2. Julius (1840)

Located on the corner of 10th Street and Waverly Place, Julius is the city’s oldest gay bar. Although it refused to operate as such before 1966, gay patrons would frequently gather at this location before The Stonewall Inn. In a past life, the building once served as a grocery store, a betting bar and a speakeasy during Prohibition. However, it is most well known as the site of the 1966 “Sip-In,” staged by the New York Chapter of the Mattachine Society.

With a mission to change the legal landscape, four men, led by Mattachine President Dick Liestch, went in search of a bar, where they planned to announce their status as gay men in order to be denied service. This would ultimately give them enough premise to sue the State Liquor Authority.

After three unfruitful attempts at other bars, the group entered Julius on April 21, 1966 and successfully carried out the mission. The Mattachine Society won the case that consequently unfolded. While this action did not officially change any laws, it did set the precedent for a growing movement in the years to come. New York City’s Commission on Human Rights also declared that gay people could not be refused service.

Read more about notable LGBT sites in New York City.