Stonewall

The new owners have certainly cleaned up this historic landmark, but I truthfully miss the previous Stonewall. I have not seen the newly rennoveated upstairs, but the new decor is comfortable, and the DJ's are fun!

If you visit New York and think you want to sample a bit of gay history -- think again. There's little to remind anyone of the Stonewall rebellion or Gay Pride in this establishment. Its original intention to be "mixed," serving all factions of the gay community, hasn't worked out and "mixed" merely means gay and straight. This has the same owners as the (supposedly gay-friendly but essentially straight) Duplex on the corner, and somehow drunken straight tourists pass by the two straight bars in-between and wind up in the Stonewall. Last time -- and I mean the last time -- I was there a gay man was assaulted by one of these schmoes, and --incredibly! --the hostess asked the gay man to leave and allowed the gay BASHER to stay! Outrageous! The management has made a big deal out of the bar now being "gay-owned" but they've simply turned it into a blah, unfriendly cocktail lounge. The big irony is that when the bar was straight-owned a few years ago it was packed, cruisy, hot, and a hell of a lot more fun than it is now. Too bad -- some of the employees are nice but they're definitely working in the wrong bar. There's absolutely no reason to go out of your way to visit this miserable joint that seems to favor homophobic customers over gay ones.

Spent a delightful Monday afternoon here, the Mets home opener (which they won). Weather outside (fifties!) was hardly conducive to baseball, but inside, temp was perfect. Bar crowded, game on, good feeling. Wonderful sitting at the Stonewall once again. Friendly, relaxed, unaffected. Place has been really spiffed up, the polish on the woodwork almost glistening. Been back several times, night and day. Also, want to alert readers to a remarkable group, the Stonewall Vets, all veterans of the Stonewall Rebellion in 1969. Please visit their site, these people are involved in the entire GLBT arena. http://www.stonewallvets.org/

Have been to this place several times now and generally have found it to be convivial and pleasant, with a nice crowd of men of mixed ages, as well as some women, both gay and straight. The owners promised that the bar would remind everyone of what the Stonewall rebellion was all about, but there's little in the bar -- so far -- that makes it clear that this is the birthplace of the Modern-day Gay Rights Movement. Hopefully that will change, as the place hasn't even had its Grand Opening Night party yet [the date has not been announced]. This is certainly worth a look, however -- an attractive place with a rich history. Friendly bartenders. Let's hope this really evolves into the Stonewall Inn and doesn't just turn into The Duplex 2.