Henrietta's Revisted

Henrietta Hudson, the first girl club/bar that I've ever visited holds fond memories for me. My nostalgic magical first time of entering a hazy, dimly lit, woman filled corner of the world was one I will always keep near and dear to my queer heart. That milestone moment of my life was a little over four years ago and since that time I have made myself a bit of a home in the NYC LGBT nightlife.

That was why I was so surprised this last Saturday when I revisited Henrietta's, I realized that the last time I had been there was during Gay Pride 2006, which by the by unless you have a penchant for long lines, being herded like some farm animal by anxious waitstaff, and the ability to weave through the mosh-pit like conditions that surround the bar, it is NOT the optimal time to visit this usually mellow girl club. My buddies for this round of late night revelry were quite diverse. That being said I was a bit nervous about the door policy and the attitude that we would be greeted with at Henrietta's. I was needlessly concerned, because as it turned out, there was no rude "manhandling" (a phenomena that refers to when friendly male friends, gay or otherwise are treated with unwarranted hostility which may include increased door/drink fees or an overall nasty attitude).

As a matter of fact the clientele of Henrietta's was quite diverse itself. We were not the only motley group of friends out partying there that night. The music was decent. While there were a few awkward song transitions and bad song selections, overall the d.j did a great job. It should be noted that the Henrietta's dance floor space is fairly limited. It is actually quite a small space overall. Though the bathrooms were more spacious and cleaner than most of the LWS clubs I had been to before. Drinks were reasonably priced, even though they didn't have any drink specials to speak of. The tap selection was decent. They also have a fenced off area out front that housed a giant, dangerous looking heater to accommodate their smoking clientele. Overall we all had a fun and comfortable night.

Ambiance- 2 Buddha bellies (Why they felt the need to play random music video's on all of their LCD screens was beyond me. Confusing and distracting. Did not add to the ambiance at all!)
Cleanliness- 4 Buddha bellies (A clean bathroom and no sticky surfaces, one Buddha belly away from paradise)
Music- 3 Buddha bellies (Decent selection of music, small dance space)
Cost- 3 Buddha bellies (A ten dollar door fee on Saturday nights, comparable with other bars in the area)
Clientele- 4 Buddha bellies (A fun mixture of ladies and the occasional gent)
Drinks- 3 Buddha bellies

Overall rating- 3 Buddha Bellies- Highly recommended.