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I've already mentioned it to a handful of my friends, and we've made plans to return soon. While it was heavily dominated by white people - as a person of color, that's something I notice often - it wasn't hard to find other nonwhite folks in that space. I was thrilled to find that this was not an issue at the Q. Still, one of my least favorite parts of Hell's Kitchen is the lack of people of color in queer spaces. Most of my favorite spots are in Hell's Kitchen, and the Q will definitely be added to my rotation. While I've enjoyed nights out in those spaces, I've typically made my way to those bars less frequently than I'd like to, because many of them are not close to where I live in Brooklyn. I found that there were bars that were mostly occupied by people of color, and those are the spaces I find myself most comfortable. But, as expected, some just weren't the right fit for me. Since moving to New York City in 2016 - and turning 21 in 2018 - I've ventured out to as far as Queens to experience different queer spaces within the boroughs. Two men dancing on each other at the Q in New York City The Tom of Finland mural that is on the wall next to the horse is a collaboration with the eponymous foundation, according to the bar's manager.Įach additional floor had ample space to dance, but the fourth floor was where I found the real party.īeing that it was the first night of Pride Weekend in New York City, and the opening of a massive new club space, the queer community definitely came out for this opening. After that, people began piling into a room where the walls were adorned with graffiti and sexualized drawings - even one showing a buff Ned Flanders from "The Simpsons" with protruding nipples by the artist Huetek.Ī pole on a platform embellished with a horse from a merry-go-round and flanked by a wall of graffiti and a Tom of Finland mural sat in the corner, providing a place for friends, lovers, and everyone in between to engage in an Instagram-ready photo-op. I ordered myself a tequila and pineapple juice cocktail to start the night - if you haven't tried it, try it.Īs I started venturing around and checking out the space, someone wasn't watching where they were going and bumped into my filled-to-the-brim drink, spilling some of it on my shirt.Įach floor had a different vibe from the last, and as you make your way up the stairs, each space became even more energetic and vibrant.Īt the first-floor landing, a go-go dancer in platform heels and striped, high-waisted shorts greeted me as they danced along to the music.
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There was also a bar directly across from a dancing space where folks could congregate before discovering the real party upstairs.ĭownstairs, it was a laid-back environment allowing groups of friends to talk. I was let in through the VIP entrance, which led into a somewhat empty bar space with red leather booths on one wall, along with some hi-top tables. Still, I decided not to get too in my head about it and went inside. Having worked in the New York City restaurant industry for five years, I'm used to going out to a bar after a night of work.Īs I checked in with the bouncers, I was slightly unnerved by the absence of vaccination record checks, though that's not a common custom at New York bars. I arrived at the Q after a night of work as a host at a restaurant in Manhattan. Men look in the mirror at the bathroom at the Q. New York City favorites in the queer bar scene, like Therapy, Bedlam NYC, Boxers in Hell's Kitchen, and 9th Avenue Saloon, are some of the many that fell victim to the virus' economic impact. Unfortunately, some of the city's most beloved gay bars were also forced to shutter their dance floors and party spaces. The New York Times reported that 2,800 small businesses closed in New York City since March 1, 2020, and estimated that bars and restaurants accounted for one-third of that total. Unfortunately, once the pandemic forced bars to shut down, I was left feeling disconnected from a community of people I felt so comfortable around. the next morning.Īs a gay man, gay bars are where I have my best nights out - and where I tend to enjoy the music the most.
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My friends and I would usually end up having a blast, and we'd dance until 3 or 4 a.m. Usually, we would end up somewhere in Hell's Kitchen, which is known as one of New York's most thriving gay neighborhoods because of its many gay bars and clubs. Before the coronavirus pandemic upended any semblance of a going-out lifestyle, I would exclusively recommend gay bars to my friends looking for fun nights out in New York City.