The Cub Room reopens in New Hope under new ownership – My Central Jersey
NEW HOPE – The first time Larry Melo stepped into a gay bar he didn’t know what to expect.
“Even as a gay guy, my first experience out in the world was so different than what I imagined it would be,” Melo recalled.
It was 1979, in New York City. His cousin, who was also gay, suggested the two grab a drink at Jan Wallman’s on Cornelia Street in Greenwich Village.
“I thought it would be seedy,” he remembered thinking as they made their way into the city. But once inside the cabaret bar and restaurant, that notion quickly disappeared.
“I didn’t know it would be so sophisticated. The bar was gorgeous with beautiful lighting and lush seating. The men were so handsome and well-dressed. It was just interesting to see there was a place they could go and be comfortable, and it wasn’t taboo,” he said.
“It was my first time being in a bar surrounded with all gay men. It made me feel like there was a normalcy here that I didn’t expect,” he added. “It was home for them.”
This sense of home and normalcy is what Melo hopes to create inside The Cub Room, an intimate bar in New Hope he reopened early this year.
Located at the New Hope Lodge, formerly known as Motel in the Woods, The Cub Room was the last gay bar standing in a town that, at one time, had four bars aimed at serving the LGBTQ+ crowd, including The Raven, The Prelude and The Cartwheel.
“It was this bohemian little gay town,” Melo said.
But since The Cub Room closed nearly three years ago, New Hope has been without a venue catering specifically to gay men. A space, he said, is still very much needed.
“I still think we need a place to call our own, that is safe, that you have a place where you can go to with your boyfriend and hold hands and not have someone across the bar from you give you rude looks or give a nasty comment,” Melo said.
New Hope has long been known for embracing the LGBTQ+ community
More than 20 years ago, New Hope was the first Pennsylvania borough to pass an anti-discrimination ordinance which prohibited discriminating against someone based on their sexual orientation in housing, employment or public accommodations.
And in 2003, the nonprofit New Hope Celebrates was established to honor the history, diversity and inclusiveness of the town by serving as a voice for the local LGBTQ+ community through educational activities and cultural events, like its annual weeklong PrideFest which brings in more than 15,000 people each year.
The Playhouse Deck also hosts monthly tea dances and LGBTQ+ nights are held regularly at New Hope Inn and Suites.
Melissa Patterson, president of New Hope Celebrates, said New Hope, along with its neighboring towns of Solebury and Lambertville, New Jersey, is a welcoming and diverse community of which she feels extremely fortunate to be a part.
“For me, this community, it’s full of both queer people and queer allies, and I think that’s amazing,” said Patterson, who’s lived in New Hope for more than five years with her wife.
But while she said she feels safe in her own community, she knows it’s a comfort level not found in every town she visits.
“To have to hold back who you are is a burden you have to carry that’s very heavy. We’re here so much and when we go somewhere else and I grab my wife’s hand, I’m like, ‘Ooh, we’re not at home,’ and I drop her hand. It’s an awareness that while it’s safe where we are, not everywhere is like that unfortunately,” Patterson said.
Moments like this serve as a constant reminder to Patterson why queer people need spaces where they can feel safe and “be exactly who you are, authentically so.”
“Creating spaces where people can be exactly that is extremely important not only for their sense of self, but being a part of a larger community for social acceptance which contributes to emotional and social and mental wellbeing,” she said.
Bringing back The Cub Room as a safe haven for the gay community
Before The Cub Room closed, Melo was a regular patron, drawn to the relaxing feel of the place.
“It was just this little cozy, cabin-y type bar. It was kind of just tucked away and if you didn’t know it was there, you wouldn’t know about it. And I loved that about it. It was very warm and friendly,” he said.
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So, when he saw the space was for rent, he knew wanted to bring The Cub Room back.
Since Melo has taken over, the bar underwent renovations to create a sophisticated, inviting space while staying true to the cabin-in-the-woods feel, with new flooring, updated lighting, new tabletops, newly stained trim, large leather couches and a new bar top built from reclaimed bowling alley wood.
Its original antler chandeliers still hang from the exposed wood beam ceilings, but with the edition of Edison bulbs in place of lamp shades.
“We’re trying to recreate that 1950s-esque weekend getaway feel that people used to come to, but with a modern feel,” Melo said. “It’s not pretentious, there’s no airs. Everyone can very much be themselves here.”
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Four days into The Cub Room’s opening, Richard Kucab sat at the bar drinking a gin and tonic while catching up with Melo and his bartender, Evan Powell. He already considers himself a regular, having been a frequent visitor before it closed.
“It’s very cozy and intimate. I love this place. I love the people. Larry did a great job,” Kucab said.
While he enjoys going to any type of bar, he said he feels more relaxed in a bar for gay men which is why he makes the drive to The Cub Room, the closest gay bar from his home in Ewing, New Jersey.
“I can be 100% myself,” he said. “I feel happy, relieved and thankful that I’m able to meet my friends without any issues, without any problems, without any questions and just feel comfortable.”
Melo said he’s happy to create what he hopes will be “a safe haven for the gay community.”
“All are welcome of course, but it’s nice to have a place of our own,” he said.
The Cub Room has a full bar serving classic cocktails, wine and beer by the bottle. For now, small appetizers will be offered, with items like minted pineapple salsa with chips, Bavarian pretzels and curried crab with crackers.
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Soon, construction will begin on The Cub Room’s piano bar, a second venue in a separate building next door. Plans for the piano bar include a kitchen which will open the menu up to warm offerings, such as fresh focaccia breads, soups and sandwiches.
The front room will have its own bar and piano with plans to feature a variety of live entertainment. There will also be a private dining room in the back, which can be reserved for special events.
Melo hopes to open the piano bar by summer, with a look and feel distinct from The Cub Room.
“It’s still going to be cozy and warm, but with a bit more elegance to it,” he said.
Go: The Cub Room is located at 400 W. Bridge St. in New Hope; 908-255-5164; facebook.com/TheCubRoom