When my lady and I arrived at the Time Café West on Sunday night, we looked at each other quizzically and said "This is a restaurant, not a lesbian bar." When we asked the maitre d' if Cherry was going on tonight, he motioned to the stairs and told us to enjoy ourselves.

Habitable rooftop space is a hot commodity in New York City, and Cherry's venue has one of the nicest views. Perched one tall floor above Seventh Avenue South, you can spy on the nightlife goings-on of the heart of Greenwich Village. But the real view at Cherry, the latest from promoter Tina Alexander, is of the lesbian nightclub scene's elite. The night I went, all the dyke-night promoters and performers, like drag king and DJ Lizeracé, were kicking back, taking the night off and sipping drinks in the balmy summer breeze. House music pumped at a talkable level from behind the bar, beefy-boy waiters chauffeured appetizers and drinks around the crowded tables, and more and more choice women mingled as the night grew on.

As with Tina Alexander's other venture, SheDevil @ Hell on Tuesday nights, Cherry hosts a mixed young crowd. The twist with Cherry, of course, is that it's outside under the stars instead of packed into a downtown dive. Sad to say, though, it'll only last as long as the warm weather holds out - and my regret to you ladies reading this column is that I didn't let you know about this Sapphic spot until the end of summer! But there's still plenty of heat left in Manhattan nights to provide you with a view from Cherry on top.

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