Julius'

Gay bar · New York West Village

A wooden bar, old photos on the walls and burgers from the grill: Julius’ is considered New York’s oldest gay bar and the site of the legendary 1966 “Sip-In”.

• ★ 4.5 on Google (808)
• Oldest gay bar in NYC
• Burgers from the grill
• Jukebox

Address

159 West 10th Street (corner of Waverly Place)
New York, NY 10014

Opening hours

Mon–Thu 4 pm–2 am
Fri 4 pm–4 am
Sat 12 pm–4 am
Sun 12 pm–2 am

Crowd

mostly men, mixed ages with many 40+ regulars from the Village, plus younger guests and history buffs

Flirt factor

medium

Getting there

Christopher St–Sheridan Sq subway (1 train), 3 minutes’ walk

What makes Julius’ special

Drinks have been served on the corner of West 10th Street and Waverly Place since the 19th century, and the bar has been called Julius’ since around 1930. Gay patrons came by the 1960s at the latest. In 1966 Julius’ made history: at the “Sip-In”, activists from the Mattachine Society stood at the bar, openly declared that they were homosexual and asked for a drink. The bartender refused – and that is exactly what brought the practice of revoking the licences of bars with gay customers before the courts. The photo of that moment is famous.

Today Julius’ is an unpretentious neighbourhood bar with dark wood, old photos and a jukebox. Its simple burgers from the grill are famous, plus onion rings, hot dogs and grilled cheese. It gets busy at happy hour.

Atmosphere and crowd

The crowd is mostly male and spans generations: many older Village regulars, plus younger queers and guests who come for the history. The bar is very popular for a first date or meeting up with friends. The warm atmosphere, the history and the food get praise.

Contact

Editorially researched, as of October 2026. Sources: bar website, OpenTable, Time Out New York, Google reviews (4.5 stars, 808 reviews). Opening hours, prices and programme may change, please check before visiting.