Through the mid- to late-20th century, gayborhoods — neighborhoods with large LGBTQ+ populations and representation — began to proliferate across the US, spurred in part by the Great Gay Migration following the Stonewall Riots, as well as the opportunity to find solidarity and form voting blocs. Naturally, these communities filled in with LGBTQ+-owned businesses, bars, and Pride organizations.
Colorful, proud, and full of heart — welcome to America’s most iconic gayborhoods. (Photo Credit: @jogendra)
Pride how you Pride at Kimpton.
Amidst the early ebb and flow of social progress, gayborhoods weren’t just rainbow-clad neighborhoods for nightlife — they were, for many, vital lifelines. They were sanctuaries and safe spaces, where LGBTQ+ people could feel free to be themselves, see drag shows, and dance with their partners.
While cities like New York and DC have seen their gayborhoods blend into the larger cultural DNA, and places like San Francisco are just as proud beyond the bounds of the Castro, many gayborhoods continue to grow and thrive, from Houston to Buffalo.
The Gayborhood — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Smack dab in the middle of downtown Philadelphia, mere blocks from City Hall and the Liberty Bell, Philadelphia’s gayborhood is the rare breed that simply goes by its literal name: The Gayborhood.
Since the 1970s, the Gayborhood has developed into a lively and thriving cultural, retail, and dining destination. (Photo Credit: M. Fischetti)
Restaurants and bars throw open their doors to host street-side cookouts and dance parties in The Gayborhood. (Photo Credit: J. Fusco)
Rainbow crosswalks, historic bookstores, and cocktails with community — this is Philly’s Gayborhood, and it’s legendary. (Photo Credit: Stephanie Ramones)
Colorful rainbow flags signify that the City of Brotherly loves welcomes everyone. (Photo Credit: M. Fischetti)
Lined with rainbow crosswalks, omnipresent Pride flags, and LGBTQ+ businesses aplenty, the vibrant enclave holds the unique distinction of being newly designated a historic district, enshrining preservation efforts for businesses and organizations like the William Way LGBT Community Venter, notable LGBTQ+ homes, and Giovanni’s Room, the oldest LGBTQ+ bookstore in the country.
Where to stay: Kimpton Hotel Palomar Philadelphia or Kimpton Hotel Monaco Philadelphia
Hillcrest — San Diego, California
You know you’re in a gayborhood when even hardware stores fly Pride flags year-round. In Hillcrest, the center of LGBTQ+ culture in San Diego, the loud-and-proud Ace Hardware store — decorated with rainbow-themed planters and wind chimes — is a harbinger of inclusivity and community.
When even the hardware store is decked out in rainbow flags, you know you’re in Hillcrest. (Photo Credit: San Diego Tourism Authority)
Hillcrest is the center of LGBTQ+ culture in San Diego. (Photo Credit: Jay Kudva)
While, like California’s other major cities, San Diego is pride-friendly city-wide, Hillcrest boasts a particularly impressive population of LGBTQ+ businesses, galleries, bars, and nightlife hubs. It’s home to The San Diego LGBT Community Center, a longstanding (since 1972) organization that offers a wide slate of inclusive and diverse programs for all members of the LGBTQ+ spectrum, including youth outlets.
Oak Lawn — Dallas, Texas
In Dallas’ gayborhood of Oak Lawn, Pride is a year-round sentiment. The rainbow-clad district, brimming with gay bars and clubs, is among the most action-packed gayborhoods in the nation, with events and activities taking place throughout the year.
Renowned for its honky tonk line dancing, Oak Lawn serves up Pride with a Texas twist. (Photo Credit: @chanteallday)
Home to the country’s sixth largest LGBTQ+ population, Oak Lawn is always bustling with locals and travelers alike, who flock here for institutions like Sue Ellen’s lesbian bar, Station 4 nightclub, JR’s Bar & Grill, and The Round-Up Saloon, a gay country bar where cowboys and cowgirls can take two-stepping lessons and dance to Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ‘Em.”
Where to stay: Kimpton Pittman Hotel
39th Street Entertainment District — Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
The only gayborhood literally on historic Route 66, the 39th Street Entertainment District is a beacon of Pride on the northwest side of Oklahoma City. Long known for its nightlife, with enduring icons like Angles warehouse-sized nightclub and Tramps‘ patio-clad dive bar, the district has filled in with a wider variety of offerings and destinations.
Route 66 never looked so proud — welcome to 39th Street, OKC’s hub to all things fabulous. (Photo Credit: Visit OKC)
From dive bars to drag dinner theater, this gayborhood is pure personality. (Photo Credit: Visit OKC)
39th Street Entertainment District is a beacon of Pride in Oklahoma City. (Photo Credit: Visit OKC)
The District is a long-running gay hotel, with two outdoor pools and several on-site bars, including the country- and cowboy-themed County Line. The Boom is popular for drag brunch and drag dinner theater, including annual renditions of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, while Rainbow Bistro offers burgers, schnitzel, and sandwiches in a quirky and colorful space across the street.
Montrose — Houston, Texas
Famed as one of the most diverse cities in the nation, Houston is also one of the most inclusive — home to a thriving, historic gayborhood, Montrose. Founded in 1911 by an oil tycoon, the downtown-adjacent neighborhood once boasted more than 30 gay bars during its initial heyday in the ‘70s, and continues to glow to this day.
Follow the rainbow crosswalks to a thriving, historic gayborhood in the heart of Houston. (Photo Credit: Lance Childers)
Houston is one of the most inclusive cities in Texas. (Photo Credit: Austin Hervias)
Although the quantity of gay bars may have waned, the quality has only increased, as evidenced by cornerstones like Bar Boheme, known for its Sunday drag brunch, espresso martinis, frozen mojitos, and eclectic eats, from lavash pizzas to Argentinian empanadas. For Tex-Mex, follow the rainbow crosswalk to El Tiempo Cantina, a welcoming oasis for scratch-made salsas, chile con queso, Texas-sized burritos, and sizzling fajitas.
Allentown — Buffalo, New York
Known both as the City of Good Neighbors and the Queen City, Buffalo proudly positions itself as a welcoming and inclusive destination for LGBTQ+ residents, transplants, and travelers. It’s evident city-wide, from Buffalo Pride in Canalside to woman-owned Paradise Wine in Five Points, but it’s on full, lustrous display in Allentown.
In Allentown, art meets activism and a proud joy paints every mural. (Photo Credit: Jan Budomo)
Doubly known as the gayborhood and the arts district, the kaleidoscopic enclave contains a massive Stonewall-inspired Pride mural, highlighting dozens of LGBTQ+ activists, along with an array of gay bars and businesses. Shop for clothes and shoes at gay-owned Trend Up, artsy gifts at The Good Stuff, and vintage apparel at Backroomvintage.
The Bywater — New Orleans, Louisiana
With its iconic architecture, restaurants, and parades — from Mardi Gras to LGBTQ+ Southern Decadence — the French Quarter typically takes top billing for most travel itineraries in New Orleans. But just around the river bend, The Bywater has emerged as the ultimate gayborhood.
Pastel facades and rainbow flags? The Bywater is the quieter, cooler cousin of the French Quarter. (Photo Credit: Brian Kyed)
A major fixture is The Country Club, a sprawling restaurant, lounge, and patio space that has an outdoor pool and hot tub (plus a sauna) that folks can purchase passes for. They also host weekend drag brunch, among other periodic drag events, like drag trivia nights. Bacchanal Wine is another pride-friendly space, doubling as a bottle shop and restaurant, with live music on the massive patio.
Where to stay: Kimpton Hotel Fontenot
Northalsted — Chicago, Illinois
Right up there with New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, Pride is a momentous occasion in Chicago’s gayborhood of Northalsted. Previously known as Boystown, and renamed to be more inclusive, the north side neighborhood is among the loudest and proudest in the nation.
Whether it’s brunch at Chicago Diner or martinis at Sidetrack, North Halsted Street has your vibe. (Photo Credit: Kainat Usmani)
North Halsted Street, aptly, is the main thoroughfare of the entertainment district, lined with massive rainbow pylons and a dizzying array of gay bars and businesses, including Roscoe’s Tavern, Hydrate, Kit Kat Lounge, and Sidetrack. Chicago Diner is a longstanding vegetarian institution, while Drew’s on Halsted and Wood are two beloved neighborhood restaurants with devoted followings.
Where to stay: Kimpton Gray Hotel
West Hollywood — Los Angeles, California
It was in West Hollywood, in 1970, that the first legally permitted Pride parade was held, and although the LA Pride Parade & Festival has since relocated to Hollywood Boulevard, the gayborhood has clung to its proud roots. Today, nearly half the residents in West Hollywood identity as LGBTQ+, and rainbow flags, signs, and crosswalks are equally as prominent.
Rainbow crosswalks and a proud legacy — West Hollywood is forever iconic. (Photo Credit: @lapeerhotel)
Kimpton La Peer is a short drive — or a pleasant walk — from West Hollywood. (Photo Credit: @lapeerhotel)
It’s home to the June L. Mazer Lesbian Archives and the ONE Archives Gallery and Museum, which was the first in the county dedicated to LGBTQ+ history and culture. The Los Angeles LGBT Center has a location in West Hollywood, offering sexual health services, as well as exhibitions, shows, and events.
Where to stay: Kimpton Everly Hotel, Kimpton La Peer Hotel, Kimpton Hotel Wilshire, or Kimpton Hotel Palomar Los Angeles
Studio West 117 — Cleveland, Ohio
The newest gayborhood in the country is one with a singular story. Studio West 117 is a $100 million urban development, built from the ground up in Cleveland-adjacent Lakewood, and spread across 300,000-sq.-ft of dining, retail, entertainment, nightlife, and more.
Cleveland’s Pride is on full display with its most recent developments. (Photo Credit: @theschofieldhotel)
The first phase of the mega-development debuted in 2022, courtesy of LGBTQ+ urban planner Daniel Budish, drawing inspiration from other successful gayborhoods across the country. It included The Fieldhouse, which boasts a gym and courtyard, and emphasizes gay sports leagues and other wellness programs.
Phases two and three are currently underway, to include renovation of the Phantasy Theater and a revival of the pride-friendly goth bar, The Chamber.
Where to stay: Kimpton Schofield Hotel
