved/reincarnated as GG's Barnum Room. Such celebrities hinding in corners!

After 40 years on Christopher, thanks to a greedy landlord, Boots and Saddle is moving around the corner to Seventh Avenue South in the former Actors' Playhouse soace.

R160: Hindsight is 20/20, but B&S should have bought the bldg long ago, vs paying rent for 40 yrs.

r161, they tried. Longtime owner wouldn't sell. New owner recently paid $23 million. Building is 5 floors with 14 residential units.

The original Cock on Ave. A. was THE trashy gay dive in the late 90s/early 00s. Everybody used to go there at the end of the night. Fun, fun times even though the place was a filthy pit. I went there all the time w/ friends back in my twink days.

Uncle Charlie's on Seventh Avenue is now or was (haven't been down that way recently) an Irish pub called "Fiddlesticks".

That area is becoming more high rent (if that was possible) now that former Saint Vincent's Hospital campus is luxury housing.

Meatpacking district 1980's

When did the Mine Shaft close?

[Oh anyone remember Cats?]

Cats might have been the raunchiest NYC bar I ever spent time in. Adorable Jersey trade dancing on the bar in g-strings and turning tricks in the bouncer monitored bathroom. At closing time, they would lock the front door and move everyone into the back bar. I remember the dancers would get really friendly for a 20 once the front door was locked!

God, the Meatpacking district is almost unrecognizable, it looked so run-down and deserted! Today, that neighborhood is nothing but designer shops and restaurants, rich people and more rich people.

My source puts Harry's Back East at 86th and Lexington.

You can search dance clubs/bars of 1970's and 1980's here:

Map of closed/former gay bars/clubs

Yes R35 I see what you did there. Yeah it was fun wasn't it?

R168 Wasn't it Talleyrand who took one look at a room, pronounced it only rich people, and left? The meat packing district is so full of dull now. Florents closing was the last straw.

R169, your source is mistaken. Harry's was on Third, near 81st.

Each time one drives down the Westside Highway cannot get over how much everything from the Meatpacking down to Battery Park City has changed. It is just one long gold coast and more is being built flood zone or not.

Ironically Keller's still stands derelict and abandoned. It sticks out like a sore thumb against all the development.

R173

Got it! Shot a text to an elder gay friend who lives on the UES and he confirmed the location. Just looked at the link given and scrolled down the comments section and someone gave the address as 1142 Third Avenue which is between East 80th and 81st.

Those old buildings are still standing (former cold water flats above), and ironically Madonna's vast Georgian townhouse is right around the corner on East 81st near Lexington Avenue.

When were you there, R171? It was '75-'78 for me.

r20, you are KILLING me!

My late friend Richard and I used to call the GH club, the "Gay Horrors" club. We were mean awful gays in our 20s. Richard said they would cash your Social Security check at the bar if you ran a tab!

I worked at Limelight, and Club USA, and had a freaking blast.

Early 80s at Uncle Charley's on greenwich- does anybody remember the sexiest bartender EVER who worked the back bar usually? Italian and clone-y looking with an incredible smile, and a sweet, gorgeous smile. I was in love with him when I was 18!

Crowbar - 10th St between A and B.

In the early 90's, I used to go to 1984 every Friday night. Those nights were so much fun - it was like $3 to get in, cheap beer, cute boys, fun new wave dance music. And if you were lucky you could find a cutie and grope each other in the back room. Ah, good times.

So there was a dyke bar right around the corner from the Townhouse. A woman I was infatuated with invited me to meet her there. As a Brooklynite, bitch didn't know how to give directions so she just said "58th and Lex," I think. So...

I went to the Townhouse. Looked everywhere for her and saw nothing but gay male professionals. She hadn't said we were meeting at a gay FEMALE establishment so I assumed/hoped she was just a dyke fag hag like me. I didn't find her, but did run into my boss (!) who bought me a stiff double scotch before scooting me out of his playground.

Never did find that dyke bar, but later heard it was trifling.

That dyke bar near the Townhouse was called Julie's. I never went in there (guy here) but I walked by it many times. I think it closed years ago.

R178 I fucking love you!! Was going to post about Crowbar. We probably were there the same nights. Loveddd dancing there. Dance floor so packed sometimes you were literally 'carried' by movement of the crowd. Awww. God that place has tons of great memories.

Limelight, Club USA, Roxy, Palladium, Splash, other small ones I can't remember names of.

Dakotas? With pool tables?? I think that's another one.

Loving this thread.

Wigstock, early 90's anyone?

What was the bar on Columbus and 81st across from the Hayden Planetarium? It is a bike shop now IIRC.

The Works, R182?

The Haymarket on 8th Avenue at 47th Street. Eeek. Danger, Will Robinson. Danger!

The Town and Country on 9th Avenue and 46th Street. A gay neighborhood bar and just about the least prestigious gay bar in the city.

There was another bar on the east side of 9th Avenue, near 55th Street. Honest to God, I scored the best sex out of that place time and time again. If anyone remembers the name, please post it.

I miss the Dutchess on 7th Ave South at Sheridan Square, a lesbian bar. Back in the 70's there was a LOT of action downstairs in the bathrooms and under the pay phone.

[quote]I miss the Three of Clubs - a tiny little place in the basement of an old brownstone on 75th between Broadway and West End.

It was later called "Dave's Bike Stop", I believe? I worked at Ernie's across the street on Broadway, and we would invade the joint after work sometimes.

Btw, Private Eyes was at 12 West 21st Street between 5th and 6th Aves. Owned by the crazed and drug-addled Robert Shalom. I wonder if that horror is still alive? I worked there briefly. It later became Sound Factory Bar.

If it existed between 1981 and 2001 I went to it. I have been inside almost every bar listed on this thread. I sure know where all my youth and money went now! I am almost 52 like that other guy. I'm just thrilled to be alive!

R182, you might be thinking about Cahoots.

R187

Thanks but R183 got it in one. Looked at the map one posted the link to up-thread and it clicked. Also passed by last night going down Columbus and remembered the sign/logo ( a water faucet)of the place.

Someone wondered about the owner of Private Eyes? Asked around today and my sources say he is still about and owns that space. It last houses some sort of Asian restaurant (sushi?) last time one passed. That area has become so residential that space/property must be worth plenty.

"Cats", damn, that place was a kick. Looked sleazy but I met a cute blonde hustler kid named Willie who was adorable and the opposite of dangerous, what a great night, even the cab ride with Madonna singing off "Ray of Light" which tells you the time frame. He was a background dancer in the video of Taylor Dayne's big hit but his career had come to a a halt after he was shot in the knee (!) in a barroom brawl. ha, gotta love New York. Celebrity hustlers! (Go look him up on the video on youtube, so damn cute).

Love to you, Willie, if you are reading this.

Hi R181, it definitely sounds like we were on that dance floor together at Crowbar. Do you remember the all-Madonna dance floor on New Year's Eve?

Early 90's Wigstock was really fun too, that was still in the Tompkins Square days.

Seems as if the owner of the Works also had The View bar in Chelsea as well. Both closed from what one can gather from financial/rent issues.

His name is Andrew Marachinski, as I recall, r191. A big hairy muscle Jew who was hot in his own way, or at least everyone seemed to think so.

R192

Sounds like Matt Tratner! *LOL*

Wonder what AM is doing these days. A search of the Internet shows he has unclaimed property with the state/city (checks) but nothing else.

So many bar/club owners passed on but you wonder about those that might be still around.

Anybody remember The Altar ("Kneel. Worship. Obey,") in Tribeca? I think it lasted about a year. I was visiting NYC and went there once and thought it was the best gay bar I'd ever been in. When I do meet guys who went there, they all agree.

My first visit to NYC in 1989 and I went to Uncle Charlies. I think Upper Eastside. It was fun. I lived in Austin at the time and there was an Uncle Charlies there too which I loved.

If it were 1976, I'd probably be at the Ninth Circle soon, then over to Christopher Street with whichever of my friends I found at the Circle.

I'm sure it has been mentioned but RawHide in Chelsea. Anyone know whatever happened to Jay, the owner?

Twilo, with Junior Vazquez

For a few years, back in the 80s, there was the one & only gay bar in The Bronx at the time.

Visited when I went to see fam who lived in Westchester County. Pretty packed too, as I recall.

It was called BODY SNATCHERS.

Anyone ever been, or remember it?

I think it was under the El, in the Bedford Pk area, which was a nice neighborhood back then.

I remember an old documentary where Brian Williams claimed he was the one who started the historic Stonewall Riots.

This wasn't a bar, but a gay restaurant; The Tenth of Always. It was on w3rd Street by the firehouse. I went there in the summer of 1966.

I never went to many gay places, but I loved 42nd street and the Variety theatre on 3rd Avenue and 13 St. Also the Metropolitan movies on 14st.I was a "movie queen."

I used to go to the Vault with my ex. But it was the "safe sex" Vault and not much was happening.

The Manhattan I loved went sour in the 1990's. Not just gay places, but the stores and areas were yuppified.

I last fling in NYC was at the Rambles, where I never went in all my years. I was told it was dangerous! Picked up some guy half my age and made it on a park bench.

r185, The Duchess got in trouble with the State Liquor Authority for refusing to admit men.

I remember Alex in Wonderland on Tenth Avenue near 14th Street. On the same block Nearby was a bar that was gay and straight on different days. Anyone recall the name?

14 Christopher corner of Gay. Bartenders were Brian and Bunny. Closed in the late 90s. Later a dress shop, cosmetic store. Now coffee, muffins and croissants.

[quote]I remember Alex in Wonderland

Oh! Isn't that clever...

It isn't just nostalgia. It just WAS more fun back then.

Apps invite you to judge before meeting. You shared space in bars with little prior selection. And went home with strangers you did not know were top or bottom.

Miss it. Miss my youth.

R197, not sure - I see Mike out and about (really miss him - he was just the best). I'll ask him next time I see him.

@R207; MIKE! What a cuties! He was very funny and VERY quick!!! I remember sitting in the bar and some girl walked in. She said she was just looking for somebody, and without missing a beat, Mike replied; "Aren't we all..." LOL!!!

Yup - that should probably be part of his epitaph - very Mike-esque. :D One of the most professional and friendly bartenders in the city.

WHET Vinne from Boots and Saddke?

[quote]WHET Vinne from Boots and Saddke?

...and that monster dick!

r211, and you know this how?

I miss the "Food Bar". Small bar area but nice and you could meet people! Good looking space AND very good looking men!!! I have yet to walk into that space since it's been a Chipolte, and that's how many years now?

Oh, yeah - I remember Food Bar. That closed probably in 1999, if I recall correctly. Wow. Getting old here..

I don't believe it was that long ago R214. Maybe 2008-9. Still some time ago but not as long as 1999.

It was before September 11, I'm almost sure. Because before it was Chipotle, it was something else - not Food Bar.

Oh wait, I'm thinking out loud here - I think you are correct - it wasn't all that far back, but it was like 2003 or 4, because it was one of the first gay-oriented establishments in gay Chelsea to shutter in the face of rising property values. It's been gone at LEAST 10 years.

Some time in 2008, R216. I found the link below:

Thanks, R217. I HATE Chelsea now. Too many baby makers. Yuck.

O-kaaay... no one has mentioned Chi-Chiz which was right nextto the PATH Station. It was a bar for men of color and those who liked them. Needless to say, but it was doomed to close the day that it opened, but it did have a long run. I only went in there 4 times. The FOOD was AMAZING! The wings, and the fish!! It wasn't expensive either. I never met anyone there but once when I was there they had an open mic gospel contest. WOWEE!!! The singers!!!

Anyway that's been gone for about 5 years, and.... I guess with good reason! Read the comments on this article!!!

So, according to this thread,NYC's gay life today is just a pale shadow of what it was.

Sad.

[quote]So, according to this thread,NYC's gay life today is just a pale shadow of what it was.

It's just not here. It's worldwide. London is not the same. Amsterdam is not the same. On and on... The internet and gay acceptance has completely changed the dynamics of everything.

The bar at 14th and Ninth where Gaslght is now, had a body builder bartender from Sheepshead Bay, Andy. Anyone remember name of the place?

R221: London's gay nightlife is fucking fantastic & always has been. It's evolved, for sure, but it's amazing.

That's part of its greatness: it evolves, and yet stays great. Much better than NY, LA or definitely, Paris. Paris' gay nightlife suckssssss...

ZIPS, Hudson near Horatio. Bartender, Justin Time, had been in porn. Watched him on the TV while he served drinks. Now Hudson Wine and Books.

Crowbar had a back room. I had sex there several times, with two or more guys at once!

Bartini is having an open community meeting on March 15th trying to get its liquor license back. I heard the owner of the property doesn't like having a gay bar in that space, too many headaches. And their 30-something manager was found dead at some trick's apt. a couple of months ago, had a lot of different drugs in his system.

Vlada on W. 52nd (with the ice bar) closed about a year ago.

The 9th Circle was my favorite in the late 70s 80s. Great rock, new wave jukebox and fun crowd. Tree the bartender holding court in the basement, he's still around.

There are Fairy Tale Lounge and Hardware in HK, which now has the most gay bars of any neighborhood. And Cleo's or 9th Ave. Lounge is a fun dive bar.

Damn!!!

No one has mentioned "Splash"?

Okay... you're among friends... Anyone know the REAL reason why it shut down? The bar had just completed the upteenth renovation!

Lots of fun there in the beginning but the last 10 years it was a tourist trap and Harry was literally making money hands over fists from the place.

R222, The Lure?

I remember "Champs"! That was a huge space! It was on 19th. It was supposed to be a gay sports bar! LOL! They had "Absolutely Fabulous" nights.

What was good about that place, besides the bartender, is that it wasn't far from "Splash" You could just go to one, the other or both! I wonder what is in that space now?

Interesting...

Update on RawHide space:

R227, I don't know who you think Larry is, but the owner of Splash was Brian Landeche, he of the disfigured face by too many bad face lifts. There was initially another business partner, but he died years ago leaving Brian the sole owner. The reason why Splash had to shut down is because the place was operating without a proper liquor license since 2011! This is why there was such a short notice when the bar closed: the owner certainly had no intention to close shop, as the bar was still doing well enough (although nowhere near as well as it used to be), but Brian simply had no choice in the matter. Everyone who worked there was completely caught by surprise. Shortly after the bar closed, there was a public notice posted at the location explaining the reasons for the shut down (it was legally mandated that said notice was to be prominently posted, otherwise I doubt Brian would have wanted anyone to know about it). That notice also mentioned a few minor violations (such as absence of properly labelled beer on tap), but the main reason why the NY State Liquor Authority shut down Splash was because of improper use of a license. It was pretty dumb of Brian to do this, I have no idea how he thought he wouldn't get caught. I wonder what he's up to these days, as that bar was his entire life.

Sorry R227, you referred to Harry in your post, not Larry as I wrote. I must have gotten confused with that happy hour bartender who worked at Splash for years (until the very end actually), whose name was Larry. Anyway, I hope my post was helpful and answered your question.

R232, I thought Splash was John Blair's club?

No problem. R232. I've always confused Brian and Harry--even though one has been dead for nearly 30 years! Anyway, I'm SURE Brian is fine! He made a mint off of that place.

John Blair used to throw a weekly party at Splash, but he didn't own that bar. Blair was involved with the Roxy when that place was still open and was Splash's main competition on Saturdays.

I doubt whoever is applying for a liquor license for Bartini is the previous owner, r226. I heard the building's landlord sent the fire marshall to padlock the place because the bar owner hadn't paid rent in months. I don't see how the landlord would then turn around and assign the lease to the same guy a couple of months later. It's probably a different person who's going before the community board on March 15 to get a license for Bartini. That said, I don't know why anyone would want that space: the location is too far removed from all the other gay bars in HK (most of which are concentrated on 9th Avenue, near Industry, Atlas Social Club, Boxers, etc...) to benefit from a bar crawl, which in this weather does make a difference. On top of that, the rent for Bartini is extremely high, which I suspect is the reason why the previous owner couldn't pay rent for so many months.

Fascinating story about the real reason why Splash closed, thank you R232!

That place had been in business for almost 20 years, what a sad way to go down. I'm surprised that during all these years, Brian didn't try to open another bar, as he would have at least something else to fall back onto after Splash. Most successful gay bar owners don't stop after just one place no matter how good their business is, but keep on opening new places to capitalize on their success (see the owners of Boxers, who have now 3 locations in Manhattan, the owner of Barracuda who also own Industry and used to own Crowbar in the East Village before that, or the owners of Eastern Bloc/Atlas Social Club/Bedlam and now Lovegun). You would think that Brian would have tried something else besides Splash, given how popular that bar was.

r228 LURE (Leather, Uniforms, Rubber Etc) was on 13th.

[quote]he of the disfigured face by too many bad face lifts.

GOOD LORD IN HEAVEN!!!

...now, if THAT isn't a malpractice lawsuit!

Has anyone mentioned the "Big Cup". It was a coffee & tea bar.

Does anyone remember an exact location for Jay's Bar on 125th Street or 96 West Bar/club? People always say it between here and there but I'm trying to lock down the exact buildings if I can. This is NY so most buildings would still be there (Not all but most)

Thanks, leonNorman1814

"No Parking"

Never went--too lazy, but "heard" it was fun. The weekend that I finally was going to go it had closed.

What was the name of the sex club (Uncle Jake's??)in the low 20's and just west of 5th? Office building, you entered front door and rode elevator up, took off your clothes, and dived into the fun. Always hot men and hot fun til dawn.

Remember it in the early 90s as a young Irish guy who had moved to NYC. One fascination for me was the giant TV screen on which compilation videos of all sorts of dance was playing. I'm curious to know it anyone knows of a huge b/w tap sequence from the 30s or 40s where they were going at it with great gusto? Also the bars on Christopher before it was main-streamed-in particular Badlands on the corner of Christopher and West-it became a video store. In the 1980s this smoking hot guy in black leather chaps and vest used to hang outside a bar which became the Hangar...often wonder what became of him.taken by the flood I guess. NY gay scene back then was special!!!

I went to Pieces once back in 2005, and some drag queen sat down next to me with major and I mean major B.O.. She was also hammered, and started chatting with me, and I didn't want to be rude, so I chatted with her a bit - but god damn. I heard that bar closed down about a year or so ago.

I also went into Stonewall, around 9pm or so on a weekday night, and there wasn't a person in there but me and the bartender. It looked cute though - they had one of the walls painted a real bright purple and there were some fresh flowers at the bar.

Boy Bar on St. Marks was the quintessential E Village bar in the '80's. Lived in the neighborhood and went there pretty much every Thursday night for many years. The drag shows were messy, the boys were cute, the music was great. Almost always hooked-up with someone and dragged them home. And for a time, St. Marks Baths were on the block. Gay heaven!

Anyone remember The Bridge Bar on 53rd? Divey, quiet, but fun. More of a neighborhood bar. I had lots of fun there in the late 90s.

you heard wrong, R245, Pieces is still open and in no danger of going anywhere

I loved the original XL on 16th by 9th Ave, and Heaven over on 6th ave. There was nothing like being young and cute when Chelsea was really CHELSEA.

[quote]The Toilet (for the golden shower set),

How vivid.

R249 = faded 90s Chelsea boy with shaved chest and Freedom Rings.

Club 219 Milwaukee early '80's on 2nd street, I think ...downtown near the tracks where the hay markets were.

Why isn't IDunno stinking up this thread? This thread is practically made for it.

All these posts and no one has mentioned Rounds, New York's premier hustler bar?

Pieces is still open, r245.

Chelsea Transfer was a nice little gay bar or those who wanted conversation and no attitude.

Anybody remember a tiny bar on far e.14 st at ave C with a tranny bar tender named Makiba?

Bijou 82 sex club.

sucked a lot of hot cocks, and not a single STD!

I know; amazing.

R201, are you THE Barbara the Sex Change?

Anyone remember the 60s? There were two places just off 6th Ave around 3rd or 4th Street - One was The 12th of Always - an afterhours bar on the 2nd floor near the fire-station [now gone] and the other was just off 6th, you went down into it and there was an upper floor inside. You payed, like $5 or $10 at the door and then drank for free [how they got around the liquor license] I think it was Telstar at one point, but that's not the name I knew it as

I miss Secret Lounge.

I remember they used to show "Dynasty" at Uncle Charlie's South on Thursday nights.

Ancient history here ... Julius in 1967 ... my first gay bar. The dust on the wagon wheel hanging from the ceiling was at least an inch thick, the hamburgers were served on white bread instead of buns and "Happy", the bartender, would always remind us "bellies against the bar, boys". (If you had your back to the bar facing into the room, the cops who sometimes peeked through the windows might harass you for "soliciting".) And when someone would play "Hello, Hello" or "Strangers In The Night" on the jukebox, we'd all sing in unison. As many have mentioned earlier, it was a much simpler time.

One of my first trips to NYC with my lover (now husband of 31 years). Sometime in the mid-80s. We wandered around the Village in the evening and went into Peter Rabbit's on West Street. It was a dark leather bar in the first floor of a couple of tiny old row houses. There was a pool table, I remember, and a large group gathered around a TV in the corner. I went over to see what was on. They were showing "High, Wide and Handsome" (1937) a musical starring Irene Dunne and Randolph Scott. All these gorgeous butch leather guys watching an Irene Dunne movie! Priceless.

Does anyone remember a bar called the Men's Room in the East Village? A childhood friend of mine danced there as a go-go boy in the late '80s. I found this out years later after he had died.

I wish I had copywrighted the "Wagon Wheel" motif for gay bars.

I could have retired.

[quote]There was nothing like being young and cute when Chelsea was really CHELSEA.

Unless it was being young and cute when CHELSEA was still "eww, Chelsea?" The Village was still the gay part of town. "Barebacking" wasn't a word yet. And I had the time of my young life.

The Candle will finally burn at the other end.

Well r240, I guess it's true. You eventually get the face you DESERVE!

Well, posting first time. Am a female and not gay, but lived with a gay roommate in the 70s, also female. She had a friend, male whom I became friends with. Both of these friends and I went to several bars together, all were the gay bars in the 70s. 74 to 76. Some are not named here. The ones I remember were Billy the kid's for guys, Bonnie and Clydes for women, La Femme for women and a really teeny one in Manhattan called The Rooster, for women, that a friend of ours owned.

I did go with my friend to the infamous bar, The Toilet. After entering the weird old elevator that I thought was going to collapse, and realizing that National Organization for Women's meeting place was on the floor below The Toilet, (I think they were on the 3rd floor and The Toilet was on the fourth. They had a little dj booth and were playing I think a Donna Summer song and we danced on the gorgeous wooden gymnasium type floor near the entrance. After a bit we headed to the bar, right across diagonally from the little dance floor where he bought me a drink and said he'd be right back and disappeared through into a dark little room across from the bar. I figured he was off to the bathroom. I watched the dancers and a guy sat next to me at the bar. Actually, I did not want to meet anyone and turned from him to the dancers.

After what seemed about 20 min I got up and walked through that little dark doorway and entered the infamous back room. No lights but a dim glow from a skylight in the far end of the room to the right. Directly in front of me on my left was a row of broken or partially disabled old toilets where what used to be evidently a bathroom, but the walls were removed. There were two or three guys around these, naked. I deliberately swung my glance from them, they saw me, being a girl I was obviously out of place. Being dressed I was also out of place, I saw one kind of gawking at me for this reason, it struck me as kind of funny.

But when I had moved my gaze to under the skylight area I saw a scene I will never forget, though I could see very little in the dim light. It was a pretty large pile of naked men. Honestly, as the years have gone by the memory is not sharp on this vision but I swear it was at least 20 guys, all lying on the floor, obviously engaged in multiple sexual acts. I did not stare at this either. I did call out for my friend, he did not answer. Years later I figured out why, he was busy.

But after this I left the little area to search for him, there was a hall next to this area that led somewhere behind the bar and it's wall. I don't know why, curiousity I guess, but I walked this entire hall, it went back straight for a bit and then turned left. From way behind me I heard someone walking, slowly, and I turned and saw the guy at the bar. Of course I was a little frightened but being pretty naive did not feel the need to run. It was dark but my eyes grew accustomed to it. There were doors along the ahll all shut, very old with panels and old time doorknobs. Years later I heard Rock Hudson did visit the Toilet, this I heard word of mouth, not on the internet. At the time I saw all these doors I wondered if there were private parties in there, later wondering if Rock was one of these parties or were they all locked for years. I followed the hall, the guy from the bar still behind me and the hall made a turn back to the original room and came out the other side. The light was blinding and I could see the bar at the very far end of the room, it was a very large long rectangular room once obviously used for some kind of 1800s shipping I supposed from the slanted re-entry hall went downhill. I thought it was to slide packages or something. Not sure. But the greatest surprise was when I re-entered the room and after my eyes were done being blinded by a very bright spotlight saw a very buff naked man doing tricks and swinging on a huge rope suspended from the ceiling at this end of the room.

I walked across the room and sat again at the bar. The other guy followed me out. I have no idea why he followed me, maybe curiosity as well. He never did bother me. My friend came out of the back room within a few minutes, never mentioning what was up, I did not either, and we left.

So what made me remember all this is I ran across a picture of the actual interior of The Toilet, now many years later now being sold as a loft rental. Thought it was a funny progression in the scheme of things, but that's New York. Maybe you all might want to see a pic of this rather famous place now, the bar is still there. It's been renovated obviously That is where the bar was, the floor looks the same, probably sanded, and those pillars and beam were there. The ceiling has been painted. The bar is not the same one, looks too new.

I liked Sundays at Pyramid and Thursdays at the Boy Bar.

In the 90's the Big Cup in Chelsea was fun for about a year. A gay coffee bar. We called it the Big Cock and you could always pick up guys there as easy as any gay bar.

I liked Danceteria and Peppermint Lounge and Mudd Club and CBGBs when I was really young but they weren't gay bars.

I liked Townhouse for a change sometimes with my square buddies from college.

I only went to the Tunnel (visiting from West Coast), but got moved the the front of the line and got in free. Love reading everyone's stories. Keep them coming.

Anybody remember Jimmy Murray's "Country Cousin" on the east side of Third Ave around 84th street, with Dante the bartender? Tommy Dowling was a partner in a place called the "Hampton Wick" on the east side of First Ave. between 76th and 77th next to Paddy Quinn's. It was packed almost every night, dance floor in the back, long bar. I was one of the bartenders, along with Doug Yohe and Johnny Doyle. Paul Lynde was a frequent customer, along Lana Cantrell, RipTaylor, Emile Griffith (the middle weight champ), and the one and only Monte Rock, III. Before that I worked at the after hours bar called"The Sewer" on East 16th between Fifth and Union Square. Also packed, with celebs from Rudy Nureyev, Liza, Jill Haworth (starred in Exodus), Another after hours place called "17 Barrow," right next to the current "One if by Land...?" Nancy Steele had an after hours place called "Thrush" on East 22nd (that was really the name!) that was the parlor floor of a large townhouse. And then there was a small after hours joint, down a flight of stairs into a basement of a small corner in the West Village (West Fourth and Bleecker area ?) called "The Snake PIt," owned and run by a German fellow, and we called him "Schotzie." Riotous times. Fun and crazy. After, after hours we were hungry and went to coffee shops for "breakfast," and once in a while to the Brasserie on East 53rd (open 24 hours). Anybody?

Anybody remember Billy the Kid's? Queens.

Funny that a poster on a gay site identifies Jill Haworth by Exodus instead of Cabaret.

I live very close to Pieces and Julius's. What an interesting thread. I actually like Julius' for a good place to just have a lowkey drink....the food is good for greasy spoon fare. I like that they have tables in the back you can sit at and talk. Mattachine Party (once a month if its still a thing) is overflowing with d-bags imho, but it does good business for the bar.

Pieces is like a throwback to the bars from the '90s in many ways.

The big Chelsea bar now seems to be Boxers -- where gays go to pretend they are watching sports broadcasts and play pool.

R274, what era was this? Late 70s?

R273 Lincoln or Holland? Wasn't it kind of a problem dodging cars?

When did Uncle Charlies close? I arrived in NYC in 1995 for a week. I was fresh off the bus, 21 and it was gone!

Does anyone remember a place called Opaline in E Village? This was late 90's early aughts. Is it still there?

Ah, the memories of the Sunday afternoon beer bust at Splash. $7 {plus tips) for 4 hours of beer. Not to mention the Mae West of Long Island Kenny Dash with his "quiz show" that ended with a bunch of mostly naked tourists licking Amaretto off of the torso of the winner (or maybe it was the loser). I always liked Kenny's rules. If you answered the question wrong, you lost a piece of clothing. Got it right? You got another question.

When I moved a year ago, I found a small box full of the Splash 2 for 1 wooden coins they used to give out during happy hour. Those came in handy just before payday.

R281, I remember Opaline. Closed probably 2006/2007. Moved around to several locations before dying. I moved to NYC in 2003, so most of mine are from the last decade, but still plenty have come and gone.

Boys Room in the East Village.

The Slide also in East Village.

Starlight on Ave A.

The Urge which was right next to The Cock on 2nd Ave.

Detox which was also right there by the Urge.

The original XL which was on 16th and 9th was my first gay bar. Now it's No. 8 (the new Bungalow 8) beside the Dream Hotel. Would always hit up XL before going to The Roxy on a Saturday night.

Food Bar was one as well. More restaurant kinda like Elmo which is still around.

Wonderbar and Tunnel Bar (not to be confused with The Tunnel) were fun in the EV. And of course The Pyrimid when it was still "The Pyrimid" esp. Whispers on Sunday nights with Happi Phace.

Uncle Charlie's was THE place to go at happy hour, prior to Splash's opening.

When I moved to Hell's Kitchen in '95 or '96 there were only three gay bars -- Cats and Stella's (both of which were hustler bars) and Cleo's, where the average age of the patrons was between 40 and dead. I was 18 and gravitated to Cleo's, where one bartender couldn't stand me and insisted I show him ID and another bartender got me past that by telling me that if I showed him my dick he'd say he checked my ID. (No one else ever carded me, which was odd since I was extremely baby-faced and looked like I was about 16). I once took a blind date to Stella's, which was a great experience. He was new in town and amazed at how aggressive the go-go boys worked on me once I told them I would not be tipping them. Cats closed very shortly afterward, Stella's hung in a few more years and Cleo's became 9th Avenue Saloon when Cleo moved (yep, he was a real guy) away from NYC and his partner in business and life passed away.

By that time, first it was Barrage, then Ritz, then Therapy, then Vlada, and on and on. I'm nearly 40 myself, now, and 9th Avenue Saloon is pretty much like every other HK bar, which means I have maybe 2 years left before I'm banned. Then again, I was finally priced out of HK three years ago (due to a landlord who illegally revoked my stabilized lease) so it all feels very foreign to me, now.

Now I am nearly 40 myself and Ninth Avenue Saloon is pretty much like every other Hell's Kitchen bar, of which there are, frankly, too many with too little variation. I visited Chicago a few months ago and went to their gayborhood...it was like going back in a time machine to when I moved to NYC. A real gay neighborhood with a whole variety of scenes. I've started looking for jobs out there.

Bars have always come and gone. I don't mourn the loss of any of them. Gay bars in general are less needed than they once were since we can meet and socialize any number of places now that don't even have to be exclusively gay. Esp in place like NYC. There is also the efficient method of hooking up with your phone now

The Spike

R44, there are many people between our ages (I am about a decade your junior) who are gone who should be here, and I am sad that the history of our people being decimated by AIDS is nearly forgotten, save for a sad footnote. I am glad you made it, and envious that I didn't get to have any fun before it started.

Ugh, r285, just don't live in the suburbs, and prepare for the odious fatness of the midwest.

XES has its closing party tomorrow night. Relatively new in the city (8 years) but shocked at how quickly Chelsea has died and the scene has moved to hk.

Any insight into the changes?

On that vain r288 i was right on that cusp at now 48 that i could have my fun and safely and didn't have to lose my life over it. 5 years older i would likely be dead. But in 87 when i went through my slut phase we knew what it was and how to avoid it IF you chose to avoid it. My first love never made it past 23 but he knew the choices he was making.

[R285] Since I'm not a nasty queen who thinks that people with a few extra pounds should be rounded up and shipped elsewhere, I think I'll be fine.

R290, pretty much the same thing happening in NYC in general. Area becomes trendy, real estate values spike up, people move in because it's trendy and then decide they want peace and quiet. The same gay guys with disposable income that made Chelsea a thing between 1995 and 2008 are the ones who used that disposable income to buy condos in the area and eventually adopt or IVF babies whose precious ears can't handle the noise of the nightlife, and then use their political power to get everything shut down at the same time the landlords sense better money in Starbucks and Duane Reade.

Combine that with people who would rather stay home and log onto Grindr than pay a 600% markup on a glass of vodka and you have the death of a gayborhood. Believe me, it will happen to HK too, soon enough. Oversaturated market, very high rents, and leases that generally expire withing 5-to-10 years, just when a business has established a clientele. Nothing will change until NYC real estate changes as a whole.

[286] You're not entirely wrong, but the thing I find refreshing about, say, Chicago and off-putting about, say, LA, is that gay bars and gay neighborhoods allow you to meet NEW people, and DIFFERENT people, not just for sex. To socialize, not just to get a blowjob. To actually be exposed to, you know, people who don't look and act just like you.

It's all well and good if you already have a clique, but if you're new in town or looking for new friends or just want to be aware of people outside your own sphere, there is a world of difference between LA, where no one will even SPEAK to you if you haven't come in with a posse, and Chicago, where you can strike up a conversation with anyone in a relatively safe space. It's what I used to love about NYC and what is disappearing because of the vise of hookup technology and a lack of financial options for owners and customers. As a teenager who arrived in NYC it would have been impossible for me to actually meet other people who weren't just other college students if it weren't for the fact that I could sit down anywhere and start a converation without people looking at me like I had antenna coming out of my forehead.

I liked the Blue Jay. Fannie Flagg used to be our third so me and the BF could dance together.

r105 I remember my first visit to "The Saint" in 1982 or 1983. You needed a membership to get in, so I stood outside and asked this guy if I could go in with him (I was paying my own cover). The bitchy queen looked at me with hatred in his eyes and said "No!!!". Well, the guy behind him heard him, and said to me "He's jealous because you're very cute honey, and he ain't gonna help you do anything. I'll get you in." And he did. We parted ways once I got in the club, but I never forgot his kindness.

"I've always depended on the kindness of strangers."

Why did the Ninth Circle close? I've read good things about it — multiple levels in a brownstone with a backyard, which sounds very appealing to me right now.

Northern NJ, not NYC...not sure if its still there...anyone know?

FEATHERS

At least half the crowd was from the city, as it was very close.

R299 Feathers is still there.

r299 It's in Hackensack, NJ. Wow, that's was a fun bar. I was a regular from 1981-1984.

My favorite bar was The Last Resort on 1st Avenue between 9th and 10th. Harvey Fierstein used to pop in after having performed in Torch Song Trilogy. I didn't know who he was, but, my friend and I used to make fun of his voice. Boy, were we in for a surprise when we were seeing the show and discovered who the frog -voice bar patron turned out to be.

Anyone remember the Blue Cloud in the Hamptons? This was before the Swamp Club which eventually became the Star Club, a straight bar, when they realized straight clubs made more money out there. There was also a place called the Corral in Bohemia.

[quote]Why did the Ninth Circle close? I've read good things about it — multiple levels in a brownstone with a backyard, which sounds very appealing to me right now.

More than likely, r298, whatever Mafioso's mother owned the building died, and the kids decided either to sell it or turn the Circle into the Italian restaurant that replaced it. Did any of you ever eat there?

Pet Shop Boys just made a song about remembering clubs of our past.

For R304 and R298:

"If You Leave Me Now" just popped up on my iTunes shuffle. Takes me right back to the Ninth Circle in the fall of 1976.

The Five Oaks in Greenwich Village. My home away from home...

Did you get up and sing, R308?

Interesting...

The first gay bar I ever went to in NYC was Uncle Charlies, I was 21 and just visiting NYC for Spring break. The guys were sexy and had no problem waking right up to you and starting a conversation. Once I moved to NYC that became my favorite hook up bar and then Boy Bar over in the East Village. Fun times and so much easy dick.

R114

The Central- Bohemia (my first gay bar). What a night that was. 1974

Kiss 1 and Kiss 2- Lake Ronkonkoma

The Bunk House - Sayville (near the Cherry Grove ferry)

The Coachman - Down the block from the Bunkhouse, nice quiet place for a nightcap.

The Attic - in the Hamptons

Pal Joey’s East - Deer Park Pal Joey’s West - North Bellmore

Back in the day, I’ve been to quite a few of these bars. Thanks for the memories!

[quote]r13 Someone told me there was a place near the Belvedere in the west 40's called "Big Spender"

Yes. But it was too femme for everyone's taste - -

I liked Tweeds

BUmp

In the Spring of '82, many gay college boys found their way to "Café Society." This was a mid-block restaurant east of Fifth Avenue, probably on 21st Street. Every Wednesday was a "dance night." They stowed the dining room furniture into the kitchen, turning it into a dance floor. Students from NYU, Columbia, FIT, SVA, etc. packed the place. Many missed Thursday morning classes. Often around midnight, Calvin Klein and Steve Rubell would arrive to select a handful of the cutest twinks to whisk up to Studio 54 by limo. Always enjoy the drinking, dancing, and eye candy. But alas, they missed 21-year-old me every time! I like to think it was because the crowd was too thick, and the place was too dark.

My boyfriend and I had a version of a marriage back in 1981 when I was 21 and he was 23. We were in love.

We had rings made, exchanged vows and then got in a limo in Connecticut to go to Company for our wedding dinner.

Are you still together, r318?

No, he turned out to be a nut case. But what did I know? Still a fond memory tho.

The lady in the upstairs condo got angry because our "wedding guests" threw confetti at our limo and didn't clean it up. The waiter at Company gave us great service when he learned why we were there.

So, Company was considered more of a restaurant than a bar.

Yes, I don't think I ever went to Company except to eat. There were always people at the bar after work, though. 3rd Ave in the 20s, right?

I believe so, not sure. But back then restaurants like Company were considered gay sanctuaries. It never occurred to us to go some straight place.

The dining room at Company was a big mirrored box beneath a skylight. From any seat you could see every other diner somewhere in this mirror-montage. Every entrée was accompanied by a fruit-based sauce. Can't imagine why. After brunch, your waiter (not "server") offered free bar drink tickets, IF you'd vacate the table immediately. Busy place on Sundays!

Love the stories from our eldergays. We have the greatest eldergays, people.