The Monster

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If you've been wondering whatever came of your forty- to fiftysomething gay friends, then a good place to start the hunt might be the Monster. Cheerfully decorated with playbills, movie posters, and other classic gay ephemera, the sprawling ground floor draws large happy-hour crowds, which line up along both sides of the large bar. Farther in, a piano player draws lusty showtune-belters during the early evening. A bit later, the basement opens up. Heading down the spiral staircase, you'll find a dance floor that's been in place since the 1930s, when this was El Chico nightclub. On the other side, beyond a smaller set of stairs, is a small lounge for chatting and decorated with a long fish tank. Later still, the underground space heats up with a crowd that's younger and more racially mixed than the happy-hour shift. Frequent drag shows and go-go boys shaking their stuff almost nightly help keep the basement pumping. — John Rambow

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