Denis O'Hare's guide to New York

Presented by Las Vegas

The Tony-winning actor chats about a few of his favorite places, events and things.

Name: Denis O'Hare

Age: 46

Profession: Actor

City: Brooklyn, New York

Relationship Status: in a relationship with Hugo Redwood for the past 8+ years

Sexual Orientation: Gay since I was like five, I think.

What are some of the things you love most about New York?

Well, I love New York City but I also love my borough -- Brooklyn. I moved to Brooklyn after living in the East Village (which I also love) and have been here since 1995. I moved to Fort Greene in 1998 and it is definitely my home. Everyone in New York needs to find their niche, their style, their neighborhood, and I'm a Brooklyn boy. One of the things I love about New York is that we all get along. We have to. Nobody has the right answer and so there are so many cultures and traditions that we all just defer to each other out of the best kind of tolerance.

What are some of your least favorite things about New York?

Missionaries. Whether they are the Mormons who come here and think they're going to save us or the Jehovah's Witnesses who have taken over Brooklyn Heights -- I wish they'd be content with finding their own truths for themselves, but nooooooooo. They ring my bell at nine in the morning with their piety and their pamphlets. I come out in my underwear and yell at them.

What gym do you like most in New York? Why?

New York Sports Club. There are branches all over the city and I never know what part of the city I'll be in, so I go to a lot of different ones. I ride my bike as my major form of transportation so I'm happy that I don't have to do cardio. I just do weights, that and yoga.

What are some great restaurants for a night out with gay friends in New York?

OK, this is where I feel like a bad gay person, because I don't necessarily hang out with a lot of gay people, since most of our friends are straight couples, because that's just the way it has evolved. My boyfriend is gay, though. And my best friend since I was five- years-old. And our friend Don. Anyway, there is a fantastic place in Fort Greene called A Bistro. It's this hole in the wall that serves French-Senagalese food -- so good. I also love 202, Nicole Farhi's place in the Chelsea Market, a great brunch/lunch place. My favorite place is the Kati Roll Company, a place that serves Indian burritos -- they're amazing. Hugo is Jamaican, so he loves Buff Patty, which is a Caribbean place down on Myrtle Ave.

What are some great restaurants for a romantic gay date in New York?

Hmm. There's a sweet tapas place in Fort Greene called Luz with a nice atmosphere and great food.

What are your favorite gay bars and/or dance clubs in New York? What do you like about them?

I never really was a big bar guy. When I was living in the E. Village, I used to go to Pyramid and Wonder Bar and occasionally Crowbar, but it's been a long time. I have to take a pass on this one.

What are your favorite gay parties or events in New York, if any? What is the crowd or scene like at those places?

There are some great events on Fire Island. There is an annual dance event where several international dance companies perform one of two pieces. A lot of big performers end up coming out to the island for benefits, like Whoopi and Nathan Lane.

Where is the best public place for a gay person to make out in New York?

Hmm, anywhere really. I'm a little old-fashioned but I do remember once making out on the steps of someone's apartment in the W. Village. Luckily no one came out to bother us.

What is the gay community like in New York? Do you consider yourself to be part of any particular "scene"?

New York is so big that I feel like there is more than one gay community. There's Chelsea and Hell's Kitchen and the E. Village and Park Slope. I have friends who live in Maplewood, NJ which has a very large number of gay couples. So, you sort of take your pick. If I'm part of any scene, it's the outsider bunch. If anything, I'm more a part of the theatre/acting community than anything else.

Are you involved with any LGBT community organizations in New York? Which ones? What do you like about those groups?

I have involved myself a lot in Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS -- a great organization which really energizes the whole theatre community. I've also recently gotten involved with SAGE, which is an organization which caters to the older LGBT community. At this last year's event Martina Navratilova showed up, and that was quite an honor.

What do you think of the annual LGBT pride celebration in New York? Do you usually attend? What are the highlights for you? What do you like least about it?

I went to the Pride parades a lot when I was younger. I went to them in Chicago for some years and then I went in New York a couple of times. It's not really for me. I'm glad it exists and I think it's really important as a beacon for younger or closeted gays who are looking for support.

Do you have a particular fashion style? Where do you shop for clothes?

Hmm. My fashion sense has evolved over the years from atrocious to pretty acceptable. I like Club Monaco. I like classic clothes with a twist. I wear a lot of corduroys. I'm also way into sweaters.

Where do you go for other forms of entertainment -- live theater, concerts, movies, art exhibits? Are there any local gay performance groups, bands, or artists that you're a fan of?

My friend Don has really turned me onto Rufus Wainwright. I've always been a big K.D. Lang fan. I am a classical music freak so I mostly go to Carnegie Hall or Avery Fisher Hall. We get season tickets to the opera every year and see around seven to10 operas. I try not to scare Hugo and so pick the ones that I think he will like or can handle. That means no Wagner (which I don't really like). We have a rule: If he wants to go at intermission, I make one pitch for staying and if he still wants to go, we go. Sometimes there are multiple intermissions and I'll have to ask after each one, 'So? Shall we stay?' I also go to a lot of museums and a lot of the galleries in Chelsea. My friend Blair and I will have a gallery day and meet and walk around for a couple of hours.

If you had gay friends visiting from out of town for the first time, what are some "musts" that you'd recommend they see or do?

I guess I'd tell them to go to Chelsea and check out Hell's Kitchen -- 9th Ave. between 42nd-50th and parts of 10th Ave.

What city (or cities) in America would you most like to visit next, and why? Are there any specific spots there (theaters, nightclubs, historic sites, etc.) that you'd really like to see?

I have to say, I'm a bit of a New York snob. I think it's a great city, and having lived and worked in Detroit, Chicago, Miami, L.A., Washington D.C., Seattle, and Honolulu, there aren't many places I'm dying to visit in the U.S. Hugo and I travel a lot: we spent a month in Vietnam, have been to India twice, just got back from Turkey, visit Denmark, France, England, and Italy when we can, and I've lived and worked in London and have family in Ireland. Our next trip will most likely be to Cambodia or China. All that being said, I still haven't seen the Grand Canyon, and I suppose I should do that.

Denis O'Hare is an acclaimed actor, who won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play for his performance in Richard Greenberg's "Take Me Out" in 2003.  He also won a Drama Desk Award for this role, which he would repeat for "Sweet Charity" in 2005. He has also appeared on numerous television programs and in myriad films -- most recently as Sen. John Briggs in Gus Van Sant's "Milk." For more on O'Hare, please visit his website: www.denisohare.com.

Photos courtesy of Getty Images and Dennis O'Hare