Where else could you purchase a Kurt Busch vintage die-cast car for $44.95 while listening to a husky drag queen belt out Shania Twain’s “Man, I feel like a woman?”

“Showtime … (at the) NASCAR bar,” the Streamline’s promotional flyer proudly read. “Where the men are men (and so are some of the women.)”

Longtime Outsports reader Leland Wykoff confirmed the report:

I had the opportunity to visit the Streamline Hotel on a recent Florida visit. The Streamline is now gayer than Clay Aiken.  They do have memorabilia of the NASCAR history, along with a bitching “drag review.”  It is also the oldest standing hotel on Daytona Beach, due to being the first fireproof hotel built on the island, and thus the concrete and steel structure has survived the hurricanes.

The place doesn’t seem to have the best reputation. A quick perusal of online reviews showed lots of comments like “close the place down,” “moldy, smelled bad, stained sheets” and “this hotel is a dump.”

Check out Gaytona.com for more info on gay Daytona.

Spring break, anyone?

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The local Community Board 4, chaired by openly gay former football player Corey Johnson, overrode its own licensing subcommittee last November and denied the bar a license. The State Liquor Authority is taking up the matter this week.

One of the neighbors has complained that the bar might have a pants check-in so men can walk around in their boxer shorts. POI: It is legal for anyone to wear boxer shorts without pants on the streets, let alone in a bar. Besides, having been to the Chelsea-based Boxers bar many times, I’ve never seen this (though the bartenders only wear boxer shorts).

Others complain that there might be smokers outside the bar, or that the bar might be seen from the school? After all, some of the students in the school are asthmatic!!! POI: The bar owners have said they would not open during school hours.

Boxers owner Bob Fluet told Steve Weinstein, “They wouldn’t be opposing an Applebee’s.”

Actually, they might be. These Manhattan elites don’t want anyone disturbing their precious neighborhoods. Despite the fact that they’ve chosen to live in the most over-populated, congested city in the country, they want to tell other people what they can and cannot do with their business and their property (many residents even decide who can and cannot live in their apartment building). There is no doubt some homophobia is going on here (did I mention it’s a Catholic school?), but there’s also a lot of desire to simply tell other people what to do.

Welcome to New York.

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But it’s too bad that we’re still at a point where hollering at the television over inane managerial decisions during the playoffs could still be seen by anyone as culture treason. One of the benefits of an environment that makes it easier for folks to come out should be a sense that your community is bigger than you knew, big enough for everyone not to have to be invested in the same projects, and big enough to accommodate multiple gay cultures, and to accept solidarity when it’s offered. If gay men want a bar where they can hang out and watch football, it doesn’t mean the club that has Madonna dance nights is going to shut down.

Besides, the gay sports bar is probably the one with the Madonna dance night!

I’m not sure why, but there is still this roll-of-the-eyes “oh you’re so butch” reaction by some gay people when I say I like sports. It’s much less common than it was 15 years ago, but it’s still there. I assume it comes form an insecurity or lack of awareness by the person with the less-than-welcoming reaction, but I don’t know.

Does anyone else still experience this?

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“It’s disgusting,” fumed Iyanth Davis, 53, a law librarian. “That’s absolutely too close to these two schools . . . And the issue is not that it’s a gay bar — it’s a bar . . . That’s the issue.”

Disgusting? It’s highly doubtful that word would be used if it were a straight bar. According to the Post, the bar owners want to subdivide the building so the bar complies with city law and will sit just over 200 feet away from the school. Again, if it weren’t a gay bar with all of those evil gay pedophiles running around, it wouldn’t be an issue for many.

School gets out in the early afternoon. Bars open in the late afternoon and on the weekends. And even if they were open at the same time, a) the bar wouldn’t allow 12-year-olds into the bar and b) patrons wouldn’t be outside trying to lure kids away with bottles of Coors Lite.

I enjoy Boxers every time I go, and I hope the city doesn’t stop them from opening up where they want to open. In an overcrowded city where you’re always 200 feet from a teenager, you can’t legislate everything. Heck, the first Boxers is next door to an old church (that now houses a bar)…and Manhattan hasn’t sunk into the ocean yet!

Hat tip to Towleroad.

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In the past few years, almost a dozen sports bars catering to a gay clientele have opened around the country, including Crew in Chicago, Fritz in Boston and GYM Sportsbar in Los Angeles [the one in NY opened in 2005].

The sudden success has even surprised some proprietors. “Quite frankly, we had no idea that gay men and women really loved sports,” said Jennifer Morales, the marketing director of SideLines sports bar, outside Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The article does a disservice by not talking about Gym Sportsbar in New York specifically (I have to believe there’s some kind of politics there as it would be a no-brainer to discuss Boxer’s top competition at length). When they opened in Chelsea in 2005 they instantly became the hottest bar in the neighborhood and remained such for years.

I went to Boxers while in New York last month. It’s a really fun spot. Sports are playing everywhere, the music is upbeat, and the bartenders are dressed in only boxers (shocking, I know).

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I can’t believe it. I got barred from entering a bar (Crunch Bar in Manchester) because I was “big and black and could be trouble.” Wow.

However, bar manager Mark Taylor claims Amaechi and some of his friends were not allowed in because of their behavior at another bar. Amaechi posted this message on Facebook, allegedly from Taylor:

Your group was stopped from entering the venue on Friday night as a message was received over the NiteNet radio system… that your group had been argumentative and aggressive to another venue’s door staff.

Amaechi has responded with this message on Facebook:

I just checked with Taurus and Via – they aren’t even connected to Nitenet! This man is a bigot AND a liar.

We have not been able to corroborate that those were the two bars cited by Taylor, but the manager of Via did leave this message on Facebook:

Just wanted to add a point from VIA – John and his group were in our venue and were as always polite respectful . I do not know John personally but i have a great respect for the amount he does for OUR community.I was on the nitenet system all night as well as my head doorman and i do not remember any messages that were connected to Johns party . Tony -Via

Taylor spoke with the BBC and maintained that his staff followed proper protocol, attacking Amaechi for trying to discredit the bar with allegations of racism:

Whilst I understand it is upsetting to be turned away from a venue when on a night out, to justify a refusal of entry by provoking a racist debate is completely uncalled for.

Following a discussion with the staff that were present at the time, we are satisfied that there was neither racism shown nor bigoted comments made as suggested.

Crunch is a large venue in the gay village employing people of all different groups: white, black, gay, straight and more – we do not discriminate on any grounds.

These allegations are outrageous and completely unfounded.

This is surely just the beginning of this fight, as Amaechi says he will pursue this “through all the channels I have.”

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Doug Schantz, owner of Nellie’s Sports Bar at 900 U St. NW, was robbed at gunpoint around 1 p.m. Monday, April 19, by two men. Though there was a scuffle during the robbery, Schantz was not injured and the robbers fled with a “small amount of money,” Schantz says.

“We were closed. Delivery people come in all the time and these guys came in behind me. I thought they were delivery people. One put a gun right in my face. I was on the phone. I said, ‘Oh, my God. Oh, my God.’ I started screaming at the top of my lungs, ‘Help!’”

The thieves have not been apprehended.

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This isn’t a big surprise. With the success of Gym Sportsbar on Eighth Ave., a second bar was sure to pop up. And with the dozens of gay-sports leagues representing thousands of members, and many more sports fans beyond that in Manhattan, we know both can succeed. Boxers will look and feel different from Gym; The former will have food, and the floor plan (check it out after the jump) features a “brick oven pizza station.” Stay tuned!

Note: Post edited Dec. 15 for location accuracy; I misread the location the first time.

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When I went back Sunday night to watch the Chargers-Steelers game, the bar was again crowded. Lots of Chargers (and a couple Steelers) jerseys adorned the crowd. I even saw our very own Maddog, whom I hadn’t met before, in his blue-and-gold. One of the owners told me they had a great weekend, which was encouraging to  hear: I don’t want my new favorite bar to anywhere anytime soon!

A couple more pics after the jump.

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You’ll definitely find me watching football some Sundays and Monday at their new West Hollywood spot. Check out all their info in a press release after the jump.

GYM SPORTSBAR TO OPEN IN WEST HOLLYWOOD
America’s most popular gay sports bar, GYM Sportsbar of New York City is opening it’s brand new West Hollywood location on Friday, Oct. 2, 2009.
The night will start with a private VIP Grand Opening Party open bar from 7-9 pm and will welcome the public at 9pm sharp. Featuring a front outdoor patio, 9 huge state of the art High Def TV’s, a projection wall and new sound system.
GYM Sportsbar West Hollywood will be THE place to
gather with friends to watch all of your LA sports teams, hang with your buddies or swing in by yourself and make new ones. GYM West Hollywood will bring the same commitment to amazing customer service, low prices and warm, welcoming environment that has made GYM New York such a fixture in the NYC GLBT nightlife community.
GYM New York has won numerous accolades including being voted NYC’s Best Happy Hour for several years running, New York’s best gay bar by AOL City Guides and one of the five coolest places to watch
the Super Bowl by the New York Post and Time Out.

GYM will feature a 2-4-1 happy hour Monday – Friday from open to 9pm, a Saturday and Sunday afternoon beer blast (perfect for kicking back and watching your favorite college and pro football teams), and amazing nightly drink specials from 9pm til close.

GYM West Hollywood will also strive to build on the strong ties to local and national GLBT sports organizations that GYM New York has fostered through sponsorship of many local teams, leagues, and national tournaments.

For everyone who has been longing for something truly new and different in the Los Angeles bar scene, your prayers have been answered:
GYM Sportsbar, West Hollywood opens on Oct. 2nd.

8737 Santa Monica Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90069
310-659-2004
www.gymsportsbar.com
Hours:
M-F 4pm – 2 am
Sat-Sun 12 pm – 2 am

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