Why One Of NYC’s Oldest Bars May Become A Landmark

Time Out New York reports that the Greenwich Village LGBTQ+ haunt Julius’ Bar may soon be deemed a historical landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC). The LPC voted this week to hold a public hearing sometime this fall to discuss the bar’s historical significance. “LGBTQ+ and civil rights history like that which is embodied in Julius’ are essential elements of our collective story, and it’s critical that they not be forgotten or erased,” says Village Preservation Executive Director Andrew Berman (via Time Out New York).

Julius’ claims not only to be the oldest gay bar in Greenwich Village, but also in all of NYC, having been established in 1930 (per Facebook). More than just a longstanding watering hole, Julius’ famously hosted a 1966 “Sip-In” for LGBTQ+ protestors organizing against the New York City law that punished people for “drinking while gay,” per National Park Service. For this reason, the bar was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2016. If the LPC votes to make the bar a landmark, it could ensure that Julius’ sticks around in the Big Apple for many more years.