The Gayborhood is losing two bars owned by people of color

This month brought closure announcements for Level Up and Cockatoo, two bars in Philadelphia’s Gayborhood owned by people of color. The news has rattled Philly’s LGBTQ+ community, especially patrons who found the bars to be safe spaces in a neighborhood where racism has been an ongoing issue.

“As everyone is aware, we opened Level Up Bar & Lounge literally a week before the COVID-19 pandemic started in March 2020,” Level Up said in an Instagram post this month. “Over the past four years, we have worked effortlessly to try and keep the bar open while facing increased operating cost[s]. We regret to inform you that Level Up Bar & Lounge will be closing soon.”

Level Up co-owner Ken Lowe Jr. told The Inquirer that the bar did not receive any COVID-19 assistance loans when it shut down in 2020 because its opening date was too close to the start of lockdown. The owners of Level Up used their savings to pay rent and insurance, and with concerns about rent being raised if the new Sixers arena is built, Lowe said there was no way the bar could continue to operate at 13th and Walnut Streets.

Level Up’s last day will be in December.

Similarly, a Cockatoo Instagram post this month also mentions the financial strain put on the business due to COVID-19.

“The operational cost was too high,” Cockatoo co-owner Ram Krishnan told The Inquirer. “We didn’t really get all of the press and publicity that you get when you open a new business, because we opened literally during COVID-19 … multiple lockdowns killed us.”

Like Level Up, Cockatoo’s owners also had to continue paying rent for their space while the world was shut down. The lease price for the space, Krishnan said, has been higher than what is feasible. “I really feel sometimes the owners are out of touch,” he said.

“We had to make the call because we were going into slow season, with more and more people doing house parties and hanging out at home,” Krishnan said. Cockatoo’s last day was Nov. 3.

Patrons of the bars flooded their social media with comments expressing both sadness about the news and messages of gratitude, thanking them for making the Gayborhood a better place.

“Thank you for giving so many of [Philly’s] drag artists their first shot!” wrote Philly drag performer Miss Thing in Cockatoo’s comments section.

» READ MORE: Philly drag performer Lasha Cristál’s advice for getting involved in the community: ‘Step out and support the shows.’

“We need you in the Gayborhood. Not this after the election news!” one commenter wrote to Level Up.

Jacen Bowman, vice president of Philly Black Pride, told The Inquirer that while he was saddened to hear about the closures, he wasn’t surprised.

“It’s a reflection of broader issues that have been ongoing, such as escalating rents and a lack of institutional support,” he said.

His biggest concern is about the diminishing number of safe spaces available to queer people of color in Philadelphia.

“We already know how a lot of bars in the city’s Gayborhood are not seen or felt as welcoming in the past, and [though] I am still hopeful for improvement, the Gayborhood is still extremely divided, and racism still exists.”

Lasha Cristál, a drag performer who holds the title of Mx. Level Up 2024, shares Bowman’s concerns.

“With two prominent bars owned by people of color who cater to people of color closing down due to rent inflation, my concern is erasure,” Cristál said. “Not just of Black and brown representation, but queer representation in the Gayborhood itself.”

» READ MORE: Hundreds turn out for forum on racial discrimination in Phila.'s Gayborhood

Cristál, like Lowe, believes the possibility of the new Sixers arena being built plays a part in the rent rising in the Gayborhood.

“This stadium proposal looms over us all,” she said.

As this iteration of Level Up comes to a close, Cristál holds her memories of the lounge close to her heart.

“Level Up, since its creation, has always been a breath of fresh air. Not just for Black and brown queer folks, but for the Gayborhood, period,” she said. “Even before being crowned as Mx. Level Up, I was taken care of, provided financial opportunities, and more importantly an opportunity to grow and expand as an artist and person.”

For Lowe and the Level Up team, the ultimate goal is to reopen somewhere else. Part of that task is finding a place outside of the high lease prices of Center City, which has seen lower foot traffic since the start of the pandemic.

“We have been actively looking for places … we’re also trying to secure funding to move,” Lowe said. “I just seen a place online today, it’s double or triple the square footage, and the rent is going to be around the same as what we’re paying for Center City.”

But before they close the doors at their Gayborhood location for good, Level Up will have one last extravaganza. On Dec. 6 and 7, Level Up will host “The Farewell Party: End of Chapter One.” The two-night event will feature DJs, including DJ Kidroc and Drootrax. All proceeds from the cover at the door will go toward Level Up’s moving expenses.

As for Cockatoo, there are no plans to relocate.

“This is the straw that broke the camel’s back,” Krishnan said.

Krishnan and co-owner Akshay Kamath are also the owners of Writer’s Block Rehab, a social space on Cypress Street that focuses on drinks and light fare. Their plan is to continue dedicating their energy to growing that business.

And while there are many bars left in the Gayborhood, it’s clear that LGBTQ+ folks of color will dearly miss spaces like Cockatoo and Level Up, which offered an environment that is otherwise lacking in the neighborhood.

“The joy of dancing in a space that felt authentically ours is a memory I will always cherish,” Bowman said. “The nights you left there were impactful and provided so much safety and Black joy.”