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More restaurants and bars have permanently shuttered due to the pandemic than we can keep up with. Readers reach out every single day to let us know about places we’ve missed, and our lists of restaurant closings are some of the most-read pieces of content in all our Infatuation cities. That isn’t something to celebrate - it’s a reflection of how much these places mean to all of us.
When a restaurant or bar or club closes, we don’t just miss the martinis, the salads, the cake slices, or the disco balls. We miss how we felt when we were there. Some of them were even like second homes, where people felt like they could be themselves most. Below, three Infatuation writers reflect on the community spaces they’ve lost: a queer-friendly diner in Brooklyn, four West Hollywood gay bars, and a music venue that was one of the most inclusive spots in Oakland.