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. 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.
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.