There’s still a gay bar around where I currently live: the East Bay. And the realization that alcohol and drugs destroyed some people’s lives and relations gave way to a broader reflection on how communities can and must sustain each other.Īs categories of gender opened up, the sense of community became ever more complex and the tasks of solidarity more challenging. But somewhere in the course of all these changes there was a sense that desires were to be lived and honored in a network of supports. The public refusal to acknowledge HIV’s seriousness, the state refusal to fund its research, gave rise to rageful and pointed action. HIV shot mourning and politics into the scene, and for most of us, divisions between women and men seemed to break down. Over the years, so many people and communities, so many real and potential pleasures, were driven out of those neighborhoods, the ecstasy replaced by dispossession. Another, on West Fourth Street, was great, but today it seems to be a looming bank.
If you wanted a bar for women only, you had a few options, but one of them, Sahara, was expensive and I felt awkward in my sweatshirt. We spilled into the street: For brief moments, we seemed to own the neighborhoods. The whole place was warm, if not hot.īy the time I started going to bars in NYC in the late ’70s, there was the feel of a celebration and a political movement. In Albany, however, the different strata reflected different vibes: There was dancing to disco on one floor, slow cruising on another, and I was, well, not so very sure about what was happening in the recesses of the building. Oddly, the same structure characterized the gay bar I went to outside of Albany in the mid-’70s. Men were upstairs, and drag shows became regular events, a kind of pre-Provincetown testing ground for the up-and-coming.
In New Haven, in the late 1970s and early ’80s, the bar Partners was known for its upstairs-downstairs configuration. They seemed to be spaces of freedom and excitement, islands in an otherwise unfriendly world. With its spectacular views of LA, large pin-striped, poolside lounge beds, and delicately ornate bar you will realise why you love LA.I am not sure about my earliest memory of the gay bar, but I do know that I was in bars very often starting at the age of eighteen, or just before. Shrouded with verdant leaves that encompass the narrow entrance, the hotel is at first site mysterious and charming until you reach the otherworldly beauty of its rooftop. Luxurious rooms and a spectacular poolside roof deck with a panoramic view, make for a very alluring choice for the gentleman who appreciates glamour and style.Īnd although the Petit Ermitage is the closest hotel in proximity to Weho’s bustling nightlife, it sits quietly nestled on a small street up from Santa Monica Boulevard. The London West Hollywood strikes with elegance and grandeur. It is a remarkable private place to come back to for rest and to enjoy a quiet refuge in the midst of WeHo. The Palihouse West Hollywood, a boutique hotel with 37 rooms is a cosy haven and urban lodge. All are conveniently located in the heart of WeHo, and most attractions, boutiques and nightlife can be reached on foot. There are three hotel choices for men who like to explore and party in West Hollywood. Although surrounded by museums, music venues, and art galleries, you’ll want to stay inside the hotel a bit longer to explore its two dining options and three atmospheric bars. The rule that nobody walks in LA definitely does not apply in DTLA.Īlso located in Los Angeles’s chameleonic Downtown is Hotel Figueroa, an alluring, historic hotel renovated to keep up with DTLA’s increasing popularity as Los Angeles’s cultural centre – think hipster-chic, Spanish Colonial style. Once you leave the ACE, downtown is yours to explore on foot. For sunny days and starry nights, the rooftop poolside is predestined for a cocktail with a downtown view. The rooms are modern, with effortless and classic charisma. The property is situated in the historic United Artists building, a historical landmark in Downtown Los Angeles. For the eclectic and hip individual, the stunning ACE Hotel is the place to stay. Let’s start this L os Angeles city guide with a roundup of the best hotels in LA.