Gay bars upper west side
Eight NYC Queer Bars and Clubs We Miss This PRIDE
BY MICHAEL MUSTO | Happy Pride! There are plenty of queer establishments in NYC at which you can celebrate, but enable me step in between your cocktails and remind you of some past places that were absolute gay heaven. We can briefly remember their glory, then go right back to putting the mo’ support in mojito.
THE BAREFOOT BOY (309 E. 39th St. at Second Ave.) | One prominent element of gay nightlife in the 1970s involved raunchy, sex-driven places like the Anvil—but at the opposite end of the spectrum was the Barefoot Male child, a sleek move club that was sophisticated and almost chic. But, of course, sex was the object here too. Everyone’s mission was to stay till a wonderful song was played (like Gloria Gaynor’s I Will Survive), ask someone warm to dance, and then find yourself doing a line dance together all the way residence. Yes, this was way before Grindr, when you had to actually depart out of the house and chat up potential tricks face to face! Can you imagine?
THE CANDLE BAR (309 Amsterdam Ave. btw. W. 74th & 75th Sts.) | A long-running establishment, the Candle brought some gay presence to the Upper West Side—al
‘A LIVING ROOM FOR THE Male lover COMMUNITY’ CLOSES (PHOTO GALLERY)
By Sasha Pezenik
Candle Bar, the gay block at 309 Amsterdam Avenue between 74th and 75th streets, closed on Monday night and dozens of people came out for the sendoff. It was the oldest gay bar in the city.
The couple in front are the (former) owners, Michelle Ader and William Greene.
Some others include: second row in blue checked shirt, leaning over: Ray. Next over: Georgi Merriman. Center behind Michelle and William: Amonte Demarko. Third from right, top row: Thomas.
“Everyone knows everyone here. It was like Cheers. It’s supposed to be a ‘Gay Bar’, but it was so much more than that – it was a neighborhood bar. The history of New York lives in places like these”.
“People aren’t as friendly as they used to be.”
Owner of Candle Lock Michelle Ader and her husband William Greene. Michelle was bequeathed the apartment by her brother 22 years ago, after his death.
“We just can’t do it anymore… We’ve lost money on this place for years. There are a lot of people sad to see this finish, but they’ve never even been
Fifth Avenue Bar
History
George Chauncey, in Gay Modern York, described a 1953 court decision, involving the Fifth Avenue Bar in the Stanwood Cafeteria, that officially began to limit the New York Mention Liquor Authority (SLA)’s influence to revoke the liquor licenses of premises that gay men and lesbians frequented, which it considered de facto “disorderly.” The SLA had been wielding this power since it was established in 1934 by the State Legislature at the end of Prohibition.
According to Chauncey,
George Chauncey, Gay New York (1994)
Gaedicker’s 1949 “Sodom-on-Hudson” guide stated that “for the upper west side, the Stanwood Cafeteria… occasionally flourishes, especially near bar-closing time.” Located near the busy intersection of Broadway and West 72nd Street, the cafeteria and bar extended along the Broadway frontage of the Dorilton Apartments, with clear visibility from the street through large windows. One of the largest establishments on the Upper West Side, it could accommodate 350 to 400 people. It apparently opened around 1940, primarily as a
New York has played a major role in LGBTQ+ history and it’s no wonder there are a slew of bars that own been beacons for the community (and prime party spots) for decades. The best queer bars in NYC range from dive bars to dance clubs, with historic spots like the Stonewall Inn anchoring them all. 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.
You can check out the best drag shows or cabaret performances, but these gay spaces all suggest 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 hook-up spots, the "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.
RECOMMENDED: Occupied guide to the best bars in NYC
May 2025: We removed Ginger's and Barracuda Lounge. We added Loafers Cocktail Bar.