From ambiance to show times to location, here’s everything you need to know about The Duplex, a classic West Village gay bar
- Address: 61 Christopher Street
- Neighborhood: West Village
- Hours: Monday – Sunday, 4pm – 4am
- Best Time to Go: Friday and Saturday nights
- Vibe: Lively, Friendly, Music-Forward
- Website: theduplex.com
- Instagram: @theduplex_nyc
Overview of The Duplex:
The Duplex is a historic gay bar located at the intersection of Christopher Street and Seventh Avenue, in the heart of the West Village right next to The Stonewall Inn. It offers three main areas — outdoor seating, its Piano Bar on the first floor, and Upstairs @ The Duplex, its small nightclub on the second floor. In other words, you can get whatever you want here.
Every night starting at 9pm, the musically-gifted staff at the Duplex performs in the Piano Bar, putting on a show that blends comedy and music and more as guests cram into its intimate space. It’s not uncommon for members of the audience to get up and perform alongside the pianist or singer, giving the place an “expect the unexpected” appeal.
Its upstairs space hosts drag shows, trivia nights and stand-up comedy shows during the week, but it turns into a can’t-miss dance party during the weekends. The playlist here blends current hits with throwback bops you might’ve forgotten about as the lights dim and the lasers turn on. One of the best parts about it? The corresponding music videos play on a small screen at the end of the bar, so you can always check out the visuals, too.
Why go to The Duplex?
If you go at the right time, The Duplex can feel like the epicenter of gay Manhattan. It has an unbeatable location and offers up pretty much everything you’d want from a gay bar: Live entertainment in the form of drag shows and cabaret, a great playlist upstairs, a friendly atmosphere and strong vodka sodas.
In addition to being able to bop between the different spaces within The Duplex, it’s also conveniently located to be part of a West Village gay bar crawl kind of night. Monster, Stonewall, Pieces and Playhouse are all within a couple blocks.
Ambiance of The Duplex?
One of the most appealing things about The Duplex is that it scratches three different itches when it comes to ambiance. Want to chill out, gab with your gays and do some people watching over drinks? Post up in its big outdoor seating area along Seventh Avenue. Want to enjoy live music in an intimate, gay environment? Grab a spot in the piano bar downstairs. Want to dance the night away in a hot, dark room? Head upstairs.
If you like these other bars… you’ll like The Duplex:
- Marie’s Crisis
- Monster
- Pieces
The Duplex not your thing? Here are other gay bars nearby:
- Playhouse
- Julius’
- The Stonewall Inn
