Yesterday, the Reality Bar in the eastern part of Reguliersdwarsstraat closed its doors after almost 30 years. The place focused specifically on gays with a Surinamese or Antillean background.

In the early 1990s, those men went to the former gay dancing Havana at the other end of the street, which at the time already attracted a multicultural audience with dark house music.

When in Havana the atmosphere changed after bar tycoon Sjoerd Kooistra took over the place, entrepreneur Jeffrey Joemman attracted many of the Caribbean men to the Reality Bar, which he had opened on January 1, 1996.


Pride Amsterdam

After a year, Reality was an established name as the only Caribbean gay bar in the Netherlands and perhaps even in Europe.

During the Amsterdam Pride, the Reality Bar provided a Surinamese boat and organized a large street party in the Caribbean atmosphere, with live performances by Surinamese and Antillean bands and artists.




Renewals

Because many lesbians came to Reality as well, Joemman opened the Reality Girlz a little further in the street in December 2009. Despite the unique concept as the first "Black & White Lesbian Bar" in Europe, the place did not get off the ground and was quietly closed again by the end of 2010.

In September 2015, the Reality Bar itself received an interior makeover, with the bar being moved from the right side to the left side, but the characteristic balcony as well as the small stage in front of the window were retained.


Closure

After 28,5 years it had been good for Joemman: the generation that made Reality big goes out less and less, while the younger generation prefers to go to the gay businesses on the other side of Reguliersdwarsstraat.

Last weekend, there was a farewell party at the Reality Bar: on Friday DJ Jasmine Perez & Friends played and on Saturday evening there was a big closing party with live music by the Surinamese-Dutch party band Soso Lobi.

Although the closure of Reality is a loss, the building at Reguliersdwarsstraat 129 remains a gay place, which may become a gay café with a brown pub atmosphere this summer, so stay tuned!

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News about Reguliersdwarsstraat: Reguliers.net