A New York Kind of Pride, with Deon Jones
Follow Deon Jones and his city favorites—where to go, what to see, and how to move through NYC with pride.
Every June, in celebration of Pride, New York comes alive in ways only this city can. There’s music spilling into the streets, flags flying high, and a true joy you can feel in the air. The NYC Pride March, which takes place this year on Sunday, June 29, brings that energy right to our doorstep at The Fifth Avenue Hotel.
To mark the season, we caught up with artist, performer, and creative force Deon Jones to share what Pride means to him and where he finds inspiration, joy, and community throughout New York City, no matter the time of year.
On Pride and Self-Expression
“Pride, to me, is a reminder that every room I enter is another chance to honor the fullness of who I am: Black, gay, and fearless,” says Deon. “Visibility isn’t just about being seen; it’s an invitation to be known, to let the layers show.”
For him, it’s a sentiment that is echoed through his artistry and personal style. It’s also a celebration of his own light. “Pride stokes that fire. It dares me to let every piece of my style speak: polished and raw, classic yet unruly, layered with intention.”
And while the month of June brings those energies to the surface, it doesn’t stop with July 1st. Deon tells us, “My light is not seasonal. I shine because I have to. I shine because to do otherwise would be to vanish, and I am not interested in erasure. I am interested in legacy.”
Where to Go Out
When it comes to celebration and reverie, there’s one spot Deon always returns to: Le Bain in the Meatpacking District.
“There is nothing like a Wednesday night at Le Bain, especially in the summer,” he says. But first, there’s getting through the door. Nightlife icon Connie Fleming is posted up front. “Connie doesn’t just look at your outfit. She reads your spirit. When she gives you that subtle nod and waves you in? Baby, that ain’t a pass. That’s anointing.”
Once upstairs, iconic skyline vistas merge with pulsing Afro-House, igniting a living, breathing dance floor. “No performance, no posturing. Just presence and joy. That unapologetic, sweaty kind of joy that makes you remember why we fight to be seen in the first place. Le Bain on a night like that? In New York. That’s not just a party. That’s church.” Deon says.
Where to Shop
For Deon, getting dressed is about energy, presence, and legacy. Clothes are just the medium. “One of the greatest gifts in my life has been getting to be a HARBISON angel,” he says. “When I’m stepping into a big moment, whether it’s a stage, a red carpet, or just a chapter that needs honoring, Charles Harbison is always the first call.”
He also never leaves town without a stop at Ron David Studio on Orchard Street. “Ron has this gift. He knows how to dress you, not just for the look, but for the moment. A night out, a dinner, even just walking these New York streets with intention.”
Ultimately, he says, “Style is you. It’s the way you move in a piece, the energy you bring to it. Doesn’t matter what it is. The point is: don’t let it wear you. You bring the soul to it.”
A Perfect Day in New York
In honor of Pride, we asked Deon to share what a perfect day in New York looks like for him. Because sometimes the most powerful form of pride is simply moving through the city as yourself.
“Well, of course, I’m waking up at The Fifth Avenue Hotel, which feels less like a hotel and more like a jewel box,” he says. “The kind of place where time folds into itself. The velvet, the quiet grandeur, The Portrait Bar. It is all seductive. You could stay there all day without having to leave. But the real heartbeat of the city, for me, lives in the friends who call it home. New York becomes a different kind of magic when the people who light you up fill your time there.”
For Deon, mornings begin in stillness — reflection, prayer, a pot of tea in the suite — before lunch with a friend or mentor downstairs at Café Carmellini, “where the experience always feels cinematic.”
The afternoon might bring a visit to Amy Sherald’s American Sublime at the Whitney Museum of American Art or Superfine: Tailoring Black Style at The Met. “It’s a show I never tire of, especially when my friend Edvin Thompson’s work and his Theophilio designs are in the spotlight.”
If the timing is right, the evening starts at the cocktail bar, Bixi, in Harlem. “It’s one of those spots where the energy is intimate but electric. My crew and I in Harlem post up, and friends shuffle in and out for a couple of hours.”
Then, of course, a show. “The last time I was in New York, I saw Audra McDonald in Gypsy. It was a holy experience. When she got to Rose’s Turn, I completely unraveled: tears, ovation, the whole thing. I left the theater altered. So, catching a show is always on my list. Lately, I’ve been meaning to see Purpose.”
And, most nights, there’s an unplanned last stop for Deon. “The night usually ends with a nightcap somewhere unexpected. My friends always seem to know the exact place to be. I love that about New York — the moments always continue, but you don’t have to go chasing them. It finds you.”
At The Fifth, we believe the most meaningful expressions are the most personal. Through the places he returns to, the way he dresses, and the energy he brings, Deon offers a vision of Pride that feels spacious and real. His New York is about claiming joy, connection, and meaning on your own terms.
Imagery courtesy of Zeus.
