Are you a social drinker who enjoys going to bars? If so, you may have enjoyed going to the gay 90s bar.

Here in New York City, the nightlife scene has been very vibrant. Many tourists have come here to frequent the clubs and bars. One famous bar in NYC was the Gay 90s bar. In this post, I will discuss the venue and how it started.

Origins of the Gay 90s bar

The influence of the roaring twenties

The name the “Gay 90s” stemmed from the time period back in the 1890s and the roaring twenties. The roaring twenties (1920s) was a time of drastic change. More money came into the pockets of individuals. Music, dance, and fashion become more popular. Women became more expressive in their sexuality. Traditionally, women were expected to wear long dresses but now more of them wore lipstick and skirts. Even homosexuality became more acceptable, especially in major cities like New York and London.

One of the major things that happened was Prohibition which was the ban on the sale of alcohol in the country. For that reason, many speakeasies started to grow.

Rise of speakeasies

Speakeasies were secret establishments that served alcohol. These bars had hidden passageways into the venue. They were out of public view to prevent local authorities from coming in and shutting the places down. One of them was the Gay 90s bar. The bar was created by Bill Hardy and was located in Midtown at 57 East 54th Street.

Set up of the bar

The venue was sectioned off into different parts. The ground floor had sports memorabilia and allowed men only. The second floor was a dining room and the third floor had a private room called the “Tenderloin Room” for private parties.

Wrap up

The Gay 90s bar was one of the oldest bars in NYC. It was shut down in 2012 and became a new venue.