Gay Travel Buddy

Gay Austin

So are you planning another weekend getaway or possibly visiting Austin for business?  I have been all over the US on business trips and other than my home town of San Francisco, Austin is my favorite destination.  The boys here are extremely attractive and very friendly.  Austin is very different from any part of Texas, they are very proud of their “keep Austin weird” mentality.  Unlike Dallas, there isn’t a specific gay part of town, but both Oilcan Harry’s and Rain are located right next to each other, so you have several options in walking distance from each other, street parking near these gay bars is rather bad so its best to take a cab if you can.  I am very much against drinking and driving in any case.  My new favorite bar in Austin is Charlies, this is also a must visit when you are in town, it’s a hair off the beat and path, but worth the cab ride!

Hotels

Austin does not have any specific gay hotels, however there are a few chains that are very gay friendly.  My personal favorite is the Starwood brand of hotels, recently Austin has had several new hotels built.  The only Starwood location downtown is the Sheraton, which is an older building, however its rather large and the staff is very friendly.  Both the Westin and aLoft hotels are new, however are a bit out of town at the Domain a new high end outdoor shopping center.  They have stores such as Louis Vuitton, Needless Markup and an Apple store to name a few.  Below are several links for these hotels with pre-arranged discounts, this site gets a small kick back for reservations booked with these links.  It helps pay for the hosting.

W Downtown - Brand new W, rooms are incredible!

Restaurants

There are tons of great selections of restaurants, below are links to restaurants that we have wrote up.

Santa Rita - Tex Mex

Kerbey Lane Café – Great place for gay drunk food.

South Congress Cafe – A great brunch option

Halcyon Coffee, Bar and Lounge - Hipster hangout spot.

El Sol y La Luna - Lesbian owned cafe

Gay Bars

Oil Can Harry’s - A very large bar, special events, see their calendar to see whats going on.  I know they do an underwear night, I was nearly stripped by their staff.

Rain - Rain is a large often crowded bar, with lots of College students and for the Twink lovers, usually a good selection.

Charlies Austin - A little off the beat and path but one of my personal favorites.

Bout Time - The sister dive bar to Charlies

Kiss and Fly - A giant multi level dance club

Even though I love Oilcan Harry’s and I spend the majority of my time there when I visit Austin, on my second to last visit I was introduced to Charlies in Downtown Austin.  This gay bar is a bit off the beat and path, but if you are in town between Thursday and Sunday you should visit Charlies in the evening.  This place is huge and has very friendly bar tenders as well as a great selection of very attractive locals.  They have different events all the time, be sure to check their website to be sure.  I believe they also serve food as well.  Charlies also has a few pool tables as well.  Parking is a little easier around this area, but again do not drink and drive, it’s just not worth it.

1301 Lavaca St. 512-474-6481

Oilcan Harry’s Austin

When visiting Austin a gay bar that is a must visit is Oilcan Harry’s in Downtown Austin.  This bar has a very friendly staff, they have also have a bar outback which is nice in the summer.  They also have a dance floor and a pool table as well.  Oilcan Harry’s has an ever changing list of activities, which you can find on their website.  The most memorable event in my mind was the underwear night, they gave discounted drinks to anyone who dropped trow and walked around in their undies, this was quite a bit of fun.  This place has a total of 3 bars and quite a few LCD screens throughout.  I have met some very cool locals here, they are right next door to Rain, another large gay bar.

Not only is this just a gay bar, but they have shows, an outside bar where they allow smoking.  A real staple if you are visiting Austin for the first time.

211 West 4th St, 512-320-8823

Austin is a great city to visit, especially if you are gay.  The local gay population is very friendly and very attractive!  There is a great selection of gay bars in downtown Austin.  Rain is a large gay bar located in the heart of the city, just steps away from Oil Can Harry’s, a very popular gay bar.  Rain has a great sound system and every time I have visited this bar I have had a great time.  I commonly find tons of college boys here and they are very friendly towards tourists.  Buy them a few shots and they will fall in love!

Parking can be a bit of a pain in this area, so if you are staying in a hotel downtown I would suggest taking a cab.  It’s not worth pushing your luck, drinking and driving.  Rain has different events all week long, they seem to change often, so I would suggest taking a look at their website before heading down.  On busy nights they charge a cover, get there early if you are visiting on a 3 day weekend or for SXSW as there tends to be a long line out front.

217 West 4th St, 512-494-1150

One of my favorite gay bars in Chelsea is XES lounge, I have a great time when I visit this place.  New York City has quite a few gay bars, but many of them are not very friendly, XES is very friendly.  Make sure you check out their website for a list of activities based on each night.  The crowd is mixed, tends to not be a twink fest but also is not an old age home.  So if I can put a range 25-45ish.  The crowd is friendly and cheery for NYC, just don’t expect a warm welcome like you might get in the mid west.

An additional picture taken by a friend on his last trip home.

157 W 24 St, 212-604-0212

Rawhide is a small gay bar located in the heart of Chelsea in New York City, it caters to a different crowd based on the night and event that they have going on.  Some days it’s a nice young crowd and other nights to the leather daddy crowd.  Check their website for information on what is going on, as they seem to change their activities every time I am in town.

212 8th Ave, 212-242-9332

In Chelsea there is a restaurant jewel of sorts called Cafeteria, the name is a bit of a turn off, but I can tell you from first hand experience that the food is great!  They have an appetizer that is incredible, they are deep friend mac and cheese spring rolls, OMFG they are to die for!  I know it sounds odd and strange, but you must order them, you will thank me for it!  Cafeteria is not too far from Splash, the most popular gay dance club, especially for tourists.  Be sure to make reservations for this place as I always wind up having to wait before I get seated, its also a great brunch spot.

119 7th Ave, 212-414-1717

When visiting Chelsea, Spice is a great Thai Restaurant that has some very cool and funky dishes.  I don’t exactly recall the name of the dish, but they have a Volcano something chicken that is brought out on fire.  It’s quite a spectacle to look at and is also very tasty.  This place is really small and can be a bit of a wait from time to time.  But if you have the chance to eat here, I highly recommend it.  NYC is well known for restaurants closing and new ones opening all the time.  This place has been here for years and is just as good as when I tried it for the first time 5 years ago.  Spice is near 23rd St. on 8th Ave.

199 8th Ave, 212-989-1116 New York City – Chelsea

If you are looking for a high end gay bar with an attractive and preppy crowd in Chelsea or in New York City for that matter, G Lounge may be the spot for you.  I have been here many times and I have had a good time every time I have visited.  The drinks are strong but a bit pricey, but that should be no surprise for a place like this.  The outside looks simple, but the inside is well decorated and well laid out.  The bar tenders are good looking and are very nice, often times bars like this have over worked bar tenders that can be a little snippy after a long shift, these guys are not, if you tip well you will get your next drink very quickly!  They have a nice sounds system and some great DJ’s.

223 W 19th St, 212-929-1085

If you find yourself in Chelsea and are looking for a great restaurant, elmo may be a great spot for you to try.  They have a great and unique menu, I have had a great experience every time I have eaten here.  The crowd is mixed but mostly gay, they also have seating out front if the weather is good.  They also have a full gay bar with a great selection of mixed drinks that are strong and well thought out.  The service is pretty good, they are pretty fast and attentive.  However, if you are used to service in San Francisco you will never get that level of friendliness in NYC.  During busy nights, say Thursday through Saturday it is advised to make a reservation as you can be waiting a long time to get a table.

156 7th Ave, 212-337-8000