A Salute to The Hangar, a Haven for Gay Black Elders
For 30 years, The Hangar was an unassuming dive bar on Christopher Street quietly nourishing a vital community.
While the loss of queer spaces in New York City seems to have thankfully slowed down in 2024, the year nevertheless kicked off with the sudden news of the end one particular institution’s era, when the Hangar Bar announced it would close for good on January 10th. Located at 115 Christopher Street between Bleecker and Hudson, Hangar Bar (also simply known as The Hangar) first opened in the heart of Manhattan’s historic West Village gay-borhood on June 25th, 1993 and for over 30 years remained a reliable staple, as a dark and narrow dive offering cheap drinks, a popular pool table and a laid-back atmosphere. The Hangar was also especially known to be patronized by a diverse range of mostly gay men, and in particular severed as a welcoming space and vital sanctuary for the older, gay Black male population.
According to Maurice Cassidy, he and his business partner Wayne Cato first opened The Hangar in June of 1993, taking over the space that had previously been home to the LGBTQ-friendly restaurant called Christopher’s. According to Cassidy: “I recall Christopher’s being in existence for much of the 1980s. Prior to that, I believe it was an Italian restaurant…I remember finding the old matchbooks and files in the basement. According to several of my older customers who remembered Stonewall and were there that night…at one time during the 1960s there was a sign in [this space’s] window stating ‘No gays allowed!’” Meanwhile, according to NYSonglines, which described The Hangar as "a good place to watch the passing [Pride] parade," the location at 115 Christopher was also once home to a bar called The Green Hornet, which closed in 1966 and was notably featured in several paintings by Edward Hopper.
As a bar, The Hangar was for the most part an unassuming, no frills space that felt welcoming to all. The venue was narrow in the front, with a row of seating along the length of the bar, but opened up more in the back, with a pool table that would often be the center of attention. The undulating, arched steel panel ceiling in the place was made to look like it belonged in an old airplane hangar, while scattered homoerotic artwork sparsely adorned the walls. A 2014 Gothamist review described The Hangar experience best: "For the most ethnically mixed crowd that I've seen at a gay bar, The Hangar takes the cake. Their bartenders make a wicked strong drink and on weekends you can find go-go boys who will take their whole ass out for the right amount of money. The bar area can be a little tight but as you walk to the back of the venue, it opens up for some breathing room."
Other design elements at The Hangar were limited, but included large wall murals painted with airplanes, reminding everyone of the venue’s hangar theme. But as a New York Magazine writeup noted: “What the Hangar lacks in design (aviation gray-color scheme), it makes up for with a lack of attitude and reasonable drink prices (Tuesday’s 2-for-1 happy hour lasts till 2 a.m.). The guys are similarly modest in attire; bared Chelsea muscle is restricted to the go-go boys on stage in the back where you’ll also find a pool table. The latter may generate more excitement than the former as the Wednesday night tournaments award a $100 first prize."
Indeed, one of The Hangar’s biggest draws was its in-demand pool table, but also the fact that the bar felt welcoming to all, regardless of age, body type, or skin color. Many patrons considered The Hangar to be both a landmark institution as well as their comforting home base, including patron Kirkland G: "One of the nicest dives I've been to. Very comfortable vibe and pretentiousness is not to be found. The dancers on Saturday nights are hot too. Moreover, on Saturdays they sometimes play old school disco which is always awesome because who doesn't like disco? The real selling point of this joint is the drinks. The Hangar gets my vote for having the cheapest, strongest drinks of any gay bar in NYC." Other patrons’ assessments of the space tended to read similarly, including Rolston W. who called The Hanger "one of the very few spots for us gays to hangout with friends and just be ourselves," as well as Jonathan M. who stated that it was “a divey, no frills and welcoming gay bar that stands strong in a neighborhood steadily gentrifying around it."
Sadly, gentrification ultimately did catch up to the longstanding establishment, and in early 2024 bar employee Julian Ledezma broke the news, announcing on Facebook that The Hangar would be closing permanently after over three decades in operation, stating: "Don't cry because it closed, cry because you didn't support it when you could've!" In response, New York City nightlife chronicler Michael Musto lamented Hangar's closure: “It's a shame our community can't seem to support gay bars that are not just predominantly white and drag oriented. And in this case, the rent went up too much!”
Many longterm patrons and employees of The Hangar grieved its sudden closing, including Alphonso King, Jr. who spun regularly there as DJ Relentless: “It was shocking to get a text from a good friend telling me that The Hangar Bar NYC closed…without warning. No closing party. No goodbyes. This interracial pick up bar just gone...like that. It was such a staple to the West Village. I owe a lot to this venue. It was the place [where] I built my brand and following as a New York City DJ. Because Rudy Giuliani was using an old Cabaret Law to shut down gay bars, there was no dancing allowed at The Hangar. Only go-go boys could dance on a platform. I got hired in 1994. I believe I was the first DJ hired. I had to learn how to keep an energy about the room but not too much that folks started dancing. This would be a challenge that I mastered with a little help from my Uncle Herb who taught me about programming. He said always tell a story and understand what you are saying with the music.” Relentless eventually assembled a tribute mix he made in honor of The Hangar, which can be listened to here.
Patron Preston Gyuwon So also mourned the closing of The Hanger: “The Hangar Bar was always my favorite gay bar in New York. I always felt welcome there in a queer city whose scene could often be isolating. I knew the team was struggling, but I'm stunned it closed so suddenly, without any warning. Thanks for all the warm nights, strong drinks, good music, and great conversation.” Meanwhile, Greg Smith added The Hangar to his list of now-gone LGBTQ+ spots in the West Village that were particularly beloved by and catered to the African-American community, which included Keller’s and Chi-Chi’z. In response to Smith’s list, Howard Moseley replied: “Yes, we must find another place to meet. Life is too short, we will move on to better things…”
nice piece Marc - I remember when this was new, and it was one of the important places we worked with when I did HIV research in the 1990s - Michael
So true, if we don’t support these bars they will disappear. Harsh reminder to all who don’t stop in to these places even for one drink! Get out into the community. Or else, watch these bars and other businesses continue to close one after the other then it’s too late to cry.