My view of the State of Gay Nightlife is coming from a different perspective than most. Not only am I an owner of Boxers NYC, but I am also the owner of a commercial Design/Build firm in NYC for almost 20 years. What I see is not necessarily the lack of an audience, but a huge lack of available space in Manhattan.
The Past: The days of the big clubs and party venues are over as we knew them. I cannot imagine a time again when such venues as The Roxy or The Limelight will again be a part of the Gay or straight nightlife. But I do not see it simply as being the growth of the internet or Grindr, or all the other “in house” options we have today. Our want to socialize and party will forever be in our DNA. But there have been so many changes in our surroundings that have seriously affected our ability to create the kind of spaces that would allow these venues to exist.
The Assault: Mayor Guilani began his crackdown in the 90’s directly on the existing venues and their patrons and literally drove them out of business or made it nearly impossible for them to stay. Not only was there pressure on the club owners but serious pressure was put on the landlords who rented to them. Many places simply lost their lease and had to close. They searched in vain for new locations but were denied leases again and again as the landlord did not want the problems that were associated with a club or the pressures from City Hall.
