Venue: Rise Bar
Town: Manhattan, US

Rise Bar, or simply Rise, is a gay bar in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 2015, it is a small establishment surrounded by a number of larger LGBTQ nightlife venues. The bar is most popular among gay men and some women. It features pop music and hosts weekly entertainment including drag shows, open-mic nights and karaoke. Though Rise's owners invested in soundproofing before it opened, noise concerns from nearby residents initially led the local community board and state liquor authority to require the venue to close at an earlier hour than its competitors. Following a contentious series of applications to modify Rise's operating schedule and liquor license, this requirement was overturned for weekend nights. The establishment has received praise for its welcoming, diverse atmosphere. Rise Bar is located in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan, a few blocks north of the neighborhood's other gay venues, including Industry Bar and Flaming Saddles Saloon. Its exterior is characterized by heavy wooden doors with large handles. The interior, described by Gothamist as "sleek" and "open", has a white bar, black tables, a glitter ball, a stage and television screens playing music videos. A 2015 New York Times article categorized most of the clientele as gay men in their 30s and 40s, noting that female customers also frequent the bar early in the night. A 2016 Gothamist piece classed one Saturday night crowd as "young, hot twenty-somethings". The establishment's daily happy hour runs from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. and features half-price drinks. Its ambient music consists predominantly of pop and top 40 artists, with Wednesday playlists being rock-themed. According to ShermansTravel, the scene inside "turns into a thumping dance party most nights". The venue regularly hosts nighttime drag shows, karaoke, open-mic nights, Broadway-themed events and weekend drag brunches. Prior to her 2017 appearance on Drag Race, Peppermint hosted one of the bar's weekly s