Gay Travel Buddy

Gay Salt Lake City

A hermaphroditic, golden angel blows his/her trumpet towards the imposing mountains, offering reassurance and religious guidance to the worker bees residing in the suburban sprawl below her/him. This is Salt Lake City, once declared “the place” a couple hundred years ago, and now instills feelings of trepidation and curiosity in gays the world over.

You may ask yourself, “Can I drink there?” or, “Do gay people live there” and “Are there places for me?”  These can be tough and confusing questions, but I’m here to answer them.

Though you may willingly travel to Salt Lake for a fabulous ski vacation a la Wham’s “Last Christmas” music video, you will probably find yourself here because of a strange layover or business conference. Never fear, the gays are here. There are plenty of gay bars to tide you over until you are back in whichever megalopolis you come from, and has enough lisping to confuse Marcus Bachmann and alcohol to heavens. In fact, Salt Lake City was recently ranked “The Gayest City in America” by The Advocate magazine.

From a sociological standpoint, gay bars in Salt Lake are interesting and unique insofar as every type of gay mixes together. The city has a large enough gay population to support a number of different gay bars but unlike other cities, you won’t find the segregated “muscle bars,” “bear bars,” “hipster bars,” etc. Everyone gets down together in Salt Lake! But just remember to bring your scannable ID because it’s strictly 18 to come, 21 to swallow.

Club Jam  – The hippest of the hip, the coolest of the cool. This is the place for the young and the beautiful A-Gays of Salt Lake. From the minute this bar-turned-nightclub opened to the public, its been in the headlines. First, for protesting the city’s refusal to administer a liquor license (that has since been handed out – there is a full bar) and then, for being one of very few nightclubs to be eco-friendly, with recycling, composting and even a bamboo dance floor. But none of that really matters with music this good. There is no Top-40 here, only the best from the undergrowth of dance and electronic music to make you shake your skivvies off. If you go anywhere in Salt Lake, go to Jam.

Located in the Marmalade District at 751 North 300 West (That’s “Seven Fifty-One North, Third West”)

The Tavernacle Social Club – No, this is not the Tabernacle, the famous Mormon-owned music hall whose choir tours the world. This is the Tavernacle, a dueling pianos and karaoke bar that lets anyone in, but has a particularly strong following from the gays on Saturday nights. The pianists take any requests, as long as someone is up there to play their best Jessica Rabbit. Other than the martinis, the best part about this place is the secret requests where friends can have others from their group brought up on stage to sing their terrible rendition of whatever evil song you choose, from “Poker Face” to “Love Shack.” And trust me, the embarrassment of not getting on stage is much more than the embarrassment waiting in the spotlight.

Located downtown on 201 East 300 South (That’s “Two-Oh-One East Three-Hundred South”)

Club TryAngels – Not so much club as bar, but there is a small dance floor nonetheless. You may go here if you feel like going out in the simple jeans-and-t-shirt frock so you can “hang.” The people are friendly, if older, and the drinks are big. If a relaxed atmosphere where you can “be yourself” is your thing, then this is your place.

Located south of Downtown at 251 West 900 South.

Püre – Let’s keep this simple: if you like underaged, drunken, skinny youths whose bodies are ripe with the smell of “Fierce” from Abercrombie and Fitch and whose polo from the same retailer was taken off and stuffed under the gogo-boy’s cage when they entered, then go here.

Located Downtown at 579 West 200 South

Pago – One needs food to absorb alcohol, either before, during or after. Pago is the best place for a morning after brunch. The restaurant is part of the farm-to-plate trend going on across America and has an evolving and revolving menu. Some of the mainstays to try are the Croque Monsieur or Madam or the chicken hash (as you please) preferably with a locally-brewed St. Provo Girl Pilsner. Hair of the dog.

Located in the 9th and 9th district on 878 South 900 East

Coffee Garden – Hang-out spot of yours truly, circa 16 years old, this place has been where the gays get caffeinated for years. The locally-roasted coffee and the playlist of Brahms and Vivaldi makes the Coffee Garden a step up from Starbucks.

Located in the 9th and 9th district on 878 East 900 South

Are you planning on a trip to San Diego?  Undoubtedly you will wind up in Hillcrest at some point, the majority of the gay bars and clubs are located in Hillcrest with a few in Down Town, North Park and Old Town.

Hillcrest has a great selection of restaurants, coffee shops and boutique shops to keep you busy for days.  There is an abundant supply of furniture shops, however much of what you see will be nearly impossible to take back on the plane with you and may be a bit pricey to ship.  There is a nice selection of clothing shops that have a nice array of lightly used clothing and new designer labels.  There have been higher end shops that have come and left over the years, the average gay resident in San Diego cannot afford such clothing.  As beautiful as San Diego may be it is not known for big industry due to its high cost and lack of quality talent, I have hired many people in San Diego and have found them to be very lazy and without experience.  I am originally from San Diego myself.

The majority of gay bars, clubs and restaurants are centrally located on University Ave, the range stretches from 3rd ave to Park on the far other end.  The West end of Hillcrest has Urban Moe’s a fun lively large bar with generous outdoor seating and a large range of diverse events every evening, check their site for details.  Fiesta Cantina is also near Urban Mo’s on the West end and is a very open bar with great drinks and a lively crowd.  The Brass Rail is also on the West end on 5th St, this bar is one of the oldest and has a difficult time creating an identity for itself so I cannot tell you what crowd you will find as it changes all the time.  #1 5th Ave is also on the West end, it is a large venue with outdoor seating in the back, the staff is friendly and they service a wickedly strong cocktail, this bar typically serves a more mature crowd but has a wide range of patrons.

The south end of Hillcrest has a gay hotel called the Park Manor Hotel, there is a very large bar on the roof.  Every Friday early is a happy hour that starts around 5pm and gets packed!  They have great views of Hillcrest and downtown, I highly suggest if you are not staying at this hotel to stop by for the happy hour, it is a ton of fun and you will likely meet some fun locals or tourists.  Some of best hotels are in the Gaslamp District, I suggest hotels from the Starwood chain like the W.

Centrally on University you will find Flicks a small video bar that has a pool table and has a nice range of events nightly.  I have had some great times at this bar over the years.  Just steps away is Rich’s a large dance club that tends to fill up after 10 or 11pm, there is commonly a cover charge and their drinks are a bit on the pricey side.  Recently a club called Universal was just across the street with a mix of Metro Sexual’s and twinky 20 something gay boys.  This place had attitude and the staff was very snooty, I was not sad to hear they went under.   Baja Betty’s a wonderful restaurant and gay bar is also in the center of Hillcrest with great food, service and a fun crowd.  Baja Betty can be quite a mess during Cinco de Drinko or Cinco de Mayo the 5th of May a big Mexican holiday.

On the East end of Hillcrest is Numbers, a large multi room dance club.  Numbers is generally your 20 something crowd and has great music, usually a cover charge and pricey drinks on Park.  Just across the street is the Flame another dance club with a nice range of events depending on the night, check their website to see what is going on as it changes.  100% worth the trip, my absolue favorite gay bar is on the other end of Park is called Bourbon Street. my personal favorite bar that has a generous patio out back and multiple bars, this is not a dance club but is a ton of fun.  Bourbon St now serves food as well, their events change from night to night so check out their website to find out what you are into.  Just around the corner is Cheers a small gay bar with a pool table, the staff is friendly and the crowd is a nice range of both younger and older.  You will also find Lei Lounge a bar/restaurant right next to Bourbon St.  The food is really good, the service is great, there are some really hot waiters there!

Like many gay centers, Hillcrest has a nice selection of gay gym’s.  You can find 24 hour fatness err fitness which is located on 5th near University, I went to take a picture of Gold’s and found it to be closed.  Also, I been asked several times if their are any Gay Bath Houses in San Diego, there is a very large one centrally located in Hillcrest called Club San Diego, on 4th ave.

Hillcrest Restaurants

While visiting Hillcrest you must eat at either the Tractor Room or Hash House a Go Go, located right across from each other on 5th.  They get PACKED! be sure to plan on getting their early in order to get a table.

San Diego Pride is a very large event, the celebration is found all around Hillcrest but the focus of the event will be found in Balboa Park, just south of Hillcrest.  The pictures below are of the part of Balboa Park where they setup the festival.  Balboa park is very large so be sure you know where you are going.  During pride taxi’s are a commodity that is very scarce, you will see tons of rickshaws around.  A word of warning, these guys are not cheap and you could pay 3-10x a normal taxi fare.  Make sure you ask how much before you hop in, they will try to lure you in.  Some of these guys are rather hot, and may be fun to watch sweat while you get a ride to your next bar.

Filter Coffee Shop – Hillcrest

One of my all time favorite coffee shops located in the heart of Las Vegas is Filter, previously I was in love with a place called the Living Room which is now gone.  Filter has tons of seating, which commonly is fairly packed and they are open 24 hours a day.

The crowd is commonly students, however you will find some older folks as well, but for the most part 20 something’s.  Filter has free wifi and serves some of the best coffee in San Diego, weather you are looking for an espresso or just a drip coffee.  Watch out, some of the coffee is so powerful you could be up for days if you are not a caffeine addict like myself.

Beyond great coffee, and tea, they also have a nice selection of Panini sandwiches.  Lot’s of very decadent pastries and deserts as well as a very friendly staff.  As I only visit San Diego half a dozen times a year, it is great to be able to go back to this shop and unwind and enjoy some great food and strong coffee.

Filter has some unusual seating, tables and chairs that are so miss-matched but are fun to look at.  They also have a few large sliding glass doors that open up to some outside tables.

Unfortunately they have only one bathroom which is usually occupied, but not that big of a hassle.  An unexpected feature that most places in Hillcrest lack is a few parking spots but you need to go into the covered garage behind the coffee shop and make sure to only park in the designated spaces.  Otherwise you could wind up circling for a long time to find a space.

If you where out drinking and drove, this is a great place to get some late night food into you and let the alcohol work its way out before risking the nasty police who are on commission regarding how many DUI convictions they get in one calendar year.  DUI’s are a huge money maker for the city and they heavily patrol the Hillcrest area.

Cafe La Boheme

Since 1075, Cafe La Boheme has been bringing it’s world flavor to the Mission. They offer delicious coffee, teas, wine and even sangria. In addition, their menu includes both American and Mediterranean cuisine options. Are you a vegetarian or a vegan? They have menu items to both accommodate and thrill you. Sandwiches, paninis, salads and variety plates dominate the menu.

The coffee is wonderful here. Just as important, the atmosphere is delightful. I felt quite welcome there and noticed quite a few people reading or working on their laptops. In addition, the owner is often here and is quick with a smile and a kind word. There are even a few older gentlemen who reminded me of  Statler and Waldorf from the Muppet Show, minus the grumpiness.

There is live music from time to time in the evenings, usually of the “World” variety. That makes this sort of an all around coffee shop. It is a place to grab a bite, get caffeinated, relax, get some work done and be entertained. All in all, a great variety of experiences to be had in one location.

Located at 3318 24th Street -San Francisco -Mission

It is right near the 24 street BART station.

Gay Friendly Cities

I and many of our amazing contributors have been all over the US and over the world.  I am adding this page to try and help you determine if a city is friendly enough to visit.  Some places can be down right dangerous, for example its illegal to be gay in Jamaica, I have heard many horror stories.

But Moving on to my current home to start.

Austin - Is a very gay friendly town, a very large selection of Gay Bars, very gay friendly hotels like the W.  The new W is actually just around the block from Oil Can Harry’s.  Great restaurants as well, Santa Rita, Kerbey Lane Café and South Congress Cafe too name a few.  It’s sorta like San Francisco in a strange way, and a big music town.

Denver – Is an amazing, mostly gay friendly city. This city also has its share of religious nut cases who cause some trouble from time to time. From what I know of, there isn’t a specific gay hotel in Denver. However you have many options
downtown, including the Westin and Sheraton, which are both gay friendly. The mile high city also gets more sunny days than any other major city in the US. The Westin actually has this fairly strange indoor-outdoor pool, its rather unique as well as a gym. The famous Palms steak house is attached and is very good. Personally I prefer to patronize gay owned restaurants, so I wind up at Hamburger Marry’s a very large gay bar/restaurant/drag show.  You can find a good selection of Denver’s Gay Bars.

Las Vegas – This one is really on the fence for a full recommendation. If you have other options, I think you should consider them. Even with such a huge service industry, overall Las Vegas is not all that gay friendly. Promoters like J.Son are
trying to change that; he was able to convince the Luxor to host the only weekly gay pool party throughout the summer season. In the 90’s their spa became a little hot spot for gay men, however the Luxor had security in they’re at all hours throwing them out. This is a big change in direction. On the other hand you have hotels like the Encore who have pages promoted online about being gay friendly. They forgot to tell their staff about that. Even the high priced hookers wouldn’t leave me alone; she couldn’t believe I was gay.

Las Vegas has only 1 all gay hotel that is clothing optional called Blue Moon Resort, located just West of the North end of the strip. On the strip there is one gay nightclub called Krave. It is not open every night, there is always a high priced
cover and the drinks though strong are very expensive. It’s on the south side of Planet Hollywood off Harmon. Just east on Harmon a few blocks and a right turn on Paradise will get you into what’s known as the fruit loop. You have multiple
bar options here, 8 ½ and Piranha are connected, and this is a higher end bar/dance club. As well as Gipsy, which is just next-door. Across the street you will find Buffalo, a mixed crowd with pool tables. Just to the right of Buffalo is an adult video and toy store. Across from The Buffalo is Free Zone, make sure you check out their calendar before going, they host many ladies nights as well.  There are quite a few more gay bars, my personal favorite is Charlies which is located West of the strip off Tropicana and on Arville in what looks like an industrial business building.  Starwood has one hotel just east of the strip on Flamingo, its a Westin, has a small casino as well.

San Diego - My home town, most of the gay activity is centralized in one area called Hillcrest.  You will find a nice selection of gay bars, restaurants of all types, gay gyms like 24 hour fitness, and shopping galore.  However, like San Francisco there are few hotel options.  There are tons of gay friendly hotels in down town San Diego near the Gas Lamp District that has great restaurants, shopping and gay bars.  San Diego offers lots of beach options, however I believe all of the beaches are now alcohol free and the police will check coolers.  San Diego does not have a very user friendly public transportation system, so consider renting a car.

San Francisco - Ok yeah, duh San Francisco is a very gay friendly town.  You might be surprised to know that its not the highest population of Gay people, Dallas I believe is number 1 then Los Angeles and then NYC.  San Francisco is very diverse, although the Castro is the heart of anything Gay, you can find gay establishments all over the city.  The city is broken into many districts, The Castro, The Haight, Lower Haight, Nob Hill, Lower Nob Hill, Union Square, Fisherman’s Wharf is a huge tourist trap, avoid at all cost.  The older gayborhood was on Polk St. so you can find a few bars in that area as well.  I can’t think of any major hotel in the city not being friendly, now some of the smaller cheap “weekly” rate type places.  The largest concentration of Gay Bars is in The Castro, then in SOMA there are some of the more leather, daddy type places.  My current favorite bar in The Castro is Blackbird, a laid back gay bar with an awesome staff.  My other favorite is a wine bar called Blush, amazing wine, food and people!  San Francisco also throws and incredible pride event every year, you just missed it this year but if you have the chance you must see it.  The Castro has very few options when it comes to lodging, I would suggest trying Union Square.  Most of the best shopping is in Union Square.  There are also several options for gay gyms in The Castro, 24 Hour Fitness and Gold’s Gym to name a few.

Seattle – Other than the lack of warm days, Seattle is extremely gay friendly with the majority of activities, including bars and restaurants are located in Capitol Hill. Very close to down town, it’s a bit of a hike if you choose to walk it. The hills are nowhere as steep as San Francisco but if its cold enough you will regret not taking a cab or driving. Be very mindful of the parking signs, they have some of the strangest parking restrictions I have ever seen in the US. They do not color the curbs either, my first visit I wound up getting a nice fine, nowhere near a fire hydrant.

Like Portland, there is a large hipster community, however not as intrusive. Washington State also has the highest taxes on alcohol so when you walk into a dive bar and get charged $10 for something most other places would be $4-5.  Gay Bars and Night Clubs list.

As any big city, Seattle has tons of hotel options. My personal favorites are Starwood properties. The Westin is one of the largest and is not owned by Starwood, it is a franchise. They are undergoing renovations; their new rooms are very nice if you can get one. Some of their older rooms do show their age, ask if you can get a remodeled room.  We have a short list of gay friendly hotels in Seattle.

This article is a work in progress and not close to being done.

Common Grounds Portland

Common Grounds is a gay-friendly local café located near the Mt. Tabor neighborhood, on SE Hawthorne.  They carry the local queer newspaper, “Just Out,” and it’s the kind of place where you can sit down with a cup of coffee and a pastry, and actually read the local gay newspaper without anyone even blinking about it.  It’s not explicitly a gay hangout, just a cool neighborhood hangout.  Their coffee and pastries are worth a visit.  Not the most spectacular you’ll find in Portland, but consistently good.  The couches provide inviting, comfortable seating.

4321 SE Hawthorne Blvd  (503) 236-4835

Coffee Time Portland

Coffee Time is one of the few places in NW Portland where you can stop in for coffee just about any time of day or night.  They’re open 20 hours/day, from 6:30 AM to 2:30 AM.  They offer free Wi-Fi, and have a large selection of board games and card games.  This is a café that encourages you to hang out and spend time with your friends.  The coffee is acceptable, but definitely not the best that Portland has to offer.  In addition to the standard café fare of espresso beverages and pastries, their panini press is ready to crank out hot sandwiches at just about any time.  I’ve been to Coffee Time several times, and always with gay friends – never an issue.  The bathrooms are, however, what you’d expect to find in a dive bar – functional, but not anywhere you’d want to spend any amount of time.  So if you’re out watching an independent film at Cinema 21 and want to grab some coffee after the show, this place is probably your best close bet.

712 NW 21st Ave  (503) 497-1090

Barista – Portland

In a city known for fine coffee, Barista is known for excellence.  This is the only café I’ve ever encountered that will prepare a cup of coffee on a vacuum pot if you order it.  At $9 a cup for vacuum, you pay for the unique experience, however their espresso drinks are priced competitively with other cafés.  While they don’t roast their own coffee, they serve coffees from exceptional roasters from Portland, San Francisco, and other west coast locations.  The indoor seating is necessary for Portland’s temperamental weather, but I found their outdoor seating on a converted shipping dock to be a lovely place to enjoy an iced beverage in the summer.  Additionally, they serve a small but delicious selection of local pastries.

539 NW 13th Ave (503) 579-6678

Stumptown Coffee Roasters – Portland

Portland is a city that’s somewhat obsessed with coffee.  For the past 12 years, the object of many Portlanders’ obsessions has been Stumptown.  Several years in a row, Roast Magazine rated Stumptown as the best coffee roaster in the entire country.  However, that was not the case this past year, and even the free local weekly newspaper, Willamette Week, crowned another local coffee roaster, Water Avenue Coffee, as the best roaster in Portland.  Based on fond memories, I made Stumptown one of my first stops in Portland, and I must say the coffee was just as good as I remembered.  However, during my trip, news broke that Stumptown had been sold to an investment banker with a history of flipping businesses for a quick buck.  What this means for the future of Stumptown is unclear at the moment, but locals didn’t seem happy with the news.  As long as the quality stays at current levels, I can highly recommend going to Stumptown – their downtown location is on SW 3rd Avenue, between gay bars Silverado and CC Slaughter’s.  Their location in the Ace Hotel is across the street from gay bars Scandals and Boxxes/Red Cap Garage.  As for the alternatives, I visited Water Avenue Coffee out of curiosity, and I’d have to agree that they’re better.  They’re also gay-friendly, but not near any gay bars.

128 SW 3rd Ave (503) 295-6144

1026 SW Stark St (503) 224-9060