Gay Los Angeles: West Hollywood

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Santa Monica Boulevard leads you into West Hollywood, the thumping heart of Southern California’s gay community. LA’s Gay Pride Parade and Festival takes place here each June, while half a million people gather for the annual street Carneval at Halloween. The rest of the year, it’s busy day and night with cafés, gyms, restaurants, bars and dance clubs.

A classic evening in gay WeHo might start over margaritas at Marix Tex-Mex Cafe, barely more than a covered patio but always a party. For something fancier, try tapas at Bin 8945 wine bar or upscale Cal-American selections at Mark’s Restaurant.

Then amble down Santa Monica Boulevard to swizzle a dirty martini at Club 11. For fabulous mod interiors, check out East/West, O-Bar and Here. Dance fanatics head to Rage, Micky’s or The Factory. Meanwhile, the lineup at intimate Fubar might include karaoke, drag or hip-hop.

Or you can always opt for the old favorite, drag queen bingo at Hamburger Mary’s. The crowd skews a bit older at Trunks sports bar, while Gold Coast or the Mother Lode are always reliable. Then there’s the Abbey, a world unto itself. It started as a simple coffee shop and has grown into practically an empire, now sporting a Goth-gone-wild style as well as indoor and outdoor private cabanas.

Low key more your style? Try coffee at Café Marco or fashionable frozen yogurt (yes, fashionable frozen yogurt) at Pinkberry. A Different Light bookstore is an GLBT landmark, and if your shopping tendencies lean toward all things fashion, you can marvel at the design and clothing boutiques around the Pacific Design Center or the Beverly Center, as well as LA’s most famous shopping streets (Melrose Avenue, Beverly Boulevard and Robertson Boulevard).

North of Santa Monica Boulevard, the clubs and eateries of the Sunset Strip set the bar for the world. Koi, the House of Blues, and the Mondrian and Standard Hotels are good places to start. South of the boulevard, try exotic pizzettes at Taste, all-American fare lovingly prepared at Toast, or hearty baked goods, soups and salads at Doughboys. Spago and Ivy are culinary institutions on the celebrity circuit, while Sona and Simon LA are upscale newcomers.

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