Candle Bar (CLOSED)

Aglow for nearly 40 years, this Upper West Side bar is not about candles. Rather, it’s one of the neighborhood’s go-to gay bars, where boys in the ’hood drop by to meet, play pool or just catch up. This is no meat market, and the conventional decor—white string lights, wooden bar—reinforces the low-key vibe. Hell, you might even see an errant straight couple wander in.