La Escuelita
| La Escuelita | |
|---|---|
 Interactive map of La Escuelita | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Closed | February 2016[1] |
Previous owner | Savyon Zabar |
| Location | 301 West 39th Street, New York, New York, 10018 |
| Coordinates | 40°45′20″N 73°59′30″W / 40.755612°N 73.991565°W |
La Escuelita (transl. "the little school"),[2] also known as simply "Escuelita", was a Latin LGBTQ nightclub in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City.[3] At the time of its closure in February 2016, the bar was owned by Savyon Zabar.[4][5][6] Queerty described the nightclub as "legendary".[1]
History
[edit]La Escuelita was first located on Broadway Avenue and was named after a banner outside of its building reading "The School" (La Escuelita means "the little school" in Spanish).[7] The club did not have a liquor license and was closed after either two or three years.[7] After this first location was shut down, La Escuelita moved to 79th Street and Amsterdam Avenue and then to West 48th Street before settling at 607 Eighth Avenue.[8] This last location was also called La Nueva Escuelita.[8]
MikeQ's Vogue Knights originated at La Nueva Escuelita.[9][10] These parties provided space for personal expression amongst queer Black and Latinx New Yorkers interested in voguing.[11][12]
In 2012, the club's liquor license was not renewed after continuing struggles with the New York State Liquor Authority.[4] Its owner, Sayvon Zabar, claimed that denying a liquor license to this primarily LGBTQ+ establishment over minor incidents was attempted gentrification.[8] After a hearing at the New York County Supreme Court, La Escuelita was allowed to remain open.[8] The club closed for good in 2016.[10] In 2017, Zabar, then 54, was strangled to death in his apartment.[6]
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- 1 2 Koff, Derek de (2017-01-18). "Masseur arrested in strangling death of gay NYC club owner". Queerty. Archived from the original on 2024-06-25. Retrieved 2026-10-19.
- ↑ "La Escuelita – NYC LGBTQ Historic Sites Project". www.nyclgbtsites.org. Archived from the original on 2026-04-22. Retrieved 2026-10-19.
- ↑ Lee, Morgan (2016-03-03). "Escuelita, NYC Latin LGBT club and former home of MikeQ's Vogue Knights, closes". Fact Magazine. Archived from the original on 2023-06-06. Retrieved 2024-02-29.
- 1 2 Rodriguez, Krystal (2017-01-06). "Former New York Nightclub Owner Found Dead in Suspected Homicide". VICE. Archived from the original on 2026-03-16. Retrieved 2026-10-19.
- ↑ Rodriguez, Krystal (2017-01-20). "Arrest Made in Homicide of New York Nightclub Owner". VICE. Retrieved 2026-10-19.
- 1 2 Katersky, Aaron; Shapiro, Emily (January 6, 2017). "Former NYC Nightclub Owner Savyon Zabar Found Strangled to Death, Police Say". ABC News. Retrieved 2026-10-19.
- 1 2 Guzmán, Manuel (1997). ""Pa' La Escuelita con Mucho Cuida'o y por la Orillita": A Journey through the Contested Terrains of the Nation and Sexual Orientation". Puerto Rican Jam: Rethinking Colonialism and Nationalism: 209–228 – via JSTOR.
- 1 2 3 4 "La Escuelita". NYC LGBTQ Historic Sites Project. June 2022. Archived from the original on 2026-04-22. Retrieved 2026-10-19.
- ↑ Lee, Morgan (2016-03-03). "Escuelita, NYC Latin LGBT club and former home of MikeQ's Vogue Knights, closes". Fact Magazine. Archived from the original on 2023-06-06. Retrieved 2026-10-19.
- 1 2 Cuby, Michael; MikeQ (2017-08-23). "DJ MikeQ Discusses the Decline of NYC Ballroom and His New 'House of Vogue' Series". Paper Magazine. Archived from the original on 2026-04-20. Retrieved 2026-10-19.
- ↑ Animal New York (2014-01-30). Vogue Knights: A Short Documentary on Ball Culture in Hell’s Kitchen Archived 2025-08-15 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2026-10-19.
- ↑ Schaefer, Brian (2015-07-23). "Vogueing Is Still Burning Up the Dance Floor in New York". The New York Times. Retrieved 2026-10-19.
