Eight Ways to Enjoy Boston

Andrew Collins
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Eight Ways to Enjoy Boston

One of the nation’s gay-friendliest cities, Boston encompasses a range of charms

With its tree-lined streets, spectacular gardens, and youthful yet intellectual personality, Boston’s an easy city to love in the springtime. Winters last a while in New England’s largest metropolis, but by May the sidewalks buzz with pedestrian life and the Charles River fills with kayaks and sailboats. One of the nation’s gay-friendliest cities, Boston encompasses a considerable range of charms, from prestigious museums and historic parks to swish cocktail lounges and hipster-infested restaurants. Here’s a look at eight different ways to take advantage of Boston’s myriad attributes:

1. Have breakfast or brunch in Jamaica Plain
Once considered an out-of-the-way neighborhood whose shops and restaurants catered chiefly to locals, the lesbian-popular Jamaica Plain neighborhood has grown up in recent years, especially as a culinary destination. It’s not far from lovely Back Bay Fens Park and its esteemed art museums, and has several fine restaurants specializing in breakfast or brunch, making it an apt spot to begin your day.

The longtime traditional favorite for breakfast is Sorella’s, a small and bustling diner-style cafe that’s justly renowned for its omelets stuffed with goat cheese, chorizo, and similarly enticing ingredients. A bit more dapper and elegant inside, the French bistro Bon Savor serves up such delicious breakfast dishes as fried-banana crepes and smoked salmon eggs Benedict. And don’t overlook the airy Dogwood Cafe, with its hardwood floors, exposed-brick walls, and creative cuisine. Consider the blueberry buttermilk pancakes or the unusual-sounding but delicious “breakfast pizza” topped with scrambled eggs, breakfast sausage, applewood-smoked bacon, home fries, and mozzarella.

2. Wander through Back Bay Fens Park and explore the city’s two best art museums
North of Jamaica Plain and west of downtown Boston is the Fens, an amalgam of relatively modest residential and slightly scruffy industrial blocks and site of the campuses of Northeastern and Boston universities as well as Fenway Park, home to baseball’s Boston Red Sox.

The topographical feature that best defines the neighborhood, however, is Back Bay Fens Park, the city’s only area of tidal marshlands that was never filled in with gravel as Boston expanded. Landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted converted this wilderness into a subtly manicured park. On its south side is the Museum of Fine Arts, whose highlights include Asiatic art and French Impressionists. To the west is the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, a stunning if idiosyncratic collection of paintings, drawings, textiles, and furniture (mostly Western European).

3. Stroll the Boston Common
The Boston Common has been the city hub since 1630. The side of the park fringed by Boylston and Tremont streets is more commercial than the stretch along stately Beacon Street, but the whole park merits exploration. The adjacent Boston Public Garden, the centerpiece of which is a placid pond traversed in summer by foot pedal-powered swan boats, also contains several acres of formal gardens. Overlooking the Common stands Charles Bulfinch’s golden-domed neoclassical State House, where legislation was signed making the Bay State the first (and so far only) one in the Union to legalize same-sex marriage.

One of the nation’s earliest urban residential neighborhoods, nearby Beacon Hill was settled in the early 1800s by the city’s wealthiest merchants and is today the domain of brick sidewalks, stately town houses, shade trees, and boutiques (the best are on Charles Street.).

4. Hit the shops and galleries along Newbury Street in the Back Bay
The relatively young Back Bay (a tidal flat before the 1860s) – with its broad avenues of four-story town houses, its grid layout, and its bustle of sidewalk cafes and swank boutiques – recalls Paris. It’s still one of Boston’s preeminent residential (and favorite walking) neighborhoods. Beacon and Marlborough streets are predominantly residential and contain impressive single-family homes. Commonwealth Avenue is divided by a gracious grassy mall. The best area for whiling away an afternoon is Newbury Street, which is lined with offbeat boutiques and stylish eateries that range from high-end, up by the Public Garden, to funky and somewhat collegiate, down toward Massachusetts Avenue.

5. Explore Harvard Yard
Puritans settled Cambridge, just across the Charles River from Boston, in 1630 and soon after founded America’s first university, Harvard, now a top tourist draw. Walking tours of campus are given daily and focus heavily on tree-shaded Harvard Yard. From here you’re steps from such vaunted cultural institutions as the Widener Library, with the country’s second-largest book collection; the Fogg Art Museum, whose 80,000 holdings concentrate mostly on European and American painting; the Arthur M. Sackler Museum, which emphasizes Asiatic, ancient Greek and Roman, and Egyptian, Buddhist, and Islamic art; and the mammoth Harvard University Museums of Cultural and Natural History.

Dozens of shops and eateries line the streets around Harvard Square (where Massachusetts Avenue and John F. Kennedy Street intersect). Finish up your exploring with a scoop of the amazingly thick and delicious ice cream at Herrell’s, which is known for such flavors as malted vanilla, chocolate pudding, and cookie-dough peanut-butter swirl.

6. Have a progressive dinner along Tremont Street in the South End
Gentrified steadily over the past two decades, Boston’s gay-popular South End neighborhood has become one of the East Coast’s great dining destinations, and it’s difficult to narrow down the many fine choices to just a few. A solution to this dilemma is to plan a leisurely, progressive dinner at three South End restaurants, sampling one or two dishes at each place. Start at one of the neighborhood’s first restaurants to earn major acclaim, Hamersley’s Bistro, where you won’t go wrong with either the crispy duck confit with beet-walnut salad, or the spicy halibut and clam roast with bacon-braised greens.

Next, venture a few doors down to Aquitaine, where you might sample house-cured salmon with creme fraiche and pomegranate, or tender braised pork with mashed celery root and sauteed spinach. Be warned: This beautiful-peopled yet surprisingly low-key bistro is often packed. Enjoy your final dining course at the cozy and gay-popular Franklin Cafe, which is open late and serves terrific seasonal contemporary fare. You might tuck into a plate of garlic-grilled calamari with white beans and basil pesto, or the sunflower-crusted chicken with chive-mashed potatoes and tarragon jus.

7. Go bar-hopping in the South End
The South End is home to three of the city’s longest-running and most popular gay bars, making it a favorite neighborhood for barflies. Club Cafe draws the most mixed-gender crowd and is also home to an excellent restaurant. It’s largely the domain of smartly dressed professionals – there’s a sophisticated cocktail lounge-cabaret that gets busy after work, and a larger, cruisier (though more attitude-y) video bar in back.

Long ago a fixture of the city’s leather scene, the Boston Eagle has gradually shifted into a more laid-back but fiercely popular cruise-and-chat bar with a mostly male crowd of guys in their 30s and 40s. This intimate, if cramped, tavern is justly known for its cheap and potent cocktails. Finally, the dapper-looking Fritz bar is often described as Boston’s gay Cheers – it’s busiest around happy hour and on Sunday afternoons.

8. Stay in a hip boutique hotel
In addition to the usual chains and several gay-friendly B&Bs, Boston has several snazzy little boutique hotels that have a strong following among gay travelers. There are three outposts of the gay-friendly (and pet-welcoming) Kimpton Group, including the stately Nine Zero, overlooking Boston Common, which is home to the opulent KO Prime steakhouse and contains 190 units furnished with super-cushy bedding, luxe bath amenities, and mini-bars stocked with unusual goodies. Smaller and containing 112 rooms outfitted with red-suede chairs and custom-designed desks, the Onyx Hotel exudes warmth and luxury.

Just across the river in Cambridge, consider Kimpton’s supremely inviting Hotel Marlowe, whose 236 handsomely furnished rooms have animal-print carpets and opulent velvet fabrics. Guests can use bikes and kayaks (to paddle on the Charles River, just outside the door) for free. If you get a chance, grab dinner at the fabulous Bambara restaurant, which serves superb regional American fare to a sexy, see-and-be-seen crowd.

Related: Weekend in Boston’s South End

Three Great New York Neighborhoods

Andrew Collins
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Three Great New York Neighborhoods

Places to eat and play in three of the city’s coolest and gayest neighborhoods

New York is probably the most exciting city in the world, and have more restaurants, bars, museums and iconic sights than any other big city in the world. And contary to what many people believe, New York is really safe, welcoming, and just have the ability to make you feel good.

It’s really easy to get around on Manhattan due to the structured layout of its streets, a simple grid system where you can pretty much walk anywhere. Or you can just jump on one of those iconic yellow cabs.

So what’s new in Manhattan since the last time you visited? Plenty of great new bars and restaurants have opened in recent years – here’s the scoop on some outstanding places to eat and play in three of the city’s coolest – and gayest – neighborhoods

Chelsea
Several gay discos and leather bars have long occupied Chelsea’s western reaches, a section that has also seen a virtual revolution of arts and culture since the late ’90s – suddenly avant-garde art galleries and performance spaces, plus a clutch of fashionable eateries and bars, dominate what had been a downright creepy warren of warehouses and derelict buildings. Chelsea’s primary gay district lies just east, along 8th avenue and thereabouts. Chelsea’s increasing visibility and skyrocketing rents may foreshadow a gradual dilution of its gay identity, but like other yuppified urban enclaves with queer roots, this neighborhood will always glow pink with trendy discos and stand-and-model cafes.

If you haven’t gone restaurant-hopping along 8th Avenue recently, you may be in for a surprise. Several swanky – yet reasonably priced – eateries have opened. At 15th Street, the gushingly romantic Rue des Crepes – decorated with faux cobblestone and vintage street lamps like a French village square – serves delicious savory and sweet crepes; try the one with pureed white beans, roasted garlic, and merguez sausage. Mare presents creative, super-fresh seafood with more contemporary American and French preparations. The chatter-filled, high-ceilinged space looks like a bit like a Marseille fish market. Yet another slick corner eatery with French doors, Niso’s describes its cuisine as Mediterranean but definitely emphasizes – and excels – in Greek-style seafood. The grilled-octopus appetizer and broiled snapper entrees score high marks. A few blocks west, The Park opened inside a miraculously transformed taxi garage in 2001 and serves foofy drinks and zesty Mediterranean bistro-fare to a luscious crowd of fashion plates and poseurs.

Chelsea continues to set the pace for New York’s boy-bar scene, and a few newcomers merit mention. Still trying to find its footing but with great potential, the View, a cozy and dapper spot that currently draws an eclectic bunch, from leather types to princely guppies. After closing and then reopening in a massive new space, the Eagle has landed, quickly reclaiming its position as Manhattan’s cruisiest leather-and-Levi’s bar – it’s a great place to shoot pool. A chic, three-story spot bathed in white lights and mod furnishings, xl pulls off that fine balance between velvet-rope exclusivity and genuine friendliness – basically, if you’re willing to surrender a day’s paycheck for a round of drinks, you’re welcome here.

The East Village
Although intensely gentrified intensely of late, the “EV” acts as the city’s hub of alternative dress, nightlife, and entertainment. Cheap eateries, iconoclast-meets-slacker bars and lounges, and garage-sale-inspired shops keep a steady stream of tourists and locals slinking about at all hours of the night. One of the best streets for strolling is St. Marks Place, which is jammed with divey bars, groovy shops, and cheap restaurants. Great shopping, browsing, and people-watching can be had along the neighborhood’s broad avenues, which generally take on an increasingly outre ambience the farther east you go.

Ethnic eateries have always been and continue to thrive here. Of late, fans of Basque cooking have been frequenting Euzkadi, a homey, old-world space with hearty food. Get your kicks on uncommonly inspired Japanese-Mexican cuisine at see-and-be-seen Komodo. Just a block south of the EV, Wylie Dufresne made it onto Food and Wine magazine’s “10 best new chefs list” for 2001 with his fantastic restaurant 71 Clinton Fresh Food. Models and their admirers linger over North African-inspired French bistro fare at Astor Restaurant and Lounge, a subtle bistro that serves a memorable braised lamb shank.

Gay bars in the East Village still draw heavily, as they always have, from the city’s dressed-in-black ranks. It’s the rise of an old favorite, the venerable Phoenix that has barflies talking these days. Since reopening off Avenue A this crowded no-frills chat bar has swelled nightly with students, arty types, and even a few Chelsea boys. There are erotic shows, drag events, and hormone-charged crowd at the sleazy-chic Cock. And you never know who you’ll clink highballs with at the retro-fabulous Starlight Lounge, a faintly upscale, mellow haunt with a mixed-gender crowd and sophisticated cocktails.

Hell’s Kitchen
It’s almost unheard of to pass through New York City without taking in a Broadway show and strolling around the newly revitalized or sanitized – depending on who you ask – Times Square. Less attention is typically lavished upon the neighborhood to the west, Hell’s Kitchen, a once tough-as-nails Irish working-class enclave and more recently a Hispanic one. Many lesbians and gays have moved here in recent years, however, and a gay-trendy dining and entertainment scene has lately spread like kudzu vine.

It can be a challenge scoring a table at celeb-chef Mario Batali’s fabulous space, Esca, but do persevere – you’ll be rewarded with exceptional yet reasonably priced seafood like whole-roasted sea bass with lemon and olive oil. A sophisticated new pan-Latin American eatery named for the neighborhood it anchors, Hell’s Kitchen is run by the former chef (Sue Torres) of Chelsea’s Rocking Horse. Dig into exceptionally tasty Moroccan fare at Tagine, a riotously colorful eatery with its own fleet of exotic belly dancers. Inexpensive pan-Asian and American cooking – including Thai, Vietnamese, and Chinese specialties – is served at Vynl, a funky retro diner with a friendly staff. And for you homesick southern girls, fill up on amazingly authentic Cajun and Creole fare at the Delta Grill, a brassy and seductive neighborhood canteen that pays homage to down-home faves like fried chicken with candied yams.

Sassy and sexy lounges are all the rage in Hell’s Kitchen. The trend started a couple years ago with the opening (technically northeast of the neighborhood) of Chase, a swanky and attractive little space with a particularly cozy lounge tucked into the back. The latest notables include Posh, which could just as easily be called “Lush” for its fab drink specials; Barrage, a favorite happy hour hideout for gay scenesters and media upstarts; and Fusion, a sassy but friendly neighborhood joint. Finally, a little-advertised hot spot in the neighborhood is the darkly inviting Xth Avenue Lounge, a laid-back hole-in-the-wall with a great cocktail menu, excellent light food, and trippy music.

Related: Chicago’s Lakeview Neighborhood

Gay pride in New York is always amazing

Weekend Getaways From Portland

Andrew Collins
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Weekend Getaways From Portland

Three ideal weekend getaways from the Portland area

Hip and cosmopolitan Portland continues to emerge as a popular urban vacation destination for gay and lesbian travelers, thanks in part to its stellar restaurant scene, liberal social climate, and artsy personality. But another major draw of this charmed city is its proximity to so many breathtakingly beautiful places that make perfect two- to three-day getaways. In an afternoon’s drive, you can explore the rugged Oregon Coast, the lush Willamette Valley wine country, or the high desert outdoor recreation mecca of Bend.

Here’s a look at three ideal weekend getaways from the Portland area, all of them centered on communities with an increasing number of gay-owned or gay-friendly accommodations and restaurants.

Cannon Beach and Manzanita (a 90-minute drive via U.S. 26)

From downtown Portland, U.S. 26 leads west over the dramatic Coast Mountains to northern Oregon’s spectacular and relatively uncrowded coast, a highlight of which is dapper Cannon Beach, a low-keyed community set along a striking stretch of beach. Quite a few gays and lesbians (including Portland-based filmmaker Gus Van Zant) own or rent summer homes here or in nearby beach towns, such as funky Manzanita and upscale Gearhart.

The quieter south end of Cannon Beach, known as Tolovana Park, has a slightly more artsy feel. Here you might spend the night at the delightful Inn at Cannon Beach, a tasteful complex of contemporary, two-story cottages that open around a central courtyard with fragrant flower gardens and Adirondack chairs. It’s steps from the beach, and next door to the Warren House Pub, a casual, gay-friendly spot that brews its own excellent beer and serves tasty comfort food, such as grilled panko-crusted oysters, and house-smoked-salmon salad with a marionberry vinaigrette. For more sophisticated fare, book a table at the Gower Street Bistro, which presents creative regional dishes, such as pan-seared sea scallops with roasted-cream corn, eggplant, and pancetta.

You might spend the mornings in Cannon Beach strolling along the sand, admiring the many geological formations just offshore, such as the famous, 237-foot-tall Haystack Rock. Do as locals do and grab a cup of delicious java at Sleepy Monk Coffee Roasters (along with a thick slice of chocolate-chip pumpkin bread) before you set out. Venture south of Cannon Beach and you’ll pass through Oswald West State Park, which is laced with hiking trails that weave through old-growth forest, leading down to the beach.

End your day in funky Manzanita, with its quirky cafes and galleries, perhaps enjoying a glass of Oregon wine at Vino, a snazzy little wine bar that also serves plates of delicious charcuterie and cheese. Between Manzanita and Cannon Beach in tiny Arch Cape, the gay-owned Ocean Point Inn comprises three oceanfront suites with chic, contemporary furnishings, flat-screen TVs, and gas fireplaces. Guests can enjoy a wide range of treatments at the inn’s spa. It’s one of the most romantic accommodations along the coast.

The Willamette Valley Wine Country (a 45-minute drive via Hwy. 99w to Dundee/Yamhill area, and two-hour drive to Eugene via I-5)

Within 30 miles of Portland, in Oregon’s verdant Willamette Valley, you’ll find some of the leading wineries in the United States – the area has become especially renowned for its pinot noirs. If you have only a day to tour the region, focus your efforts around the rural, hilly Yamhill area, home to such esteemed vineyards as Willakenzie, Penner-Ash, and Adelsheim. Just a short drive south, in the Dundee Hills, standouts include Archery Summit, Sokol Blosser, and Domaine Serene. These are among dozens of wineries with tasting rooms open to the public.

This part of the valley abounds with excellent restaurants, too. An intimate spot serving relatively affordable French fare, Cuvee sits along the quiet main drag of tiny Carlton and is a fine place to end a day of wine-tasting. Among the several stellar restaurants in Dundee, check out Tina’s, a bustling bistro that features creative American fare emphasizing ingredients from local farms and suppliers. A typically delicious dish is the seared halibut cheeks with diced yams, roasted potatoes, and a caper-lemon-olive oil sauce.

As you continue down the Willamette Valley toward Oregon’s capital, Salem, you’ll reach the Eola-Amity Hills, known for such vineyards as Bethel Heights and Amity. The drive south through the charming college town of Corvallis leads to another top vineyard, Benton Lane. Still more worthwhile wine-tasting awaits you in the hills outside Oregon’s second-largest city, Eugene. Here you can enjoy a memorable meal at King Estate winery, which crowns a dramatic hilltop about a 15-minute drive south of the city. The restaurant here serves first-rate French-inspired Pacific Northwestern fare.

The Willamette Valley offers far more to see and do than sample wines. Eugene is home to the University of Oregon and has the most visible gay scene of any Oregon city outside Portland. It’s also a handsome city dotted with parks and rife with opportunities for recreation. A popular downtown attraction is the Owen Rose Garden, where more than 4,500 varieties grow. Nearby, a former chicken-processing plant houses the Fifth Street Public Market, now a complex of fascinating shops and enticing restaurants, including one of the region’s best dining choices, Marche. Here you can try such memorable fare as oven-roasted local mussels with a saffron-cream, and smoked pork chops with rhubarb chutney. From April through December, check out the nearby Saturday Market, where entertainers perform and close to 200 artisans, farmers, and cooks sell their wares.

Several blocks east of downtown is the verdant, eminently walkable campus of the University of Oregon, known for its University of Oregon Museum of Art and Museum of Natural History. The university’s main commercial drag, 13th Avenue, is loaded with cheap restaurants and engaging shops. It’s also the site of one of two excellent and gay-friendly Eugene accommodations, the intimate Excelsior Inn, whose 14 rooms are named for classical composers. The city’s other highly recommended lodging, the Campbell House Inn, contains 20 sumptuously furnished rooms and lies within walking distance of downtown restaurants and shops.

Bend and the Cascades (about a three-hour drive, either via U.S. 26 and U.S. 97 past Mt. Hood; or via I-5, Hwy. 22, and U.S. 20 past Detroit Lake)

Portlanders love traveling to Bend, in part because of the area’s generally dry and sunny climate – it’s perfect for skiing at nearby Mt. Bachelor, hiking and mountain biking year-round, and pursuing any number of enjoyable outdoorsy activities, from fly-fishing to golfing to kayaking. The superb High Desert Museum is the city’s must-see attraction, with its well-crafted exhibits on the region’s natural and social history. The frothy Deschutes River cuts right through the downtown of this fast-growing city (the population has gone from about 50,000 to 80,000 since 2000).

This part of the state tends toward the conservative, but Bend has become the exception, attracting increasing numbers of progressive-minded residents, including plenty of gays and lesbians. There’s a small but growing Pride festival held in McKay Park each June, and downtown is rife with hip, sophisticated restaurants, bars, and boutiques with a welcoming vibe. For dinner, don’t miss Merenda Restaurant and Wine Bar for country French and Italian fare. Trendy types favor Deep, a swish Pan-Asian spot. And Deschutes Brewery Public House is a festive option for well-prepared comfort food.

Excellent places to stay include the distinctive McMenamins Old St. Francis School Hotel, which is set inside an old schoolhouse and has a movie theater and a cool pub and restaurant on-site, and the elegant Lara House Bed and Breakfast, a handsomely decorated 1910 Arts and Crafts house known for its superb gourmet breakfast.

If heading to Bend from Portland, consider driving there one way and returning a different route. For the perfect scenic loop, you can drive east of Portland, up over the magnificent and snowy slopes of the iconic Mt. Hood. Coming back, you’ll pass through the charming town of Sisters as you pass over the Cascade Mountains, and eventually drive by scenic Detroit Lake. If you’re visiting in winter, just keep in mind that highways over the Cascade Mountains can be treacherous at this time, so check weather reports before you plan your journey. And make sure your digital camera is charged up and ready to go – this drive provides shutterbugs with an endless supply of photo ops.

Related: Gay Portland – Intimate and Low-Key

Baltimore

Andrew Collins
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Baltimore

Baltimore has developed into a welcoming gay and lesbian destination

If you haven’t been to Baltimore in a while, you owe yourself a visit. This friendly, unassuming city has experienced a virtual rebirth over the past 15 years, rehabilitating its handsome Inner Harbor by converting dilapidated piers and wharves into museums, shops, restaurants, hotels, and condominiums. Often featured in the movies of camp filmmaker and native son John Waters, Baltimore has also developed increased cachet as a welcoming gay and lesbian destination, with its many LGBT-friendly businesses.

Fortunately, the city’s success hasn’t gone to its head. It’s hard to find a more genuine and down-to-earth breed of urbanites than the residents of Baltimore, who retain a special affection for their hometown. You may be lured to Baltimore by the many highly publicized attractions set around downtown’s Inner Harbor, and indeed most of these museums and entertainment centers live up to their billing. But be sure to save time to explore the many quirky residential neighborhoods, a few of which – Mount Vernon, Federal Hill, Fells Point – are within easy walking distance of downtown.

The Inner Harbor thrived for years as a shipping crossroads before falling into a state of blight. Its conversion into an entertainment and museum district has made it one of the most engaging and picturesque harbors in America. Popular attractions include the glass-enclosed Harborplace pavilions, where you can browse through dozens of shops. Also check out the Baltimore Maritime Museum, National Aquarium, and World Trade Center (which offers fine views from its 27th-floor observation deck).

Related: Queer Historic Sites of the East

A regal grassy knoll south of the harbor, Federal Hill Park rises majestically above downtown and the Inner Harbor. It’s an ideal spot to laze under the sun on warm afternoons. The surrounding eponymous neighborhood has loads of inviting cafes and bars, and the neighborhood’s American Visionary Art Museum ingeniously blends two historic warehouses within a striking contemporary structure. East of the Inner Harbor, Fells Point may be America’s best-preserved Colonial waterfront, with its perfectly maintained Federal-style town houses.

Baltimore’s gay epicenter lies north of downtown in historic Mount Vernon, which you reach by strolling north from the Inner Harbor up the city’s backbone, Charles Street. The neighborhood is anchored by Mount Vernon Square and its 178-foot-high Washington Monument. Nearby are the outstanding Walters Art Museum and the Peabody Conservatory of Music, the oldest and one of the most prestigious classical music schools in the country.

You’ll need to drive or take a bus up Charles Street to reach the leafy 140-acre campus of Johns Hopkins University, which is ideal for strolling and is next to the state’s largest museum, the Baltimore Museum of Art. West of Johns Hopkins, Hampden is a good old-fashioned “Bawl’mer” neighborhood, a former mill-workers’ community that has more recently developed a bounty of hip boutiques, galleries, and cafes. (John Waters, who lives nearby, occasionally strolls these parts and set his movie Pecker here.)

When you’re craving a memorable meal, remember that Baltimore’s cooking is full of flavor – the city even has its own spice, Old Bay Seasoning, a feisty concoction of 16 seasonings sprinkled mostly on shellfish but required by some locals on seemingly everything but ice cream. If you’re on the run, just wander through the copious food stalls in the Harborplace pavilions. It may look like a zoo of tourists, but you’d be surprised how many locals graze here. Many of these places offer top-notch local seafood – particularly oysters, clams, and Chesapeake Bay blue crabs. Walk a bit south to Federal Hill, along South Charles or Light streets, and you’ll find dozens of appealing eateries, including one of the best little restaurants in the city, the Bicycle Bistro, where you might dine on grilled rack of lamb with a pineapple-poblano-pepper chutney, or porcini-crusted sea scallops.

East of the harbor, there’s superb dining in the city’s Little Italy (Boccaccio, with such seasonal delights as local clams and mussels in a pernod-tomato broth, is a particular standout), and in nearby Fells Point, talented chef Nancy Longo helms the kitchen at Pierpoint, which is known for such inventive contemporary regional fare as smoked crab cakes, and fried Maryland chicken breast with parmesan grits.

Mount Vernon has dozens of excellent, gay-popular restaurants. At the high end, opulently decorated Ixia scores high marks for its well-chosen wine list and superbly rendered cuisine, including grilled baby octopus with lemon-fennel confit, and lobster-crab mac-and-cheese with a creamy Fontina sauce. Across the street, Sacha’s is a great spot for toothsome grazing – the many “small plates” include crisp french fries in a cone with Old Bay-seasoned creme fraiche, and fried green tomatoes topped with lump crab meat. Continue up Charles Street and you’ll come to trendy Donna’s, a cheerful and modern space where an artsy crowd mingles over light salads, roasted veggie sandwiches, fresh coffee, and fantastic tiramisu. The Helmand has become renowned for its spicy, well-prepared Afghan food (it’s owned by the brother of Afghanistan’s president, Hamid Kharzai), and Mount Vernon Stable and Saloon is a perfect late-night venue for chicken wings, sandwiches, burgers, ribs, and similarly comforting pub standards. Finally, don’t miss City Cafe, an airy and inviting java joint that also serves food and wine.

Make the trip a bit north toward Johns Hopkins to reach Ixia’s sister restaurant, the lovably kitschy Paper Moon Diner, which is open 24 hours many nights, making it a perfect post-clubbing choice. Near here in the Hampden neighborhood is the famous Cafe Hon, notable for the massive pink flamingo dangling from the front of the building (not to mention tasty comfort fare like Belgian waffles topped with fresh berries, and famously good meatloaf). There’s also great coffee to be sipped nearby at Common Ground coffeehouse, and delicious Mexican food served within the funky confines of Holy Frijoles.

Baltimore gay-bar-goers congregate mostly at a handful of mainstays. Yuppies and stand-and-model types flock almost religiously to Grand Central, a large, multi-level complex that consists of a video lounge, dance bar, billiards room, and outdoor deck. Also on-site is the swanky lesbian bar, Sapphos, with its comfy living-room-esque decor and soft lighting. The other major club in the neighborhood is Club Hippo, whose reputation for great music draws a wide mix of revelers, gay, straight, old, and young. It’s a great place to cut loose, especially on Thursday and Saturday nights. When it gets late, the party moves to Club 1722, an 18-and-over after-hours club open on Fridays and Saturdays into the wee hours.

The tiki-themed Coconuts Cafe is another Mt. Vernon hangout that’s popular with lesbians, while Club Bunns caters heavily to Baltimore’s sizable African-American gay community and has a legendary happy hour. Leather aficionados head a few blocks up Charles to the Eagle, which, though lacking any serious back-room action, nevertheless cultivates as racy an atmosphere as any bar in town. A classic dive that’s been serving the gay community for more than 60 years (longer, say some, than any bar in America), Leon’s is especially popular late on weekend evenings. Nearby Jay’s on Read is a classy piano bar, and Club Phoenix is a laid-back neighborhood hangout with a small dance area and some highly entertaining drag shows. In Federal Hill, the Rowan Tree is a friendly neighborhood spot with an eclectic crowd, and over in the up-and-coming Canton section of Baltimore, The Quest caters to fans of go-go dancers.

Baltimore hotels have become slightly more expensive over the years, as the city has become a serious tourist and convention destination, but rates are still much lower than in nearby Washington, D.C. Most visitors choose properties near the Inner Harbor, close to great restaurants and attractions. An excellent option here is the Pier 5 Hotel, a hip and lively boutique property with whimsically decorated, spacious rooms, many directly facing the Inner Harbor. The same owners run the elegant, historic (and allegedly haunted) Admiral Fell Inn in nearby Fells Harbor – this charming old-world property earns kudos for its helpful service, romantically decorated rooms, and afternoon tea and refreshments.

You’ll also find some impressive smaller properties around town. The six-room Scarborough Fair B&B, in historic Federal Hill just steps from the Inner Harbor, and the gay-owned Inn at 2920, near the waterfront in Canton. This stunner with exposed brick walls and high ceilings has posh rooms with tasteful, sleek furnishings and contemporary bathrooms. These cozy properties offer visitors a great chance to get to know Baltimore’s distinctive, close-knit neighborhoods and appreciate one of the city’s best assets: its people.

Related: Weekending in Washington D.C.

Eat and Play in Orlando

Andrew Collins
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Eat and Play in Orlando

Explore this charming city with its vibrant gay scene

It’s hard to imagine a place less like feverishly commercial Walt Disney World than the city of Orlando, an amiable and low-keyed metropolis of both new and historic residential enclaves surrounding one of Florida’s few walk able downtowns. If you’re visiting the many theme parks in the area, try to set aside at least a full day to explore this charming city with a vibrant gay scene. And if you’re simply seeking an economical Florida vacation – or a quiet base that’s still close to but not engulfed by Disney World – Orlando fits the bill perfectly.

This city of 170,000 is artsy and intellectual compared with most of beach-loving Florida. Cinemas show foreign and independent films, cafes and clubs sponsor everything from raves to poetry readings, several theaters present experimental and fringe productions, and arts newspapers and ‘zines’ provide the lowdown on all these events. The queer scene thrives from November to April and then again during the Disney Gay Day celebrations in early June, but with more gay men and lesbians settling here permanently, things are starting to stay lively year-round.

Lake-dotted Orlando sprawls in every direction. The city is centered where Interstate 4 crosses the East-West Expressway, several miles north of the Orlando International Airport. Gay businesses exist throughout the city, but many are east and northeast of downtown, in Thornton Park and along Mills Avenue. Disney and its nearby mega-attractions lie 10 to 15 miles south of downtown, a neat and attractive neighborhood anchored by Church Street Station. This restored rail depot filled with amusements, souvenir shops, and a dinner theater is the only certifiable tourist attraction – but it’s a little schlocky. Walk two blocks east across busy Orange Avenue to reach some funkier blocks with a random mix of grunge clothiers, coffeehouses, and night spots.

One of only a handful of downtown Orlando eateries where you’ll have a chance to spend a little money, Le Provence is a wonderful French restaurant with a smart but casual ambience – it’s great for a romantic dinner. The adjacent bar Boom is a lovely little slice of sophisticated socializing. The place is packed at happy hour and stays lively well into many evenings; very good bar fare is served. Club at Firestone – a high-tech warehouse disco – hosts an extremely popular gay night on Saturdays and a fabulous foam party on Thursdays. Lava Lounge is a video bar located in Orlando’s hip new surroundings and Savoy just opened down the road from Lava.

Historic Eola Heights begins a few blocks east of downtown. Stroll around the grassy oak-shaded perimeter of rippling Lake Eola, and you’ll likely see queer folks jogging, strolling, and hanging out. Nearby streets are lined with some of Orlando’s earliest homes, but the neighborhood fell on hard times during the second half of the 20th century. Among the first people to move in and clean it up were gays and lesbians, who later continued east into the Thornton Park neighborhood, known for its fine old wood-frame houses.

A few cafes and urbane boutiques, all of them gay-frequented, have enlivened Washington Street, Thornton Park’s main drag. Try to get a seat on the plant- bedecked covered terrace with its gurgling fountains. Sassy and stylish, Dexter’s is a restaurant, market, and wine shop that serves commendable, mostly Mediterranean inspired fare, such as eggplant Napoleon or spicy shrimp Provencal. A short drive east, Southern Nights is one of central Florida’s most popular gay and lesbian clubs – varied theme nights keep the place interesting.

Easily one of the most attractive and well-run queer-friendly (but mainstream) inns in Florida, Thornton Park’s Veranda is a small compound of historic buildings containing rooms of various sizes, all with period antiques and some with kitchenettes and claw-foot tubs. It’s a favorite spot for commitment ceremonies. Nearby, the chic Eo Inn is a wonderful boutique property whose rooms have sleek furnishings, including black-wooden armoires and fine linens. Accommodations are fairly small, as are the bathrooms – about the only evidence of the building’s previous incarnation as a YMCA – but the imaginative decorating makes the Eo quite comfortable. A slick full-service spa was added recently.

Mills Avenue runs north above Colonial Drive; it’s lined with gay bars and businesses, including the city’s excellent queer bookstore, Mojo Books. Not far away, White Wolf is a worldly yet understated bric-a-brac emporium that also has a cafe serving terrific international fare, from mango-nut- tabbouleh sandwiches to shiitake lasagna. After so enchanting a meal, you might decide to purchase some of the funky furnishings here or at one of the several antiques shops along the same street. Another nearby favorite, Little Saigon serves stellar Vietnamese fare. The traditional soup of noodles, rice, vegetables, and chicken or seafood is always a winner.

To the north Mills cuts through a dense concentration of lakes anchored by grassy Loch Haven Park, which contains modest but engaging history, art, and science museums. The star of the neighborhood is the 56-acre Harry Leu Botanical Gardens, a tranquil spot for a stroll. The exclusive town of Winter Park lies north of Loch Haven Park. Its downtown evokes the grace of Savannah and the glamour of Beverly Hills, albeit on a tiny scale. Chain clothiers, smart boutiques, and tony restaurants line both sides of Park Avenue, interrupted only by lush Central Park.

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The area’s leading attraction, the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art maintains the largest Tiffany stained-glass collection in the country and many 19th- and 20th-century American paintings. For dining, the Winter Park branch of Houston’s is notable not just for its fine steaks and seafood but for its location on Lake Kilarney and distinctive Prairie School-inspired architecture. Gay-popular Schafer’s Caffeehaus is best- known for its desserts and pastries, but this intimate old-world space also serves very good Continental food and has a wine bar, too.

Off the beaten path in northwestern Orlando, Faces is a convivial lesbian bar that’s been going strong since the mid-1970s. Weekly events include Sunday cookouts and free pool and darts on Monday and Wednesday. Another good nightlife option a short drive from downtown, Full Moon Saloon is a country-western and leather dance club (it sounds like an unlikely combo but it works), always filled with cruisy guys.

This leads us to arguably Florida’s most famous – or perhaps notorious – queer entertainment complex, Parliament House. The considerable legend surrounding this resort with several gay bars rivals that of Shangri-la – countless revelers have returned from their vacations in Orlando telling tall tales of debauchery and partying at Parliament House. First and foremost, it’s a lodging option, perfect if you’re okay with horny guys roaming outside your door at all hours. The rates are decent, and a much-needed renovation in 1999-2000 vastly improved room decor as well as the pool areas and landscaping. Service can be a little uneven, however. A central building houses the Rainbow Cafe restaurant (which serves three meals daily).

But what really draws them in are the six gay bars and nightclubs, which include a warehouse-style disco, a cushy video bar, the festive Footlight Theater Piano Bar, a pool hall, a swimming-pool bar, and cruisy country western-style bar. Although the crowd tends to be male, plenty of women hang out at the bars and restaurant. In fact, Parliament House manages to offer something for virtually every style and taste – more than a few guests check in and then check out a week later never having left the place.

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