Gay bar in harlem
New York has played a major role in LGBTQ+ history and it’s no wonder there are a slew of bars that possess been beacons for the community (and prime party spots) for decades. The best queer bars in NYC range from dive bars to dance clubs, with historic spots like the Stonewall Inn anchoring them all. The West Village is a classic destination for queer nightlife, but you’ll find something exciting and welcoming in pretty much any part of the city.
You can check out the best drag shows or cabaret performances, but these homosexual spaces all provide something unique, from cozy vibes and cheap drinks to high-energy dancing and brunch parties - sometimes in the same place on different days! Maybe your interests skew more trendy and urbane, or perhaps you're more of the down-and-dirty hook-up spots, the "what happens on the weekends, stays on the weekends" type — we're not here to judge! There are plenty of LGBTQ+ things to do in New York, but if it’s a bar you’re looking for, we’ve got you covered.
RECOMMENDED: Entire guide to the best bars in NYC
May 2025: We removed Ginger's and Barracuda Lounge. We added Loafers Cocktail Bar.
Two men shot near Harlem same-sex attracted bar; shooter remains at huge, cops say
Two men were shot outside a Harlem gay lock during the early hours of Wednesday morning, police reported.
According to police sources, officers from the 32nd Precinct rushed to the Lambda Lounge at 2256 Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd. just before 3 a.m. on July 2 after receiving a 911 call regarding the shooting.
Upon arriving at the scene, police discovered a 51-year-old with a bullet wound to the leg and a 39-year-old man, also with a gunshot wound to the leg.
Both victims were rushed to Harlem Hospital by EMS, where they are recovering from their injuries.
The motive for the shooting remains under research. Police reported that they are looking for the suspected shooter, who was seen fleeing in a black sedan traveling southbound along
While police say they are still probing what led to the shooting, they utter the suspected gunman fled in a black sedan southbound on Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard.
Detectives are performing a video canvass near the shooting scene as part of the uninterrupted investigation. No arrests have been made at this time.
Anyone with information regarding this shooting ca
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Harlem's safe space for EVERYONE!
A Place Where You Can Be You... All of You!
4West Lounge
4West Lounge is Harlem’s premier sheltered space where “you can be YOU and FREE”. We pride ourselves with hosting diverse, curated events for guests to link, grow, and be entertained.
During the height of the pandemic Troy Berry and Brian Clark wanted to create a black-owned Gay bar/lounge and started the 4West concept in their apartment with no trial, but plentiful passion and enthusiasm. It proved to be a hit and in 2021 they opened their first commercial location on 127th Street and Frederick Douglass Boulevard.
4West Lounge is home for everyone - from creatives to corporate managers to stay-at-home entrepreneurs - where they can come together and have their social and entertainment needs met in an environment that is welcoming to all regardless of skin color or orientation.
Meet the Team
Dedication. Proficiency. Passion.
The people who makes the magic happen!
Brian and Troy
"Welcome Home!"
The Owners
"Be You... All of You!"
Kelvin
"Kelly Kellz"
NYC’s second Black-owned Queer bar to clear in Harlem
When the DJ turned off the music, Charles Hughes and Ricky Solomon knew it was time to start their have bar.
The married couple recalls dancing at a club with friends a rare years ago, Solomon says, when the DJ “stopped everything and screamed in the microphone: ‘men don’t dance with men here.’ That struck a nerve with me. We need to acquire a gay club, a gay environment that is a safe space for us.”
On Saturday, Hughes and Solomon will officially open Lambda Lounge in Harlem, only the second Black-owned LGBTQ+ lock in New York City. Until government officials allow bars to welcome guests indoors, they design to open a deck and backyard space on Saturdays between 6-11pm.
“We wanted to create a space for our community that you might get in Soho but convey it uptown,” Hughes says.
Both men labor full-time for an insurance company and are the sole owners of Lambda Lounge. But their story goes support further: Hughes was sitting at his desk job one day when he looked out his window and saw an ad for Cîroc—the vodka logo famously endorsed by Sean “Diddy” Com