West 42nd St. to Become Gay Amusement Park
Based on what Queerty is reporting about a couple upcoming developments in NYC's gay nightlife, we're not exactly sure whether to feel really encouraged or really depressed:
"Dubbed "The Out NYC," it'll be a "hospitality and entertainment destination geared to the gay community," although it's also being shopped by developers as "a hetero-friendly urban resort." What's to be expected? Restaurants! Gyms! Spas! Hotels! All located in five stories at 508 West 42nd Street, between Tenth and Eleventh Avenues in Hell’s Kitchen.
Moreover, gay nightlife impresario John Blair (pictured, top), who disappeared from the scene when The Roxy's Saturday night fracas ended, is expected to return by reopening xL, the two-story Chelsea lounge that closed years ago when Blair lost his lease."
On the one hand, yeah, I would be nice to have a big ass gay club with a huge dance floor to fill the void left by the Roxy. Remember Spirit and Avalon? We never really went to any of those clubs, but it just seemed right that they were there.
On the other hand, those sort of clubs represent, to us anyway, the most boring and homogenized version of gay nightlife. Hundreds of shirtless dudes in stupid baseball caps, an Ed Hardy tee hanging from the waist of their jeans, trying to look like the guys on The Jersey Shore.
And XL? Seriously?
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XL Lounge back in the day
