The (New York City Village 👣) map is here! Download the map image to save to your device.

A bit of history: In the early 20th century, Greenwich Village became a bohemian capital. At the time, many unmarried people lived together, which made it attractive to gay couples who wanted to live more openly. And that’s without even mentioning MacDougal Street, where you could find speakeasies and tearooms that catered to LGBTQ+ residents. MacDougal Street was essentially the heart of the LGBTQ+ community in Greenwich Village at the time.

In 1925, Eve Adams’ Tearoom, also known as Eve’s Hangout, was opened by Eva Kotchever, a Polish Jewish immigrant who had moved to the United States in 1912. Eve’s Hangout eventually became a popular lesbian nightclub until it was raided by the police in 1926. Eva was thrown in jail and charged with obscenity and misdemeanor. While in prison, she met Mae West and after a year, she was deported back to Poland in December 1927. In 1933, Eva began a relationship with Jewish singer Hella Olstein Soldner. Eva remained in touch with Ben Reitman, whom she had met in the United States, and tried to get his help in obtaining a re-entry permit to the United States. Eva and Hella eventually moved to the south of France in 1940. In 1943, they were arrested and sent to the Drancy Internment Camp near Paris. They were then deported to Auschwitz in a cattle car with 850 other Jews on December 17, 1943. Of the 850 sent to Auschwitz, only 31 would survive until liberation in 1945, and Eva and Hella were not among them.

Police raids on LGBTQ+ bars and establishments in New York City would remain a major problem for years to come. In 1950, New York made history when it became the first state to criminalize sodomy. In the 1950s and 60s, New York City’s gay villages stopped being so quiet about how they were treated. At the time, most gay bars were owned by the mafia, who took bribes from the bars. In turn, the mafia also paid the police monthly bribes to turn a blind eye. Although, “show raids” were still routinely conducted to appease the neighbors, often resulting in the arrest of patrons.

In 1966, New York Mattachine Society president Dick Leitsch and two others organized a Sip-In at Julius’ bar. At the time, it was still illegal to serve alcohol to homosexual patrons, to publicly display homosexuality, or for two homosexuals to dance together. So when the bartender discovered that the three men were gay, he covered the glasses with his hand and refused to serve them. The New York Times published the story, giving the Mattachine Society the story they needed. As a result, the NY State Liquor Authority’s anti-gay bar regulations were overturned after subsequent legal action. This meant that the SLA could no longer close licensed gay bars and those bars could no longer be prosecuted for serving gays and lesbians. Although the mayor worked to have questions removed from New York City job applications, the police and fire departments refused to cooperate, putting licensed gay bars, such as the Stonewall Inn and the Snakepit in Greenwich Village, in jeopardy.

On June 24, 1969, police raided the Stonewall, arresting several employees and seizing the illegal liquor supply. They planned to raid it again on Friday in hopes of closing the establishment for good. While police raids on the Stonewall Inn and other illegal gay bars were common, occurring at least once a month, this would be different. On Friday, June 28, 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn at approximately 1:20 a.m. Eight undercover officers, six men and two women, entered the Stonewall Inn, which was packed that Friday night, to arrest the employees. In addition to targeting the employees, the police often targeted transvestites and drag queens for arrest. Additional officers arrived on foot, followed by three police cars and a police van. A crowd of onlookers formed, and as the patrons were being freed from the Stonewall Inn by the police, the crowd began chanting things like “Gay Power!” and “We Shall Overcome!” As more and more guests were released, the crowd slowly began to grow. Meanwhile, employees, transvestites, and drag queens were being loaded onto the bus. It’s not entirely clear what sparked the riot and what exactly happened, but some say it happened when a police officer hit a woman in the head with a billy club. As this happened, she provoked the crowd into action by saying, “Do something!” The crowd erupted and people began throwing pennies and bottles; some police cars even had their tires slashed. Meanwhile, the police bus and several police cars were dropping off prisoners at the nearby Sixth Precinct. By this time, the crowd had forced the original NYPD raiding party to retreat to the Stonewall Inn and barricade themselves inside. People threw trash, made makeshift firebombs, and even used a parking meter as a battering ram to break through the door. More reinforcements then arrived, along with city riot police. Officers wearing helmets began to march in formation down Christopher Street, but the protesters outmaneuvered them by running away and walking around the block to get behind the officers.

The atmosphere eventually calmed down around 4 a.m., but when the Stonewall Inn got dark the next day, a large number of supporters showed up, numbering around 1,000 people. Police showed up again with even more riot gear, this time beating the crowd and throwing tear gas. Crowds gathered at the Stonewall Inn over the next few days, and while there was a police presence, the mood was less confrontational. Sadly, the Stonewall Inn would close a few months after the uprising before eventually reopening more than two decades later. The Stonewall Uprising of 1969 marked the beginning of the nationwide gay pride movement, and on June 28, 1970, the Christopher Street Liberation March was held on the anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising. The march began on Christopher Street and went up 6th Ave. until it ended in Central Park. The march would stretch for some 15 city blocks and would include thousands of people. With simultaneous Gay Pride marches in Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco, these were the first gay pride marches in American history. In 1971, there were also gay pride marches in Boston, London, Stockholm, Dallas, Paris, Milwaukee and West Berlin.

In the 1990s, gay bars began to populate Christopher Street again, and on June 28, 1999, the Stonewall Inn was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. On February 16, 2000, the Stonewall Inn was designated a national monument. And in June 2019, Stonewall 50—WorldPride NYC 2019 was held in New York City to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising. It is estimated that approximately 5 million people attended in Manhattan alone, making it the largest LGBTQ+ celebration in history. That same month, on June 6, NYPD Chief James P. O’Neill apologized for the officers’ actions during the Stonewall Uprising.

(New York City) The Village 👣

Last open bar/club: 04:00. Closing time: 04:00.

Walking time, start to finish (13 min) Longest gorge (7 min)

Metro stops: Christopher St-Stonewall 🔴1, 2 14 St 🔴1, 2, 3 Houston St 🔴1, 2 14 St / 8 Av 🔵A, C, E ⚫️LW 4 St-Wash Sq 🔵A, C, E 🟠B , D, F, f, M 9 St 🟦Path 🟧Path Christopher St 🟦Path 🟧Path

Safety Tips: This is a pedestrian map; it is designed for anyone who wants to visit The Village bars on foot. Plan accordingly and drink responsibly. Never drink and drive, call a cab, Uber or Lyft if necessary.