For decades, David's was the heart of Newport's gay nightlife.
Opening in the 1960s at 28 Prospect Hill Street, David's became one of Rhode Island's most beloved LGBTQ+ gathering places, serving locals, Naval personnel stationed in Newport, college students, and summer visitors alike. In a city better known for mansions and sailing than queer nightlife, David's quietly built a community that lasted for generations.
Over the years, the bar evolved along with its patrons. During the 1980s, it briefly operated under the name Club 28 before reclaiming the David's name in the early 1990s. Regardless of what was on the sign, the atmosphere remained the same: welcoming, familiar, and unmistakably Newport.
Stories from former patrons paint the picture of a classic neighborhood gay bar—one where everyone eventually knew everyone else. It became a place for celebrations, dancing, friendships, and first nights out, while generations of LGBTQ+ Rhode Islanders made it part of their lives. One local even recalled seeing Gloria Vanderbilt enjoying a drink there with her young son, Anderson Cooper, adding another memorable chapter to the bar's colorful history.
In 1999, David's ceased operating as a gay bar, briefly becoming a college-oriented venue before the space was reborn a few years later as Castaways. Yet for many longtime patrons, the building will always be remembered as David's—the place where Newport's LGBTQ+ community gathered for decades.
