Ginger's

Ginger's is an Irish dive and lesbian bar in Park Slope, Brooklyn, New York City, and was the only lesbian bar in Brooklyn as of 2022. As of 2021, it was also one of two queer bars in Park Slope following the closure of Excelsior. 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.

History

Ginger’s was opened by Sheila Frayne on March 17, 2000. The bar shuttered during the COVID-19 pandemic and reopened on October 28, 2021, after a 19-month closure. 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.
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.
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.

Description and programming

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. Regular programming has included karaoke, DJ nights, drag king shows, and other events aimed at lesbian and broader queer communities.

Reception

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. The bar is frequently cited as a longstanding lesbian-focused space in Brooklyn nightlife coverage.