TRAVEL
The Five Minute Guide To... New York
Alan Power gets caught between the moon and New York city. We know it's crazy but it's true.
Ask anyone who's been there and they'll tell you New York is an experience like no other, and for gay visitors this is especially true. Besides the enormously wide variety of gay pubs, nightclubs, entertainment and events, history is part of what makes New York different from other destinations popular with gay travelers.
The city celebrated the 35th anniversary of the Stonewall riots last summer. The Stonewall Inn, in the Greenwich Village neighbourhood, still draws a steady stream of queer tourists from all over the world, all year round.
New York's three major gay entertainment publications, Next (www.nextmagazine.net), HX (www.hx.com), and the lesbian-specific GO NYC (www.gonycmagazine.com) are devoted to publishing running lists of the city's ever-changing gay club scene.
Most of the older, established clubs are in the Greenwich Village area, south of 14th Street and west of Broadway. Many of the newer clubs are in the neighboring Chelsea District, north of the Village, along 8th Avenue. The Hell's Kitchen area, near 8th, 9th, and 10th avenues between West 39th and West 55th streets is also home to a number of gay clubs and a growing gay residential area.
The landmark church-turned-disco, Avalon, on 6th Avenue at West 20th Street, remains a popular gay dance spot Sunday nights. Roxy, on 515 West 18th Street, between 10th and 11th avenues, still packs them in on Saturday nights. Popular lesbian bars include Henrietta Hudson, located at 438 Hudson Street, and Crazy Nanny's at 21 7th Avenue.
Don't limit your search for a gay old time to Manhattan, though, especially if you're looking for the women's scene. Brooklyn has made a name for itself as the place lesbians go to settle down, but even in the outer boroughs, lesbians still need to get out for java and jazz now and then. A good place to find the Brooklyn lesbian community is at Rising Café (186 Fifth Avenue). A little further afield, all of Fire Island is a summer playground for men. Long Island offers a few spots for women, including the bar Forevergreen at 841 N. Broome Avenue, Lindenhurst, and Shi Bar, actually more of a nightclub than a bar at121 Woodfield Road, West Hempstead.
There is a countless variety of price ranges and selection of gay and gay-friendly restaurants in New York. Some bars, including the historic Stonewall and Julius bars, as well as the popular lesbian bar Henrietta Hudson, include bistros or cafes. You can easily spend well into three figures at some of the city's high-end restaurants. But you can also eat well on the cheap. During my stays I eat most of his meals at the King Food Chinese takeout restaurant, across the street from the Chelsea Pines, for about $4 per meal. You can buy a pretzel or hot dog on the street for as little as $1.
The city has two excellent gay bed and breakfasts: the Chelsea Pines Inn at 317 West 14th Street and the Colonial House Inn at 318 West 22nd Street. Room rates range from $80 to $140, a bargain by New York standards. The Chelsea Pines is perfectly situated on the border of the Greenwich Village and Chelsea neighbourhoods in the heart of gay New York and is a great choice for queer travellers. Although most of its visitors are gay men, lesbians are welcomed. Each of the 25 guest rooms is dedicated to a star from the Golden Age of Hollywood. Coffee and cookies are served 24 hours in the lounge that opens into an indoor and outdoor patio.
If you prefer more intimate lodging, the Chelsea Mews Guest House on 344 West 15th Street has 8 rooms, is limited to men, and is smoke-free throughout. As the name implies, it's in the Chelsea area, very near Greenwich Village.
If you like to travel in high style, you'll have plenty to choose from in New York but expect to shell out a minimum of $250 a night. Among the large gay-friendly hotels is the W, with three locations in New York: two near Grand Central Station and a third in the heart of Times Square.
If you want tickets to the most popular Broadway shows including gay favourites Hairspray, The Producers, and Avenue Q, buy your tickets well in advance of your trip.
For the less popular shows, TKTS on 47th Street at Broadway in Times Square will sell you tickets on the day of performance for up to half off. If the mainstream Broadway shows just aren't gay enough for you, check out Naked Boys Singing, playing at Theater Four at 424 West 55th Street. It continues to pack 'em in with eight shows a week.
Getting to and from JFK, the city's largest airport, has never been easier. For $5, the AirTrain will take you to the subway where you can ride the A-Train into the heart of the gay neighbourhoods of Greenwich Village and Chelsea.
Five Fab New York Queer Haunts
Henrietta Hudson 438 Hudson St (Subway: 1, 9 to Houston St_
A kind of rough around the edges, a no-nonsense party bar for rocker girls and brainy dykes looking to kick back without pretense.
Boysroom 9 Ave A (Subway: F, V to Second Ave)
A very appreciative crowd dances to DJs Adam and drag legend Misstress Formika's rock-funk-pop blend and fully enjoys the free tequila shots poured down their throats, while they wait to see naked boys.
Heaven 579 Sixth Ave ( Subway: 1, 2, 3, 9, F to 14th St; L to Sixth Ave)
A divinely gay twist to Dante's vision of the seven layers of hell. The all-white bar on the first floor is called the Ethereal Bar; Purgatory is a little room in back; and the ascent to Hell upstairs on the third floor is via the Celestial Lounge, where you can dance as devilishly as you desire.
Pieces 8 Christopher St (Subway: A, C, E, B, D, F, V to West 4th St; 1, 9 to Christopher St)
Every night's a show night here, but especially noteworthy is live cabaret on Wednesdays from the lovely Portia. The equally colorful clientele get a chance to shine at the ever-popular Karaoke on Tuesdays.
SBNY (Splash Bar New York) 50 W. 17th St (Subway: F to 14th St; Q, L, N, R, W, 4, 5, 6 to Union Sq)
Home to the hardbodies, the clientele and staff of SBNY have to be seen to be believed. You may feel less than body beautiful in their presence, but the wow factor eclipses all insecurities.
Don Hill's 511 Greenwich St (Subway: 1, 9 to Canal St; C, E to Spring St)
Veteran gay rock venue featuring live performances from up and coming bands, not to mention legendary rockers and punkettes from the '80s and '90s.