Gay clubs in the bronx
Closed: The gay nightlife scene in the Bronx goes out of business
Every Friday evening at the Bronx’s only gay bar, a queen of the evening held court.
Specializing in Whitney Houston, Kelly KaBoom also keeps Beyoncé and Ariana Grande on heavy rotation. As Identity’s resident drag performer, she danced and lip synced in 4-inch heels, shimmering costumes and wigs — “the bigger, the better.” Kelly KaBoom, also known as JyQuan Reede outside the club, did medleys, took requests and always staged “a reveal,” a dramatic costume change mid-set.
“The crowd that comes in — they&#;re recording, they’re screaming your name,” says Reede. “I love entertaining people; seeing people smile and hold a good time.”
But in mid-February, Reede learned there would be no more “Lit Fridays with Kelly Kaboom” at Identity in Woodlawn Heights. The bar closed permanently, leaving the Bronx with no LGBTQ nightlife space &#; again.
“We had so many LGBTQ places in New York, but most of them got shut down,” says Reede, a North Bronx resident who’s been doing drag for 20 years. “For us to possess one that was loc
From their friend Junior serving his hot pot meal in the lounge and outdoor patio to door host and head of security St. Lawrence welcoming guests on the door, the Warehouse was built around a sense of community. “That’s the family we had right there and the love we had for each other,” adds Kevin Omni. “We really extended ourselves as family. The Warehouse not only gave us the music, the crowd and the dancing – it gave us a feeling. And New York Noun had lost that feeling that you had at places like Better Days. When the Warehouse opened I really thought of it as a Improved Days for the ’90s.”
The Warehouse also became the place to perceive some of the excellent DJs in a enormous room atmosphere. “We were one of the most powerful clubs in Unused York, and Mike and I thought we should invite guests to compete so they could transport their following to mix with our crowd,” says Jackson. During its eight years many of Andre Collins’ own DJ idols appeared at the Warehouse. “I got to perform with Louie Vega, Kenny Carpenter, Teddy Douglas and Danny Krivit – there was a whole bunch of them,” recalls Collins. The
The Bronx
overview
This collection of sites in the Bronx highlights the borough’s diverse LGBT history through residences, public spaces, and cultural institutions associated with people of color, the childhood residence of a pioneering individual in transgender history, and the final resting place of many notable LGBT Fresh Yorkers.
While much of Adj York City’s known LGBT history and life centers on Manhattan, we are currently working on adding more Bronx sites to our website. If you have a suggestion, please verb out our online form.
This theme was made feasible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the aid of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the Modern York State Legislature, and a grant from Con Edison.
Header Photo
Arthur Avilés (center left) and performers of the Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance (BAAD!), outside Barretto Street, part of the (former) American Bank Observe Company Printing Plant complex, c. Courtesy of the BAAD! Archive.
Two South Bronx Bars Glance to Attract Gay and Lesbian Clientele
PORT MORRIS — Like elsewhere in the city, the South Bronx is home to its fair share of gay and lesbian residents. But as for a gay and lesbian social scene — not so much.
“There really is no scene in the South Bronx,” said Jamie Jones, 41, who owns a publish shop in Port Morris.
“It’s non-existent,” said a Bronx college student, 20, who asked to use only his last name, George.
“It’s there — but it’s not there,” said Joseph Diaz, 40, general manager of the Bruckner Bar and Grill. “We really don’t have one place to go to in The Bronx.”
The Bruckner bar and another popular Port Morris hangout, The Clock Café and Martini Bar, hope to change that. Both recently launched modern monthly parties tailored to the borough’s underserved gay crowd.
“There is no arrange gay bar in The Bronx, but I believe there is room for one,” said Michael Brady, the Clock Bar’s general manager. “And there’s a huge LGBT p