Girlsroom

Girlsroom

Location: 210 Rivington Street (between Ridge and Pitt Streets), New York, New York, USA

Opened/Closed: 2005

In a column entitled "January Bar Buzz," New York Magazine announced the birth of Girlsroom in May 2005:

210 Rivington Street today

Once upon a time, the Lower East Side was home to a legendary lesbian bar, now closed. But, against all odds (namely skyrocketing LES rents and the gay diaspora's Brooklyn trajectory), a new club is hoping to fill the void. So far the girls have the now-mourned Meow Mix’s bare, beer-distressed atmosphere down pat, except the clientele is slightly younger and considerably sparser. The scattering of drinkers isn't thick enough to block out the ardent red walls left over from the bar’s days as the Infrared Lounge, and hearty tipplers making the trek to the far eastern end of Rivington Street won't have to fight for a seat on the thrift-store furniture. Still, super-generous drink specials should help the place score a following: Drinks are two-for-one until 9 p.m. on weekdays, while beer and call drinks flow free 10 to 11:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, 9 to 10 p.m. on Thursdays, and 10 to 11 p.m. on Fridays. Will Girlsroom follow in the successful steps of its Sapphic foremother, or even its slightly older gay brother, Boysroom? Free booze, low or no cover, Tuesday karaoke, and an assortment of DJ nights bode well.—Kristal Hawkins

As it turned out, things did not bode well. Though Girlsroom apparently lived long enough for Clubplanet to take notice:

Girlsroom - Known for its simple décor and good drinks, Girlsroom is located at 210 Rivington St. Just make sure you dress up a little, as it’s not quite the frat bar you’re used to from college.

The music? Salsa, Bachata, Latin, Merengue, Pop / Top 40. Muy bueno! 

And Girlsroom did manage to register with GayCities:

Hip girl bar with a little something different each night.

Tags: Mostly Women

And then in almost the blink of an eye, Girlsroom vanished. By the time that Boston's Edge sent a (straight male) reviewer to check out the New York lesbian bar scene (???)--this was around the fall of 2006--she was gone:

After having so much fun at the CubbyHole I decided to get my ’Les’ on and go to another lesbian bar. Plus, I wanted to get the stink of the Black Door off of me. This time my destination was The Girlsroom located in the Lower East Village. I had heard rumors of ’Women Only Dancing,’ a Friday night drink special that would make Dean Martin proud, and a stripper pole on the bar. For a straight male like myself, it seemed like Heaven. Scratch that: Better than Heaven, it’s the exclusive, underground VIP room at Scores. I checked my usual sources for directions (Hopstop.com) and headed out to have a great time surrounded by women (who had no interest in me) and cheap booze.

When I arrived at 210 Rivington Street (between Pitt and Ridge Streets) I found myself in a neighborhood that was less than desirable. In fact, it reminded me of my old neighborhood, Edenwald Projects in the Bronx. Loud youths hung out on the corner, police sirens howled in the background, and the bodegas vended 40’s of what St. Ives calls "Malt Liquor." The familiar sights and sounds brought a quiet smile to my face. That happy, yet brief, reflection into my days as a chubby kid running through the PJ’s playing Freeze Tag was shattered when I noticed there was no line for the bar, no dance music playing and no lesbians to be found anywhere. The Girlsroom was closed. It’s been replaced by a bar called Guero’ (It’s Spanish slang for ’White boy’). My disappointment was beyond measure, plus I was angry. I was angry with myself for letting my Southern Compass lead me to a bar and pissed because I didn’t know the place was closed.

***

Not to be discouraged I sallied forth and walked into Guero’ to get the scoop on why the Girlsroom was closed, and to take advantage of the 2 for 1 happy hour.

According to the bartender (let’s call her G) the Girlsroom has been closed for about a year....

So the Girlsroom was replaced by a place called Guero' ('White Boy')? And we find this out from a straight dude working for a gay (male) publication? Gee, are there no lesbian journalists on this planet?

Honestly, you can't make this sh** up....

Graphic, photo of 210 Rivington (date unclear)