Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Julius on Christopher


It’s been almost forty years since the Stonewall Riots, but the now-grizzled crowd at Julius around the corner has hardly budged. This West Village tavern is not only New York’s oldest gay bar, but one of its very oldest barrooms – it’s been in continuous operation since 1863. It’s ridden out Prohibition as a speakeasy, lured Broadway starlets downtown for its famous burgers, and played host to the Sip-In of 1966, when a group of gay men demanded bar service at a time when homosexuals could not legally assemble. Julius is a bit worse for the wear, however, and it doesn’t immediately seem like a gay scene (the bar is typically full of males and females); only a few back-room rainbow scarves set it apart from any other male-heavy, ramshackle sports bar. But the yellowing newspaper clippings and wall of signed head shots recall the bar’s storied past—as does the graying crowd, putting back bottles and four-dollar burgers from the grill in the corner. As trendier gay bars wash over the West Village, Julius soldiers on, unchanged. — Carey Jones/New York Magazine

15 comments:

dianasfaria.com said...

looks like a warm summer night.

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Sean said...

Ok so now I want to know what it looks like inside?

joo said...

Great shot, looks like calm and inviting place:)

Jeffinprov said...

The rather anonymously depicted bar is a Village landmark, Julius'. It is the daily hangout for a lively cross section of gay men, some of whom may have been contemporaries of Peter Stuyvesant. The interior looks much as it did when it was featured in "Last Stop Greenwich Village," although it was forced to undergo structural renovations after a near collapse in the 1980s. In an earlier time, it served as a sort of annex watering hole for Nick's the famous jazz bar, now demolished, that was found on the perpendicular corner.

Hilda said...

Such a poignant post and a beautiful photo! I really love your night shots, KM!

James said...

I like the warm lighting in this picture.

Jazzy said...

how interesting!

Anonymous said...

Nice piece. You made it look charming.

Laurie Allee said...

Great post, Ken. And this night shot is just splendid!

Lowell said...

Love the night shot...captures the ambiance perfectly as expressed in the commentary. I've never heard of Juluis, so this was a most interesting post!

Bri said...

Beautiful photo and great post.

Kate said...

Great use of available lighting to keep the atmosphere.
Nice shot
Kate from www.urban-photography-art.com

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the history. I pass the bar on my way home from the train and often think of the character it exudes.

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