Uncle Charlie's Downtown opened in the early 1980s in Greenwich Village, part of a popular chain of gay bars in New York City. Born at the same time as MTV, it was one of the first video bars, and soon earned a reputation as a place where nobody spoke, but just stood and watched, a so-called "S&M" bar, for Stand and Model.
During the AIDS crisis, Uncle Charlie's Downtown became one of the most popular gay bars of the 1980s with one of the busiest happy hours, packing them in with screenings of Dynasty Wednesdays & Golden Girl Saturdays. Maybe people needed something light during that time of tragedy.
Scandal hit when the bar's owner was charged with the 1986 stabbing murder of a 37-year-old man who had a relationship with his former 20-year-old lover. After a hung jury in 1988, and awaiting a re-trial, he sold everything and disappeared to Panama--until he was nabbed.
But the bar played on.
Taken over by a new owner, Gary Davenport, Uncle Charlie's was revamped and remained a popular hotspot throughout the late 1980's and 90's.
In 1997, Uncle Charlie's was forced to close its doors, ending an era in Greenwich Village gay history. The reason? A drop in customers as Chelsea was gaining popularity as the "new" destination for gay men, along with a 50 percent increase in rent.
Today, the Irish pub and restaurant Fiddlesticks occupies the legendary Uncle Charlie's Downtown space at 56 Greenwich Avenue. If you go inside you just might see a few familiar things and remember some good memories.
all photos via the Original Uncle Charlie's Downtown Facebook page
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