More evidence of the death of gay Chelsea: Jeremiah's Vanishing New York reports that the Rawhide -- a staple of the 'hood for decades -- is closing.
He writes: Opened in 1979, the Rawhide is one of the last of a handful of old-school, unpretentious gay bars left in New York City. It is a survivor. But it won't be for long. The building that houses it on 8th and 21st in Chelsea was sold a couple of years ago and the new landlord has jacked up the rent, nearly doubling it from $15,000 to $27,000 a month. The Rawhide has officially been evicted. Their last day will be March 31.The Rawhide was never my "scene," yet this breaks my heart. Can hardly wait to see the new nail salon/bank branch/chain restaurant that takes its place.
2 comments:
Everything I love about New York is disappearing. Each summer I visit, I see more and more chain stores taking over independently owned businesses. I always urge people who've never visited NYC to go now before all of its character is gone.
Loved the Rawhide in all its downmarket sleaziness! My husband took me there for the first time about 28 years ago. There used to be a length of split rail fence running down the middle of the room and there was a guy in leather handcuffed to it! Fabulous.
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