Uncle Charlie's Downtown opened in the early 1980s in Greenwich Village, part of a popular chain of gay bars in New York City. Born at the same time as MTV, it was one of the first video bars, and soon earned a reputation as a place where nobody spoke, but just stood and watched, a so-called "S&M" bar, for Stand and Model.
During the AIDS crisis, Uncle Charlie's Downtown became one of the most popular gay bars of the 1980s with one of the busiest happy hours, packing them in with screenings of Dynasty Wednesdays & Golden Girl Saturdays. Maybe people needed something light during that time of tragedy.
Scandal hit when the bar's owner was charged with the 1986 stabbing murder of a 37-year-old man who had a relationship with his former 20-year-old lover. After a hung jury in 1988, and awaiting a re-trial, he sold everything and disappeared to Panama--until he was nabbed.
But the bar played on.
Taken over by a new owner, Gary Davenport, Uncle Charlie's was revamped and remained a popular hotspot throughout the late 1980's and 90's.
In 1997, Uncle Charlie's was forced to close its doors, ending an era in Greenwich Village gay history. The reason? A drop in customers as Chelsea was gaining popularity as the "new" destination for gay men, along with a 50 percent increase in rent.
Today, the Irish pub and restaurant Fiddlesticks occupies the legendary Uncle Charlie's Downtown space at 56 Greenwich Avenue. If you go inside you just might see a few familiar things and remember some good memories.
all photos via the Original Uncle Charlie's Downtown Facebook page
This was the absolute best hang out in it's early-mid years. My friends and I would hit up happy hour, then, invariably, end up at The Ninth Circle. Happy days.
ReplyDeleteI lived at 9th circle
DeleteNinth Circle.. was it ...
DeleteI took my lesbian friends there once. It was their first venture into a male bar. Their response was priceless. “wow, you guys have nice places to go to”
ReplyDeleteUncle Charlie's, the bar where you went went you first left the closet.
ReplyDeleteAnd I hate to bring up bad memories, but didn't a bomb go off there once in the 1980's?
I remember a vigorous bag check soon after.
http://www.back2stonewall.com/2012/12/uncle-charlies-nyc-bomb.html
ReplyDeleteI used to work in Uncle Charlie's back in the late eighties. It was the first gay bar I felt comfortable and welcomed in right when I first came out. My friends and I used to hang out there after going to meetings at GLYNY. That was before they were really strict about IDs.
ReplyDeleteAny relation to the (1 or 2?) Uncle Charlies now in Midtown East and the Lower East Side?
ReplyDeleteThere is no relation to any other Uncle Charlies that now exists in NYC.
ReplyDeleteIf I'm not mistaken, that's Jimmy McNulty, now of Provincetown, behind the bar!
ReplyDeleteYes it is!
Deletewow who knew
ReplyDeleteWOW this was one of my favorite NY bars. This was a must on Thursday's 2-4-1.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the memories... I was a young gay man who moved to the city in '89 from Delaware. It was the first gay bar I ever visited. The feeling of finally being with other gay people was amazing...that first feeling of community and that it is 'OK' to be gay. It was an amazing place, always fun with really good looking men from everywhere. I will never forget it. Really handsome bartenders too. :)
ReplyDeleteI used to be a runway model in Europe before moving to New York in 1982 to study acting. Had no talent whatsoever and was by now too old to model so I did other things. But I was one of those bleach blondes in a halter top posing at Uncle Charlie's. Then when that got too boring I was off to dance at the Monster. Which is were I met my husband one night in October 1987. Yep, soon to be 30 years!
ReplyDeleteWas SUCH a vital part of my coming out and exposure to other young and not so young gay men. I had the time of my life meeting and flirting with so many great fellas.
ReplyDeleteI went to Uncle Charlies to socialize, I left the Stand and Modeling to the braindead and self absorbed pretty people. Yes there were some very good looking people there but if they were S&M, they were boring as hell.
ReplyDeleteWent many times 1985-89 best bartender was a guy from Kansas was in the Olympics horse vaulting very hot guy
ReplyDelete