The best gay bars in the West Village

Ever wonder why we can’t all just get along? At Hangar Bar, we can. Men of all ethnicities harmoniously mix, mingle and cruise. One bar, with a DJ area, stretches halfway across the room; another anchors the back. Music videos play overhead. Like the personal ads say, a lot of the guys are straight-appearing and straight-acting. Testosterone abounds, but the place has a mellow, sexy, down-to-earth ambience.

The draw at this beloved West Village institution ain't the drinks—cheap beer, vodka highballs—it's the old-school piano-bar experience. Belt out a Broadway tune with the rest of the bar, and keep an eye peeled for legendary pianist Dexter Watson, who's been a fixture at Marie's for ages.

A dance floor, a show-tune-playing pianist and cabaret acts add up to the ultimate gay package at this long-standing haunt. The diverse crowd assembles for happy hour (get a buck off well drinks Monday through Friday from 4 to 9pm and Saturday from 2 to 9pm) and sticks around for shows in the spacious basement. Drag queen Jesse Volt hosts High Voltage on Wednesday nights at 11pm, and Barbara Herr fires up another drag show, Sabor Latino, at midnight on Mondays. On weekend nights, the frisky go-go boys and upbeat atmosphere make the low cover charge ($3 to $7) a steal.

A can’t-miss combo of a Melissa Etheridge–heavy jukebox and strong drinks poured by cute chicks has kept this lesbian spot busy since 1991. Reggae and hip-hop spin most nights, inspiring a good bit of rump shaking among the young, flirty patrons. Weekends bring a higher bridge-and-tunnel quotient, but it’s nothing a Naughty Girl (blue curaçao, coconut rum and pineapple juice) can’t help you overlook.

What could be gayer than a queer bar on Christopher Street? This neighborhood watering hole is the place for cheap drinks, drag-queen hosts, theme nights and a friendly crowd.

This reincarnated Christopher Street watering hole has a queer rock & roll theme, with frequent special events and a lively local crowd.

Setting the pace for campy, good-natured fun (though not classic glamour), the city’s oldest cabaret is still going strong at age 55. A generous mix of regulars and tourists laugh and sing along with drag performers, comedians and rising stars in the cabaret room on the second floor. (Special showcases are still in the intimate game room, which is also upstairs and has a separate bar.) In the ground-floor piano bar, the merry singing waitstaff is entertaining enough to avoid charges of gimmickry, and the pianists are often excellent.

The birthplace of gay liberation says “Yes!” to empowerment and “Hell, yes!” to go-go boys. The high-energy dance music draws a mixed, flirty crowd. Drink at one of two bars, or shake your groove thing on the dance floor upstairs. Daytime brings gawking tourists, but the evenings are still for partying. Theme nights include the Latin house party Uncut Wednesdays, but true to the bar’s democratic spirit, everyone is welcome.

Established in 1862, this is New York’s oldest operating gay bar. You may feel a rich sense of history here, or maybe it’s the crowd: These days, you can count on your fingers and toes the number of salt-and-pepper-haired (or balding) patrons sitting with their drafts at the long wooden bar. Patsy Cline and Liza dominate the jukebox, though there are modern touches for the young’uns: Beyoncé and the Queer as Folk soundtrack are among the selections.

Cubbyhole is one of the Village’s more festive and hetero-friendly gay-and-lesbian bars. Chinese paper lanterns, tissue-paper fish and holiday decorations hang from the ceiling. Barstools are upholstered with glossy vinyl bearing pictures of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Porky Pig. Eclectic? You bet.