Queer restaurant and former lesbian bar in New York City, U.S.
Henrietta Hudson
Henrietta Hudson exterior in 2022
Interactive map of Henrietta Hudson
Restaurant information
Established
1991
Owner
Lisa Cannistraci
Location
438 Hudson Street, New York City, New York, United States of America
Henrietta Hudson, originally namedHenrietta Hudson Bar & Girl, is a queer[1] restaurant and lounge in Manhattan'sWest Village neighborhood.[2] It operated as alesbian bar from 1991 to 2014. Until it rebranded in 2021,[3] it was one of three remaininglesbian bars in New York City.[4][5][6] Henrietta Hudson's location is the original location of theCubbyhole bar,[7] which had the distinction of being lesbian-owned and managed.[8][9][10]
Lisa Cannistraci and bar owner Minnie Rivera opened Henrietta Hudson in 1991 as a lesbian-centricbar.[7] The name is a feminization ofHenry Hudson, the namesake of theHudson River.[11] The establishment became New York City's longest-operating lesbian bar after the closure of other similar venues.[12][4][13][14][15]Gay liberation iconStormé DeLarverie was abouncer at Henrietta Hudson well into her 80s.[6]
Part of the bar's ongoing evolution included removal of the "lesbian bar" descriptor in 2014.[16] In a 2019 interview, Lisa Cannistraci said she did not "care whether or not it is known specifically as a lesbian bar...I just want people to come and have a great experience."[13] Following its closure due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, Cannistraci announced plans to rebrand and expand Henrietta Hudson into a "café, lounge, bistro, coffee house, [and] cocktail place".[3][17][18]
The rebranding, however, resulted in controversy due to Cannistraci soliciting financial contributions from lesbians with a "Save the Bar"crowdfunding for Henrietta Hudson,[19][20][21] and also participating in theLesbian Bar Projectfundraising campaign to save lesbian bars,[22][23] despite using the donations to reopen the venue as a "queer" space no longer catering exclusively to lesbians.[24]
