Gay Friendly Seattle

Seattle. The fact that it is nicknamed "The Emerald City" should make any gay man feel at home but beyond the Wizard of Oz connection, Seattle has plenty to offer. To some, Seattle evokes images of Kurt Cobain and grunge music. Others think of Frasier and Niles or the caffeinated coffee culture or even rain - lots of it. But despite its reputation as a wet little town on the west coast, Seattle offers much more than that.

It's beautiful scenery, ample shopping, and sparkling nightlife make it a desirable destination for any traveler, but thanks to the city's open and gay-friendly atmosphere, Seattle is especially inviting for gay visitors. In addition to welcoming gay neighborhoods and vibrant nightlife, an annual Pride parade that attracts almost 100,000, even the city officials are gay-friendly: the mayor is always in the Pride Parade, the new Chief marched for the first time in 1994.

The gay-friendly openness probably stems from the fact that Seattle ranks among the five most creative cities in America (according to Richard Florida, award-winning author of The Rise of the Creative Class). But despite the high level of education, residents still maintain a low-key, jeans-and-parka style of life that simultaneously makes Seattle an energetic and down- to-earth place to be.

Seattle's gentle, marine climate offers year-around outdoor recreation. Summers are reliably dry and mild, with extreme heat being infrequent and usually short in duration. On average, temperatures fall below freezing just 15 days a year. The region is mild and moderately moist due to the prevailing westerly air currents from the Pacific Ocean and to the shielding effects of the Cascade Mountains. And, despite the reputation, Seattle ranks 44th among U.S. cities by rainfall amounts, with an average of just 37 inches a year so you may be tempted to leave the umbrella at home but you should definitely bring your, ahem, rubbers.


Gay Friendly Hotels in Seattle

When you plan your trip to Seattle, there are plenty of options on where to stay. The city is broken up into many districts including Chinatown with its Asian food and bustling marketplace, the Broadway shopping District with stores galore and Denny Regrade/Belltown where you'll find art galleries and studios. Most likely though, you'll want to stay in or near Capitol Hill where same-sex couples stroll hand-in-hand along Broadway, the annual Pride Parade converges on Volunteer Park, and bustling gay bars and a vibrant arts scene overrun the Pine/Pike Corridor. In Capitol Hill you'll find everyone from club kids and neo-new-wavers to Goths boys and skater types. And if you are traveling in October, you're in for a special treat when Capitol Hill goes all out for Halloween hosting many drag events and the Bear Scare Underwear Party .

Capitol Hill's tree-lined streets offer a variety of lodging choices including standard chain or branded hotels and charming, inns that are quaintly decorated in an era of yesterday yet still offer the modern conveniences of today � including wireless internet (shouldn't that just be expected in a high-tech city like Seattle?). The Capitol Hill neighborhood is the traditional hub of gay and lesbian culture and entertainment and hosts the annual Gay Pride Festival. However, Seattle's sizeable, progressive gay and lesbian population pervades the entire city and no matter where you stay, Seattle hotels range from grand and luxurious to the sleek and trendy, cozy boutique inns to neighborhood bed and breakfasts.

Stay in the financial district and you'll be just steps from Pike Place Market, home to Seattle's top shopping and world-class restaurants. Stay further out and you can stay in hotels that offer sweeping views of Puget Sound, Lake Union, and the Seattle skyline. Maybe you prefer the heart of downtown Seattle close to the galleries which feature the best emerging and established artists & photographers in town. Whether you're looking for a cozy, romantic hideaway in the islands of Puget Sound or accommodations fit for a Queen in the finest luxury hotel or resort, Pride City Guide will help you find a perfect place to spend visit to the Emerald City and surrounding areas.


What to do? Where to Go?

Seattle's downtown is walkable and energetic while its colorful neighborhoods unfold like an emerald necklace of parks and boulevards, 500-foot hills and scenic waterways.
Whether you are traveling alone, or with friends, family, or a larger group, there is something for everyone

Seattle's most popular attraction is its most recognizable landmark, the 520 foot Space Needle, which offers a stunning view of the Northwest landscape including Puget Sound and the lush forests near the Olympic Mountains. Other outdoor recreation includes spectacularly scenic golf, kayaking and canoeing, fishing and clamming at Discovery Park (in Magnolia neighborhood), Seward Park (near Lake Washington) and Woodland Park Zoo and Rose Gardens. A short drive out of the city leads to skiing, snowboarding, river rafting, hiking and some of the most scenic parks around: Mt. Rainier National Park, Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, and Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.

In the summer, you'll want to pitch a tent at the Triangle Campground - an exclusively gay campsite tucked in the deep lush woods in Bender Creek which is about 90 minutes northeast of Seattle. Be sure to bring a can of Deepwoods Off as the only amenities the site provides is outhouses.

Don't worry if you are not the outdoorsy type. The greater Seattle area has more arts-related businesses and organizations per capita than anywhere else in the US. Music ranges from a lively club scene to a vital jazz community to the internationally-acclaimed Seattle Symphony. The "Experience Music Project" celebrates popular music with one-of-a-kind mix of interactive exhibits, unique artifacts, and live performance. The newly-opened Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame, first of its kind in the world, shares space with the same landmark structure.

Seattle has arts for everyone, transcending language and transforming and transporting the audience. Whether your tastes run to traditional or cutting edge, intimate performance venues or festivals on a grand scale, you'll find it here. Birthplace of grunge, hotbed of glass art, home to an internationally-acclaimed 100-year-old symphony orchestra and more theatres than any comparably sized city, Seattle is enriched by famous authors, playwrights, glass artists, painters, singers and more who keep the region vital.

Seattle is one of few U.S. cities to include a major symphony, ballet and opera. Its 25 professional theater companies have been known to launch Tony-award winning Broadway plays such as Hairspray. Museums such as the Seattle Art Museum (SAM) often lure traveling exhibitions of international significance. A major SAM expansion and new sculpture park are underway. The Seattle Men's Chorus is one of the largest community choruses in the U.S. and one of the largest gay men's choruses in the world. The Seattle Women's Chorus, though newly formed, is selling out shows.

Seattle's International Film Festival, held annually mid-May to mid-June, is the largest film festival in the country and a smaller, though very popular gay film fest occurs each October. Seattle's movie houses are wonderful, lots of them small, old buildings, that feature much more than the usual Hollywood releases - art and foreign films abound.
There are several major huge gay social events (The Prom, the Bump, etc.) and monthly Gay Bingo (except during the summer).

Seattle's natural beauty inspires even the most committed couch potatoes to get off the sofa - even if it is just to shop. Seattle has been ranked among the top-ten gay shopping cities. Downtown Seattle's compact and easily walkable retail core allows you to dart between the Nordstrom flagship store and other local legends like Eddie Bauer. Shopping centers such as Pacific Place, Westlake Center and Rainier Square showcase international retailers such as Tiffany, Cartier and Montblanc.

Just a few blocks east of downtown, Capitol Hill's Broadway Avenue East and the Pike/Pine corridor offer affordable couture, vintage collectibles, music and art stores and plenty of fun cafes and coffee shops to cleanse a shopper's palate. Antique hunters should try the funky Fremont neighborhood in the city's north end.

Long days of shopping wears out even the most toned tourist, so for some extra kick stop by any of Seattle's ubiquitous coffee houses which abound with fresh home brews, nonstop people-watching opportunities and live music.


Dining in Gay Friendly Seattle

Contrary to popular belief, Seattle is more than coffee carts, espresso stands, and latte bars. Nationally- acclaimed local chefs have placed Seattle solidly on the international cuisine map, and their new style of cooking is eclectic, exciting, world-class. Their use of the freshest seasonal ingredients, harvested locally or grown especially for a restaurant, is inspiring an adventurous cuisine that is distinctly Seattle.

The regional bounty is rich: salmon, shellfish, sweet onions, mushrooms, stone fruits, berries and asparagus. The culture overflows with liquid delights -coffee, microbrews and wine. Given its easy proximity to the Pacific Rim, Seattle's collaborative cuisine also takes full advantage of Asian ingredients and embraces the city's many cultural influences to create cutting-edge fusions and ambrosial works of art.

In fact, food is considered high art in Seattle. An array of sophisticated restaurants run by creative and sometimes daring chefs make the city a required stop for foodies. Menus showcase the region's bounty of wild salmon, Dungeness crab, oysters, mussels, fresh produce, strong coffee, craft beers and, of course, a wide selection of internationally-acclaimed Washington wines.

The restaurants offer the requisite seafood including bountiful opportunities for succulent sushi. Feeling adventurous? Your palate can run the gamut from budget Japanese fast food to a mind-blowing $100-per-person feast. The usual steak/lobster/wine experiences are plentiful, but with a large Asian restaurant community, there is much to explore. You can travel around the world just by walking around a Seattle block.

If you enjoy live music over dinner, you can definitely cruise Capitol Hill, but you will probably end up lured to the nearby district known as First Hill. Between the two districts you will find Seattle's legendary hard rock bands, plus country, new wave, salsa and much more. Don't be fooled by the flannel-n-sweat image of music fads past, this is eclectic-ville. There is a good supply of live music restaurants for those who don't want a concert experience but still need to hear plenty of good live tunes. Many of the more popular live music eateries offer Italian food, so get yourself for plenty of wine and enjoy. You'll also find Latin music and food, brewpubs and more with good stage acts.

No matter what you decide to do in Seattle, this Emerald City boasts a rare blend of cosmopolitan culture, scenic beauty and a welcoming spirit that embraces gay and lesbian locals and visitors alike.

Seattle Gay Nightlife

Seattle's nightlife includes everything from neighborhood-style bars to video clubs and leather bars. Other clubs feature videos and pounding dance beats that attract young hipsters who are into physical and electronic eye candy. You'll often find these bars hosting CD and DVD release parties to keep the crowd packing in. The Seattle gay bar crowd seems different because there is less categorization or exclusivity than other cities. Most bars welcome anybody- gay, lesbian, straight or bi - as regulars when they step through the doors.

The gay scene of Seattle is primarily located in the Capitol Hill district where bars are packed along Broadway. If you are feeling like the next Lance Bass, some bars feature karaoke or other forms of amateur night where wannabes rock the house with their own interpretations of "I Will Survive" while a gaggle of regulars down beers and shots with equal zeal.

Madison Street is home to the neighborhood bars where guys can cruise the boys, throw back a few pints and enjoy a game of pool or darts, while watching the big game. These bars are most popular among guys just wanting to kick it with like minded drinkers because of the welcoming atmosphere to newcomers. There are also a few traditional dance clubs that are packed with revelers on the weekends for the choice DJs spinning high-energy dance tracks. And if those contemporary uber-lounges are more your style - a couple of these hot spots have popped up in Seattle in recent years as well.

Seattle boasts a raucous leather crowd that tends to be more laid back boozer types than the coifed and spritzed masses you're likely to find at other Seattle gay bars and the atmosphere at the leather bars is far grittier than other more dance-oriented bars.

If good conversation, cruising, dancing and booze are right up your alley, visit 13th Avenue where you'll find outdoor patio bars and dance clubs and floor that are packed wall to wall with all sorts of guys.

No matter where you go, you'll find Seattle's bar scene has cross-generational appeal that attracts men of all ages and backgrounds. Check Pride Bar Guide's by clicking on "nightlife" on the left side of this page and you'll find a list of local clubs that will help you find the one that is right for you.

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