Reporting, Profiles, breaking news, cultural coverage, podcasts, videos, and cartoons from The New Yorker. Belfast has one of the most vibrant gay scenes in the country, The Kremlin is one of the finest gay bars in Europe and the gay village offers something for everyone, from cafes, shops and even two gay saunas. Outside of the scene the city offers lots for tourists, including the world famous Titanic exhibition.
Yes, there are still some places, even in the wake of crackdowns and internet hookups.
Tom and Celeste DaCosta of the Village of Tall Trees, and their son Eric, a retired police officer who just arrived as a new Villager an hour before tasting this creation, were delighted with “Sex on the Square.” “Smooth, Caribbean tasting, and very good” are some of the comments they shared as they passed the drink among themselves.
Here they are, in all their grubby desperation and/or fascinating appeal:
The Black Party. Just walking to the bar there, you might find yourself suddenly entrenched in a nine-way involving every fetish you never even dreamed of. Wear plastic bags. (March 19 at Roseland Ballroom.)
The Villages Dating Scene
Banya. A bathhouse-y party that starts slowly, but after the toweled (and usually hot) patrons have had a few thousand drinks, it becomes a nouveau version of the twin cities–Sodom and Gomorrah. (The last time around, they moved the location to Brooklyn, sending a bus from Chelsea. We’ll see where the next one is. Even cross-country would be worth it.)
The Village Dating Scene
Vishara. A low-rent Times Square video store, the upstairs is lined with booths which are supposed to be only for one, though that’s hardly enforced, as long as you put a dollar in the slot for porn films. Some cuties, some mental patients, and some cute mental patients. (8th Avenue between 48th and 49th.)
West Side Club. They say it’s “an alternative to the bar scene,” but it’s really just the bar scene with fewer clothes on, and with a sauna. The same attitude prevails, and everyone seems afraid to make a move, but maybe you’ll get lucky and meet Mr. Right–or at least Mr. Works-For-Me-Till-Midnight. (27 W. 20th St.)
East Side Club. Same owners, same vibe, pretty much the same rates. It’s been there for decades, so there must be some hot, available junk there. Lay down, spread your legs–and play safe! (227 E. 56th Street)
The Villages Dating Scene
And of course there’s always your home. Ever try it?