BY: DM
Published 1 hour ago
New York’s lesbian scene just caught a taste nostalgia. Nearly two decades after it closed, Meow Mix — the Lower East Side lesbian bar that raised a generation of downtown queers — staged a four-day reunion at Parkside Lounge on East Houston. The pop-up drew old heads, baby dykes, studs, femmes, and everyone in between back to the block that shaped the NYC nightlife culture. Here’s a look at what went down during the reunion weekend.
The Meow Mix Reunion Was Designed for the Lesbian Community
The reunion’s organizers framed the weekend as a community reset, not just a throwback. Meow Mix’s founder and longtime owner, Brooke Webster, emphasized why lesbian spaces matter.
“Bars in the gay community are not just about drinking, there are plenty of people who come and don’t drink, but it’s a place where people are able to be who they are, are able to become who they are, but also are able to feel safe,” Webster told Gay City News. “A place like Cattyshack is a little territory that we have control over. I’m part of that. I feel I’ve been a full-time lesbian all these years because every night, I see people in every state, being drunk, going through a break up, and falling in love.”
The schedule leaned into what made Meow Mix a magnet — live music, sweaty dance floors, and culture-nerd deep cuts. The “Meow Mix Returns” party kicked off the weekend, and Saturday night stretched to 4 a.m. with bands like The Orangutwins and DJs Noa D and Lily of the Valley.
The History of Meow Mix
Meow Mix opened in 1996 on the Lower East Side and quickly became a loud, sex-positive hub for live music and downtown lesbian culture. It grew so iconic that it appeared onscreen in “Chasing Amy.” Founder Brooke Webster — already a force as a party promoter and manager of the lesbian punk band Tribe 8 — turned the room into a launchpad for performers and a meet-cute factory for the community.
The club closed in 2004, citing ‘flooding, city harassment, and a shift in the neighborhood demographics, according to the NYC LGBTQ History Sites Project. Webster later opened Cattyshack in Park Slope (2005–2009), expanding the scene across the river.
Meow Mix wasn’t the first bar of its kind, but it became one of the most popular in the NYC area. Henrietta Hudson opened in 1991 and evolved into a lesbian-centric, queer-focused institution. Cubbyhole, at West 12th and West 4th, opened in 1994 and built a tiny, iconic, and defiantly welcoming space. Original owner Tanya Saunders envisioned an inclusive “neighborhood fusion bar,” and it remains one of NYC’s few surviving lesbian bars, according to the NYC LGBTQ History Sites Project.
Ginger’s, Park Slope’s ride-or-die lesbian bar, opened on St. Patrick’s Day in 2000 by owner Sheila Frayne, according to BK Mag. After a pandemic pause, the community rallied — including a “Save Ginger’s” fund — and Frayne reopened the bar in 2022.
What’s one lesbian or queer bar that shaped your life? Comment below!
