"All the things that are right about Atlanta get reflected in this bar," said co-owner Bill Overall. But everyone is welcome in the two-story bar, where the ceiling drips white Christmas lights and '60s and '70s paintings adorn the walls. On most nights, Mary's is a mix of gay and neighborhood patrons. Tipsy and celebrating, they wanted to have another toast to the soon-to-be bride. Meanwhile, a limo dropped off a bachelorette party at the front door. Mary's had the nicest person answer the phone, so they decided to stop there. A lesbian couple decked out in tie-dye were on their way home to Florida from the Bonnaroo music festival in Tennessee when they called around to bars in Atlanta. It often does.Ĭo-owner Mike Dover remembers the time a giant RV lumbered into the back parking lot. Put another way, anything can happen at Mary's. "At Mary's you never know who is sitting next to you or what will happen next," said John Polly, the editor with Logo Online who collected a national panel of travel writers, journalists, party promoters and gay celebrities to decide what rose to the top. It's where kitschy theme nights feature the likes of a Double-Dutch jump rope battle or dressing up as your favorite Frenchie for Bastille Day. Mary's, named for the campy term of endearment among some gay men, is a self-described dive bar known mostly for its karaoke. Better than the New York clubs where Lindsay Lohan was known to jump on stage and sing (pre-breakdown, of course). with guest lists and lines of wannabes at the door.
The best gay bar in the country? As in, better than the swank spots in L.A. Logo, a cable channel geared to the gay community, last month named Mary's the best gay bar in the country. The word about good times at Mary's has apparently gotten out. "We're not here for the men, and they're not interested in us," one woman says, explaining why she and her friends - all straight - headed out to a gay bar in the East Atlanta Village for the night.
They sidestep an East Atlanta local who walks down in a baseball cap to grab a beer. They push through a throng of white and black gay men deep in conversation about the presidential election. The women walk past a transgender woman waiting to sing Elton John at karaoke. Increased social acceptance has dispersed – but not decreased – the Atlanta LGBT community beyond Midtown, but for many, Midtown remains the historical and symbolic core of Atlanta Pride.It's nearing midnight on Saturday, and a gaggle of women in trendy dresses snake their way through Mary's bar in a cloud of perfume and make-up. Today’s Atlanta measures above the national average in population of LGBT people, ranking as the 19th most LGBT-dense U.S. “While Atlanta’s LGBT community is now dispersed throughout the metro area, Midtown is still a diverse and inclusive community today and remains home to many LGBTQ residents, establishments and organizations.” “Midtown has been the heart of LGBTQ Atlanta for decades because of so many Midtown pioneers,” Rafshoon said. Over its almost 20 years in operation, Outwrite became the unofficial community center for LGBT Atlantans, giving Rafshoon a unique perspective into the evolution of the Midtown urban district. The bookstore and coffeehouse, which moved to 10th Street and Piedmont Avenue in 1996, created a place for LGBT patrons to get a wide array of literature and meet debut and world-famous authors, artists, and musicians from the queer and queer ally community. Our own Philip Rafshoon, Director of Member Engagement at Midtown Alliance, has lived in Midtown since 2001 and has been active in the LGBT community as the owner and operator of Outwrite Bookstore which opened in 1993. In fact, Midtown is the birthplace of AID Atlanta, the city’s first and largest provider of HIV/AIDS services and education. A decade later, when AIDS had ravaged the country and community, a candlelight vigil was held at the Midtown Academy of Medicine to honor and grieve those affected by the disease. The Atlanta Gay Center opened in 1976 in Midtown and provided health, legal and social services for LGBT people. In addition to nightlife, Midtown was home to businesses and nonprofits that helped Atlanta’s queer community through adversity.