Over the last decade, however, the narrow stretch of Upper Manhattan that runs from 155th Street to Fort Tryon Park, has been undergoing a renaissance. Its reputation is on the upswing as actors, musicians, a sizable community of lesbians and gays, and middle-class families looking for more space have been lured to the area by it’s more affordable housing prices. Yet even with its newfound diversity, the one classic totem of urban upward mobility that has remained missing is a gay bar; until now. Boxers, the gay-owned and operated chain of bars with two locations in New York (in Chelsea and Hell’s kitchen) and one in Philadelphia, will open two new venues in NYC this year: one on the Upper East Side (opened last week) and another in Washington Heights late spring.
