Ahead of her highly-anticipated album release, let’s remember Ms. Stefani Germanotta’s New York roots by exploring all of her favorite city spots as a born-and-raised New Yorker.
And though you can no longer dine at Cornelia Street Cafe where she once served tables in college, there’s plenty of places from bars to music venues still open today that helped her get to her now mega-celebrity status.
Joanne Trattoria
Maybe the most notable on the list is Joanne Trattoria, the Upper West Side restaurant owned by Lady Gaga’s parents. Rooted in family values and Italian tradition, the restaurant has become more than an eatery, but an entertainment hub. Every Thursday you can enjoy their open mic night to give emerging artists a moment to shine.
The restaurant gets its name from Gaga’s late aunt, Joanne, the same woman who inspired the name of her fifth studio album.
Gray’s Papaya
As an NYU-alum, Gray’s Papaya’s Greenwich location is speculated to have been somewhere Gaga might have grabbed a quick bite while studying or at the Upper West Side location near where she grew up. She even tweeted about the affordable hot dog joint in 2011.
Stanton Street
Though the superstar grew up on the Upper West Side, 176 Stanton Street was the address of her one-bedroom apartment she lived at between 2005 – 2007 before releasing The Fame in 2008. According to StreetEasy there’s no available units in the building at the moment, but nearby studios are listed upwards of $2,500 a month.
The Bitter End
This live music venue has been a stage for Lady Gaga since she was 15 years old, well before she caught her break. She has since returned to The Bitter End to perform songs from her album Joanne in 2016. Many other famous names today have graced The Bitter End stage, including Taylor Swift, Patti Smith, Van Morrison and more, according to the venue’s legends list.
Hotel on Rivington
Rumored to have inspired her song “Boys Boys Boys,” Lady Gaga was reported to have spent a night here after a Killers performance at MSG in 2008.
Welcome to the Johnsons
Keeping to Rivington Street, Welcome to the Johnsons was another downtown dive bar Gaga had frequented in the early 2000s and actually met her former boyfriend, Luc Carl, who was a bartender there in 2005. She’s referenced this bar later in her career, like in her 73 Questions with Vogue.
The Oak Room
The Plaza Hotel’s Oak Room is known for a few impromptu Lady Gaga performances, one in particularly wear she wore a dress made of human hair in 2010. Unfortunately, The Oak Room has since closed but you can still obviously explore the Plaza Hotel.
Beauty Bar
Gaga’s former DJ confirmed she used to perform at Beauty Bar, a historic East Village bar with a retro-salon vibe (yes, they actually have a martinis and manicure happy hour).
If one things for sure, NYC sure has raised plenty of stars, and tough ones at that! As Gaga once famously said in a New York Magazine interview, “I’m from New York. I will kill to get what I need.”