Georgies, also spelled Georgie's, is a

gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late 1 ...

dive bar A dive bar is typically a small, unglamorous, eclectic, old-style drinking establishment with inexpensive drinks; it may feature dim lighting, shabby or dated decor, neon beer signs, packaged beer sales, cash-only service, and a local clientele. ...

Asbury Park, New Jersey Asbury Park () is a beachfront city located on the Jersey Shore in Monmouth County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 15,188

. Opened in 1999, it is known colloquially as "the gay

Cheers ''Cheers'' is an American sitcom television series that ran on NBC from September 30, 1982, to May 20, 1993, with a total of 275 half-hour episodes across 11 seasons. The show was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions in association w ...

". In addition to static entertainment such as

pool Pool may refer to: Water pool * Swimming pool, usually an artificial structure containing a large body of water intended for swimming * Reflecting pool, a shallow pool designed to reflect a structure and its surroundings * Tide pool, a rocky pool ...

and sports match broadcasts, Georgies features live programs most nights; these include

go-go dancing Go-go dancers are dancers who are employed to entertain crowds at nightclubs or other venues where music is played. Go-go dancing originated in the early 1960s at the French bar Whisky a Gogo located in Juan-les-Pins. The bar's name was take ...

karaoke Karaoke (; ; , clipped compound of Japanese ''kara'' "empty" and ''ōkesutora'' "orchestra") is a type of interactive entertainment usually offered in clubs and bars, where people sing along to recorded music using a microphone. The music is ...

and

drag show A drag show is a form of entertainment performed by drag artists impersonating men or women. Typically, a drag show involves performers singing or lip-synching to songs while performing a pre-planned pantomime or dancing. There might also be so ...

s. The bar also hosts a variety of fundraisers to benefit the local community. Georgies closed for several months in early 2020 due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

, but it reopened for outdoor service in June and for limited indoor service in September of the same year. Critics note Georgies for its relaxed, non-judgmental atmosphere and its tight-knit community of regulars.

Description

Located on Fifth Avenue in

, Georgies is a

that caters to the

LGBT community The LGBT community (also known as the LGBTQ+ community, GLBT community, gay community, or queer community) is a loosely defined grouping of lesbian, gay men, gay, bisexuality, bisexual, transgender, and other queer individuals united by a comm ...

. It is known for its neighborly, accepting environment, for which reason it is nicknamed "the gay

". Liz Dennerlein of the ''

Asbury Park Press The ''Asbury Park Press'' is a daily newspaper in Monmouth and Ocean counties of New Jersey and has the third largest circulation in the state. It has been owned by Gannett since 1997. Its reporting staff has been awarded numerous national hon ...

'' wrote: " e tables are a bit run down, the bar still only accepts cash, but inside clients feel at home." Patrons vary widely in age, and staff estimate that approximately 75% of their customers are regulars. Managed by Joe Cole, the venue hosts live entertainment most nights. According to the ''Asbury Park Press'', "Monday night features half-priced drinks and free

. Tuesdays feature go-go boys at 10 p.m. Wednesdays feature a

dance party. Thursday is drag night. Friday is

beer pong Beer pong, also known as Beirut, is a drinking game in which players throw a ping pong ball across a table with the intent of landing the ball in a cup of beer on the other end. The game typically consists of opposing teams of two or more player ...

night. Saturday is all-day karaoke." Georgies also broadcasts live sports matches, such as football games. The bar's pool table is particularly popular because few other establishments in Asbury Park have one.

History

Georgies opened in 1999. In addition to its regular weekly programming, the bar has been the site of a number of larger events and fundraisers. During the

holiday season The Christmas season or the festive season (also known in some countries as the holiday season or the holidays) is an annually recurring period recognized in many Western and other countries that is generally considered to run from late November ...

of 1999, Georgies founded the Asbury Park

Toy Drive A Toy drive is a charity event that collects toys or money for them to be distributed to those in need. Overview This is usually for the celebration of Christmas. Volunteers are brought together to sort through toys to wrap and sort for age appro ...

for local children; the charity event subsequently grew into an annual, citywide undertaking. The bar regularly hosts

Pride Pride is defined by Merriam-Webster as "reasonable self-esteem" or "confidence and satisfaction in oneself". A healthy amount of pride is good, however, pride sometimes is used interchangeably with "conceit" or "arrogance" (among other words) wh ...

celebrations and afterparties for Asbury Park's yearly Pink Prom, which raises funds for the

Ali Forney Center The Ali Forney Center (AFC), based in New York City, is the largest LGBT community center helping LGBTQ homeless youth in the United States. The AFC both manages and develops transitional housing for its clients. AFC helps approximately 2,000 y ...

and for Project REAL, a local organization that supports gay and

bisexual Bisexuality is a romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward both males and females, or to more than one gender. It may also be defined to include romantic or sexual attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity, whi ...

men. In the wake of the 2016

Pulse nightclub shooting On , 2016, Omar Mateen, a 29-year-old man, killed 49 people and wounded 53 more in a mass shooting at Pulse (nightclub), Pulse, a gay bar, gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, United States. Orlando Police officers shot and killed him after a thr ...

Orlando Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures rele ...

, Georgies implemented new security measures, including the use of a hand-held

metal detector A metal detector is an instrument that detects the nearby presence of metal. Metal detectors are useful for finding metal objects on the surface, underground, and under water. The unit itself, consist of a control box, and an adjustable shaft, ...

at the door. Additionally, municipal law enforcement increased its presence around all

queer ''Queer'' is an umbrella term for people who are not heterosexual or cisgender. Originally meaning or , ''queer'' came to be used pejoratively against those with same-sex desires or relationships in the late 19th century. Beginning in the lat ...

establishments in Asbury Park. The following year, Georgies held a benefit event in remembrance of the shooting, donating the proceeds of the evening to Project REAL. Georgies was closed for several months in spring 2020 due to the

, during which time its management revamped the space and "freshened up" its look. Still closed in early June, the bar hosted a

live-streamed Livestreaming is streaming media simultaneously recorded and broadcast in real-time over the internet. It is often referred to simply as streaming. Non-live media such as video-on-demand, vlogs, and YouTube videos are technically streamed, but no ...

Pride party in lieu of its traditional in-person festivities. The establishment was able to reopen for outdoor service on its patio later that month. It resumed indoor service at 25% capacity in September, several weeks after Governor

Phil Murphy Philip Dunton Murphy (born August 16, 1957) is an American financier, diplomat, and politician serving as the 56th governor of New Jersey since January 2018. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the United States ambassador to Germa ...

announced that New Jersey bars and restaurants would be permitted to do so.;

Reception

In its 2018 article "All 47 bars in Asbury Park, ranked worst to best",

NJ.com NJ.com is a digital news content provider and website in New Jersey owned by Advance Publications. According to a report in ''The New York Times'' in 2012, it was the largest provider of digital news in the state at the time. In 2018, comScore r ...

listed Georgies in 20th place with the following comment: A 2015 ''Asbury Park Press'' article stated: "The bar has become more than just a hangout spot—it's become a space where people can be themselves without judgement." In a review of "the 11 best bars in Asbury Park", Courtney Marabella of the ''Press'' ranked Georgies seventh and called it "the best dive bar in the city". She further commented: "It has labeled itself the 'gay cheers', and I have to admit, it's the truth (I know the names of most of the regulars). They serve a strong drink... and are an excellent watering hole for the LGBTQ community and beyond."

References

External links

* * {{LGBT culture in New Jersey 1999 establishments in New Jersey Asbury Park, New Jersey Buildings and structures in Monmouth County, New Jersey Dive bars in the United States Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the LGBT community LGBT nightclubs in New Jersey

Description

History

Reception

See also

References

External links