Astor: The Rise and Fall of an American Fortune

On June 30, 1966, the Astor Hotel closed its doors. In its heyday, it had been full of life and excitement. Opened in 1904, it expanded in 1910 to cover an entire block of Broadway. Show people and military men hung out at its Astor Bar, its sumptuous event rooms welcomed guests, and its rooftop restaurant overlooked the city lights. Perhaps because of its theatrical clientele, “Mrs. Astor’s Bar” also became a popular yet discreet meeting place for gay men. Sexual relationships between men were illegal in most of the US in the early 20th century, and a reputation for being gay could lead to social ostracization and unemployment. Consequently, gay and lesbian people developed a coded society, existing in plain sight but unrecognizable to those who did not belong.

After Prohibition closed the bars, prostitution, including gay prostitution, exploded in the city, especially in Times Square. The Depression established Times Square’s status as a center of pornographic entertainment and underground gay culture. Once Prohibition ended, some of that culture moved back into the bars, but discretion remained the watchword. The Astor Hotel, however, offered a veil of respectability that protected it if people were careful.