NIGHTLIFE
Henrietta Hudson Returns With a New Look
Queer bar reopens after a long break and a big renovation
BY TAT BELLAMY-WALKER
After the pandemic disrupted
a thriving scene
at Henrietta Hudson,
a Manhattan-based
“queer human space built by lesbians,”
owner Lisa Cannistraci
knew she faced a daunting task to
reopen — and she wanted to make
sure she did it right.
Henrietta Hudson resisted the
urge to partially reopen and the bar
has remained completely closed
throughout the duration of the
pandemic. Cannistraci decided to
use that time to renovate the place
just in time for the queer watering
hole’s soft reopening on May 1 and
a grand reopening in mid-May.
“It was such a big, heavy lift,”
Cannistraci, who uses “they” and
“she” pronouns, said as they sat
in a workspace near the bar. “We
were at the top of our game in
2019. The 12 hours a week when
it was the busiest — it’s gone. Essentially,
I’m building a business
from scratch.”
A small team has been working
behind the scenes to prepare for the
reopening at the bar, which is at
438 Hudson Street in Manhattan’s
West Village. Known for its packed
dance parties, Henrietta Hudson
is returning as a cafe lounge with
a bright, mid-century design and
Palm Springs-esque decor. Visitors
can expect a robust line of small
bites, an espresso bar, and even
more cocktails than before. Plus,
pods are stationed outside for outdoor
dining.
“Every square inch has changed
in a decorative way,” Cannistraci
said. “I’m glad that I made the decision
not to kind-of open. It gave me
time to refl ect on where we’ve been
and where we are going.”
An iconic, shimmering disco ball
will still greet new patrons, but
there will also be lounge chairs, a
kitchen in the back of the bar, and
some greenery to complement the
upscale vibe, according to design
concepts of the space shared with
Gay City News.
“We’re 30 now; we want to sit
down a little bit,” said Molly Adams,
Henrietta Hudson’s digital director, Molly Adams, in the pre-renovated space.
Design concepts for the reopening of the bar.
the bar’s digital director. “It
allows us to open to a broader clientele.”
While the renovation was motivated
in part by the pandemic, it
was already on the to-do list. Like
clockwork every seven years, the
bar goes through a rebirth, with
the most recent revamp being in
TAT BELLAMY=WALKER
TAT BELLAMY-WALKER
2013.
“It wasn’t on my calendar, but
it was a notion that I need to give
more,” Cannistraci said. “We need
to listen to what people want.”
Visitors must make reservations
for now, and due to social distancing
guidelines, dancing will not
immediately resume.
During the long break, the bar
developed online programming on
its social media pages to create
spaces where LGBTQ advocates
can discuss trans healthcare,
healthy relationships with partners,
and safe nightlife spaces for
queer people. Diversity remains a
key element at the bar heading into
a new era.
“It’s been about learning and
honoring our history and carrying
it into the future,” Adams said. “It’s
about still serving the community
in a way that is valuable, inclusive,
and forward-thinking.”
Cannistraci drew inspiration for
the renovation from her late parents,
who died during the pandemic.
They were very supportive of her
LGBTQ identity and her mother
co-founded a PFLAG chapter on
Staten Island.
“The silver lining was that I got
to spend a lot of time with them,”
Cannistraci said. “That was the
blessing. My mother loved Henrietta
Hudson, as did my father.
Whenever my mom traveled, she
always wore a Henrietta Hudson
T-shirt because she knew it would
spark conversation.”
It is still too early to know what
the venue’s plans are for Pride, but
the staffers said Henrietta Hudson’s
offerings would depend on
COVID-19 guidelines — which are
becoming more relaxed as more
New Yorkers get vaccinated.
Henrietta Hudson is part of
the Lesbian Bars Project, which
is a campaign to save and raise
awareness of LGBTQ bars catered
to women. The establishment remains
one of the longest-running
lesbian bars in the city, ahead of
Cubbyhole in the West Village and
Ginger’s Bar in Brooklyn.
While lesbian bars face a precarious
future, Cannistraci is continuing
to push forward — and not
even a year-long hiatus is slowing
her down.
“Surviving 30 years to me wasn’t
a conscious decision,” she said.
“You get up in the morning, you
put one shoe on at a time, and you
start your day, and then the day is
over and the bar is still open.”
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