Bars & Nightlife
overview
While their significance is often underestimated or dismissed by heterosexual society, bars and other establishments played a pivotal role throughout the 20th century — but particularly in the pre-Stonewall era — as centers for LGBT activism and community.
These spaces, whether always gay friendly or only during certain times of the day or week, gave LGBT people the freedom to be themselves in a way they usually could not be in their personal or professional lives.
This curated collection largely reflects the bar and nightlife scene of downtown Manhattan; as we research more sites we encourage you to reach out to us with suggestions in upper Manhattan and the outer boroughs.
Historic Sites in Bars & Nightlife
This commercial building was home to the Beach Haven, Staten Island’s sole lesbian bar in the 1970s and early 1980s. Popular with women’s softball teams, it was the first official... Learn More
Friend’s Tavern (or Friend’s) in Jackson Heights is known as the oldest active gay bar in Queens and has been owned since 1989 by Eddie Valentin and Casimiro Villa, business... Learn More
Currently occupied by Henrietta Hudson, one of the city’s three remaining lesbian bars, this space was formerly known as Cubby Hole, from 1983 to 1990. Activist and performer Stormé DeLarverie... Learn More
After opening DT’s Fat Cat here in 1987, bar owner Tanya Saunders renamed it Cubbyhole in 1994 and envisioned it as an inclusive “neighborhood fusion bar.” Cubbyhole, which still operates... Learn More
A portion of the ground floor and part of the basement of this former market building in the Meatpacking District was the home of Bar Room 432 from 1990 to... Learn More
Kooky’s, also known as Kooky’s Cocktail Lounge, was a lesbian bar that operated from 1965 to 1973. After the Stonewall uprising of June 1969, Kooky’s was the site of lesbian-led... Learn More
The Love Boat was a popular gay Latino bar and dance space in Elmhurst, situated on the border of Jackson Heights. Drawing crowds of gay men with roots from countries... Learn More
In 1996, Meow Mix opened as a sex-positive lesbian club known for its live music, though it is best remembered for its appearance in the 1997 film Chasing Amy. It was... Learn More
Located in the former Liberty Theatre, Park Villa II (later On Stage), was a popular dance club during the 1980s and early 1990s. Between 1984 and 1991, Lambda Associates, the... Learn More
The Swing Rendezvous was a jazz club and lesbian bar that was open from 1938 to 1965. Among the bar’s notable patrons were writer and activist Audre Lorde and Kitty... Learn More
Referred to as the “Vatican of Disco,” The Saint was a gay, members-only club located in the East Village that operated between September 1980 and May 1988. With its huge... Learn More
In the early hours of Saturday morning April 28, 1990, a homemade bomb exploded at Uncle Charlie’s bar in Greenwich Village that resulted in an immediate protest by the recently... Learn More
Eve Adams, the name adopted by a Polish-Jewish lesbian émigré, operated a popular gay and lesbian tearoom in this rowhouse near Washington Square in Greenwich Village, from 1924 to 1926.... Learn More
Stewart’s Cafeteria, later the Life Cafeteria, was located in this Greenwich Village building in the 1930s and attracted a bohemian and gay and lesbian following. The large plate glass windows... Learn More
Tony Pastor’s Downtown, in business from 1939 to 1967, had a mixed clientele of lesbians and tourists, and some gay men. It had shows of female impersonators (a term used... Learn More
From at least the late 1950s to the late 1970s, Staten Island’s popular Mayfair Bar & Grill catered to gay patrons. It was one of a few gay and lesbian... Learn More
In 1962, openly gay African-American entrepreneur Harold “Mackie” Harris purchased the Starlite Lounge and established it as an LGBT-inclusive bar. Before being forced to close in 2010 after the building... Learn More
On April 21, 1966, a “Sip-In” was organized by members of the Mattachine Society, one of the country’s earliest gay rights organizations, to challenge the State Liquor Authority’s discriminatory policy... Learn More
This building housed three subsequent Mafia-owned establishments from the 1960s to 1981, starting with the Pompier Restaurant. Tenth of Always operated on the raised ground floor here from around 1968... Learn More
The Ramrod on the Hudson River waterfront was one of New York’s most popular leather bars in the 1970s. It was the site of one of Greenwich Village’s most notoriously... Learn More
In 1977, Studio 54 opened and became one of the world’s most famous discos with a fusion of gay, bisexual, and straight patrons. Owners Steven Rubell and Ian Schrager modeled... Learn More
Between 1977 and 1987, the Paradise Garage was one of the most important and influential clubs in New York City with a devoted patronage comprised of sexual and ethnic minorities... Learn More
From the early 1990s until its closure at the end of 2018, the Bum Bum Bar (pronounced “boom boom”) catered to a predominately Latina lesbian clientele in Queens. Located under... Learn More
From 1953 to 1973, the basement of this building was home to Club 82, one of the most prominent American clubs for “female impersonators” (as they were then called) of... Learn More
From Valentine’s Day 1970 to June 1974, the Loft, one of the most influential underground house parties, operated out of the second floor residence of musical host David Mancuso. Mancuso... Learn More
