Townhouse Bar
 Logo | |
 The bar's exterior in 2024 | |
 | |
| Address | 236 East 58th Street |
|---|---|
| Location | Midtown East, Manhattan, New York City |
| Type | |
| Opened | 1989 |
| Website | |
| townhouseny | |
The Townhouse Bar of New York, or simply The Townhouse, is an upscale gay piano bar which opened in 1989. It is located in the Midtown East, Manhattan neighborhood of New York City.[1]
Description
[edit]The front room of the Townhouse building is a cocktail lounge with architectural prints and soft background music, while the back room features a piano bar with nightly performances and open mic singing along with everybody sing-a-longs.[2][3] There is also a downstairs club room.[4] A conservative dress code is enforced compared to other gay bars.[1][5]
The bar's clientele has been described as a "well-educated, distinguished and cultured crowd" largely over 30.[3] Media outlets have characterized the bar as a place where younger men seek out sugar daddies.[1][6][7]
History
[edit]The Townhouse was established in 1989 by boutique shop owner Paul Galluccio and his partner Michael Grummons.[1][3] Galluccio was inspired to start his own bar after being denied entry to another establishment.[1] The venue was originally designed to offer a more sophisticated experience than other gay bars at the time, and to attract businessmen from Park and Madison Avenues.[3] In 2019, 30 years after the bar first opened, Galluccio and Grummons were still co-owners.[1][3][8] Galluccio died in 2021.[9]
The bar was the last location where two victims of serial killer Richard Rogers (also known as the Last Call Killer) were seen before their murders in 1991.[10] The victims were 54-year-old investment banker Peter Anderson and 57-year-old computer sales representative Thomas Mulcahy, both of whom were in New York City on business.[11]
In April 2020, longtime Townhouse pianist Rick Unterberg died of COVID-19 at the age of 61.[12][13][14]
Real Housewives of New York City star Luann de Lesseps made headlines in 2022 after getting kicked out of the bar for drunken behavior. She subsequently issued a public apology.[15][16]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f Musto, Michael (October 24, 2018). "Still Clubbing at 82". The New York Times. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
- ^ "The Townhouse Bar of New York". Time Out New York. April 8, 2010. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e Dawson, Mark (April 30, 2019). "It's a Helluva Townhouse". New York City, NY Patch. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
- ^ "The Townhouse". Get Out! Magazine. April 3, 2017. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
- ^ "Home". The Townhouse of New York. July 21, 2021. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
- ^ Fisher, Marc (July 25, 1997). "The Life Of a Trophy Boy". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
- ^ Dawson, Lamar (November 1, 2018). "82-Year-Old Owner of Legendary Sugar Daddy Cruising Bar Looks Back". Logo TV. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
- ^ Cook, Michael (January 16, 2019). "With New York City's Townhouse and Lips, Proprietor Paul Galluccio Helps Shape LGBT Nightlife". Instinct Magazine. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
- ^ Hayden, John (March 22, 2021). "Pet Project Board President Dies". South Florida Gay News. Archived from the original on May 12, 2023. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
- ^ Bollen, Christopher (March 7, 2021). "These Gay Men Frequented Manhattan Piano Bars. So Did Their Killer". The New York Times. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
- ^ Bono, Sal (July 2, 2021). "How the Bag Murders and the Last Call Killer Put in Focus the Dangers the New York LGBTQ+ Community Faces". Inside Edition. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
- ^ Carroll, Tobias (April 9, 2021). "Remembering the Victims of a Killer Who Haunted Gay New York in the Early '90s". Yahoo. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
- ^ "IN MEMORY OF RICK UNTERBERG". Covid Memorial Quilt – Remembering All Those Who’ve Died of COVID-19. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
- ^ Grunlund, Maura (February 13, 2019). "'Last Call Killer' revisited: Richard Rogers of Staten Island trolled victims at gay bars in Manhattan". silive. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
- ^ Jeffrey, Joyann (March 19, 2022). "'Real Housewives' star Luann de Lesseps says she's 'in recovery' after 'regrettable' incident". TODAY.com. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
- ^ Assunção, Muri (March 19, 2022). "LuAnn de Lesseps sorry for drunk incident at NYC gay bar". New York Daily News. Retrieved June 13, 2023.