Popular lesbian bar Cubbyhole opens back up
BY TAT BELLAMY-WALKER
GAY CITY NEWS
One of the last lesbian bars
in New York City, the
Cubbyhole, has offi cially
reopened for business.
A large crowd of patrons
fl ocked to the LGBTQ watering
hole at 281 West 12th Street in
Manhattan’s West Village on
April 8 to celebrate the bar’s return
after reopening last summer
and shuttering again in December
when it became too cold for outdoor
operations.
Known for its colorful lanterns,
old school jukebox, and famous
“Finding Nemo” decor, Cubbyhole
is one of the few remaining lesbian
bars in the city and the nation to
survive the COVID-19 pandemic.
Other lesbian outposts in the
city include the neighboring bar
Henrietta Hudson and Ginger’s in
Brooklyn, which remains closed.
With such limited gathering space
for queer women and other people
of marginalized genders, Cubbyhole’s
owner, Lisa Menichino, told
Cubbyhole in the West Village.
Eater that the venue is especially
important because “lesbians need
a place to go.”
When the bar closed last
March, Menichino started a
GoFundMe to aid the business at
a time when it was ravaged by the
coronavirus. The establishment
had no income, and for months
operations looked bleak, “With
PHOTO VIA GOOGLE MAPS
no clear indication of when this
will end, we worry for our future,”
the bar wrote in a post requesting
fi nancial relief. To date, the
business has surpassed its initial
fundraising goal of $30,000,
garnering more than $76,000 in
donations.
Even when the business was
closed, it was a magical place for
the community. Earlier this year,
a queer couple got engaged in
front of the bar, according to a
photo posted on Instagram. Like
many queer bars, the Cubbyhole
has adapted to the changing times
to retain business — from hosting
virtual events to selling online Tshirts
to serving spiked hot apple
cider and hot chocolate before the
weather dropped below freezing
temperatures in New York City.
This go-around, visitors can
expect to make reservations to sit
in the “cubby shack,” an outdoor
wooden dining set, allowing for a
socially distanced night out with
friends. Longtime fans and newcomers
alike can also get a taste
of the pub’s fruity and alcoholic
beverages from their new frozen
drink machine.
The team at Cubbyhole could
not be reached for comment on
April 13.
Four mom-and-pop shops to open in Village luxury bldg.
BY CARSEN HOLADAY
Greenwich Village is getting some
new additions to the neighborhood.
Real estate development company
TF Cornerstone announced on April
7 that four new retailers will open at the
base of The Albert, a luxury building located
in the heart of Greenwich Village.
The four new retailers include Maman, a
French bakery; Simó Pizza, a Neapolitanstyle
pizzeria; QQ Nails and Spa, a salon;
and Gelateria Gentile, a traditional Italian
gelato shop.
“TFC is bringing premier, curated retail
offerings to Greenwich Village, including
a bakery with delicious baked goods, a
fi rst-rate salon, an excellent pizzeria, and
a delightful gelato shop,” said Steve Gonzalez,
Senior Director of Retail Leasing
at TF Cornerstone. “Cultivating dynamic
local retailers that offer a variety of unique
services and experiences is a hallmark of
TF Cornerstone’s portfolio. These leases
will continue our tradition of being an additive
presence of every neighborhood in
which we call home.”
Maman is a popular French bakery that
is known for its selection of baked goods,
coffees, breakfast, lunch and brunch
options, as well as its wine and beer bar.
The bakery fi rst opened in SoHo in 2014
and now has locations across New York
City, Montreal and Toronto. The new Maman
location occupies over 1,841 square
feet and has recently opened its doors to
the public.
“We could not be happier to have opened
our doors in Greenwich Village,” said Benjamin
Sormonte, Owner of Maman. “This
PHOTO VIA GOOGLE MAPS
is a prime location and retail space for our
bakery. We have loved getting to know a
new base of customers along University
Place.”
Simó Pizza is a fast-casual pizzeria that
brings authentic Neapolitan cuisine to New
Yorkers. All dishes are made with Italian
ingredients and gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian
options are available. In addition to
this new location, Simò Pizza has another
location at TFC’s 90 Gansevoort Street.
Occupying more than 2,154 square feet,
Simò Pizza is expected to open this spring.
“We’re proud to be expanding our business
and serving delicious pizza to even
more New Yorkers with our new location,”
said Simone Falco, founder of Simò Pizza.
“We have loved being a TFC tenant at 90
Gansevoort Street and look forward to
growing our partnership and business in
one of the most beautiful and well-located
buildings in the Village.”
QQ Nails and Spa offers some retreat
and relaxation to Greenwich Village. The
elevated salon with manicures, pedicures
and waxing services has ten other locations
throughout Manhattan. QQ Nails and Spa
occupies more than 3,208 square feet at the
recently opened new location.
Gelateria Gentile is a top-rate gelato
shop that will serve real Italian gelato. The
shop fi rst opened as a little shop using traditional
family recipes in the South of Italy
in 1880. At their third location, occupying
690 square feet, Gelateria Gentile will
bring the rich, authentic fl avors of Bari to
Greenwich Village. Occupying 690 square
feet, Gelateria Gentile will open in time for
the summer weather.
For more details visit tfc.com.
Schneps Media April 15, 2021 3
/tfc.com