And I am here to review them all for you. Saturday I stopped into Circus, a new bar at Ninth and 43rd. However we did not stay. It is much the same scene as Rudy’s, just nearby: a dive with free hotdogs and cheap beer. Fun, but I guess we felt too old for it. Walked a few blocks uptown to Bar Nine instead and hung out on their comfy sofas.
Sunday I stopped into the Vlada Lounge, a new swanky — and mostly gay — vodka lounge at 51st between Eighth and Ninth. There are a lotta lotta gay bars in Hell’s Kitchen, I must say. My theory is that you can pretty much tell if a H.K. bar is gay or straight if it is on a street or an avenue: gay clubs are on streets, which get less foot traffic. The only exception is the (mostly gay) Ninth and 10th Ave. Lounges. Anyway Vlada was fun and there was a free show by a female impersonator upstairs (pictured) — someone from the cast of “The Threepenny Opera”, now on Broadway. “She” was very good. I think this might be a fun, slightly “edgy” place to take a girl.
Lastly last night I poked my head in Riposo46, a new wine bar on Ninth by 46th. Although tiny, it looked very nice. A nice addition to the neighborhood.
Circus has been around for maybe two months, the others are even newer. And there is still the Wee Pub on Ninth Ave. (at 51st) that has yet to open. Hell’s Kitchen is hot, hot, hot, baby…
Pop-ins at two gay bars! Fabulous! You’re so cosmopolitan … and see I was giving you grief about your Jewish girl diatribe. What can you tell us about Jewish guys?
Um, only one is gay. Although I did go to Therapy some weeks back. And actually after Vlada on Sunday I did pop in to two other gay clubs in Chelsea. I was hanging out with my gay triathlete friend, what can I tell you … I am decidedly not gay!