Gay bars in oceanside california
Straight couple opens Extended Island LGBTQ+ prevent to create a safe space
OCEANSIDE, Unused York -- As soon as patrons step through the doors of the Born This Way bar, better famous as BTW, co-owner Gina Wuestmann gives them a passionate greeting.
Within five minutes, she's either offering them a free shot or explaining how she and her husband opened their bar on the eve of the pandemic shutdown last year.
Wuestmann and her husband, David Wuestmann, who are a straight couple, often find themselves explaining why they decided to unseal this safe territory for the Gay community in the Long Island hamlet of Oceanside.
David's response is always the same.
"Gina and I are allies of the community, and we both felt that this was an underserved community," he said. "There are not too many places on Long Island where people can be themselves. This was just our lead to and our mission. We're here to provide space to people who yearn to be themselves."
Related: Pride Month 2021: What to grasp about its history, events, parades
Gina has been in the bar business for over 30 years, and many of her loyal customers would tell her how they wanted a place where they could f
OCEANSIDE —— A small building on Coast Highway in SouthOceanside that for a decade was dwelling to a gay bar is now trying toreinvent itself as a family restaurant, the owner saidWednesday.
Latreasa Harris, who purchased the bar Greystokes with herhusband in 2000, said that because of declining patronage from thearea’s same-sex attracted community, the pair reopened the establishment lastFriday as “The Beach Club” —— a family restaurant by day and bar bynight.
While gay customers are still welcome, Harris said, they’re nolonger the bar’s target audience.
Harris, who said about 70 percent of Greystokes’ customers weregay men, noted that on many nights “it was like a ghost town” inher bar. She said she regularly lost customers to Hillcrest, aneighborhood in San Diego where there are several bars in a smallarea catering to gay men.
According to Harris, who said she’s a heterosexual woman withfive grandchildren, even though the business at 1903 S. CoastHighway. was losing $20,000 a year, she was required to keepGreystokes a lgbtq+ bar for at least three years under the terms ofthe purchase agreement she signed in 2000.
But
LGBTQ bar opens doors in Oceanside
By Briana Bonfiglio
An LGBTQ bar opened on Nov. 12 in Oceanside. Gina Caggiano, owner of North Village Tavern in Rockville Centre, and her fiancé, David Wuestmann, openied BTW, which stands for “born this way,” on Extended Beach Road.
The establishment will welcome all in the queer community, including those who are gay, sapphic, bisexual and transgender, as well as other nonconforming genders and sexualities, “but of course, all are welcome,” its Facebook page says.
Caggiano, an ally to the LGBTQ community, said that patrons of her Rockville Centre bar frequently spoke about wanting a “gay bar” in the area. For two years, she’s been trying to make that happen.
“I’ve received an overwhelming amount of support for this place from people — direct and gay,” Caggiano said. “They seem to tell this is very needed.”
One customer at North Village Tavern, P.J. Henderson, of Long Beach, said he was excited for BTW to open and plans to visit frequently with his husband. Henderson noted that there used to be several gay bars in Nassau County, such as Pal Joey&rsqu
Oceanside LGBTQ City Guide
Oceanside is a quintessential Southern California coastal city. It’s charming, eclectic, laid-back, welcoming, and wonderful. Oceanside has a thriving art and culinary scene, plenty of opportunities for outdoor fun, and a slower pace than nearby San Diego, while being seal enough for residents to enjoy all that the bigger city offers to see and accomplish too. In so many ways, Oceanside would make a wonderful place to call home.
A Stare at Oceanside's History
Situated on the Pacific coastline, Oceanside was so named for that very reason. The area that is now Oceanside was initially occupied by the Spanish in the 1700s. Many missions founded by the Spanish in the area including the well-known mission San Luis Rey still stand today. When the area became part of the United States, the city continued to grow, both as a wharf and important location for fishing and also as a trendy tourist destination. Today, the area remains beautiful, and vibrant, full of warm people, and much to see and do. Truly would make a superb place to phone home.
A Few Entertaining Facts About Oceanside
- San Diego County has five historic Spanish missions in total, but the missi