After 57 years in the Tenderloin, The Gangway, San Francisco's oldest continuously operating gay bar, closed on Sunday night. Originally opened in 1910, the TL watering hole survived Prohibition and began serving a mostly gay clientele in the ’60s. The bar, which was known for its nautical theme, chill patrons and all-day drinking hours, will be sorely missed by regulars in the rapidly changing neighborhood.
The tavern's liquor license has been transferred to Sam Young, the proprietor of Kozy Kar, who plans to change the space into Young’s Kung Fu Action Theatre & Laundry LLC, a laundromat where patrons can watch kung-fu movies as they fold their clothes.
Meanwhile, some of The Gangway's more famous knick knacks and decor will be donated to the Tenderloin History Museum.