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Address | 363 5th Ave, Brooklyn, 11215 New York City U.S. |
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Public transit | New York City Subway : ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Owner | Sheila Frayne, Brendan Donohoe |
Type | Bar |
Opened | March 17, 2000 |
Ginger's is an Irish dive and lesbian bar in Park Slope, Brooklyn, New York City, and is one of two lesbian bars in Brooklyn. [1] [2] It is also one of two queer bars in Park Slope following the closure of Excelsior. [3] [4] The bar was opened by Sheila Frayne on Saint Patrick's Day in 2000 and is seen as both a lesbian bar and a woman-friendly neighborhood bar. [5] [6] [7] [8]
Ginger’s was opened by Sheila Frayne on March 17, 2000. [9] The bar shuttered during the COVID-19 pandemic and reopened on October 28, 2021, after a 19-month closure. [9] In late 2021 Frayne brought on hospitality professional Brendan Donohoe as co-owner to help with the bar’s relaunch; fundraising efforts, landlord forbearance, and pandemic relief also supported the reopening. [9]
Donohue opened Mary's Bar in 2023, a sister bar to Ginger's located in Greenpoint; the bar closed temporarily in November 2024, according to an Instagram post. [10] [11]
In February 2025, Ginger’s marked its 25th anniversary with a three-day festival over St. Patrick’s Day weekend, highlighting the role of lesbian and queer bars amid ongoing anti-LGBTQ+ pressures. [12]
Sources describe Ginger’s as an unpretentious, dive-style neighborhood bar with a front room and a pool table in back; the space also features an enclosed garden/patio. [13] [14] Regular programming has included karaoke, DJ nights, drag king shows, and other events aimed at lesbian and broader queer communities. [9] [14] [2]
Ginger’s has been included in New York magazine’s "Thousand Best" list and in multiple roundups of notable LGBTQ+ bars in New York City. [13] [14] [15] The bar is frequently cited as a longstanding lesbian-focused space in Brooklyn nightlife coverage. [9]