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Photographs by Anna King

There’s a new lesbian bar in town—the RF Lounge on Hudson Street. Well, okay, it’s technically an old lesbian bar—the legendary Rubyfruit—but with a new owner, a much-needed face-lift and a short, abbreviated name (although new proprietor Annetta Budhu says the RF doesn’t stand for Rubyfruit at all, but for “Real Friends” and is simply a tribute to its past).

The bar’s layout is broadly the same as Rubyfruit’s was, but the main upstairs lounge has been extensively renovated, while the downstairs space is set to be reserved for special functions and bottle-service tables. So far, though, the most delightful difference between Rubyfruit and RF is its clientele—younger, hipper and hotter than ever before. RF was packed on its opening night over the weekend; by 9 o’clock, there was a line outside that extended halfway down the block.

Inside, Jenny Shimizu was milling around, as was CNN anchor Jane Velez-Mitchell. Budhu says she hopes to keep the ladies coming by working with lesbian party organizers like Maggie C (Stiletto and Eden) and Danielle Sonnenberg (Out Loud Proud events). Given the lack of full-time, seven-day-a-week lesbian bars in the city (there’s only Cubby and Henrietta’s in Manhattan, and Ginger’s in Brooklyn), RF is a welcome addition to the family.