Places in NYC That Feel Spiritually Queer
Editor and DJ Ian Kumamoto shares the spots that aren't queer on paper but absolutely are in practice.
Ian Kumamoto has spent his life building bridges between the many worlds he inhabits. Chinese, Mexican, and queer, Ian’s work — as a writer, editor, and DJ — is devoted to making space, something he does just by virtue of being who he is.
Even as the former culture and nightlife editor of Time Out and the founder of Whorechata, a queer nightlife collective that champions Latin club music, he understands that queer community is much deeper than the dancefloor. “People tend to associate being queer in New York with nonstop partying,” he tells Co-Sign. “The city offers queer and trans people something much bigger: the chance to imagine a fulfilling adult life beyond what we were told was possible for us.”
For Co-Sign Vol. 007, Ian shares the places in NYC that feel spiritually queer.
THE CO-SIGNS
Vol. 007: Ian Kumamoto
Malcolm X Boulevard, Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn
For a casual date, there’s a four-block stretch between Halsey and Decatur that does most of the work for you. Start at Laziza for cocktails and vinyl DJs, slide next door to Che for natural wine in a cozy setting, then seal the deal at Trad Room, a Japanese spot with plenty of aphrodisiacs.
Spring (bar), Two Bridges, Manhattan
This new bar has quickly become a hangout. Asian-owned and effortlessly sceney, it attracts a crowd of downtown creatives while staying friendly. It feels like a more buttoned-up version of China Chalet, with standout cocktails and bar snacks.
Time Again, Dimes Square, Manhattan
As much as I like to hate on Dimes Square, it’s hard not to get the appeal when you’re at Time Again. Large groups spill into the parking lot out front, drinking and smoking from tiny plastic stools. It feels like a collision of Saigon, downtown Manhattan, and Milan.
Sunset Park, Brooklyn
Sandwiched between Mexican and Chinese immigrant communities, there’s nowhere quite like Sunset Park. My favorite ritual is grabbing food from Hainan Chicken House and heading to the park to watch Chinese aunties practicing tai chi alongside Mexican families having carne asada.
Fort Greene Park, Brooklyn during Soul Summit
Soul Summit epitomizes everything I love about New York in the summer. The long-running outdoor party brings together older New Yorkers who’ve been dancing to house music since the ’80s and, more recently, plenty of queer people in their twenties and thirties. It feels like the entire city shows up and you’re bound to run into everyone you know.
East Broadway Mall, Chinatown, Manhattan
If you’re in the mood to splurge on a one-of-a-kind designer piece, head to the half-abandoned East Broadway Mall beneath the Manhattan Bridge. It’s home to some of my favorite queer-owned brands in the city. For archival designer finds and statement pieces, James Veloria is hard to beat. The mall also houses Eckhaus Latta.
Ollin, East Harlem, Manhattan
This casual, queer-owned restaurant has become a gathering place for East Harlem’s Latino community. The specialty is cemitas, Puebla’s take on the torta.
Palmetto, Bushwick, Brooklyn
The perfect spot for pre-club drinks: a slightly more elevated option in the heart of Bushwick, with fruity cocktails for fruity people.
Signal, Bushwick, Brooklyn
With an incredible sound system, a floating wood dance floor, and no phones on the dancefloor policy, Signal strikes the perfect balance between serious club and casual hangout. The sprawling outdoor area is reason enough to go — you can smoke, chat, and linger there for hours.
COQODAQ, Flatiron, Manhattan
Flatiron is quickly becoming Manhattan’s trendiest neighborhood, and COQODAQ epitomizes a new generation of gaudy clubstaurants. The elevated Korean fried chicken spot walks a fine, but very fun line between high and lowbrow.
La Abundancia Bakery and Restaurant Jackson Heights, Queens
This 24-hour Colombian bakery and restaurant has become the de facto afters spot once the gay bars along Roosevelt Avenue close. Something about a sopa de costilla after the club just hits different.
Basement, Maspeth, Queens
Our very own Berghain, Basement is a place where techno lovers and sluts of all sexualities coalesce.
True Colors, Jackson Heights, Queens
What makes Jackson Heights so special is that it offers queer nightlife without the pretense that often creeps into scenes in Brooklyn and Manhattan. It’s a place where you can truly let loose without worrying about who’s watching.
For a Google map of Ian’s NYC, click here
THE CITY INTERVIEW
How did you end up in NYC, and what made you stay?
Like many, I came to NYC for school but I stayed because it was the only place in the world where someone like me makes any sense. Chinese, Mexican, queer. Incapable of stillness. Nowhere felt like home until New York.
How has living in NYC shaped your sense of self, your creative practice, or your worldview?
NYC has taught me that nobody owes you validation. If you half-ass something, people can tell. But if you pour your heart into your work, the city rewards you. And no matter how successful you feel, there’s always someone newer, hotter, or more talented doing exactly what you do. It’s a constant exercise in humility, which I think is essential for staying creative. Comfort and complacency kill creativity.
What’s one thing people get wrong about being queer in NYC, and what do they miss out on because of it?
People tend to associate being queer in New York with nonstop partying. And while that can be part of it, the city offers queer and trans people something much bigger: the chance to imagine a fulfilling adult life beyond what we were told was possible for us. I feel happiest during the quiet moments I never thought I’d have, like going to eat hot pot on a Tuesday night with queer friends while indulging in the petty issues of our day to day lives.
Name somewhere in NYC that isn’t queer on paper but absolutely is in practice:
City MD. Everything about it and everyone in it is gay.
Describe being queer in NYC in three words.
Chaotic, hilarious, dreamlike
CO-SIGN WORLDWIDE
The sexiest hotel you’ve ever stayed at:
Ignacia Guest House, CDMX. A boutique hotel in Roma Sur that encapsulates the coziness of a Mexican home but with designer furniture.
A trip that genuinely changed you:
When I was a college student, I spent 6 months in Shanghai and the one international trip I took while there was to the Philippines. I went to this small island called Bohol, and the only way to get around was with a motorcycle. I’ve never driven a vehicle in my life, and I still don’t have my driver’s license, but nonetheless I rented a motorcycle and rode it all around the island, which was the most beautiful I’ve ever seen. Obviously, I didn’t tell my parents. I don’t think I’ve ever felt that degree of freedom and pure joy.
A place everyone loves that you don’t understand the appeal of:
London. I’ve tried to force myself to like it, but I can’t get over the constant rain.
A place nobody talks about that deserves more props:
Bogotá. In my opinion, they have the most exciting underground electronic music scene in the world right now and so many underrated artists. I do think people will start talking about it soon, though.
A place you’re not leaving this earth without seeing:
I need to go to Lagos, Nigeria. I’ve heard so many exciting things about their fashion and club scenes. But I would have to do it with the right people and definitely be guided by someone who’s from there.
The queerest city in the world right now:
São Paulo. Especially in the city center, which is still pretty gritty and considered “undesirable” for a lot of middle-class families, who mostly live outside the city center. As a result, there’s a lot of creatives and queers in the central neighborhoods, and I’ve never seen so many queer people holding hands and displaying PDA in my life. Brazilians are also just so much more expressive than everyone else, so the queerness is very visible.
A place you’ve gatekept — until now:
There’s a cafe/bar/community space in CDMX called Agrio Club that’s owned by a lesbian couple from Argentina. You can co-work there during the day and meet creative people at one of the many events they throw at night. The food is also really good.