NYC bear guide: where to party with the big boys

NYC bears are hardly confined to one habitat. Use our bear guide to find these friendly, furry urban creatures.

Photograph: Michael Alexander

Urban Bear Guide: Blowoff at the Highline Ballroom
Photograph: Michael Alexander

Urban Bear Guide: Piggy Bear at the Eagle
Photograph: Michael Alexander

Urban Bear Guide: Buddies at Nowhere
Photograph: Gustavo Monroy

Urban Bear Guide: The Urban Bear Street Fair
Photograph: Zenith Richards

Urban Bear Guide: Code at the Eagle
Photograph: Grace Chu

Urban Bear Guide: Cubhouse at the Stonewall Inn
Photograph: Noah Fowler

Urban Bear Guide: Rockbar
Photograph: Peter Lau

Urban Bear Guide: The Black Party at Roseland Ballroom

Photograph: Michael Alexander

Urban Bear Guide: Blowoff at the Highline Ballroom

Undeniably, the NYC bear "scene" has moved from subculture to the gay mainstream in the past few years, thanks in part to large-scale events like Urban Bear Weekend and the Center's new octoBEARfest. At this point, bearded, husky guys dominate much of gay nightlife, from downtown dives such as Stonewall and Rockbar to mega dance parties including Blowoff and the Fur Ball. Even pretty-boy haunts like G and XL are not immune to ursine crowds. So what makes a bear? These days, it's pretty much anyone with face fuzz and a bit of extra meat on his bones. We're not generally hung up on labels around here, but there's no denying that these guys throw some of the best parties around. Our NYC bear guide will help you navigate the furry forest.