I think many of the places on the south side of Oxford Street are basically empty."Mr Wotherspoon said the area still possessed a "divergent cultural diversity" and believed the strip could be brought back to life. "But in a very different way to what it once was...We can't recreate the past," he said.Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore said she was shocked and disappointed to hear of Stonewall's closure, as the venue was "part of the fabric of Oxford Street".Cr Moore said Oxford Street was in the process of being designated a special entertainment precinct by the NSW government, which would loosen sound restrictions and extend trading hours for businesses. She said the council was also committed to supporting investment that will safeguard Oxford Street’s long-term success.Thousands traverse the precinct each day, and gay clubs like Universal and Palms can have patrons queuing out the door on a Friday and Saturday night. But a cultural shift in Oxford Street's nightlife has left many of the LGBTIQ+ community finding somewhere else to go.Scott Ridley, who met his partner at Stonewall 20 years ago, said Oxford Street had "lost its shine" and now embraced a more "sanitised" version of what it means to be LGBTQIA+ "Oxford Street has gone completely corporate … could you imagine if someone opened a leather bar there now?" he said.Sydney-based sex worker and author Tilly Lawless has frequented bars and clubs on Oxford Street for more than a decade, but said many of the best queer parties do not have a permanent venue."They are parties that have a pop-up every now and again," the 32-year-old said