Older Men Want Action, Too: NYC’s Townhouse Bar Celebrates 30 Years of Daddy Hunting
Following Michael Lucas’s surprise announcement that he’ll no longer star in adult films come 2019, we couldn’t help but wonder, are gay men in their 50s and 60s still having sex? “You bet they are,” says Michael Grummons, co-owner of Townhouse, New York City’s upscale lounge that has long been the watering hole of the city’s mature gay set … and the guys who like them. In fact, while many of Gotham’s leading bars and clubs have fallen victim to a changing gay scene, Townhouse is celebrating 30 years this month.
“If you come here any night of the week, you’ll see tons of older gay men looking for action,” Grummons laughs. “They’re not ready to hand in their gay cards just yet.”
It’s true. Visiting on a recent Thursday night, the poshly furnished room with its speakeasy vibe was packed with older gentlemen. It was 7 p.m. and a majority of the suits appeared to be from the Park and Madison Avenue offices nearby. Many were chatting up other mature men, but a fair amount were being courted by younger guys in polo shirts. Were these hustlers looking for clients?
“There’s long been a stigma that many of the young guys here are hustlers or chickens in search of sugar daddies, and while, yes, there is some of that, there are also many young guys here who are simply attracted to mature men,” Grummons says.
There’s no denying that a lot of young gays are attracted to older men. Recent studies suggest the desire for older partners is most prevalent among young gay men who identify as femme, but a 2014 study by Facebook found that it’s a homo thing: we tend to have much higher age gaps than our heterosexual counterparts.
Asked if apps like Hornet, which allow younger men to target older gents from their phones if they wish, has impacted business, Grummons admits it has but not entirely negatively. “We constantly hear of men connecting on Hornet and other apps who then plan their first offline dates at Townhouse,” he says. “We’re a perfect meeting spot because we offer a safe atmosphere where couples with large age gaps are the norm.”
So breathe easily, young gays. There is no expiration date on sex, and even in your 50s and 60s there will still be guys who want to have sex with you.
“I love sex,” famed porn star Michael Lucas, 46, confirms. He plans to continue whipping out his privates for a long time — only, in the future, we won’t be able to watch.
Head here for more info on New York City’s Townhouse.
Featured image courtesy of WilsonModels