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gymbar

Manhattan Digest Fundraiser March 28th At Gym Sportsbar!

by Ryan Shea

After two years of being in business, I am happy to announce that Manhattan Digest will be throwing its first ever fundraiser this coming Saturday night at Gym Sportsbar in Chelsea!  Gym Sportsbar is a great location to hold an event like this as it has a great and lively atmosphere, friendly staff, variety of music and is spacious in size.  The fundraiser will be held from 7-9 PM in their basement downstairs, and a portion of the proceeds will be going to cancer research and patient care which I am very proud of.  This site has been a labor of love for such a long time and the fact that we are finally able to throw an event like this is truly spectacular so I am hoping that many of you are able to attend.  If you aren’t able to attend, I am including special instructions below on how you can donate outside the event.

For the event itself, we have over 20 incredible & fantastic prizes for you to bid on!  A $20 donation gets you 10 tickets, $40 gets you 25 and $60 gets you 50.  Happy to accept more than that for donations as these prizes are items you truly want to win!  For the gay men and ladies out there, we will also be having two hunks from Adonis Lounge there to help out with raising money and hopefully blood pressure so that is something to look out for as well! Also on hand will be a bunch of fantastic swag from Scruff App including T-Shirts and 1 month premium memberships that will be handed out throughout the night! Take a look at the amazing prizes you can bid on this Saturday night!

The 414 Hotel- One Free Night

The 414 Hotel, Manhattan Digest
Credit to: The 414 Hotel

$100 Gift Card to Amazon

Amazon, Manhattan Digest
Credit to: Yahoo Finance

3 Month Membership to Crunch Gym

Crunch Fitness, Manhattan Digest
Credit to: Crunch Fitness

2 pairs of Ugg Slippers- one for men, one for women

Ugg, Manhattan Digest
Credit to: Deckers Outdoor Corporation

$100 gift card to Haru Sushi with amenities

Haru Sushi, Manhattan Digest
Credit to: Haru Sushi

Three one-year Business Memberships to Out Professionals

logo (1)

$50 Gift Card to the Jolly Monk

The Jolly Monk, Manhattan Digest
Credit to: HKH Group

$50 Gift Card to New York Beer Company

Manhattan Digest, New York Beer Company
Credit to: HKH Group

$50 Gift Card to the House Of Brews

House Of Brews, Manhattan Digest
Credit to: HKH Group

Custom cake for up to 10 people for H Bake Shop

H Bake Shop, Manhattan Digest
Credit to: H Bake Shop

Cooper’s Craft & Kitchen Chelsea- $50 Gift Card

Coopers Craft & Kitchen, Manhattan Digest
Credit to: Coopers Craft & Kitchen Chelsea

The Guerlain Spa at The Waldorf Astoria- 50 Minute Massage Gift Certificate

Guerlain Spa, Waldorf Astoria, Manhattan Digest
Credit to: Quinn PR

Blue & Black Apothecary- Haircut & Facial Service

Blue & Black Apothecary, Manhattan Digest
Credit to: Blue & Black Apothecary

Upstairs- Brunch For Two

The Kimberly Hotel, Manhattan Digest
Credit to: The Kimberly Hotel

Original Nintendo In Its Case- Top Shelf Premium

Top Shelf Premium, Manhattan Digest
Credit to: Top Shelf Premium

A Dinner for two at Kenta in Melville, Long Island

Credit to: Ken Lee
Credit to: Ken Lee

Two free admission tickets with complimentary drinks to Buffboyz

Credit to: Buffboyzz
Credit to: Buffboyzz

Haircut & Shave at Best Barber in Hell’s Kitchen

Best Barber Shop, Manhattan Digest
Credit to: Blake Martin

$25 Giftcard to The Hard Rock Cafe In Times Square with Amenities

Hard Rock Cafe, Manhattan Digest, St. Patrick's Day,
Credit to: Coyne PR

A great line of Fleshjacks

2 Tickets to Hustlaball New York

Looks like it is shaping up to be a fantastic night and I truly hope all of you can make it!  If you cannot make it but would love to donate and win a prize, or even donate, please reach out to me directly- [email protected] or [email protected] and I will give you details on how you can donate.

Look forward to seeing everyone there on Saturday night!

 

Filed Under: ENTERTAINMENT, LGBT Tagged With: chelsea, gym sportsbar, gymbar, manhattan digest, manhattan digest fundraiser, ugg

Gay Bars in Manhattan- Where To Go From Here…

by Ryan Shea

Rockbar NYC, Manhattan Digest, gay bars

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, Manhattan Digest, gay bars
Credit to: Gym Sportsbar

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 NYC, Manhattan Digest, gay bars
Credit to; Rockbar NYC

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, Evolve, Manhattan Digest, Gay Bars
Credit to: Adonis Lounge

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.

Eagle NYC, Manhattan Digest, gay bars
Credit to Eagle NYC

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.

Filed Under: LGBT, LIFESTYLE Tagged With: Adonis Lounge, boots and saddles, boxers, eagle, evolve, gay, gay bar, gay bars, gym sportsbar, gymbar, Manhattan, manhattan digest, rockbar

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