Starlite Lounge Now A Cell Phone Store
Sad day in Crown Heights. The neighborhood’s historic Starlite Lounge at 1086 Bergen Street has been replaced by a Metro PCS. We had heard this awhile ago as a rumor from Nostrand Park while the building was under construction. But now it’s confirmed: one of Brooklyn’s oldest gay bars and its first black-owned gay bar…
Sad day in Crown Heights. The neighborhood’s historic Starlite Lounge at 1086 Bergen Street has been replaced by a Metro PCS. We had heard this awhile ago as a rumor from Nostrand Park while the building was under construction. But now it’s confirmed: one of Brooklyn’s oldest gay bars and its first black-owned gay bar is just another soulless storefront devoid of its past life.
The Starlite Lounge Says Goodbye [Brownstoner]
Not only is it sad, it is a waste of a perfectly good liquor license.
sad… gentrification
Interesting that the Living Colour video to which Grand Pa sent the link opens with shots of several houses along President St, just across from today’s HOTD.
Hey Montrose Morris, how do you know they were derelict on their rent, PS? I’ve heard different accounts of why the place closed (i.e. landlord died, his son took over and was sort of a homophobe) — and I’d love to know what actually happened.
Truly a sad day (though this happened many days ago). I heard so much about the Starlite from friends just as I was moving to CH (living three blocks away) and now it’s gone.
Oh Benson, there’s a sunny, dull, and isolated gated community in South Florida calling your name.
Of course, any longstanding bar or businesses or what have you is a loss to the community. If the Stonewall Inn was evicted abruptly, you could be sure the entire national LGBT community would be up in arms.
Sadly, it’s the little guy who takes the brunt of the city’s gentrification pangs.
Well said MM (as always), this one is dedicated to you.
The great Living Colour
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6V5VkMqM07s
I am bummed that an old bar closed. I hope the bar fixtures found a good home. I could care less what kind of bar it was, (okay, that’s a lie, I liked the idea of a gay bar in Crown Heights, and wish I’d had a chance to go there — despite being old and straight) — but the biggest thing I find sort of ironic and/or sad is, all across gentrified and up-and-coming Brooklyn, spaces are being renovated to look like they’ve been there since 1950 — or 1850 — and here is an actual one… and… well, le sigh.
Was it nice inside? Nice in the way old dive bars used to be? A few red lights, maybe some wood paneling from the 70’s, a nicotine-stained tin ceiling, an old mahogany bar with initials in it? Vinyl booths held together with duct tape? Good jukebox?
benson- it was black-owned. It was not a business that was closed up. It was still in operation when they were kicked out. it was the oldest gay bar in Brooklyn and a comfortable palce for them to go. If it were an Italian bar that had been around for years wouldn’t you care? Has nothing to do with being Black and gay (although I find it interesting you would put it in those terms. And I would feel the same way if it were an old white guys dive or a VFW or whatever because I don’t like seeing viable, old community businesses shut down for no good reason. Capice?