Come for the music, stay for the good vibes.
New York City ’s nightlife is world - notable . multitude from all walk of life story travel M of international nautical mile to see the glowing luminousness and bustle about streets , engulfed in its colourful culture . For the medium holidaymaker , the clubs and bar are attractions to be discover . However , for the pro traveler and metropolis inhabitant , there are pockets of party subcultures that are of the essence to many people ’s social liveliness . Cesar Lemonier — manner professional by day , company extraordinaire by night — is a vital part of one of these close - knit scenes .
Lemonier hails from the Dominican Republic , though after being diagnose withnephrotic syndromeat the age of two , he and his female parent — who worked for a government agency and was able to get him a aesculapian visa — move to the United States and originate calling NYC home . While growing up in The Bronx , Lemonier cultivated his identity and discovered his intimate orientation , and while he proudly arrogate his Bronx upbringing , it was n’t until he moved to Brooklyn in his early 20s that he first encounter a sense of belonging . “ Sometimes , possess so many identities can be a slight difficult to witness a home in , ” he explain .
In Brooklyn , a friend , Brandon , started introducing Lemonier to other melanated folks in the LGBTQ+ residential district who are all about self face and own a honest time . “ He introduced me toKandy Muse , who ’s Dominican , from The Bronx , and queer , ” he enunciate . “ We all have this little riffraff grouping of friends who just substantiate each other . ”
Cesar Lemonier (middle) and friends|PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK; DESIGN: REBECCA HOSKINS/THRILLIST
Lemonier recognized that your friend forget me drug ( who can cursorily become your chosen family ) is what gets you through bad meter , include mental wellness battle , which disproportionately impact queer grim and brown multitude . ( Ina account free earlier this year , it was stated that 45 % of LGBTQ+ juvenility in the U.S. have badly considered guide their own lives , with juvenility of color having higher percentages over their white twin . ) He saw how being in community with your peers can drastically shift your perspective , and chose to lean into that when facing mistreatment .
“ [ My friends are ] not even done march something traumatic when I ’ve already made 17 jokes about it and we ’re already express mirth about it , ” Lemonier say . “ They ’ll be like , ‘ Cesar , how are you not cry right now ? ’ But that ’s how we get over thing and I remember that queer people are super — despite a lot of adversity — we ’re super joyous and we be given to find the overconfident in things and in other queer people . "
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This was especially the case during pandemic - related lockdown , when everyone was quarantine due to COVID-19 and get webcam parties with booster . Lemonier and his friends hosted inclusive virtual party space that seamlessly transition into IRL events when NYC slowly reopened its nightlife scene . “ It was kind of the double-dyed storm , ” pronounce Lemonier , especially since Kandy Muse was make a name for herself as a late protester on a popular televised drag show at the time . “ I was conduct picture at first and they were like , ‘ Cesar , so many people total out for you . Why do n’t you just host , too ? ’ So then I started hosting , and it just completely snowball from that . ”
“ It ’s significant to me to bet around a elbow room and see people of all dissimilar shapes , sizes , color , and sexuality identicalness . ”
PHOTO: COURTESY OF HORNITOS
It did n’t take long for Lemonier and acquaintance to begin growing their nightlife biotic community in Bushwick and wall Brooklyn neighbourhood . Lemonier made sure to make a diverse and welcome safe quad for all , which he says is organically built within the intersectionality of his Dominican heritage and the queer community . “ My friend make love , they can go , “ Can I bring … , ” and I ’m like , “ Do n’t even finish the question . Of of course , you’re able to make for a protagonist ! Let ’s go ! allow ’s just do it , ” Lemonier say . “ It ’s authoritative to me to see around a room and see people of all different shapes , size , coloring , and sex identity . ”
The events Lemonier hosts are curated extravaganza with playfulness and relevant root word , such as the “ Mercury in Reggaetón ” political party organized by his friendsStevenandLucas , a duette conjointly have it away asDL Presents . The astrology - themed event — whose title hints at the infamousMercury in retrograde transportation system — boasts a Nox of trip the light fantastic toe to a batting order of reggaetón dj . " Mercury in Reggaetón , " the third installation to a four - part party series , is only one of the many event that cultivate a blank space for colourful night with showy folks . Since there ’s no set schedule on how often these events are , the best way to outride up to date on the festivities is to follow Lemonier and DL Presents on Instagram . And if you ’re reckon to connect with Lemonier specifically ( for a pre - spirited perhaps ) , do n’t be shy to slide into his DMs . He corroborate , " I ’m totally reachable . I record every DM . I resolve every DM . I ’m not exceedingly snooty about any of that . "
The party nights are have a go at it to be fabled experiences where mass impart with more friends than they came with , building the safe quad that Lemonier desired for his young ego — even in the day . “ Having residential area signify the world to me , ” Lemonier says . “ Even [ in ] my other job , where I operate in fashion , my main goal is to make blank space be what I wanted when I was inscribe the scene when I was younger , in whatever I do . ”
PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK; DESIGN: REBECCA HOSKINS/THRILLIST
That desire has imbue from his boisterous extensive acquaintance radical to just about everyone they receive at these memorable outcome . For Lemonier , he ’s only happy live that the people that inspired his booming speculation into NYC night life productions are his respected peers and friends . “ I plainly lovedFrankie Sharpparties andLadyfagparties , ” Lemonier says . “ I feel like those were the main two I would by all odds look at as I was coming into the aspect , or before it was really in my life . They were really great and instrumental . ”
Lemonier calls on everyone who enjoy these spaces to not only go to the parties and case , but be an active player in stabilizing the urban center ’s communal queer culture in club to keep it authentic and secure for all . “ Whenever you ’re reading a airman or check a group of names for an case , make certain that you ’re looking up these masses , ” he says . “ We have to be vigilant as political party - goers to verify that we ’re giving our one dollar bill to spaces that digest mass that are like us . ”
