The Playhouse — Bronx, New York 1970s Vintage Gay Club Tee

Located at 1942 Williamsbridge Road, The Playhouse was part of the Bronx's largely forgotten 1970s nightlife scene, a reminder that New York's gay social life didn't begin and end on Christopher Street.

But while glamorous Manhattan establishments  received most of the attention, the outer boroughs had their own nightlife scenes, serving communities that weren't particularly interested in traveling downtown every time they wanted a drink or a little companionship.

And those neighborhood clubs mattered.

For gay men living in the Bronx, local gathering places could offer something that the giant Manhattan discos didn't always provide: familiar faces, a sense of belonging, and the possibility of meeting somebody who didn't require a forty-five-minute subway ride home.