Truth matters. Community matters. Your support makes both possible. LAist is one of the few places where news remains independent and free from political and corporate influence. Stand up for truth and for LAist. Make your year-end tax-deductible gift now.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Downtown L.A. Is Getting A Couple Of Fancy New Gay Bars
Santa Fe Lofts (Photo by chriscamargo via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr)
Those lamenting the lack of gay bars outside of Silver Lake and West Hollywood should have a couple of new Downtown spots to hit up in the coming year.A new LGBT bar called Redline is planned to open in the Historic Core on the ground floor of the Santa Fe Lofts in early 2015, according to DT News. The first-time venture from Oliver Alpuche and Zachary Beus would occupy at 1,900-square-foot space in the building at 121 East 6th Street.
“Seeing how open the community is, I think it’s time for a gay bar to be here,” Alpuche said. “We want to make it into a community meeting space, too.”
Plans include a dance floor and food menu, with hours from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. and longer on the weekends for brunch. Alpuche said they want to open the bar by late January 2015.
Redline isn’t the only new gay bar planned for Downtown. Frontiers reported earlier this year that a bar called Precinct, a Prohibition Era police-themed spot, is planned at the corner of Broadway and 4th, though a firm timeline has not been announced for that one.
Downtown L.A. has pretty much always had gay bars, beyond nights like Mustache Mondays at La Cita. The New Jalisco Inn has been slinging brews for years under a variety of names. And Downtown L.A. has a well-documented history of being a gay hotspot, historically at Pershing Square. But in light of longstanding LGBT bars closing like Silver Lake’s MJ’s, Le Barcito and The Other Side, Hollywood’s The Spotlight and Downtown’s Score, these new bars should be welcome news.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
