GAY NIGHTLIFEGay visitors to Phoenix will find themselves inundated with excellent dining and nightlife options - this is a party town, with a nightlife scene that's down-to-earth and friendly but also very energetic. There are numerous places to cut loose for gay men, although the vast majority of the city's bars draw more locals than visitors. The region also helped put contemporary Southwestern fare on the map - many notable chefs call Phoenix home.As for where to stay, accommodations options here run the gamut from super-plush resorts and high-rise business hotels to a smattering of smaller gay-oriented properties. If only the city had beachfront on the Pacific it might just leap ahead of Los Angeles and San Diego in popularity. | |
| Phoenix Pride takes place each year over a two day weekend in mid to late October. It was founded in 1981 to promote unity, visibility, and improve self-esteem among gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer people and to promote a positive image in the Valley of the Sun and throughout Arizona through community activities and services. | .jpg)
Photo: Kevin Dooley from Chandler, AZ, USA
CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons |
EATING OUTConsider some of Phoenix's top restaurants. Presided over by Vincent Guerithault, often called the father of contemporary Southwestern cuisine, Vincent on Camelback is among the city's most renowned restaurants. Sophisticated French techniques transform regional ingredients into creations like duck tamales and sauteed veal sweetbreads with blue cornmeal. A gay-friendly downtown stalwart with kitschy decor and naugahyde booths, Durant's has been pleasing its fans with traditional if predictable steak and chops fare for more than 50 years.The chefs at romantic Such Is Life transform ingredients and preparations from Guadalajara and the Yucatan into dazzling specialties like the chicken Maya (shredded in a piquant achiote sauce). Greekfest resembles an authentic taverna, with lively Greek music, a staff that welcomes even first-timers like their family, and top-notch modern and traditional Hellenic food. A rollicking crowd congregates for very good Mexican food and margaritas at Arriba. A wonderful spot for a meal if you're exploring Heritage Square, Pizzeria Bianco serves artful pizzas with house-made mozzarella and breads and other fresh ingredients. In nearby Scottsdale, it's perhaps the signature dish - flaming Cornish hen - at Malee's on Main that accounts for this fine Thai eatery's tremendous gay following. As with most Scottsdale restaurants, AZ 88 brims with fashion plates and pretty people. What's rare for this part of town is the extremely gay following (especially Fridays). Folks come to hobnob over martinis and nosh on excellent updated bar fare - including sublime tuna Nicoise - it's a great late-night option. CLUBBING & BARSVaried clubbing opportunities await visitors following dinner. A pretty butch crowd - guys who by night trade in their business suits for 10-gallon hats - patronizes Charlie's, a two-stepping dance club and cruise bar. On weekends after 1 a.m., Charlie's re-emerges as a hot after-hours hangout.Cruisin' 7th is unsurprisingly found on 7th Street, and is an unassuming, gay-friendly bar which features live entertainment in their Show Bar, including drag shows & karaoke. it's been a beloved landmark of the community since 1977, providing a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere where everyone is celebrated for who they are. Whether you’re a regular or a first-timer, their cocktail lounge offers an inviting environment to catch up with friends, meet new ones, or just hang out and relax. It has a pool table, dart board, jukebox and covered patio. Anvil is an energetic gay bar with regular theme nights, including live dancers, karaoke & open-mike events. It is very much a place where men who enjoy a leather and fetish scene gather close to the Downtown area of Phoenix and it's known for its sexy bears and theme nights. They often have live dancers for your pleasure. | |
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Nu Towne Saloon is the Valley's Oldest Gay Bar and features a laid-back vibe, with an outdoor patio and kitschy, seasonally themed decor.
Located in East Phoenix, a while away from the gay district in the Centre.
It's famed for being a bit rough around the edges and attracting that type of trade as well. Bears, leather daddies, and those who admire them, especially on Friday's 'Cruise Night', a Phoenix cultural institution dating back nearly 40 years. | .jpg)
Photo: Kevin Dooley from Chandler, AZ, USA
CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons |
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The Rock is a one of the best gay bars in the Melrose District. They offer a bar area with
karaoke & a showroom with comedy & drag performances. It's welcoming and a safe space for all.
Plazma is a gay lounge bar in Phoenix's gay district, serving cheap drinks and a dive bar ambience. Plazma sometimes screens NFL
games and sometimes puts on drag shows, so the vibe really depends on when you go. Plazma hosts several weekly events, including
strippers night on a Saturday, stand-up comedy on a Friday and karaoke on a Thursday.
Bar 1 is a hip gay-&-lesbian neighborhood bar offering billiards, darts, karaoke & specialty nights, plus a spacious heated and cooled patio, with outside bar access, so you can enjoy the weather. OZ Bar is part of the Alternative Poker Tour, this gay hot spot features extended happy hours, pool & darts. They have a spacious outdoor patio and themed events every night of the week. The Cash Nightclub & Lounge bill themselves as America's Hottest and Newest Latin Gay Nightspot. Quite a claim for this Gay & lesbian bar on East McDowell Road that features country music, line dancing or two-stepping, plus darts and karaoke. Downtown's Club Dwntwn is a swank and trendy cocktail lounge, the spot to sip colorful drinks and look sophisticated. It's a hit with stand-and-model types and club kids, plus quite a few heteros. The only strictly gay venue in Scottsdale, BS West is a preppy gay hangout where button-down shirts and dressy jeans are the norm. This festive space has a tiny dance floor and a patio out front with seating. Inviting all and worth a mention is the Boycott Bar on North 7th Avenue - it's a classic Gay bar with regular drinks with themed events & drag shows in a dimly lit space with disco lights & DJs. The cruisy Stacy's @ Melrose caters to a rough-and-ready male crowd and revs up with underwear nights, amateur strippers, and the like. The dance floor is small but potent, the music blaring at ear-splitting decibels. McKenzie's Midtown Tavern is a great little sports bar with a well-attended happy hour and music at a level that allows conversation. The popularity of the big disco Karamba, has ebbed and flowed over the years but this Gay dance club showcasing Latin DJ tunes, theme nights & drag shows remains one of the most well attended. Flex and the more bearish Chute are the city's bathhouses. | |
WHERE TO STAYOnce you're ready to call it a night (or a morning, or even just take a day to relax), Phoenix has some strikingly attractive inns and hotels. | |
| In terms of dramatic scenery, ultra-luxurious digs, and tranquil seclusion, it's difficult to top The Boulders, a peaceful compound in the desert foothills northeast of Phoenix, comprising 160 royally appointed casitas, two championship golf courses, a world-class spa, and five restaurants. |
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In downtown Phoenix, you might consider the massive but smoothly run Hyatt
Regency, whose rooftop pool and bar is particularly glam. Or consider the
reasonably priced Hotel San Carlos. One of the few historic buildings in
Phoenix, this gay-popular property offers a healthy dose of charm.
Rooms have a quirky and distinctive feel to them - not fancy, but with considerable
character. Close to the nightlife, Les Jardins is a former Radisson that is
now independently run and caters heavily to the gay and lesbian market.
The large, comfortable, but unremarkable rooms are set around a festive central
pool area. It's a very good value.
Homey and centrally located, the rambling Arizona Sunburst compound has a lovely pool and a clothing-optional sunbathing, swimming, spa and hot tub. They offer an expanded Continental Breakfast with Fresh Whole Fruits, Yogurts, Juices, Cereals and Muffins. All rooms with private baths, comforting queen size beds and refrigerators, and there's On-site Massage Therapy available with advance booking. For information and advice you can also contact the Phoenix Pride LGBT Center - which nowadays works mainly online.
Andrew Collins authored Fodor's Gay Guide to the USA, the Connecticut Handbook, and six regional gay guides for Fodor's. He can be reached at GayFodors@aol.com.Revised August 2023 | |
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