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The Best Of LGBT New York City
The Best Of LGBT New York City
By Steven Skelley and Thomas Routzong
New York City is one of the world’s major commercial, financial and cultural icons with Wall Street, the Empire State Building, Central Park, Broadway, Times Square and Stonewall. It is also an LGBT affirming and welcoming destination with wonderful assets that many probably don’t even know about.
We asked NYC & Company's Senior Vice President of Global Communications Chris Heywood on their LGBTQ-related initiatives. He relayed his thoughts through Ed Salvato, editor in chief of ManAboutWorld.
How would you describe New York City in one sentence?
Awe-inspiring, forever reinventing itself and the ultimate LGBTQ-welcoming destination, New York City boasts countless activities, dining options and attractions as well as the most captivating people watching on the planet.
What can you tell us about the LGBTQ history of New York City?
Most people probably know that the Stonewall uprising that marked a major turning point in the modern LGBTQ civil rights movement occurred in New York City in June 1969. But LGBTQ history started well before that beginning with the very origin of New York.
LGBTQ history and culture — even in New York City — is often ignored or erased. There are several organizations that have attempted to rectify that including the NYC LGBTQ Historic Sites Project, https://www.nycLGBTsites.org the first initiative to document historic and cultural sites associated with the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community in the five boroughs.
This short piece spotlights a few historic sites to help illustrate the depth and breadth of NYC’s LGBTQ history and the community’s impact on American culture. Many of these sites continue to provide a safe venue for queer New Yorkers, visitors and allies. Check the Sites Project’s website to see much more of this continuously growing archive.
Sadly the little historical documentation we have of LGBTQ New York (and earlier New Amsterdam) from the 1600s to 1799 are trials and executions of men accused of sodomy. By the early 19th century, anti-gay laws were relaxed to ‘only’ include years of imprisonment or hard labor. However the 1800s saw the first stirrings of a more positive LGBTQ history.
Walt Whitman House https://www.nyclgbtsites.org/site/walt-whitman-residence/
Famous poet Walt Whitman resided here when his famous collection of poems, Leaves of Grass was published in July 1855.
Early Harlem LGBTQ parties https://www.nycgo.com/articles/harlem-LGBTQ-neighborhood-guide
Harlem has long been a sanctuary for the LGBTQ community. As early as 1869, there were notorious masquerade parties held here, which gave way to popular drag balls in the 1920s and ’30s—part of the so-called Pansy Craze.
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/sep/14/pansy-craze-the-wild-1930s-drag-parties-that-kickstarted-gay-nightlife With an abundance of gay-friendly restaurants, bars, shops, galleries, coffee shops and cultural options, Harlem welcomes all kinds of visitors.
Jacob Riis Park https://www.nycgo.com/venues/jacob-riis-park
Jacob Riis Park is a seaside park at the southwestern end the Rockaway Peninsula in Queens. The beach’s eastern end has been a popular site for LGBTQ sunbathing and socializing since the 1940s.
Julius’ https://www.nycgo.com/restaurants/julius
One of the oldest gay bars in the U.S. Julius was the site of a 1966 ‘sip in’ to protest laws that banned bars from serving known or suspected gay people.
The Stonewall Inn https://www.nycgo.com/nightlife/the-stonewall-inn
This bar is perhaps one of the best known gay historical site in the country. The riots that exploded here in June 1969 arguably triggered the modern incarnation of the LGBTQ rights movement. President Barack Obama designated the bar and adjoining park as a National Historic Monument. The National Park offers a free LGBTQ history walking tour in a downloadable PDF format. https://www.npca.org/resources/3214-LGBTQ-history-tour-greenwich-village-new-york-ny
Greenwich Village Waterfront https://www.nyclgbtsites.org/site/greenwich-village-waterfront-and-the-christopher-street-pier
For over a century LGBTQ people have been gathering at the waterfront at the western end of Christopher Street. This area was notorious for open cruising by mostly young gay males. But as the area has gentrified’ the socializing has become tamer. It’s considered a safe haven for more marginalized segments of the LGBTQ community, incuding young trans and queer youth of color many of whom make the journey in from New Jersey via the nearby PATH train.
Bayard Rustin House https://www.nps.gov/places/bayard-rustin-residence.htm
Bayard Rustin was a gay man with many dimensions: African American; Quaker; civil rights advocate; proponent of nonviolence; and campaigner for social and economic justice. He had an impact on many of the nation’s social justice movements starting in the 1930s. He lived in Chelsea from 1963 until his death in 1987.
Alice Austen House https://www.nycgo.com/museums-galleries/alice-austen-house-museum
The Alice Austen House fosters creative expression, explores personal identity, and educates and inspires the public through the interpretation of the photographs, life and historic home of pioneering American photographer, Alice Austen (1866-1952). Austen lived at this Staten Island house with her partner of 53 years, Gertrude Tate. Today it is a museum.
Lesbian Herstory Archives https://www.nycgo.com/museums-galleries/lesbian-herstory-archives
Located in Park Slope, Brooklyn the Lesbian Herstory Archives is home to the world's largest collection of materials by and about lesbians and their communities, including 11,000 books dating to the 19th century. It was founded in Manhattan in 1974 and moved to Brooklyn in 1993.
Christine Jorgensen Childhood Residence https://www.nyclgbtsites.org/site/christine-jorgensen-childhood-residence/
Bronx-born Christine Jorgensen was an American trans woman who was the first person to become widely known in the United States for having sex confirmation surgery.
By Steven Skelley and Thomas Routzong
New York City is one of the world’s major commercial, financial and cultural icons with Wall Street, the Empire State Building, Central Park, Broadway, Times Square and Stonewall. It is also an LGBT affirming and welcoming destination with wonderful assets that many probably don’t even know about.
We asked NYC & Company's Senior Vice President of Global Communications Chris Heywood on their LGBTQ-related initiatives. He relayed his thoughts through Ed Salvato, editor in chief of ManAboutWorld.
How would you describe New York City in one sentence?
Awe-inspiring, forever reinventing itself and the ultimate LGBTQ-welcoming destination, New York City boasts countless activities, dining options and attractions as well as the most captivating people watching on the planet.
What can you tell us about the LGBTQ history of New York City?
Most people probably know that the Stonewall uprising that marked a major turning point in the modern LGBTQ civil rights movement occurred in New York City in June 1969. But LGBTQ history started well before that beginning with the very origin of New York.
LGBTQ history and culture — even in New York City — is often ignored or erased. There are several organizations that have attempted to rectify that including the NYC LGBTQ Historic Sites Project, https://www.nycLGBTsites.org the first initiative to document historic and cultural sites associated with the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community in the five boroughs.
This short piece spotlights a few historic sites to help illustrate the depth and breadth of NYC’s LGBTQ history and the community’s impact on American culture. Many of these sites continue to provide a safe venue for queer New Yorkers, visitors and allies. Check the Sites Project’s website to see much more of this continuously growing archive.
Sadly the little historical documentation we have of LGBTQ New York (and earlier New Amsterdam) from the 1600s to 1799 are trials and executions of men accused of sodomy. By the early 19th century, anti-gay laws were relaxed to ‘only’ include years of imprisonment or hard labor. However the 1800s saw the first stirrings of a more positive LGBTQ history.
Walt Whitman House https://www.nyclgbtsites.org/site/walt-whitman-residence/
Famous poet Walt Whitman resided here when his famous collection of poems, Leaves of Grass was published in July 1855.
Early Harlem LGBTQ parties https://www.nycgo.com/articles/harlem-LGBTQ-neighborhood-guide
Harlem has long been a sanctuary for the LGBTQ community. As early as 1869, there were notorious masquerade parties held here, which gave way to popular drag balls in the 1920s and ’30s—part of the so-called Pansy Craze.
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/sep/14/pansy-craze-the-wild-1930s-drag-parties-that-kickstarted-gay-nightlife With an abundance of gay-friendly restaurants, bars, shops, galleries, coffee shops and cultural options, Harlem welcomes all kinds of visitors.
Jacob Riis Park https://www.nycgo.com/venues/jacob-riis-park
Jacob Riis Park is a seaside park at the southwestern end the Rockaway Peninsula in Queens. The beach’s eastern end has been a popular site for LGBTQ sunbathing and socializing since the 1940s.
Julius’ https://www.nycgo.com/restaurants/julius
One of the oldest gay bars in the U.S. Julius was the site of a 1966 ‘sip in’ to protest laws that banned bars from serving known or suspected gay people.
The Stonewall Inn https://www.nycgo.com/nightlife/the-stonewall-inn
This bar is perhaps one of the best known gay historical site in the country. The riots that exploded here in June 1969 arguably triggered the modern incarnation of the LGBTQ rights movement. President Barack Obama designated the bar and adjoining park as a National Historic Monument. The National Park offers a free LGBTQ history walking tour in a downloadable PDF format. https://www.npca.org/resources/3214-LGBTQ-history-tour-greenwich-village-new-york-ny
Greenwich Village Waterfront https://www.nyclgbtsites.org/site/greenwich-village-waterfront-and-the-christopher-street-pier
For over a century LGBTQ people have been gathering at the waterfront at the western end of Christopher Street. This area was notorious for open cruising by mostly young gay males. But as the area has gentrified’ the socializing has become tamer. It’s considered a safe haven for more marginalized segments of the LGBTQ community, incuding young trans and queer youth of color many of whom make the journey in from New Jersey via the nearby PATH train.
Bayard Rustin House https://www.nps.gov/places/bayard-rustin-residence.htm
Bayard Rustin was a gay man with many dimensions: African American; Quaker; civil rights advocate; proponent of nonviolence; and campaigner for social and economic justice. He had an impact on many of the nation’s social justice movements starting in the 1930s. He lived in Chelsea from 1963 until his death in 1987.
Alice Austen House https://www.nycgo.com/museums-galleries/alice-austen-house-museum
The Alice Austen House fosters creative expression, explores personal identity, and educates and inspires the public through the interpretation of the photographs, life and historic home of pioneering American photographer, Alice Austen (1866-1952). Austen lived at this Staten Island house with her partner of 53 years, Gertrude Tate. Today it is a museum.
Lesbian Herstory Archives https://www.nycgo.com/museums-galleries/lesbian-herstory-archives
Located in Park Slope, Brooklyn the Lesbian Herstory Archives is home to the world's largest collection of materials by and about lesbians and their communities, including 11,000 books dating to the 19th century. It was founded in Manhattan in 1974 and moved to Brooklyn in 1993.
Christine Jorgensen Childhood Residence https://www.nyclgbtsites.org/site/christine-jorgensen-childhood-residence/
Bronx-born Christine Jorgensen was an American trans woman who was the first person to become widely known in the United States for having sex confirmation surgery.
Transy House https://www.nycLGBTsites.org/site/transy-house/
From 1995 to 2008 this house served as a transgender collective from 1995 to 2008 and a center for political organizing. It also provided a home to many transgender people in need, and was the last residence of Sylvia Rivera, a pioneering trans activist.
What can you tell us about the best things for LGBTQ visitors to see and do while visiting New York City?
When people ask what is New York’s gay neighborhood, just point at a map of all five boroughs of the city. We’re exaggerating, but only slightly. LGBTQ people live throughout the City. In recent history the best known LGBTQ-specific neighborhoods are:
We’ve devised this fun, easy-to-execute walking tour https://www.nycgo.com/articles/gay-nyc exploring many of these areas.
How would you describe the dining options in New York City?
In a city that offers 24,000 restaurants, it’s safe to say that you can pretty much find anything you want to eat at any budget. Your eating choices in New York City are as limitless as your cravings. Want a 15-course tasting menu at the latest trendsetting restaurant? A porterhouse for two at an old-timey steakhouse? A plateful of Chinese dumplings? The City has thousands of places featuring cuisines from around the world. Explore this section to find the restaurants—and meals—of your dreams. Browse some of the many options available here. https://www.nycgo.com/things-to-do/restaurants-dining
Why is New York City such a popular destination?
It sounds like a cliche but it is not: There is literally something for everyone in New York City. You’ll find lots of great New York stories on our website NYCGo.com https://www.nycgo.com/ with a focus on queer stories on our LGBTQ pages. https://www.nycgo.com/maps-guides/gay
Here we highlight a few recent pieces that reflect the diversity we are so proud of.
Trans girlfriends need a getaway, too
One of our writers is one of several transgender women who shared some of the spots they go with their trans girlfriends to laugh, shop, learn and connect. https://www.nycgo.com/articles/top-10-trans-girlfriend-getaway-nyc-experiences
Lesbian nightlife is booming
Sadly in many destinations around the country lesbian nightlife seems to be dwindling. Nothing could be farther from the truth in New York City where venues for women who love women are vibrant and spread throughout the boroughs. For more check out our guide to lesbian nightlife. https://www.nycgo.com/articles/guide-to-lesbian-nightlife-in-nyc
New York is safe for the kids
DId you know that New York is super family friendly? We canvassed some of our favorite queer families for this update on the city’s many LGBTQ-friendly venues. https://www.nycgo.com/articles/LGBTQ-family-friendly-nyc
New York is also the city that everyone in the world feels like they already know because of its innumerable depictions on popular media for the past century whether a Buster Keaton film, an episode of Law & Order or the latest Instagram https://www.instagram.com/nph/ from openly gay multi-hyphenate performer Neil Patrick Harris.
But it’s impossible to ever fully know everything about this ever-changing city from a two-dimensional screen. You just have to visit to create and understand your own New York story.
Begin your exploration of queer New York at our LGBTQ landing page. https://www.nycgo.com/maps-guides/gay
From 1995 to 2008 this house served as a transgender collective from 1995 to 2008 and a center for political organizing. It also provided a home to many transgender people in need, and was the last residence of Sylvia Rivera, a pioneering trans activist.
What can you tell us about the best things for LGBTQ visitors to see and do while visiting New York City?
When people ask what is New York’s gay neighborhood, just point at a map of all five boroughs of the city. We’re exaggerating, but only slightly. LGBTQ people live throughout the City. In recent history the best known LGBTQ-specific neighborhoods are:
- The West Village (or Greenwich Village) with many queer people and LGBTQ-owned and LGBTQ-popular businesses along Christopher Street. A really fun highlight of this area is the Christopher Street Pier during warm and sunny days when you can find hundreds of people of every color of the gay rainbow sunning, cruising, reading and just enjoying the queer company all around them. Discover the West Village’s numerous intimate performance and arts venues. https://www.nycgo.com/boroughs-neighborhoods/manhattan/west-village
- Chelsea, with many LGBTQ people and businesses that cater to them along 8th Ave between 14th and 23rd Streets (also known as the “catwalk.”) A wonderful time to experience this is to walk up and down 8th and 7th Avenues during a warm day during brunch time (Saturday of course but mostly Sunday afternoon) and just enjoy the sights and sounds of queens at brunch.
- Hell’s Kitchen, especially along 9th Ave between 42nd and 52nd Streets is the newest of the major gayborhoods in New York City. At first many younger LGBTQ people moved here to escape the rising rents of Chelsea though those have caught up unfortunately propelling those seeking lower rents further uptown, especially to the Hamilton Heights section of West Harlem. Hell’s Kitchen and West Harlem are also popular with a younger gay and lesbian theater community who appreciate proximity to New York’s many performance spaces around Times Square. Hell’s Kitchen is a great place to grab a bite and hit the bars or clubs. Head here for a deeper dive into Hell’s Kitchen dining and nightlife. https://www.nycgo.com/articles/hells-kitchen-dining-and-nightlife
- Williamsburg and Jackson Heights. Outside of Manhattan, these two neighborhoods are up and coming, attracting younger queers seeking more affordable rents in diverse neighborhoods. Half of Jackson Heights’ residents identify as Latino. It’s home to many gay-friendly venues including True Colors, Friend’s Tavern and Hombres Lounge, which have helped this area become a sanctuary for the Latino LGBT community.
- Park Slope, Brooklyn has long been a lesbian mecca, with numerous venues popular with lesbians. Begin your exploration at the Park Slope office of the Lesbian Herstory Archives (484 14th St. in Park Slope, Brooklyn) or online http://www.lesbianherstoryarchives.org/ in their archives.
We’ve devised this fun, easy-to-execute walking tour https://www.nycgo.com/articles/gay-nyc exploring many of these areas.
How would you describe the dining options in New York City?
In a city that offers 24,000 restaurants, it’s safe to say that you can pretty much find anything you want to eat at any budget. Your eating choices in New York City are as limitless as your cravings. Want a 15-course tasting menu at the latest trendsetting restaurant? A porterhouse for two at an old-timey steakhouse? A plateful of Chinese dumplings? The City has thousands of places featuring cuisines from around the world. Explore this section to find the restaurants—and meals—of your dreams. Browse some of the many options available here. https://www.nycgo.com/things-to-do/restaurants-dining
Why is New York City such a popular destination?
It sounds like a cliche but it is not: There is literally something for everyone in New York City. You’ll find lots of great New York stories on our website NYCGo.com https://www.nycgo.com/ with a focus on queer stories on our LGBTQ pages. https://www.nycgo.com/maps-guides/gay
Here we highlight a few recent pieces that reflect the diversity we are so proud of.
Trans girlfriends need a getaway, too
One of our writers is one of several transgender women who shared some of the spots they go with their trans girlfriends to laugh, shop, learn and connect. https://www.nycgo.com/articles/top-10-trans-girlfriend-getaway-nyc-experiences
Lesbian nightlife is booming
Sadly in many destinations around the country lesbian nightlife seems to be dwindling. Nothing could be farther from the truth in New York City where venues for women who love women are vibrant and spread throughout the boroughs. For more check out our guide to lesbian nightlife. https://www.nycgo.com/articles/guide-to-lesbian-nightlife-in-nyc
New York is safe for the kids
DId you know that New York is super family friendly? We canvassed some of our favorite queer families for this update on the city’s many LGBTQ-friendly venues. https://www.nycgo.com/articles/LGBTQ-family-friendly-nyc
New York is also the city that everyone in the world feels like they already know because of its innumerable depictions on popular media for the past century whether a Buster Keaton film, an episode of Law & Order or the latest Instagram https://www.instagram.com/nph/ from openly gay multi-hyphenate performer Neil Patrick Harris.
But it’s impossible to ever fully know everything about this ever-changing city from a two-dimensional screen. You just have to visit to create and understand your own New York story.
Begin your exploration of queer New York at our LGBTQ landing page. https://www.nycgo.com/maps-guides/gay
Article by Steven Skelley and Thomas Routzong
Copyright 2018 Sunny Harbor Publishing Sunny Harbor Publishing, PO Box 560318, Rockledge, FL 32956 Phone: 321-446-7552 Email: [email protected] Website: www.SunnyHarborPublishing.org |
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Gay Travelers Magazine
the best cruise & travel news, tips & reviews for the sensible gay traveler
the best cruise & travel news, tips & reviews for the sensible gay traveler