Upscale and Gay in Tampa Bay

Andrew Collins
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Upscale and Gay in Tampa Bay

Tampa has grown into a sophisticated, prosperous, and modern metropolis

When it comes to tourism, especially with the gay and lesbian crowd, Florida’s Gulf Coast receives less attention than Fort Lauderdale, Key West, Miami, and even Orlando. Hey, there’s a lot of competition in a state with year-round sunshine and warmth, oodles of glitzy resorts, and miles of coastline. But Tampa has plenty to offer lesbian and gay travelers: acclaimed fine- and performing-arts venues, a slick upscale-shopping scene, excellent value, and that same fabulous weather enjoyed elsewhere in the state.

A boomtown throughout the 1990s, Tampa has grown into a sophisticated, prosperous, and modern metropolis. Disney-esque amusements, such as Busch Gardens and a popular zoo and aquarium, help account for the city’s visitor appeal, but Tampa feels a bit more corporate than many Florida cities. It’s a popular base for Fortune 500 companies, and it claims the busiest port in the Southeast, as well as a high-tech, intelligently designed airport that’s amazingly user-friendly and very convenient to downtown.

Related: Eat and Play in Orlando

This city of about 315,000 has a large gay community. According to Census 2000, downtown Tampa’s 33602 zip code is Florida’s 10th-gayest district, and it’s the gayest of any zip code on the state’s Gulf Coast. The gay scene is younger than in some of the state’s retirement-oriented towns, meaning that the 25-to-40 age group is well represented. The city has a lively gay nightlife, some first-rate restaurants, and a restored arts-and-entertainment district fashioned out of what used to be the nation’s leading cigar-manufacturing center, Ybor City. And St. Petersburg and the beach communities, about an hour west of Tampa, make a nice day trip.

Downtown Tampa, especially around the waterfront, has seen a dramatic renaissance recently. Much of the action is centered around Channelside at Garrison Seaport Center, which contains cinemas, restaurants, upscale shops, and nightclubs. Another fairly new development has been the introduction of an electric-streetcar system, which runs among downtown attractions and out to Ybor City. Locals are justifiably proud of downtown’s Florida Aquarium, the highlight of which is a 60-foot-deep coral reef teeming with marine life. The Tampa Museum of Art, with the top collection of Greek, Roman, and Etruscan antiquities in the Southeast, also deserves a look.

A growing number of yuppies – along with plenty of guppies – populate South Tampa. The most exclusive section of this attractive neighborhood, Hyde Park, gleams with palm-lined avenues, neatly manicured estates, and a potpourri of Gothic-, Tudor-, Spanish Colonial-, and Moorish-influenced mansions – most of them dating from the city’s original heyday, which lasted from about the 1890s to the end of the 1920s. And spend a few hours wandering through the redbrick complex of shops and cafes known as Olde Hyde Park Village if you’re looking for an excuse to spend money.

As recently as the late ’80s, Ybor City (pronounced ee-bor), one of only a few historic districts in Florida, was dilapidated and crime-infested. This chunk of hulking redbrick warehouses, balustrade balconies, and cobblestone streets – a short drive northeast of downtown – formed the hub of America’s cigar-manufacturing industry from about the late 19th century through the 1940s. Production slowed following World War II, and beginning with the U.S. embargo on Cuban products in 1959, the neighborhood plummeted.

Entrepreneurs, many of them artists and gallery owners, began snapping up the dramatic buildings in the ’80s. Now it’s a thriving entertainment district; a couple of clubs hold gay nights once or twice weekly, though the discos have become increasingly straight and rowdy in years. Much of the retail and dining action is centered around one former factory, Ybor Square. You can examine the neighborhood’s rich history at the Ybor City Museum State Park.

The busy, Africa-themed Busch Gardens is Tampa’s direct competitor to Disney World. More rides await you at nearby Adventure Island, a 30-acre water park, which is also run by the Anheuser-Busch group (combo tickets are available). Also above downtown, the Lowry Park Zoo is one of the best zoos in the Southeast; of particular note is the manatee and aquatic center.

Many of Tampa’s hottest, and in many cases queerest, restaurants are set along South Howard Avenue in South Tampa, the most famous being Bern’s, which is known not merely for its organically grown and raised vegetables, beef, and seafood, but for a wine list almost as long as War and Peace. It’s not an especially gay venue, but just about any food lover is likely to enjoy a highly memorable meal here. Tropics offers some of the best food of any of the city’s predominantly gay restaurants. Wild game, such as rabbit, elk, and ostrich, are specialties.

What began as a no-frills commissary for Ybor City’s cigar workers, The Columbia has grown into an 11-dining-room compound that can seat about 1,700 patrons. A bona fide tourist attraction, The Columbia is not exactly intimate, but elaborate mosaic murals do impart plenty of character. Also in Ybor City, trendy Dish uses an innovative concept: you select a sauce and meat, veggie, or seafood ingredients, pile them into a bowl, and then take your concoction over to the grill, where it’s sauteed before your eyes. A 10-minute drive south of downtown leads to trendy Cellini, an Italian restaurant with superb pasta and pizzas.

Snazzy Mise en Place is known for cutting-edge contemporary American fare, such as lavender-rubbed grilled salmon with American sturgeon caviar, wild basmati rice, green-lentil pilaf, and fennel-orange salad. A lively little queer-popular spot for a quick bite, Off the Eaten Path specializes in subs, barbecue sandwiches, salads, soups, and other lunch fare (it’s not open for dinner). Get your dose of coffeehouse culture at Sacred Grounds, a groovy and ultra-gay java place that’s open till at least 1 a.m. most nights.

This is one part of the state where you’re never too far from a gay-friendly nightspot – in fact, it’s not easy to pare down the long list of clubs and bars to just a handful of particularly noteworthy hangouts. Metropolis, which presents go-go dancers nightly and cultivates a cruisy, somewhat stand-and-model following, is one of the hottest full-time gay bars in the region. In Ybor City, stunning Flirt Nightclub, a sexy and hip space, is Tampa’s top venue for lesbians. There’s a spacious dance floor and a show bar featuring buxom performers with flirty names like Apple Love and Felicity Lane. Nearby, the pulsing Castle nightclub is gayest on Mondays and Thursdays.

Tunnel is a Friday-night fete at a huge disco (The Underground) on the southern fringes of Downtown with a high-tech industrial ambience. At the 2606 leather club, there’s no formal dress code, but preppy or dressy attire is frowned upon. A trip to the john can be a true adventure at this super-cruisy place. Ki Ki Ki Lounge, with strings of blinking lights and retro furnishings, is a long-running queer cocktail lounge. Older professional guys, many of them in suits, favor Baxter’s, a gentlemen’s bar with diverting dancers.

Offering a year-round outdoor pool and sun terrace, the Flamingo Resort is an all-gay resort situated in St. Petersburg – just a 30 minute drive from Tampa. Guests can enjoy 6 themed bars, a dance club, and restaurant.

The GayStPete House, built in 1929, is another option in nearby St. Petersburg and offers a tropical stay for the LGBT community. Pools and hot tubs are accompanied by beer/wine/soda served by the waterside. Clothing is optional.

Ybor Resort and Spa is Tampa Bay’s largest all-gay owned-and-operated Private Mens Club, Resort and Bathhouse.

Among mainstream properties, consider the Embassy Suites Hotel-Tampa Airport/Westshore. Friends traveling together appreciate this all-suites property near the airport and Tampa Bay. All rooms have kitchenettes, and the health club is top-notch.

La Quinta Inn is a fine budget option. This cheerfully decorated and efficiently run motel is east of Ybor City, not more than a 15-minute drive from South Tampa nightlife and dining.

At the other end of the spectrum, the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay is a first-rate luxury option. The location on the western edge of the city is quiet and secluded. Rooms are sumptuous with pastel hues and balconies, many of them looking directly over Tampa Bay and a neighboring 35-acre nature preserve.

Related: Gay Miami – Hot Winter Party 2019 Photos

Beach Fun in Acapulco

Hans Smines
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Beach Fun in Acapulco

Acapulco attracts rich, beautiful, and sophisticated people

Acapulco has a lot of beautiful beaches. The weather is perfect with a temperature and humidity that is more or less the same year round. This is one of the reasons why people all over the World travel to Acapulco (+ all the hot Latinos, of course!)

Bring your sunglasses if you don’t want your lover catching you looking at all the hot Latin’s walking around with Speedo’s. And if you are single…..just be discrete as not everybody you see is gay….

Acapulco is not only a holiday resort though. It’s also a big city that attracts rich, beautiful, and sophisticated people.

While Acapulco is a walking city, some of the tourists prefer taking taxis or even renting cars. If riding a taxi is what you prefer, please agree on a fare before going anywhere as they do not have meters.

Much of gay life is centered around Condessa Beach, while nightlife is scattered over a wide area, especially around Acapulco Dorado.

Hotels

Get the celebrity treatment with world-class service at Banyan Tree Cabo Marques. Situated on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, this 5-star Acapulco hotel boasts a full-service spa, 3 restaurants and luxury villas with private pools. Acapulco International Airport is 20 minutes away.

Las Brisas Acapulco offers world-class service while also being rated the best value in Acapulco. Nestled in 40 acres of lush hibiscus gardens on a hill overlooking beautiful Acapulco Bay, this luxury hotel features spacious bungalow-style rooms with private or shared pools.

Casa Condesa is an gay exclusive getaway, located near the best that Acapulco has to offer: The popular gay beach, La Condesa, the best beach clubs, such as Beto, Juan and Guera, and others, where more boys, tourists and locals, are waiting to meet you.

Related: Get Captivated by Rio De Janeiro

Eat and Play in Sydney

Andrew Collins
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Eat and Play in Sydney

Summer is a terrific time to visit this visually stunning city

In North America, February marks the very heart of winter, and for much of the continent, this means chilly weather and dark, gloomy days. This is not the case on the other side of the world, in Sydney, Australia, the hippest and hottest gay destination in the southern hemisphere. Here, February marks the height of summer. Even better, it’s the time for Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. This hugely popular series of cultural events, parties, and parades celebrating gay life in Australia rivals any queer festival in the world. Regardless of your interest in Mardi Gras, summer is a terrific time to visit this visually stunning city.

Cultural draws are many in Sydney, beginning with one of the world’s foremost architectural icons, the Sydney Opera House, which apart from possessing a magnificent exterior overlooking Sydney Harbour presents fine operas and other musical and theatrical performances throughout the year. It’s right beside Circular Quay, from which you can catch water taxis and harbor cruises to some of Sydney’s famous beach communities, such as Manly, Watsons Bay, and the Harbour Islands, and also to the fabulous Taronga Zoo (an excellent place to come face to face with the many unusual animals unique to this continent). The harbor is surrounded by The Rocks neighborhood, which fringes Sydney’s modern central business district, a warren of glitzy high-rise office towers.

There are several other top sightseeing draws in this fabled city. The already outstanding Art Gallery of New South Wales recently opened a phenomenal wing of Asian works that’s among the most prestigious in the world. Just south of the opera house, you can lose yourself for hours strolling the lush grounds of the Royal Botanic Gardens. Grab a ride on Sydney’s sleek monorail to poke around the Darling Harbour neighborhood, home to the shark-infested Sydney Aquarium and impressive Powerhouse Museum, a trove of fascinating science, natural history, and anthropology exhibits. And if it’s a sky-high photo op you’re angling for, take an elevator to the top of 1,060-foot Sydney Tower, where the southern hemisphere’s highest observatory platform offers 360-degree views.

If you’re keen on getting in touch with Sydney’s famed natural scenery, consider a stroll along the Bondi Coastal Walk, a simple and easy path along the ocean that takes less than an hour to complete. Or for more of an adventure, book a tour with BridgeClimb Sydney to hike across the very top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, one of the most beautiful such structures in the world.

Sydney’s renowned gay scene is concentrated chiefly along Oxford Street, in the city’s Darlinghurst and Surry sections. It’s pretty busy from about the edge of Hyde Park for several blocks east, and as you continue along Oxford into the Paddington section, you’ll find fewer gay hangouts but still plenty of fun businesses. Along Oxford Street’s gay stretch, there are a handful of queer bars and clubs, several trendy restaurants, numerous fashion boutiques, and quite a few shops selling porn and sex toys.

Tops among the watering holes, the Colombian Hotel (note that bars and pubs in Australia often take the name “hotel” even when they don’t offer overnight accommodations) is a trendy, mixed-gender spot with two floors of fun. The upper lounge is the snazziest space, where you can order fancy cocktails and watch fun videos alongside a smartly dressed bunch of bon vivants. Downstairs, it’s more laid-back and a better space to mingle with strangers and sip beer.

Nearby, the Exchange Hotel has long been a favorite for dancing and cruising. This four-level club has several dance areas and lounges, and it cranks into the wee hours on weekends. It’s great fun to watch the crowds gather in the neighborhood’s gay epicenter, Taylor Square, from the balcony at the Kinselas Hotel, which is especially popular on Sunday nights. Manacle, right off Taylor Square, is one of the top leather bars in Australia, and across the street, the Oxford Hotel has been popular with gay guys for years. It’s open 24 hours and draws an eclectic bunch of all ages and styles.

The bilevel Midnight Shift is another highly recommended spot, with a disco upstairs and a more laid-back bar with pool tables and seating on the ground level. Younger guys tend to favor the loud and festive Stonewall Hotel, which offers dancing downstairs and a lounge on the second floor. Finally, hard-core lesbian and gay disco bunnies cut loose at ARQ, which is open only Thursday through Sunday nights and packs in hundreds of buff dance-aholics.

Sydney’s less-famous pocket of gayness is along King Street in the Newtown area, where bars tend to draw a more local, neighborhoody bunch. Some reliable nightlife options along King Street include the Bank Hotel, which appeals to a mostly female and fairly butch bunch; and the Newtown Hotel, which pulls in a varied posse of guys for drag shows, videos, and cruising. Serious fans of drag shouldn’t miss the Imperial Hotel, which has both drag-king competitions and very popular shows inspired by the cult classic movie The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.

Sydney has emerged in recent years as one of the world capitals of inventive dining – there are great restaurants all over town. For a truly special occasion, few restaurants in Australia deliver more “wow” factor than Rockpool, a temple of creative modern Australian (aka “Mod Oz”) cuisine, where you might sample such innovate fare as stir-fried squid and King prawns with squid-ink noodles, smoked bacon, tomatoes, chilies, and coriander. Another must for gourmands is Altitude, which sits atop the ritzy Shangri-La Hotel (on the 36th floor), affording unrivaled views of Sydney Harbour and serving stellar Mod Oz fare.

For more casual dining and drinking, stop by one of the city’s quintessentially old-school pubs, such as the warm and festive Lord Nelson Hotel, which serves a nice array of ales and lagers as well as superb Aussie wines and tasty pub food. And for incredibly delicious Thai food, look to Sailors Thai, an elegant restaurant on one of the Rocks’ busiest streets.

If Asian cuisine is your weakness, you’ve come to the right city. For the ultimate experience, venture a bit farther east into the Surry Hills neighborhood to Billy Kwong, an intimate restaurant where international celeb chef Kylie Kwong dreams up magically modern takes on traditional Cantonese food.

In the heart of the main gay district, for inexpensive, home-style food, drop by laid-back Betty’s Soup Kitchen, which is known for its huge, meal-size bowls of soup, from lentil to gazpacho, plus simple pastas and homemade desserts. The Grumpy Baker is a cute coffeehouse with delicious baked goods and a typically delicious-looking clientele, too. On Taylor Square, Lure Fish Cafe and Oyster Bar serves up some of the best chow in the area. It’s a hip space with clean lines and minimalist decor.

Wok on Inn and Don Don are side-by-side cheap and handy Asian restaurants, the first specializing in noodle bowls and the second in sushi. Nearby in trendy Paddington, Toko Sushi on Oxford turns out some of the most inventive sushi in town, in an uber-trendy dining room.

In the up-and-coming Inner West part of Sydney, the Newtown and Glebe neighborhoods have become popular for funky shopping and ethnic dining. Great dining spots in these districts include Kilimanjaro for inexpensive, delicious African fare; Sumalee for tasty Thai treats; and Iku Kitchen for vegetarian victuals.

Sydney has a number of inviting accommodations, most of them downtown, which is either a pleasant 20-minute walk or a relatively quick cab ride from Oxford Street. Directly facing Sydney Harbour, you’ll find the stunning Park Hyatt, a four-story hotel with unbelievably cushy rooms, round-the-clock butler service, and a loyal celeb following. If you get a chance, eat lunch in the hotel’s open-air dining room overlooking the harbor and opera house.

Up the street, The Establishment, run by Aussie design guru Justin Hemmes, turns heads with its 33 super-stylish rooms and chic public spaces, such as Tank nightclub, Est restaurant, and Sushi e cafe.

There aren’t too many accommodations right along Oxford Street, but right on Hyde Park, there’s the Sheraton on the Park, a thoroughly upscale lodging with about 550 sleek rooms and a great health club, pool, and spa. Another smart Darlinghurst option is the Medusa, which has just 18 rooms, all decked with dazzling colors and mod furnishings.

About five miles from downtown Sydney but right by the ocean, consider staying at Dive Hotel, which is in Coogee Beach and just steps from the sand. This intimate 14-room hotel is done in cool blacks and whites with striking modern furniture. In fact, even if you don’t overnight out in this direction, at least plan a brief excursion. Sydney’s fashionable seaside neighborhoods have loads of character plus intriguing shops and restaurants.

You might plan to watch the sun set from Bondi Beach’s hottest restaurant, Icebergs, a futuristic, glass-walled cantina overlooking the ocean and serving such memorable Mod Oz fare as char-grilled quail with grape salad, and smoked eel with creme fraiche, arugala, and horseradish. The dessert of vanilla panna cotta with chocolate sauce and chestnut honey is a marvelous way to finish off a perfect Sydney evening.

Related: Wine-Tasting and Wildlife-Watching in South Australia

Get Captivated by Rio De Janeiro

Andrew Collins
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Get Captivated by Rio De Janeiro

Rio is a fascinating, exciting place to visit year-round

Thousands of gays and lesbians live in Rio de Janeiro, a city of more than 10 million residents, and one of the most celebrated gay vacation destinations in the world. Huge numbers turn out for Gay Pride in early July, and the city’s festive Carnival celebration also sees plenty of “family” pour into the city. But Rio is a fascinating, exciting place to visit year-round, possessing a splendid natural setting, a tropical climate (with highs in the mid-80s in summer and mid-70s in winter), and an extremely welcoming personality.

Rio hugs the Atlantic Ocean, its neighborhoods strung between white-sand coves and rocky mountain peaks, the two most visited being Corcovado, topped with its Art Deco-style statue of Christ, and Sugarloaf. You’re rarely far from a sugary beach abuzz with vendors hawking fresh coconut juice and tropical cocktails. The city’s most established neighborhoods are characterized by attractive, colonial-style architecture, but much of Rio is dominated by modern skyscrapers. One negative aspect of Rio is its reputation for crime, but the city has greatly stepped up efforts to make the touristy areas safe. Crime is still an issue here, but it’s not generally any worse than in most other major international metropolises.

Americans have been visiting Rio in great numbers in recent years, in part because it’s one of the few major cities in the world where the U.S. dollar enjoys a highly favorable exchange rate. Hotels, restaurants, bars, taxis, and shops in Rio are a comparative bargain for Americans, who can often save enough to offset the steep price of airfare to Brazil. An appealing trait of Cariocas (as residents of Rio de Janeiro are known) is that they tend to be extremely friendly, keen on having fun (whether it be dancing, eating, or beachcombing), and devoted to style. A potential challenge, however, is the language – relatively few Cariocas speak fluent English. You’re more likely to encounter English-speaking locals in the more touristy areas, but it’s definitely a good idea to pick up a Brazilian Portuguese phrase book and learn a few basics.

Although Rio is something of a gay mecca, the scene itself is a bit diffuse. The Ipanema and Copacabana neighborhoods have the majority of the city’s gay-popular businesses, and there’s one particular two-block area in Ipanema where you can detect a visible queer presence, but overall, this is not a city of gay ghettos and streets lined with rainbow flags. There are only a handful of gay bars and clubs, and the community here blends more or less imperceptibly with the rest of Rio. This is a city that’s highly tolerant of homosexuality, especially compared with other major Latin cities, but gays here still tend to conduct themselves with an air of discretion.

Ipanema – with its narrow, tree-lined streets and attractive colonial-style buildings – is the best neighborhood to base your explorations, as it has a number of appealing, gay-friendly hotels in every price range, and it’s mellower and safer than nearby Copacabana, which you can still easily walk or cab to. Another plus about Ipanema is that it borders the trendy Leblon district, which is rife with fine boutiques and diverting cafes. And Ipanema also has the city’s best gay beach (between Rua Farme de Amoedo and Rua Teixeira de Melo).

Copacabana is the city’s main tourist district, a bustling, slightly brash, neighborhood whose beachfront is lined with massive hotels and condos. It’s still an appealing neighborhood, but the scale here is less intimate than Ipanema, and crime can be more of a factor, especially at night along the beach. During the day, however, Copacabana’s long, crescent-shaped beach is undeniably lovely – great for sunning, reading, and people-watching.

When it comes to food, Rio – and especially Ipanema – has plenty of offer, and you’ll find that Cariocas approach meals with great gusto; they also tend to eat late by American standards, usually heading out to dinner between 8 and 10 p.m. The city has many great Italian restaurants, with Mio a particularly romantic favorite for same-sex dates. If it’s a truly special occasion, head to one of the city’s most hallowed eateries (it’s said to be a favorite of Madonna), Satyricon, a swank seafood restaurant famous for its lobster and shellfish.

Cozy and inviting Colher de Pau is a short walk from the beach; indeed, many beach bums who want a break from the sand head here to dine on pastas, sandwiches (try the one with smoked salmon, brie, and capers), pies, and pastries. It’s a nice option for breakfast, too. Galitos Grill is a casual, tres gay choice for chicken dishes. And affordable Carretao is a traditional Brazilian rodizio (a steakhouse serving all-you-can-eat beef, sausage, fish, and chicken, plus a wide variety of sides). A coffeehouse ambience prevails at Cafeina, which offers an extensive array of sandwiches, and is a good place to fill out those postcards or peck away on your laptop.

Copacabana is where you want to go if you’re up for a late night of dancing and partying – just keep in mind that tourists are sometimes preyed upon in the clubs by hustlers and scam artists (never accept a drink from a stranger). The most famous gay hangout in the city is the Copa, which has long been the domain of hunky muscle men and toned pretty boys. Cine Ideal is a popular weekly party held on Saturday nights – it rumbles well into the wee hours. Le Girl (held on Monday) and Le Boy (held on Sunday) are well-attended weekly parties geared toward lesbians and gay men on their respective nights. One other happening Copacabana disco to keep in mind is Fosfobox, which is busy Thursday through Saturday.

Ipanema has the friendliest, safest, and mellowest gay nightlife options. Here you’ll find Galeria Cafe, a stylish, intimate club and art gallery that draws a mix of men and women of all ages, most of them tending toward the stylish, professional side. The neighborhood’s other major gay club is Dama de Ferro, which buzzes with dancing and drinking Thursday through Saturday nights.

As is the case in many gay international destinations, bathhouse culture is alive and well in Rio, and it does not have the somewhat shady air about it that’s occasionally the case in U.S. cities. One of the most popular saunas, right in Ipanema, is Studio 64, which has clean and comfortable facilities, including a video lounge, steam room, sauna, and private cabanas. Other well-regarded saunas include Club 117, known for its stable of strippers, and Point 202, which is near the Fosfobox nightclub.

For the latest details on the local gay scene, pick up a copy of the local monthly gay magazine, Odyssey Brasil. It’s found at many gay businesses, including the office of Rio G Travel, which also produces its own extremely useful gay guide to the city (it’s trilingual, written in Portuguese, English, and Spanish).

Hotels

Charming and modern, Casa Cool Beans is a small, relaxed gay owned Bed & Breakfast Inn located in Rio de Janeiro’s Santa Teresa artist district. It offers a serene setting with multiple gardens, open-air areas, pool and sun deck all offer exposure to the wonderful breezes & views of Santa Teresa.

Golden Tulip Ipanema Plaza offers boutique accommodations with bright and spacious rooms featuring modern décor in the heart of Rio’s most trendy district. Just 100 m from Ipanema beach and 1.3 km from Copacabana beach, this hotel offers a rooftop pool and a panoramic view of Rio de Janeiro.

Mar Ipanema Hotel is in an ideal location, just 100 m from the world-famous Ipanema Beach. In walking distance to many restaurants and shops, including Fórum Ipanema Shopping Mall. Comfortable rooms, with modern design interior, and a friendly and helpful staff.

Related: Exploring Buenos Aires

Martha’s Vineyard

Andrew Collins
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Martha’s Vineyard

Martha’s Vineyard has seen a gradual growth in gay and lesbian visitation

Since Provincetown bursts at the seams all summer long with excitement and socializing, quite a few lesbians and gay men across New England have begun heading to a quieter but no less charming and remote seaside getaway, Martha’s Vineyard. Over the past several years the island has seen a gradual but discernible growth in gay and lesbian visitation. One key to enjoying this sparkling emerald island off the southern coast of Cape Cod (it’s accessible by only ferry or plane) is to arrive with a lover rather than hoping to find one upon arrival.

Of course, Martha’s Vineyard – along with its neighbor to the east, Nantucket – has long been a highly desirable destination. Families have been building the now-ubiquitous weathered-shingle cape-style houses here for more than three centuries, dating to the island’s origins as a sleepy fishing settlement. Yachting and hobnobbing among the rich and famous became official pastimes during the early part of this century. Glitterati such as Carly Simon, James Taylor, Spike Lee, Sharon Stone, Meg Ryan, Denzel Washington, Ted Danson, and Mary Steenbergen regularly spend time here. Members of the Kennedy clan have been sailing over for years, and political pundits will always associate Martha’s Vineyard with the Chappaquiddick scandal that ultimately cost Ted Kennedy the U.S. presidency.

Come for a visit, however, and you’ll hear little talk of celebrity-spotting and rumor-mongering. Famous or unknown, gay or straight, folks come to Martha’s Vineyard to get away from the vagaries and pressures of life on the mainland. Here you’ll discover historic inns, some of the finest restaurants in coastal New England, and a handful of enchanting villages, each with its own pace and personality.

The town of Vineyard Haven is an ideal base. This walkable village has a few gay-friendly inns, some hip restaurants and boutiques, and an enviable sheltered location overlooking Vineyard Haven Harbor. The other communities on the island are within a half-hour drive (or an afternoon’s bike ride – Martha’s Vineyard is ideal for cyclists, and there are rental shops near each of the ferry terminals). If you wish to stay right in Vineyard Haven, book a room at the breezy Crocker House Inn, a 1920s beach house owned by young and friendly innkeepers Jeff and Jynell Kristal. Rooms are casually smart, with white-wicker furnishings, and some have fireplaces and whirlpool tubs.

Within a 10-minute stroll of these inns are several fine shops, a quirky old movie theater, and a few nice eateries. A favorite is Cafe Moxie, which presents an intriguing range of relatively affordable mod-American dishes. If you’re in the mood for a lobster roll, drop by the Net Result, a simple fish market a 10-minute walk from the ferry terminal serving some of the freshest seafood around.

Oak Bluffs and Edgartown are the two other major settlements on the island. Oak Bluffs has been more heavily developed than other towns on the island, with a bounty of lively bars and rollicking amusements popular with college students and teenagers.

It’s a fun town for window-shopping, picking up an ice cream cone at a local parlor, and eating – there are plenty of terrific restaurants in Oak Bluffs. At the upper end, the Sweet Life Cafe serves outstanding regional American fare and occupies a handsome Victorian house along the town’s main drag, Circuit Avenue – try the squid-ink fettuccine with shrimp, scallops, calamari, and a tomato-basil-garlic broth. More casual and less pricey options, both of which are also fun places to sip cocktails and socialize, include Sharky’s Cantina, which serves up terrific Tex-Mex in a festive ambience, and the Lookout Tavern, a rustic seafood shack overlooking the sea and serving not only great platters of fried and broiled fish and shellfish but also first-rate sushi.

Edgartown is the island’s somewhat more conservative community, at least in appearance if not necessarily in politics (this is still a highly liberal part of the world, especially on social issues). This posh historic village defined by gorgeous white-clapboard Colonial homes and neatly manicured gardens has several convivial eateries, and numerous high-end clothiers and boutiques downtown. Tops for dining are Detente, a hip little wine bar serving superbly crafted, innovative fare like lemon-honey-basted halibut with truffled leek puree, baby artichokes, and oven-dried tomatoes. A more casual but still reliable bet is the Wharf Pub, which serves consistently good burgers, salads, and pub fare.

Right in Edgartown, you’ll find some lovely, gay-friendly accommodations, including the Hob Knob, a handsome and well-run 18-room Gothic Revival property with unfussy but attractive furnishings reminiscent of an English country house.

Just south of Edgartown, with a fantastic location on Katama Beach, the Winnetu Oceanside Resort makes for a delightful retreat, especially if you’ve got kids in tow – in fact, this is one of the best gay-friendly, family-oriented properties on the East Coast. The property consists of a luxury inn with one- to four-bedroom suites as well as a cluster of three- to five-bedroom town homes. The resort offers dozens of diversions to keep you busy, from bike tours to whale-watching trips, and there’s a world-class tennis facility on-site. Also, Winnetu’s restaurant, Lure, serves some of the most inventive seafood fare on the island, such as butter-poached lobster with soft cornbread, roasted corn, and fava beans. This upscale resort draws mostly families with kids in summer, but it’s more of a couples destination during the mellower spring and fall shoulder seasons.

Related: Northeast Getaways: From Luxury to Affordable

Outdoors enthusiasts should stick to the western side of Martha’s Vineyard (referred to locally as Up-Island). Here you can sample fresh lobster dockside in the picturesque fishing village of Menemsha (a great place to stop for a casual seafood lunch – just try one of the restaurants on the pier), or admire ocean views from the lighthouse and multihued clay cliffs at Aquinnah (formerly known as Gay Head). Below the Gay Head cliffs you will find, appropriately, a popular nude beach with a moderate following among gays and lesbians – when you hit the beach, turn right, and walk all the way to the end (about 30 minutes). A tip: If you’d like to check the scene out in advance, drop some change into one of the coin-operated magnifying lenses near the base of the lighthouse – it’s the closest you’ll come to a peep show on Martha’s Vineyard.

In the Up-Island community of West Tisbury, set back on a wooded property slightly off the beaten path, you’ll find the island’s most opulent gay-owned property, Lambert’s Cove Inn. Innkeepers Scott Jones and I. Kell Hicklin have restored what had been a somewhat dowdy country hotel into a sophisticated boutique inn with smartly furnished rooms set among three buildings. Amenities include high-speed Internet, and plush Egyptian cotton linens, and some rooms have private screened-in porches. A sunken pool in back is the perfect place to while away a hot afternoon. And in the evening, the inn’s elegant dining room serves outstanding contemporary American fare, such as braised veal cheeks with sweet corn, English pea risotto, and a Madeira wine reduction. It’s the definitive venue for a relaxing Martha’s Vineyard hideaway.

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