The Beatrice Inn

I was in the West Village enjoying a day off when I decided to stop by Stonewall for a few drinks. I know the history of Stonewall and imagined that Saturday would be a bit crazy, so I decided to sit outside. Truthfully, I wasn’t expecting much. Just after I got comfortable, Kristy came and greeted me with the warmest smile and took my order. She was super attentive and made sure that I was enjoying myself, even though I was by myself at the time. The atmosphere was amazing, everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves and it really reinforced the idea of community that I know Stonewall is famous for building. Just as I finished my last drink and closed out, a few friends decided to join me and I asked if we could be served by the other server, Damian, so that the both of them would make money from the table I’d been taking up for a few hours. Kristy was very understanding and happy to share business with Damian which, as a bartender of over 10+ years, I know is pretty uncommon. When my friends joined me, Damian proved that Kristy’s service was not a fluke or one-off thing. I’m typing this as we enjoy our second round together, and the vibes are so great that we intend to hang outside until they close, then we’ll be taking the party inside. It’s clear, at least where the two of them are concerned, that Stonewall creates an environment that is welcoming and fun for everyone involved. We will definitely be coming back sooner rather than later, and I look forward to the next time I get to experience Stonewall’s patio area when Kristy and Damian are working. It seems like it, but I hope they have as much fun working there as we had being their customers.

My friends and I were all out one night in NYC and, while already having had much to drink, turned a corner and magically found Stonewall Inn. We had no idea it was right there, but as a group of queer people, it genuinely felt like it was inviting us in to feel at home. We all were so shocked to see it right there, and we were amazed at the environment inside. The music was BUMPING and it was cool to see such a historically relevant bar that has been around for so long ALIVE and KICKING. It was packed and full of amazing vibes, kind and fun people, and great music. We didn’t know exactly what to expect, but we hung out there for a while and made some of our favorite memories of our trip. I loved reading the historical board/facts on the inside. They have a little wall dedicated to information about the Stonewall Riots, queer liberation, etc. I was just so impressed with how lovely the experience was. It was such a high-energy and truly lively club, but it also had the aura of love and joy and acceptance, as well as one of honoring the past and encouraging the future. Next time I’m in the city, I hope to return and experience this again!

The short haired, older, blonde bartender was really rude to my group of friends. When we tried opening separate tabs, we were met with really poor attitude. It was something along the lines of sarcasm and being really mean. All we wanted to do was open separate tabs. When I later asked to play pool and the cost of playing pool, I was simply asked if I had spent money there and then she told me the cost was “money” and an order at the bar. I handed her a dollar because I was not sure of the cost because she had explicitly not told me and it was not listed anywhere. Then when she took my dollar she rudely said “It’s a $1.50.” Cool I wish you had told me that initially instead of being extremely rude and wasting time. Not only that, the drinks she mixed tasted awful which is a shame considering they run upwards of up to $20. When I then tried to close out my tab and I tried getting her attention, I was ignored. She would make very clear eye contact with me and then proceed to ignore me. She was only polite to my group when we tipped. Only then would she strike up a conversation about where we were from and how we were doing…. I will not be returning which is a shame considering I love coming to LGBTQ friendly bars as a lesbian. It’s comforting. But when I’m treated like that in a place that’s supposed to be welcoming??? No thanks.

Celebrated my birthday here a couple of years back. Getting to go on stage with friends and sing as the talented pianist played our requests was a night to remember! Planning to head back here soon.