Stairs

As new gay bars have opened in Hell’s Kitchen and Queens, it seems like it’s been awhile since the East Village has gotten a fresh-faced homo watering hole. That all changed, however, when the brand-new bar Stairs (192 E Second St, StairsBar.com) held its grand opening on December 28.

The multi-level space—a cool mixture of exposed brick, leather seating and dark wood—is opens at 5pm, with a happy hour from 5pm to 9pm featuring half-priced cocktails and drinks. After their New Year’s Eve blowout earlier this week, the sleek new bar is open nightly.

The venue—which is located south and east of many of the other gay bars in the neighborhood, making it perfect for both East Village and Lower East Side ‘mos—features three distinct spaces, each with a different vibe. When you first walk in, you encounter a cozy upstairs lounge with comfortable banquette seating and tables for mingling. Downstairs, there’s a bar area and a place to dance to live DJs—the bar’s prime cruising spot. The upstairs space, with its plush seating and low music, is great for chatting with friends.

The venue also boasts another distinctive characteristic for a gay bar in the area: food. Begining in the next month or so, Stairs will have a limited appetizer menu available till 11pm.