Gay leather bar new york city

Corral, Hayloft, Zodiac, and the Dungeon. From untila number of gay leather bars and sex clubs operated in this former market building in the Meatpacking District.

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The most legendary was the Mineshaft, a popular sex club that opened in and became one of the most famous such spaces in the world, but was forced to close in It became the first gay venue shut down by the City as part of its then-controversial AIDS prevention measures. The Mineshaft, Washington Street, Photo by Brian Rose.

Source: Jeremiah's Vanishing New York. In the decades after opening inthe market building at Washington Street housed a variety of poultry, fruit, provisions, and gay dealers, and trucking and telegraph firms. The last market-related company lasted here until Overlapping with that use, a series of gay leather bars began leasing space in on the first and second floors of the city.

The Meatpacking District, in the northwestern corner of Greenwich Village, was then a perfect location for gay nightspots as there were no other nightly activities in the area, other than sex workers on the streets. Corral The Den, located on the first floor from tostarted out as a members-only leather bar.

After a renovation it was known for dancing, a leather table, cheap drinks, and its free buffet on Sundays. Corral, an actual leather bar, york to This was replaced by the Zodiac, which featured a sex room, from to In bar, the Zodiac was surveilled by the Knapp Commission investigating police corruption in the 6th Precinct in Greenwich Village, and in Julypolice raided it as part of a crackdown on nine Mafia-connected bars in the area.

The Mineshaft In the fall ofthe Mafia-connected owners hired Wally Wallace to turn the failing disco into a private club for men into the leather subculture. The new Mineshaft, opened on October 6,expanded into the entire building, including the roof. The Mineshaft was entered through a dark stairway that led to the second floor, where a visitor was greeted by the famous posted Dress Code, and a doorman who checked memberships, enforced the Dress Code, and collected fees.

The Dress Code to enter the club was originally strictly leather, but was soon altered to include masculine-presenting wear — however, it prohibited cologne, suits and ties, dress pants, sweaters, rugby shirts, disco wear, and drag. The archetypes of this code influenced the creation of the ironically popular musical group the Village People.

The Mineshaft was a full out sex club. Behind the check-in was the clothes check, a large bar, and pool tables. A total of three bars sold mostly beer, in keeping with the masculine theme. It was open from p. The writer Brad Gooch remembered the surreal experience of exiting the Mineshaft after a new night out.

The line between fantasy and reality blurred for me. The erotic artist REX designed posters, ads, and t-shirts for the Mineshaft.