Gay Travel Buddy

Vlada NYC Gay Bar

I remember being taken aback by the strong martini cocktails at Vlada. A Hell’s Kitchen lounge that popular with theatre queens and the Broadway-bound, it starts with a relaxed happy hour that lures midtown professionals craving a strong drink. By the time the sun goes down, especially on the weekends, the DJ starts blaring electronic music and both floors of the narrow lounge get packed, shoulder to shoulder. Like most bars in Hellsea (Hell’s Kitchen meets Chelsea), the bartenders are too hunky for sleeves, and just by looking around, I could tell that a majority of the guys here had a gym membership, even the drag queens! It’s nice to see a place that gets crowded with older, more refined gentlemen who can handle their liquor.

331 West 51st St. (212) 974-8030

Gym NYC – Gay Bar

Of course, a “sports bar” in Chelsea has to come with quotation marks. Unlike most bars of its kind with rowdy straight men guzzling beer and rooting wildly as they watch testosterone-fueled competition on large television screens, Gym is a little more relaxed. The men here appreciate sports in a more interesting way to say the least. When I first came here, there was not any particularly important game match going on, so the screens played vintage ESPN. And more delicate sports like figure skating and tennis get played on the screens as well. With a patio in the front that let’s the west side sun and breeze through the brick-exposed, high-ceiling bar, Gym is also not as dungeon-y as other sports bars. And with cheap drink specials every night of the week, expect it to get loud, regardless of who’s winning.

167 8th Av. (212) 337-2439

Barracuda NYC – Gay Bar

A hidden hotspot off 8th Av. and owned by the same guys as Elmo and the recently-opened Industry Bar, Barracuda attracts some of the hottest sharks in the Chel-sea. I would come here every week to see my favorite drag queen in New York perform. Peppermint is one fierce gal who is not afraid to bust a sweat just to pull off a 15 minute Beyonce medley in the middle of her show. During Labor Day weekend, she brought fried chicken for the audience, so you never know what to expect. Barracuda is mostly brimming with locals, so it’s great to get to see how real New York gays spend their evenings. The drinks are not too expensive and, being so popular among the in-the-know, this casual bar often attracts the likes of Marc Jacobs and Lance Bass. It’s kind of like a more relaxed version of Eastern Bloc in Chelsea, just brighter lights and without much room to dance. What guys at Barracuda enjoy the most is scoping each other out.

275 West 22nd St. (212) 645-8613

B Bar NYC – Gay Bar

Yes, gays in New York go out every night of the week – at least to make an appearance. Whereas we’re more spread when it comes to which spots in town to hit up on the weekends, it seems like there’s only one place to be on Tuesday nights: Beige at B Bar. Located right between the East and West Village, off Bowery, this converted gas station has one of the best patio bar in the city, definitely the most gaytastic one. Pretty Chelsea boys mingle and flirt with fashionistas, media types and other professionals under the twinkle-lighted trees. There’s also a room where those eager to dance (certainly after a couple of cocktails) can get their groove on, but it never really gets crowded. The real action is happening under the stars. Make sure to get here in the early evening, immediately after dinner, unless you want to wait in-line. Or you can always pull an it-boy and make friends with the door guy, assuming he’ll remember you…

40 East 4th St. (212) 475-2220

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

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

I know it may be hard to believe, but there are a ton of gay guys in New York City.  All joking aside, there is a lot to do in Manhattan.  I took a few photos on my last business trip, I was hoping to take more but I will take more on my next visit in about a month.

My writing is assuming you have either never been to NYC before or have not seen much on previous trips.  I did not first visit the city until I was 24, but living all of my life in California it’s not exactly a 20-minute drive.

The city is broken up in sections and burrows, with very light borders.  The upper East and West sides are more known for residences and some high end shopping, apartments and homes are known for being the high rent district.  Which is not saying much, since it’s easy to spend $5k a month on a 1 bedroom for rent.  Typically the upper side starts off in the 70’Th street numbers, give or take a few.

Mid Town is also broken down in an East and West division.  The West side is known for Times Square, which basically starts at the upper 30’s and goes up to about 60^th St, between 5^th and 9^th.  West of 9^th is Hell’s Kitchen, you may see HK in ads or when someone talks about Hells Kitchen.  Hell’s Kitchen has been an up and coming gayborhood for the past 6 years or so.  HK is a great spot for it’s wide range of restaurants; some of my favorite places are around there.  If you are a fan of Argentinean Empanada’s stop by Empanada Mama, which is just around the corner from Posh one of my favorite gay bars in Hell’s Kitchen.

Time’s Square is home to some of the best shows on and off Broadway, there is tons of information all over regarding what’s playing and when.  Time’s Square is also the hotel hotspot in Manhattan; you will have a hard time walking 20 steps without walking past a hotel.  Since it is the single largest concentration of hotels, it is going to be the most cost effective place to stay.  If your budget permit’s staying in Chelsea or other parts of the city will provide a less congested and more comfortable place to get in and out of.  Personally I am a fan of the Starwood brand of Hotels, which include Westin, W, Sheraton and St. Regis to name a few.  The Starwood chain is very gay friendly and if you ever have a problem, CALL their main office and tell them about it.  They will take action immediately.

I would suggest avoiding the Sheraton Manhattan, it’s old and run down, however much cheaper than the Sheraton Towers just across the street.  If you can afford to stay at the Towers then do it, even though I have had my problems with the Towers,, its much newer and the rooms are nicer.  The Westin and the W are my favorite Times Square properties, but they are pricey.  I have arranged a few discounts with the Westin and the W hotel, see links I posted below.  I am not going to hide it, I get a little kick back when you book with these links, but it helps pay for my $200 a month hosting bill.  There is also a 4 Points Sheraton on 40^th, I just stayed there for the first time this trip.  The rooms are freshly remodeled and though are small are comfortable.  My biggest peeve with the 4 points is the hallways and elevators are not air-conditioned and it feels like a sauna in there.

On the West side below 30^th is Chelsea, another heavily gay neighborhood that has a nice selection of bars, restaurants and a few hotels.  My favorite restaurants in Chelsea are Cafeteria a fun place that has some very fun spins on dishes like their deep fried mac and cheese spring rolls, these things are to die for!  A few of the great local gay bars are XES, Baracuda, G Lounge and Splash NYC a big gay club that is very expensive and of course they have hot guys dancing on the bars in their underwear so it is worth the price of admission.  Unfortunately Splash also has all of the hot New Yorkers, who know they are hot and look down on everyone else as if they are second rate humans, my single word for them “CUNT”.  That should sum it up all in a jiff!

Chelsea is also home to one of my favorite coffee shops in North America, Grumpy Coffee.  This place has some great organic coffee and espresso.  I am a caffeine junky and just one shot of their espresso has me shaking for an hour.

Just below Chelsea is the Village, it’s another hopping gay area with tons of great food options and bars as well.  Not much for hotel’s, maybe a bed and breakfast.  I attempted to stay in what they called a hotel in the Village once, the manager gave my room to someone else.  I showed up at 1am as agreed upon in my reservation and was sent away after pre-paying for my room, never the less I reversed the charges.  I wrote a review on Expedia about it, but they rejected it.  Don’t believe the hotel reviews there, I often find fake reviews from the hotel owners there.

When planning on flying to New York, there are 3 major airports that cover this large metropolitan area.  JFK, is the largest and is pretty far from NYC, you can take a train, cab or limo to the city.  My experience is the town car drivers from all of the companies ALWAYS show up late to JFK.  They will make up half a dozen excused but I am stuck either freezing or sweating my balls off on the curb with them saying I am 2 minutes away, 30 minutes later they show up.  Just take a cab, it’s a flat $45 to anywhere in NYC and they have to take credit cards, make sure you tell them in advance to prevent the argument when you get to your hotel.  DO NOT take rides from the guys just outside the airport, a few years ago I made the mistake and the guy made me sit in the front seat of his PEACE OF SHIT sedan that had no shocks, after my teeth where ground down from fear he had the audacity to demand $100 for the ride.  I told him to fuck himself and gave him $40 and told him to call the cops if he had an issue with it.  I just don’t want you to go through the same shit I have.

Laguardia (LGA) is the closest option, however none of the carriers on the West Coast fly directly to LGA, you can fly to Denver and take United over.  From SFO I prefer the United PS service, which is a 3 cabin flight.  The Business class is great and they have WIFI.  I am writing this article from my connecting flight from Denver to Las Vegas or as I call it HELL.  The PS flight also has all Economy Plus seating as well, which if you cannot upgrade makes it a little better for 5 hours.  Just a tip, on every row in Economy Plus there is an 110 AC plug under the middle of the seat.  There is no indication that it’s there, so before you sit look for it.

Newark (EWR) or as my friend calls it, Bayroot is your 3^rd option.  Flights may be cheaper both in and out of Newark but the cab ride will make up for it.  Expect $100 each way, it’s not a fixed rate.  Do yourself a favor and NEVER stay in hotels in Newark, it’s an awful city and if you walk down the wrong road you can kiss you wallet and life good bye!