Marie's Crisis

St. Patricks day weekend my roommate and I were in the city and spent several FAB hours singing along with the gang. It was a small crowd but the fun was fun and drinks were stiff. Small and dingy Marie's Crisis is one of my favorite joints in the village.

The bar now has an open door policy [and no doorman] which allows in [often inebriated] straights who are not as gay-friendly as they were in the past. The last time I went several of the straight people I spoke to were not even aware that Marie's was a gay bar! Even on weekends straights now seem to be crowding out the gay customers. At least it's interesting to note that not all gays love show tunes and apparently plenty of straight people do! Cross seventh avenue to the Monster which also has a piano but is much gayer (the straight customers are much gay-friendlier, too).

HEADS UP: Like other places in the neighborhood, Marie's recently hired a straight-identified bartender for week nights. There were more straight people than gay in the bar the last time I was there, and frankly my comfort zone as a gay man was greatly diminished. I suspect it will remain pretty gay on weekends, but on week nights don't expect the same largely gay crowd it used to have. Straight bartenders -- who have no real connection to the gay community -- often indicate the wish of the management for a place to become mixed or even straight to increase business.

If your idea of a good time is standing around singing or listening to show tunes with a mostly gay crowd -- straights occasionally wander in but they tend to be respectful -- then this is the place for you. On weekends you can practically hear the singing from around the corner. The crowd is generally friendly, mixed ages, more interested in singing than cruising for the most part. You can choose to stay by the bar and converse with genial customers and bartenders if you wish. If you hate singing and show tunes and piano bars in general, then this place will give you the hives. This would be an okay place to bring your cooler straight friends if they dig Broadway.