Gay Life's Featured Bars om the mid-1970s

Contents:

• THE BT GAY HANGOUT SPOTS OF HALSTED
• CHIGO GAY BARS AND CLUBS
• ZACHARY BLAIRANTHROPOLOGIST, REARCHER, WRER, AND GUN VLENCE VICTIMS ADVOTEHOMEABOUTCONTACTBLOGMOREUSE TAB TO NAVIGATE THROUGH THE MENU EMS.ALL POSTSCENTRAL FLORIDACHIGOPULSEWTER PARKBOYSTOWNSEARCHZACHARY BLAIRDEC 1, 20171 M READGAY LIFE'S FEATURED BARS OM THE MID-1970S

THE BT GAY HANGOUT SPOTS OF HALSTED

There’s a reason so many young queer people flock to Chigo and never leave: the cy’s gay scene is fun as hell. Boystown, of urse, is the cy’s official gayborhood, wh LGBTQ-iendly bars, rtrant, and clubs occupyg nearly every storeont on Northalsted. But Chigo’s queer muny exists far outsi the Lakeview enclave—and so do the great gay bars.

Whether they clu drag, dancg, or are div—or a ltle b of all three—Chigo’s bt gay bars have a ltle somethg for everyone. Gay Edgewater rints of all ag ll themselv regulars at this iendly, sual dive bar.

CHIGO GAY BARS AND CLUBS

This Uptown spot featur a relatively mixed-genr clientele ( the scheme of gay bars). Wh no distguishg signage outsi, this unmarked dive is much more discreet than s very gay clientele is.

Sitrack is generally herald as the kg of Chigo gay bars, and not for no reason: the sprawlg plex featur five different bars year-round. Add another two the summertime, when the upstairs pat—one of Chigo’s bt, gay or straight—is open for bs. Not only is the Jefey Pub one of the olst gay bars the untry, ’s also the only black-owned LGBTQ bar Chigo.

While there are tons of bars the neighborhood terg to gay men, queer women (like myself), and other members of the LGBTQ+ muny, the are my 13 favore plac to go to the Northhalsted area (prevly known as Boystown). This bar is jt one of those plac where I nstantly n to old iends and say, “Oh wow you’re gay now too?

ZACHARY BLAIRANTHROPOLOGIST, REARCHER, WRER, AND GUN VLENCE VICTIMS ADVOTEHOMEABOUTCONTACTBLOGMOREUSE TAB TO NAVIGATE THROUGH THE MENU EMS.ALL POSTSCENTRAL FLORIDACHIGOPULSEWTER PARKBOYSTOWNSEARCHZACHARY BLAIRDEC 1, 20171 M READGAY LIFE'S FEATURED BARS OM THE MID-1970S

The North End, which is probably the bt sports bar on North Halsted, is big and open, filled wh mostly gay men, and has lots of iendly staff who will happily pour you a rose cir while you watch the Cubs lose next door to The North End, Bobby Love’s has a quieter, zier feel that’s perfect for grabbg a beer and sgg your favore karaoke songs.

Jt a block off the ma Halsted bar area, The Closet has a dive bar feel and is one of my favore plac to meet other people the muny, whout the prsur of tryg to look hot while dancg and yellg over other dnk gays wearg speedos. And while most bars the area are geared towards gay men, The Closet mak sure ’s open for all queer people—cludg a clumsy lbian like like the Replay Lln Park and Anrsonville, this bar has fun vio gam, like Cis’n World, and a list of 26 beers they rotate out weekly. Gay guys sip their nctns om the DIY Bloody Mary bar.

Gay and lbian upl are monly seen htg the StairMasters or takg yoga class, but there are also tons of sgl spg out same-sex partners they’ll later meet via Craigslist’s Missed Connectns. Furnure shoppg Two thgs only gay men and rich straight women seem to have a knack for are fashn and furnure shoppg—a walk down North Clark Street provis you wh a great al of the latter at plac such as urban antique store Sut (5221 N Clark St, 773-275-5700, ), ntemporary boutique Urbant (5228 N Clark St, 773-271-1000) and the new vtage addn Room Service (5438 N Clark St, 773-878-5438, ).