The Landmark Preservation Commission designated Julius’ Bar on Tuesday an official New York City landmark.
WEST VILLAGE, NY — Julius’ Bar in the West Village, considered the longest-running gay bar in the city, was officially made a New York City landmark on Tuesday.
The building at 159 W. 10th St. was designated a landmark for the role it played in advancing the rights of gay and lesbian New Yorkers, the Landmarks Preservation Commission explained in a news release.
“The ‘Sip-In’ at Julius’ was a pivotal moment in our city and our nation’s LGBTQ+ history, and this designation today marks not only that moment but also Julius’ half-century as a home for New York City’s LGBTQ+ community,” said Mayor Eric Adams, in a news release. “Honoring a location where New Yorkers were once denied service solely on account of their sexuality reinforces something that should already be clear: LGBTQ+ New Yorkers are welcome anywhere in our city.”
Julius’ Bar, first opened in 1864, sits in the Greenwich Village Historic District just a few blocks away from the Stonewall Inn, which was made a New York City landmark in 2015.
The “Sip-In” took place three years before the nearby Stonewall Riots, which is generally considered to be the beginning of a new wave of LGBTQ activism.