Gay bars nyc go go

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. 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.

My friends and I would usually end up having a blast, and we'd dance until 3 or 4 a.

Top Gay Bars in New York City to check out in 2025

As a gay man, gay bars are where I have my best nights out — and where I tend to enjoy the bar the most. 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 New York Times reported that 2, small businesses closed in New York City since March 1,and estimated that bars and restaurants accounted for one-third of that total.

Unfortunately, some of the city's most beloved gay bars were also forced to shutter their dance floors and party spaces. With the majority of the city's pandemic restrictions liftedthe Q, which is backed by gay actors including Zachary Quinto, Billy Porter, and Charlie Carver, along with singer Jake Shears, according to nyc bar's Instagram pagecould finally open its doors.

Even Frankie Grande made an appearance over the weekend. A post shared by Frankie James Grande frankiejgrande. The four-level dance club had a vibe for everyone, and it was overwhelming not only to be pushed around in a packed bar but also to be in a bar again at long last. I arrived at the Q after a night of work as nyc host at a restaurant in Manhattan.

Having gay in the New York City restaurant industry for five years, I'm used to going out to a bar after a night of work. As 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. Still, I decided not to get too in my head about it and went inside.

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. There was also a bar directly across from a dancing space where folks could congregate before discovering the real party upstairs. Downstairs, it was a laid-back environment allowing groups of friends to talk.

I ordered myself a tequila and pineapple juice cocktail to start the night — if you haven't tried it, try it. As 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. Each 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.

At 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. 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.

A 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. The Tom of Finland mural that is on the wall next to the horse is a collaboration with the eponymous foundationaccording to the bar's manager.

Each additional floor had ample space to dance, but the fourth floor was where I found the real party. Being 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. One concerning obstacle was the number of stairs and small steps gay a place filled with mostly-inebriated people.