Next Friday, a new bar/venue/coffee shop comes to Bushwick. House of Nancy (219 Central Ave.) promises to be “a new home for drag & performance,” per one post, and also confirmed by the name’s nod to ballroom culture.1
It will be led by Mz Nancy, who daylights as a producer at Alphabet City Laughs, an LGBTQIA+ production company based in DUMBO. Neither Mz Nancy nor House of Nancy should be confused with Mr. Nancy’s (702 Seneca Ave.), located three stops north on the Seneca M.
House of Nancy is arriving to a quieter block, despite real estate brokerage Serhant advertising it as being “along a proven, culture-driven corridor,” probably in reference to Bossa Nova Civic Club (1271 Myrtle Ave.) and Mood Ring (1260 Myrtle Ave.) at Myrtle and Central. The bar will open a ten minute walk from the former grounds of Caffeine Underground (RIP).
Community Board 4 pushed back on their hours and liquor license filing, citing concerns over nightlife on a largely residential block in eastern Bushwick. This appears to have scuttled liquor sales at their preview last month. House of Nancy’s liquor license was still pending as of May 27th, and no temporary license appears in effect. Neither Mz Nancy nor House of Nancy responded to requests for clarification. (Update, 5/31: Per Mz Nancy, the liquor license woes will push back that bar’s grand opening, though they will host “select private events with one day permits.” House of Nancy will first open as a coffee shop while liquor licensing is resolved.)
219 Central previously housed FirstLive CoffeeHouse, a coffee shop and “streaming venue” (per the remaining signage) that downsized into just FirstLive, a production company. Now, House of Nancy will join other queer-centric spaces, including BOYFRIEND Co-op (1157 Myrtle Ave.), which opened last year.
Opening night arrives Friday, June 5th and promises the works: Drag, DJ, intermission for RuPaul watch party, etc.
- Every ally wants everyone to know they paid attention while watching Paris is Burning. ↩︎
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