|| News ||
Page 1 of 1

Oldest U.S. Gay Bar to Close


CEDAR BROOK CAFE X390 (WESTPORT NEWS ANTHONY KARGER) | ADVOCATE.COM

The 71-year-old Cedar Brook Café, said to be the oldest gay bar in the United States, will close June 26, according to the Westport News. The historic bar, located in Westport, Conn., will close for financial reasons, according to owner Clem Bellairs.

"The landlord died and the people who bought it doubled my rent," he says. "I can't afford it anymore."

Follow us on Twitter Follow us on Twitter. Follow us on Facebook Follow us on Facebook. Page 1 of 1
Reader Comments
  • Name: Tom
    Date posted: 6/29/2011 3:52:25 PM
    Hometown: Ketchum ID

    Comment:

    Yes, I remember Club 46 in Marcus Hook. The building was immolated in a BP tanker explosion, so that gives you an idea of the charm of the place. It was my very first gay bar, I went as a U of Del freshman in 1971. Surrounded by refineries and a tanker port, Marcus Hook was about as rough as it got... I loved it! Then I "graduated" to a bar in Wilmington (can't remember the name...)

  • Name: Lewis Whittington
    Date posted: 12/13/2010 11:32:54 PM
    Hometown: Philadelphia

    Comment:

    Does anyone remember Club 46 in Marcus Hook PA. Was definitely one of the oldest gay bars in the country. Course Hook was the first port to be established in the US in the 1600s and where the sailors go legends follow.

  • Name: Rayray
    Date posted: 6/28/2010 3:20:24 PM
    Hometown: New Haven

    Comment:

    Well this just goes to show us all how the Internet is ruining the gaybar nightlife, No one goes out anymore. The many times that I have been to TheBrook it was always empty. A hand full guys and a empty dancefloor. Lets not worry about who has the Oldest Gay bar but worry about how it's yet another Gay Bar Closing! Remember this sad article and support your local gay Hangout!

  • Name: Chris
    Date posted: 6/21/2010 11:41:17 AM
    Hometown: NYC

    Comment:

    Julius's has been in operation as a bar since the 1800's and was a speakeasy during prohibition, but didn't become a gay bar until the 60's.

  • Name: Chris Sullivan
    Date posted: 6/21/2010 10:35:59 AM
    Hometown: Chicago, IL

    Comment:

    I thought Julius' in Greenwich Village, NYC was the oldest gay bar in the U.S. - I know it is the bar used in the opening scene of the film "The Boys in the Band".

  • Name: don anderson
    Date posted: 6/20/2010 1:17:24 PM
    Hometown: puerto vallarta, mexico

    Comment:

    where does julius' in nyc's greenwich village fit into this list?

  • Name: :)
    Date posted: 6/20/2010 2:20:35 AM
    Hometown: fairfield county

    Comment:

    From what I've heard the new owner doubled the rent to intentionally force it to close. The wealthy neighbors don't appreciate living next to a gay bar (if you ask me they should have thought about that before moving next to one).

  • Name: Marina E.
    Date posted: 6/20/2010 12:56:38 AM
    Hometown: Seattle

    Comment:

    Actually, the oldest Gay bar in the USA is The Double Header in Seattle. Still going strong since 1934, making it 76 years old.

  • Name: Scott
    Date posted: 6/19/2010 5:14:19 PM
    Hometown: Portland

    Comment:

    How sad, I've never been there but it looks like a cute place. We should ask Elton John to donate his million dollars he got from rush's wedding to the owners to buy the building or build a new one.

  • Name: Lyndon Evans
    Date posted: 6/19/2010 5:05:10 AM
    Hometown: Danbury, CT

    Comment:

    "The Brook" as we called it in the 70's and 80's. So many memories ... so many men .... so many .. never mind. "The Brook" and "Birds Of A Feather" in Peach Lake, New York State were the places to hangout for Fairfield County figgits. Always parked in the back so no one would see our cars and took the backroads home to avoid de pollice. Now all pieces of Rainbow History. For those who are too young or not from the area you missed some great times when we were all still in the closet and shadows,



Don't Miss
  • Best of Broadway Smash: Why You Will Love It

    Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, two of the producers of NBC’s new critically acclaimed musical series, explain why the backstage drama of creating a musical about Marilyn Monroe has mass appeal and why big stars like Anjelica Huston, Uma Thurman, Bernadette Peters, and Nick Jonas were eager to appear in it.

  • Best of Broadway How Broadway Does a Flea Market

    Find out why actress Kathleen Chalfant calls the annual Flea Market and Grand Auction in Times Square "the most glamorous flea market you've ever seen." It raised half a million dollars to fight HIV/AIDS.

  • Travel Slideshow Flag Gayest Cities in America, 2012

    It's no secret that megalopolises New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles have robust LGBT life — and we've even heard tell of little queer hoods like the Castro and P-Town. This isn't that list.

 
 
Advocate Subscribe Promo Banner 300x50
 
Follow Us Follow Us on FacebookFollow Us on TwitterSubscribe to our RSS feedsDownload our app
Facebook Activity
 
1056 COVER X135 | ADVOCATE.COM
Today's Headlines