For as many years as this website has been around, one facet that myself in particular always made sure had coverage was the ongoings of the LGBT community, in particular in and around Manhattan. I have been a big fan of Adonis Lounge, one of the biggest M4M experiences in Manhattan for a very long time, and was thrilled when they made a big announcement over the last two weeks regarding what they called “Adonis 2.0”. [Read more…] about Adonis Lounge Moves its Muscles To The West Village
Adonis Lounge
Manhattan Digest’s 2nd Fundraiser Another Big Success!
Manhattan Digest held its 2nd fundraiser this past Friday night at Gym Sportsbar down in Chelsea. With the fear of Hurricane Joaquin (Phoenix) settling into New York that night, I was worried that a lot of people wouldn’t show up due to how bad the weather was going to be. Regardless, a ton of friends, family and friendly customers stopped by to donate, have some delicious cupcakes and submit their tickets in hopes to win some fantastic prizes.
Overall we raised hundreds of dollars for cancer research with even more donations coming in over the next day or so. That makes me extremely happy to know that doing something as simply as a fundraiser can hopefully save at least one life with the money that we raised.
I would love to thank everyone that showed up, as well as Serge Sterbois, Jerry Reilly and the Gym Sportsbar staff for their amazing job before, during and after the fundraiser. I would also love to give a shoutout to Tim de Iturriaga at Adonis Lounge for finding a host for the event (the handsome and wonderful Jason) who went out of his way to talk to every person who came down into the basement area about the charity. Finally, thank you to Huascar Aquino from H Bake Shop who generously donated a ton of cupcakes for everyone to devour and enjoy. Got so many amazing reviews from the cupcakes so let’s hope it drives in some new customers for him!
Finally, a big thanks to all the companies that donated generously for this event. This includes Krave & Kulture, Crunch Gym, Haru Sushi, Jacob’s Pickles, Best Barber in Hell’s Kitchen, The New York Beer Company, The Jolly Monk, Hotel Belleclaire, Otto’s Tacos, H Bake Shop, BKB Restaurant, Cantina Rooftop, Morton’s Grille and Bear Skn. My gratitude is endless and I really appreciate what each of you did, so thank you again!
Will hopefully have another one in early 2016. In the meantime, thanks to everyone again who participated and enjoy the rest of your weekend!
The Best Gay Experiences in New York City- Where To Go?
If you are a gay man in New York City, you find that the options for gay friendly establishments to be quite plentiful and exciting to encounter. For tourists who are visiting New York City, the buzz that you hear about the gay scene is true but you find yourself wondering what to try and where to go to experience all the fantastic aspects that gay life offers here? Well look no further, because we have you covered. From gay bars to masseurs, strip clubs to something extra, we can guarantee that you are going to find something that works for you and for you to enjoy for yourself or with a group of friends. Check this out.
The Best Gay Bar In NYC- Gym Sportsbar, 167 8th Avenue between 18th and 19th Street
Gym Sportsbar is a great example of what a friendly, neighborhood gay bar should be and lives up to that notion and then some. With over ten years in business in the Chelsea area, the bar provides a great and relaxed atmosphere for you and your friends to enjoy with amazing BOGO drink specials for happy hour to make you even happier that you showed up. Gym Sportsbar, long for Gymbar, has the best and nicest bartenders who always have a smile upon their face when serving you and can throw whatever event you have going on with their great downstairs location. Definitely something to check out next time you are visiting or in the Chelsea area. For more information check out their official website.
Best Historic Gay Landmark- Stonewall Inn
Now that gay marriage is officially legal in the entire United States (no matter how hard the right side tries to ignore that fact), it is always good for any gay or gay friendly person to visit Stonewall Inn and understand how much of an impact this place is for gay culture and so much more. Not familiar? Google “Stonewall Riots” to really understand the epic struggle gay men had to endure in the late 60’s and early 70’s. Still with that retro type feel to it when you walk in, Stonewall has a great duality of a fun place to hang with friends yet understand the cultural relevance of what makes it historic. Official site.
The Best Masseurs In NYC- Bryan Knight and MuscledJim
This one happens to be a tie for me as they both are phenomenal masseurs who have strengths in each of their own areas. Bryan Knight is so good at what he does that he won the Hookie Award for Best Massage last year and was nominated for it again this year. So that has to mean something. Bryan has this to say about why you should work with him- “Men come to me for the perfect balance of therapeutic work and male bonding. Being large, muscular and a man, not a boy, puts other men at ease to let go. A discrete, convenient location and Good public track record are available for your satisfying experience.” For more on Bryan, you can actually check out my interview with him or check out his official site for more details.
As for MuscledJim, or Jim, he is someone who I met a while ago and is amazing at what he does. He really brings the full experience of what a masseur is supposed to do, and that includes having an enigmatic and inviting personality that make everything that much better. Here is what he has to say for himself- “I have been doing massage for over 16 years. I do a deep tissue, sensual swedish massage for men that lasts for one hour. It is on a massage table using biotone oils. I relax your muscles and ignite your senses. I hope my engaging personality immediately puts you at ease. I love to awaken your body’s sensitivities. What makes me unique is that I look for and amplify your authentic self in a way that your body, mind and spirit feel amazing when we are done.” To book a session you can contact him at [email protected].
Best Gay Dance/Strip Club- Adonis Lounge. Wednesdays & Saturdays at Evolve- 221 E. 58th Street between 2nd/3rd Ave.
I have profiled Adonis several times in the past for Manhattan Digest as they are always doing big things in the Upper East Side. Adonis takes place twice a week at Evolve on the Upper East Side, and other locations throughout the month. The vibe at Evolve and Adonis is quite laid back, with several stunning and chiseled men available for you to chat it up with or get a lap dance if that’s what your heart desires. Owner Tim de Ituriaga has quite the answer as to why he thinks his is the best- “Adonis sets the bar to an all new high through our ability to lower your expectations even further regarding all those pretenses associated with strip clubs, as well as the many stereotypes about strippers which we prove are all true! We stand behind our guarantee that you will not find worse conversations anywhere on Earth, but who cares if the speaker has nice abs”. Gotta love him. For more info, check out their official site.
Want something a little different? Try Neil aka “Erotic Hypno”
There is nothing wrong with going beyond the norm for you to satisfy whatever you feel is wrong with your current status. Luckily, I have the perfect solution in Neil, who is also known as “Erotic Hypno” or an Erotic Hypnotist. Not necessarily something you would see posted outside the local supermarket, but from mutual friends experiences with him he really gets deep into issues that you are having sexually and helps you work through them. His explanation on this reads as follows- “Erotic hypnosis is the use of hypnosis in a sexual context. I can use hypnosis to enhance and create sensations, and to help my clients live out all kinds of sexual fantasies. I can also use hypnosis to help clients with sexual issues, and I even do more standard hypnotherapy (smoking cessation, sticking to a diet/workout regimen, dealing with stress and anxiety, etc.).” I highly recommend using him as an alternative to the alternative you have been trying. For more info on him, check out his official site.
Happy Hunting Everyone!
Adonis Los Angeles Expands Into Long Beach Next Month
Looks like the Adonis Lounge brand just keeps on getting bigger and bigger and bigger (no pun intended). After having a huge amount of continued success in their New York City locations and branching out west recently to open up a Los Angeles location, the brand is now furthering their stake in dominating the M4M experience by opening up a third location in Long Beach, California.
The Adonis LA Long Beach opening will take place on Thursday March 5th at Club Ripples. That is located at 5101 E Ocean Boulevard in Long Beach. More information on that nightclub & Adonis Lounge can be seen here. The fun and excitement starts at 8:30 PM PT and you can bask in the glory of all the hot men your heart, mind and pants can enjoy. Just look at the pictures splashed across this article as proof of what’s the come. Trust me, as someone who has been before these guys are top notch in more ways than one.
I have had the privilege of working with the Adonis Brand for several years now and admire the leaps and bounds that my good buddies Tim and Matt de Iturriaga have made in their effort to solidify what the brand has become- a relaxed environment where you can hang with some of the hottest men in the city. Adding a third location just makes it that much more impressive, and for that I give them endless kudos for their efforts. Previous articles about their Los Angeles and Manhattan locations can be read here, in case you don’t know who they are all about.
Be sure to check it out if you are in the Los Angeles/Long Beach area. if you can’t make it to that one you can always stop by the New York City locations which takes place Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday nights at Club Evolve located on 58th and 3rd. Best of luck to Matt and Tim on their new opening!
Gay Bars in Manhattan- Where To Go From Here…
Gay Bars in Manhattan, especially the Chelsea and Hell’s Kitchen area, should go together like Peanut Butter & Jelly. Sadly, a lot of legendary gay bars here are going the way of the Dodo bird due to jacked up rent and jack asses who would prefer to put another Bank of America/Chase/TD Bank or a trendy run of the mill Italian joint there in place of an institution that has been there for 40 plus years. It really is a shame. The most recent casualty of all of this is Boots & Saddles, which will be closing its doors on Christopher Street soon. According to Towleroad, this is what they had to say-
The gay bar — known for its drag shows, packed parties and welcoming vibe — cannot afford to pay a rent increase on its space at 76 Christopher St. and will shut down soon after 40 years in the Village, managing owner Rob Ziegler said. “I’m sad,” said Ziegler, who started as a bartender at Boots & Saddle in 1999 and later became an owner. “I’ve been here 15 years. Fifteen years is a long time.” Ziegler said a new landlord is taking over the building in the coming months and plans to raise rent for the 700-square-foot bar by thousands of dollars per month, to the “high twenties.”
It’s really pathetic how in the past couple of years places like this and other ones, like the popular No Parking and Rawhide, are closing to due unforeseen circumstances that the owners themselves can’t seem to shake themselves off of due to the greedy world that is Manhattan. HOWEVER, there are some fantastic and amazing gay bars that seem to be doing well in this economy and are also a great place to visit whether you are visiting Manhattan or have lived here for a good period of time. The only gay bar that is thriving that I don’t see the big deal with is Boxers, which is both located in Chelsea & Hell’s Kitchen. The HK one is decent, but the Chelsea one I just personally find to be appalling with the amount of straight douchebag bartenders they have, the overcrowded aspect and the fact that it is looking more and more like a straight bar lately with the amount of women in it (No T No Shade ladies, but if its a gay bar we should be the ones running a muck). That being said, here are my list of what I think are still the best gay bars in Manhattan.
Gym Sportsbar- 167 8th Avenue (Between 18th and 19th Street) In terms of what I think is the pinnacle for gay bars in the new millennium, Gym Sportsbar exemplifies that and then some. Being open now for over a decade, this bar promises a great and upbeat vibe with friendly bartenders and fantastically priced drinks. Something I find that Gym Sportsbar does in a very clever way is the different types of bartenders they have. When you go to other gay bars, it seems to be all muscular and not much substance. The great thing about this bar is that if you have a type of guy, you will see that in one of the bartenders there. So if you like the cute bearish ones, sexy muscular dudes, or athletic jock types, you will find them there. I may be more biased towards Gym Sportsbar due to the location (right by Penn Station) but it also is surrounded by a lot of great eateries to fill you up after you kick back a couple (The Dish, Spice are good examples). The best reason in my opinion is the drink specials are off the chain. HAPPY HOUR 2 FOR 1, Monday-Friday for one. Beer Blast on Sunday. You can’t get better beer and drink prices in the city, and your wallet will be very you compared to going to some of the other bars nearby. Of all the gay bars to go into in Manhattan, this would be a great starting off point for a night on the town and the best & happiest environment in my opinion.
Rockbar (185 Christopher Street, right off the West Side Highway) Rockbar is considered to be an institution on Christopher Street and in the bear community, and some in said community think this is the best “bear” bar in the country. Located right off the west side highway, it is your run of the mill gay bar with great drink prices and fun themed events like the once a month “Underbear” that my good buddy Chris Reed produces. If bear is your thing, this is the place to go.
Adonis Lounge at Evolve (221 East 58th Street, Between 2nd and 3rd Avenue) When you think “gay bar” in Manhattan the first thing that doesn’t really come to mind is the Upper East Side, which is known mainly for its high end boutique stores and upscale restaurants and bars. However, nestled right off of the 63rd & Lexington stop is Evolve Bar, which hosts the infamous (and quite fun I might add) Adonis Lounge. Adonis hosts some of the hottest men in and out of Manhattan for your own pleasure, albeit for a great conversation or a great lap dance. Pair that off with some of the best music I’ve ever heard at a gay bar (yes they play the ORIGINAL versions of hip-hop songs, not the super uptempo remixes) then this is the place you want to be. Adonis takes place on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday nights so be sure to check out their official page for who will be there each night. Surely not to disappoint.
New York City Eagle (554 West 28th Street, Between 10th and 11th Avenue) Infamous, debauchery, scandal and exuberance are just a couple of words to describe the New York City Eagle. A landmark in gay culture, The Eagle has standed the test of time in this revolving door of gay bars opening and closing simply because they are the L’Oreal of the gay world. Meaning that they have a brand that they live up to and its always a good place to end the night at. I call this bar the “Goldilocks” of gay Manhattan, because each floor has something for each comfort level. The most relaxed one seems to be the first floor, where events like “Piggy Bear” amongst others start off. The second floor is where bad things can happen, in the best way possible :). I don’t need to get into details, y’all know what i mean. The third floor, especially during the summer, is a great place to be to meet new people and catch up with old friends, in particular the beer blast on Sundays which is uber popular. Definitely a great place to visit during the 12am-4am hour, as you may meet the love of your life or just the love of your front pants that night. Hehe.
Traveling To Vegas? Check Out The New Adonis Lounge
Sometimes when a good idea happens you just can’t keep it down. For the LGBT community, in particular the letter G in there, Adonis Lounge in New York City has become quite the popular spot for gay men to go, enjoy a drink and chat amongst some of the most beautiful men in our city. Kind of like an elevated gogo boy experience per se, except these guys actually have conversations with each customer as opposed to standing on a box and dancing to a repeating beat.
After a successful opening in the Los Angeles area, they are expanding even further into sin city itself, Las Vegas. Already known for its colorful city, lifestyle and personality, Adonis Lounge seems to be the perfect spot to plant itself in the midst of all the glory that Vegas has to offer. From the hot men to the awesome atmosphere, I have no doubt that third time will really be the charm for something that just started out as an idea a couple of years ago (article here). I recently sat down with headliner for Adonis Lounge Las Vegas, Xavier Muscle (@xaviermuscle on IG & Twitter) about the grand opening this coming Saturday, the business itself and what he sees for its future. Check it out.
What spurred the idea to bring Adonis to Las Vegas?
This has been an ongoing pursuit since I moved to Vegas 2.5 years ago. When I left NYC to move to Vegas, the plan was to come out and open up an ADONIS LOUNGE on the strip. Our original location and plans fell through so I shifted gears and hosted a BIG MUSCLE EVENT every Thursday at Share NightClub for about a year called “ALPHA THURSDAYS”. We featured the hottest muscle that Vegas had to offer every Thursday (lap dances and VIP rooms. From ALPHA THURSDAYS, I felt that I made a dent in the Gay Las Vegas market and decided (with the help of Tim and Matt) to launch the Infamous ADONIS NUDE PARTY right here in Sin City. This all lead me to where I am today – FINALLY ready to blow the roof off of Vegas with a weekly, Saturday, Adonis Lounge event at the HOTTEST AND BIGGEST GAY NIGHTCLUB IN VEGAS – SHARE NIGHT CLUB.
Known as Sin City, Vegas is already well known for its biggest male stripper attraction- The Chippendales. How is this experience different?
Chippendales is more of a show that showcases hot men that you can’t touch and can’t tip, not very interactive or even Gay friendly from what I’ve been told. On the other hand Adonis is TOUCH, TIP, TOUCH, TIP and in some cases you can even “touch the tip”.
You have danced at both the NYC and LA Adonis’. Have each location inspired this one in terms of the look and feel and the guys?
Boy that’s a tough one, I’ve gained so much experience and insight working alongside all the dancers as well as Tim and Matt. Each location is so different, I would say that Tim and Matt have adapted to their market just as I will adapt to Vegas. How can you not be inspired with all those hard bodies around you! Adonis has a tried and true method to their madness so it’s clear that I have a well thought out blueprint of success from those guys.
Tell me about some of the guys at Adonis Vegas. What are they bringing to the table?
I don’t care what anyone says, Vegas is the new “Mecca of Bodybuilding”. I’m always scouting the gyms for fresh meat and these Vegas guys definitely stay in top shape and get their fair share of protein. Plain and simple, VEGAS = MUSCLESTUDS
What special things are happening on the first night?
Our grand opening is not only going to have Tim and Matt under one roof. Add in our headliner BIG MAX who stands at 6’2 and 290lbs and you have a muscle worshippers dream! I have never met anyone that size in our world of lap dances. He’s going to crush some laps for sure! If that’s not enough, our whole lineup consists of headliner quality men. A night that will go down in Adonis History for sure!!
What advice did my buddy Tim give you when you started this venture?
Tim’s advice? No joke, “you’ll find yourself on your knees and even sometimes on all 4’s, so learn how to take it and grow some thick foreskin”. Good thing I’ve got experience in the chaotic world he lives in or it might hurt like hell in the beginning!! :-O
Do you hope to follow in his footsteps?
I’ll have to bash Tim first before I give him some praise… Many moons ago, when Tim first reached out to me to do some Solo Video shoots for pennies on the dollar from what I was used to getting paid (I’m premadonaish sounding, I know) and then he wanted me to give him a referral fee on top of that… I thought, “what a bucket of sleeze”. A mutual friend then told me, “I met Tim and he seemed like a genuine nice guy”. I gave the sleezy NYer one more shot and danced at his little Adonis club thing. We clicked and began our bromance which has now lead to us getting in bed together. What does this have to do with following his footseteps? NOTHING…haha ok I’ll answer the question… YES TIM I WANT TO FOLLOW YOUR FOOTSTEPS!! For real though, Tim has created something huge out of nothing and it would be silly to not want to follow his VERY LARGE footprints.
Describe Adonis Las Vegas in 3 words.
Finally, an easy question… RAUNCHY, MUSCLEGODS and HANDSON (not an actual word)
Anything else to add?
The great part of being on a team with Tim and Matt is that we are ALL customer service oriented. Connecting with customers and being readily available for issues or perhaps someone wants to share their gratitude for an amazing experience. A prompt response and acknowledgement is a key component to a successful business. At any given time, you can reach Tim, Matt or myself via Email, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. No one else runs these accounts but us. It makes for a heavy work load but it’s important to me as well as the other 2 stooges. Vegas is now on the ADONIS map and I’m really looking forward to what’s to come…
Official website for more information!
Adonis Lounge’s 4th Anniversary October 25th & 26th!
As someone who has been in the gay culture of Manhattan for quite some time now, I have seen several businesses come and go but never really gain any traction in the ever changing gay scene. Adonis Lounge is not one of them. In fact, it has become a gay institution here that started merely with an idea that gained and grew over the years. Owner Tim De Itturiaga who I have had the pleasure of not only meeting but becoming very good friends with, has mastered the art of bringing fans back by having top of the line guys available at their disposal for anything from a friendly conversation to a private dance. Now there is much reason to celebrate as Adonis Lounge is celebrating it’s fourth anniversary this weekend and they are planning on making it one of their best (if not their best) weekends yet.
The weekend actually begins a day earlier (Saturday is their usual day) with a special added performance for one night only at Lucky Cheng’s on 240 West 52nd Street. After that is when the real anniversary party begins the next night at Club Evolve (221 East 58th Street, between 2nd and 3rd) where Adonis is always held. They have two huge headliners that many a gay man should be familiar with. One is Randy Blue mainstay Sean Zevron and Dominic Ford exclusive Lance Luciano, both who are guaranteed to get the crowd’s hearts racing amongst other things. Giggity.
They are also flying in people for this special night, including five premiere models from Las Vegas as well as some of their most popular NYC regulars all guaranteed for you and your friends to have one hell of a night. Adonis Lounge over the past couple of years has played host to some of the biggest names in the business from Samuel Colt, Jason Adonis and Jesse Santana to name a few. It provides a welcoming and safe environment to many and its business has now gone bi-coastal with the recent opening of its Los Angeles location. So if you are in the NYC area this weekend and want to do something that is a little different but good fun at the same time, stop on down to Adonis Lounge and have a good time. Check out their official website for more information.
Adonis Lounge grand opening in LA tomorrow night!
Adonis Lounge has become synonymous in New York City as a great place to hang out, have some drinks and mingle with some of the hottest men New York City has to offer. I have gotten to know these guys beyond the bar and they are all really stand up fellas especially Tim who is the mastermind behind the whole production. Hell I’ve even interviewed him and he is quite the impressive guy. Now, him and his brother are going bi-coastal and launching Adonis Lounge in Los Angeles tomorrow night and it plans on being one hell of an opening!
Billed as one of the top M4m (Male 4 Male) experiences in New York, it plans on being that and so much more when it opens at FuBar in the heart of West Hollywood tomorrow. Zeb Atlas, muscle god and well known in several different industries (and has appeared quite frequently at the New York location) will be on hand to help open the new location. Also on deck will be an array of studs at your disposal, from Sean Cody model Aiden to Playgirl centerfold and actor Marcus Patrick just for the first night. Oh, and pretty much add all the guys in the picture and then some. Yum!
FUBAR, known as “not your fathers gay bar,” has been described by Time Out as “the most alternative of the Boys Town clan of bars and clubs. Ripped, tattooed and pierced bartenders pour strong drinks in this steamy dark bar that oozes sex seven days a week. Hooking up is always in the air at Fubar thanks to its underground vibe, so be ye not confused—this is not the bar you go to for a casual drink, this is the bar you go to looking for casual sex.” Sounds good to us!! Valet parking available across the street at the Bank of America (bring your parking stub in for a parking shot).
For future appearances they have booked big names such as porn stars Angel Diablo of Randy Blue fame and Grabby and Hookie award winner Trenton Ducati. Sure to be a great opening night for anyone in the LA area. For more information, log onto The Adonis Lounge website to learn more about both locations. Best of luck to Tim and the gang!
Adonis Lounge Grand Opening March 9th!!!
I have had the utmost pleasure of getting to know Timothy de Iturriaga, the charismatic and beyond friendly head guy in charge of the Adonis Lounge over the past couple of months. Heck, I even did a really great interview a little while back to get a better understanding of what this man is all about. Adonis is the number one place in the world to come see some of the best looking men in outfits like the one pictured above. It goes beyond the aesthetic as they all go out of their way to treat each customer with respect and get to know them on a much better level, hence why this event has become even bigger throughout its four year stint.
Now, Tim has elevated it to a whole other level by opening at a brand new venue. It’s new location will be at 22 West 39th Street between 5th and 6th avenue. The grand opening will be this Saturday night starting at 9. I got to see a preview of what it looks like yesterday, and the one word that really comes to mind with it is SPACE. It has a really great atmosphere and you can tell the whole venue is going to be packed on Saturday night with hot guys, big fans, newcomers and above all everyone having a great time.
I sat down with Tim to talk about the new venue and his hopes for the future with it.
How excited are you for the new venue?
“I am very excited. It’s been quite a progression from where we started as a once monthy event in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. It was a small little show, more like an after-thought as no one in the gay community really knew who we were. Then we got a chance to come to Manhattan and work on 58th Street. It got to the point where we needed a club with more space and we found the right venue for that. So this is definitely an exciting venture for me and the team.”
“When we went to the old venue on 58th it was great, but in the past couple of years things have really expanded. We have doubled our numbers so a venue like that because difficult to hold an event due to overcrowding and whatnot. They are great there, nothing wrong with them whatsoever. They gave us an opportunity for which I am forever grateful for. They took a chance on us and I greatly appreciate it, but now I feel its time to try something new and see what happens.
Will the pricing change now that you are at this new venue?
“Not at all. It is still a ten dollar charge to get in and the other aspects of the lap dances and champagne rooms are still in check. That’s an important aspect to remember. Usually when people go to a larger venue the price also goes up, but it is still the same.”
Who can we expect at the event on Saturday?
“We have so many people from Randy Blue’s Angel Diablo to 2012 Escort of the Year Vito Gallo. 40 plus dancers will fill the atmosphere, so there is at least one person to each and everyone’s liking”.
Go and check the event out on Saturday and be apart of one of the best M4M experiences, if not the best, in the world.
Adonis Lounge
22 West 39th Street
9pm-4am
Are you M4M? Adonis is the place to be.
If you are gay and either live in New York City or have traveled here, chances are you went to a gay bar and saw your run of the mill go-go boy dance on a tabletop collecting ones. Yeah, it’s fun, but it doesn’t go beyond the simple wink and the five dollar bill being shoved somewhere inappropriate. It never goes beyond those lines of a personal interaction or getting to know the actual guy that is really your customer. This is where Adonis comes in. The actual venue of this place hosts some of the hottest men in the world in a very relaxed and chill environment. They do this twice a week on Wednesday and Saturday’s, and once a month, they host a private party that elevates what happens at the bar on an even larger basis. Just take a look at some of the pics in this article for example.
There are major differences between Adonis Lounge and a strip club that can be for men and women. One, it is not seedy whatsoever. It actually is a very inviting atmosphere. The men there are always having a nice conversation with all of the customers or patrons, and make them feel at ease with their personality and fantastic looks. They have even hosted some of the biggest gay porn stars in the world right now from Samuel Colt to Zeb Atlas to name a few, and they always bring their A game to the event. I have gone in recent months, and have had that exact experience, even making friends with some of them outside of the place. I am a sales and advertising person in the first place, and know how to get my point across without overdoing it. These guys do exactly the same. Chances are you are going to leave feeling pretty good and happy you decided to go.
This week, I sat down with the man behind all of this, Timothy De Iturriaga. Usually men in this position tend to be power hungry and a bit of a dick, but Tim was the exact opposite. He is one of the friendliest men I have ever met, and his attitude reflects the success of the events that he throws. Here is my interview with him.
So tell me just a little bit on how you started this concept?
I started dancing about nine years ago, for females. My older brother was working on Wall Street and needed extra money. He sent some photos out to agencies that turned out to be a stripping company. They asked him if he wanted to start dancing and he obliged. He started dancing at an event called “Hunkamania” and after three or four months I wanted to do the same.
I got hired at this hush hush place that was a gay strip club by me as a massage boy. I did really well, worked there for about five years. After that time, a light went off in my head where I realized this was the only place in New York City that was actually doing this type of venue. I thought I could do it better. I saw there were a lot of problems at the one I was working at. I was fortunate enough to get a spot in Greenpoint, Brooklyn and started my own show there. It started small, and then started to grow.
What was the original reception when you went out on your own?
The reception wasn’t good. The only customers I was getting were my customers who I built a repoire with. Without those dozen or so people who showed up every Thursday, I wouldn’t have made it. After a while word of mouth spread, and little by little more people started to show.
Was there a lot of competition for you at that point?
At that point, the competition was Club 20 and they were huge. I never thought I could compete against them. They started this whole format, and nothing else like this in New York City. There wasn’t an alternative. I still thought I could do it better than what they were doing though.
At what point did you start to see success?
I started it as a monthly party, getting a little bit of a positive outcome. Then I did it twice a week, and stayed there for six months. Got by, still there were some nights where there was only 8 or 10 customers and had the same amount of dancers. Those dancers stuck by me until now, and still have the opportunity to come back whenever. Even though people didn’t want to make the trip from Manhattan to Greenpoint, the event itself was gaining a lot of steam on the message boards and through word of mouth, so people were knowing about it more and more as time went on.
You talked briefly about this, but you seem to have loyalty to the guys that helped you start this, the dancers I mean. How important is it to keep that loyalty?
There is such a high turnover rate in this business in general. Week to week, month to month you see a bunch of new faces. There are a handful of guys that to this day are still with me, and they have been there from day one. We are talking years they have been there, so it’s good to see that they have stuck by me and have managed to stay really relevent in an arena that is tough to do so.
What can a new customer expect when they go to your venue?
To start, at Adonis it is Male for Male. People don’t think they actually exist, they only think ones that exist are the go-go boys dancing on top of the boxes. This is a much more intimate experience. You are going to see thirty, if not more, beautiful men of all ethnicities and backgrounds, mingling on the floor. Even if you can’t afford to come there and spend a decent amount of money, you can come and have a drink and enjoy a conversation with a bunch of different guys. It really is a great time.
What is your ultimate goal for all of this?
It’s become that and more. Everyone always ask if I want to get my own club, I don’t. Don’t want to do it six or seven days a week. The one thing that differentiates me from the other ones in the country is that it gives me the liberty to bring in a ton of different gay porn stars. Many of these venues can bring in two or three a year, I can probably bring in that amount a month. In any given year I can bring in forty of fifty guys with names. I can make it really interesting and different each time and making it a unique experience for the customer.
So as stated before, if you are a man into men, and are looking for a nice and relaxing evening surrounded by some really awesome guys both inside and out, Adonis is the place for you. Check it out every Wednesday and Saturday night and be on the lookout here for more updates as the weeks go on!
Adonis Lounge
221 East 58th Street
Take the E, F or M trains for best ways to get there.
