Park slope gay bar

PARK SLOPE, BROOKLYN — If you want a spot to celebrate Pride in New York City look no further than Park Slope, critics say.

Many patrons who frequent Good Judy these days were of course once Excelsior folk, but the bar also excels at attracting a newer and more diverse queer community with drag shows, dance parties, and other recurring events. Good Judy is also the sister bar to Clinton Hill's C'mon Everybody, so you know you're in good hands. 

So, what are you waiting for?

It continues to operate today, keeping the teal colored doors that once served as the entrance to Excelsior. Nayden recounted how the property’s owner at the time had agreed to a five-year lease extension, only to turn around & sell the place while the then newly-married business partners were off enjoying their honeymoon.

Kennedy & Nayden quickly reassured the community that it was not the end for Excelsior.

Such great guys & bartenders ❤️.”

David Zinn (misterdavidzinn): “The best, truly. The bar is busiest on weekends when they host their popular cabaret shows and drag performances.

Whether it's a summer night on the spacious patio, an autumn evening on the dance floor, or a cozy winter karaoke session in the piano bar, Good Judy welcomes partygoers year-round.

Vibing Crowd and Music 

Good Judy attracts a good mix of LGBTQ+ individuals and allies.

The dance floor is always packed with people grooving to the beat of 90s, 80s, and pop hits, while the piano bar offers a more relaxed atmosphere with jazz and romantic anthems.

The two Fifth Avenue bars are named among 17 LGBTQ spots on the list — including some steeped in history for their gay-rights advocacy — which was released Wednesday by Eater in honor of the start of Pride Month.

Find out what's happening in Park Slopefor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Editors described Ginger's as a "lesbian hangout at its core" that "welcomes all members of the LGBTQ+ community and attracts bargoers of all ages and genders."

The bar — located at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Fifth Street — closed for over a year during the pandemic, reopening at the end of 2021 to a good deal of fanfare.

Find out what's happening in Park Slopefor free with the latest updates from Patch.

The low-lighting, cheap drinks, kitschy decor and pool table make Ginger's a "legit dive," editors said.

Ginger's Bar, a beloved lesbian bar (the only one in Brooklyn), and Good Judy, a queer bar and event venue, were named among the best LGBTQ bars to celebrate Pride — and visit year round — by Eater editors.

"Good Judy in Park Slope feels like a good balance between a dive bar meets a disco with a loyal local following," Eater said.

But, thanks in part to the outdoor enclosed garden, the bar doesn't have a club-vibe, and instead is an "ideal spot fora chill night of pool and music," according to Eater.

A bit further south, on Fifth Avenue and 15th Street, is Good Judy. “This sounds cliche, but we compare it a lot to ‘Cheers,’” said Chris Christman, who happened to be there on Excelsior's opening day.

“‘Excelsior’ means ever onward & upward, & that’s what we plan on doing,” said Nayden at the time, "we’re going to find a better space & we’re going to continue to serve the community.”

Not much later, Excelsior did in fact reopen, this time just a few blocks south at 563 Fifth Avenue between Fifteenth & Sixteenth Streets.

The cabaret shows and drag performances are not to be missed, and the piano karaoke nights are always a hit.

The atmosphere is lively and energetic, with patrons enjoying jello shots and cleverly named cocktails.

Why Try Good Judy

Whether you're looking for a night of dancing, singing, or just hanging out with friends, Good Judy is the place to be. The two-floor spot that features banquettes, high top tables, an expansive stage for performances, dance floor, and pool tables.

By yourself or with friends, Excel kind of leads the pack as an easy hang in the gay bar scene in NY. The bartenders are friendly, sweet folk, especially that Jim guy and it's impossible to not find yourself making one or two new friends [on] any given night.”

Excelsior operated at its 390 Fifth Avenue location for over fifteen years before it announced its temporary closure in July 2014, when its lease expired.

“It’s a neighborhood bar that happens to be a gay bar.” In his review, Paul L. perhaps summed up the Excelsior experience best: “With no good bars in my area I jumped on the Q to the R and rode into a place I would eventually call home and my family. Excelsior officially closed for good on July 31st, 2019, crediting community pride for the watering hole’s longevity & continuously rising rents for its ultimate closure.

In a beautiful twist, the second Excelsior address lived on as a queer space, however, when Good Judy took over the location, opening its doors in 2020 and managing to hang on through the Covid pandemic.

It ran at that location for another five years, providing Park Slope with a homey queer community space for a combined twenty years. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

Located first at 390 Fifth Avenue and then at 563 Fifth Avenue in Brooklyn, Excelsior was one of the longest running gay bars to exist in Park Slope, operating as a community watering hole for over twenty years in a neighborhood where gay bars were otherwise few and far between.

Excelsior first opened its doors in 1999 at 390 Fifth Avenue between Sixth & Seventh Streets in Park Slope.