For more on the West Village and Greenwich Village, read our Neighborhood Guide of Greenwich Village.
#METROPOLITAN GAY BAR BROOKLYN FULL#
An adorable neighborhood full of historical row houses and cobblestone streets, the West Village makes for a perfect, meandering walk in June (oh, and be sure to take a pic on Gay Street!). This essential community organization hosts arts events and provides services like counseling and HIV resources. The LGBT Center (also known as “The Center”) has its home on West 13th Street in the Village. This karaoke bar is known for its hard-core Broadway showtune catalog and is a must for all fans of musicals. Along Christopher Street are other hotspots like the cabaret bar Duplex two doors down, as well as Marie’s Crisis. It’s also the site of the annual Pride Rally during Pride Week, which will occurs in late June. The Stonewall Inn still stands today and hosts Drag Bingo and Big Gay Happy Hour. ( How Much Do You “Really” Know about Stonewall History?) Christopher Street has become an essential destination for all queer visitors to the area. Off Seventh Avenue and Christopher Street is The Stonewall Inn, the site of the 1969 riots that sparked the modern LGBT movement 50 years ago. The West Village is where it all started.
Read Next | The Best Hell’s Kitchen & Midtown West Gay Bars Read our Neighborhood Guide to the Theatre District for more. This dining-dense area has endless restaurants, but we recommend Blue Seafood Bar, The Marshal, and Guantanamera. Walk down Ninth Avenue, and it won’t be long before you find a bar celebrating Pride. LGBT-friendly nightlife in Hell’s Kitchen include Flaming Saddles Saloon, drag shows at Therapy, and frozen cosmos at Barrage. From musicals to prestige dramas to the foul-mouthed puppets of Avenue Q, a unique entertainment experience is never far away.
Hell’s Kitchen merges with the Theatre District, home to Broadway shows from The Lion King to Kinky Boots, as well as several Off-Broadway shows. This neighborhood also ties with Chelsea as the most gay-friendly area in Manhattan, with the highest concentration of same-sex couples in the city. Hell’s Kitchen, a neighborhood filled to the brim with dining and entertainment options, is home to many LGBT-owned businesses and queer residents. Read CityGuide’s Neighborhood Guide to Chelsea for more. For comedy, go for Gotham Comedy Club, which stages shows like “Homo Comicus” and features other LGBT comedians, or regularly check our event calendar, which regualry adds stand-up shows. At night, check out gay bars like The Eagle (lots of leather!) and the appealingly divey Barracuda. Corkbuzz’s wine list is curated by one of the few female master sommeliers in the world, Laura Fiorvanti. Chelsea Market, Google’s indoor shopping and dining complex, houses the wine bar Corkbuzz. Vintage shopping stops include Screaming Mimis and Housing Works on West 17th Street, where 10% of sales go to HIV/AIDS research.
Fashion in the area includes the impeccable edit at Jeffrey, located in the Meatpacking District, and Hamptons-worthy sweaters at Parke & Ronen. Walk the High Line Park and people watch on this converted rail line high above the city streets. Chelsea is known for its chic residents and top-of-the-line art galleries, available to visit during the day. Eighth Avenue in Chelsea presents a long line of gay-friendly businesses, with rainbow flags out all year round. Ready to explore gay NYC? ChelseaĪlong with Hell’s Kitchen, Chelsea boasts the highest density of same-sex couples in New York. Ever wonder “What is the gayest part of NYC?” Whether you’re a local looking for a new place to hang or a visitor who wants to live your best NYC LGBTQ life for a weekend, a week, or the whole month, here are the most LGBT-friendly neighborhoods (or gayborhoods “gay neighborhoods”) in Brooklyn and Manhattan.