The Astor Bar (Historic New York City Gay Bar/1910-1967/Astor Hotel Ti

The Astor Bar, nestled within New York City's grand Hotel Astor in Times Square, was a significant yet discreet gathering place for the LGBTQ+ community from the 1910s until the hotel's closure in 1967. During an era when homosexuality was criminalized, the Astor Bar offered a rare sanctuary. Gay patrons were informally allocated one side of its elegant oval bar, allowing them to socialize with a degree of safety and discretion uncommon at the time. This duality enabled the bar to maintain its public image as a respectable venue while quietly becoming a legendary meeting spot within the gay community.

The bar's cultural significance was immortalized in Cole Porter's song "Well, Did You Evah!" with the lyric, “Have you heard that Mimsie Starr / Just got pinched in the Astor Bar?”—a nod to its reputation as a clandestine rendezvous.

However, the Astor Bar's history also includes darker chapters. In the 1960s, it became a target for extortion schemes against prominent gay men, leading to a significant FBI crackdown on such operations.

The Hotel Astor was demolished in 1967, but the Astor Bar's legacy endures as a poignant reminder of the complexities of queer life in mid-20th-century New York City.

I use Bella + Canvas 3001 Unisex tees for all of my designs. They are a soft and light cotton. If you love another brand, please let me know and I can see if I can source it. I can also do my designs on tanks, long sleeve tees, sweatshirts, hoodies and posters. Just reach out with any custom requests and I'll gladly help you out. I do like large prints, but if you want the design scaled down, please contact me before placing an order and I can send you some mock ups.

Bella + Canvas 3001 UNISEX JERSEY SHORT SLEEVE TEE

Sizes:

Small: 18" chest/28" body length

Medium: 20" chest/29" body length

Large: 22" chest/30" body length

XL: 24" chest/31" body length

2XL: 26" chest/32" body length

3XL: 28" chest/33" body length.

Standard colors: 100% Airlume combed and ringspun cotton Fabric blends: Ash and Heather Prism colors - 99% Airlume combed and ring-spun cotton, 1% polyester;

Heather colors - 52% cotton, 48% polyester;