G Lounge

(Credit: Photo by Irene LaGrasta)

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The first thing you'll notice when walking into this Chelsea gay HQ is its shape. True to its name, it is built in the shape of the letter "G", with a wing from the entrance creating a beeline right to the circular bar encompassing the center. Large window doors in the front allow a perfect view of passerby, while small sitting areas allow for intimate conversation. Music is loud and fun, and the clientele is as varied as the Chelsea scene itself. 

Biceps and briefcase-toters mix and mingle day at night at G Lounge, Chelsea's gay HQ, open for business since 1997. The bright, open space (true to its name, it's built in the shape of the letter G) with large windows overlooking 19th Street is a melting pot of ages and colors, too, with a sprinkling of straight-girl tag-a-longs enjoying a glimpse of the shirtless bartenders. DJs spin seven nights a week, but don't expect a lot of dancing—patrons often just surround the unique radial bar (where it's claimed the frozen cosmo was born) and look beautiful (or at least think they do). The G model has worked well enough in New York that the owners opened a sister location in LA.

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Chelsea bars, New York bars, Gay and lesbian bars, Neighborhood bars