New York, USA
Introduction
Welcome to the Big Apple, Gotham, the city that never sleeps. This is such a huge, overwhelming and exciting metropolis that it’s easy to feel quite lost here at times, especially for lesbian travelers. While the gay boys have Chelsea, Greenwich Village, East Village and Hell’s Kitchen (now lovingly referred to by the homos as “Hellsea” for its recent queering up), the scene isn't so obvious for lesbians, and more specifically lesbian tourists, in New York.
Walking around Manhattan, it’s easy to ask oneself “where are all the lesbians?” In a city this size, there are obviously hundreds of thousands of dykes living their daily lives, but it can sure be tough to find them. There are a myriad of lesbian club nights across the city, but they're all over Manhattan (see our club listings for more info). One word of advice: always double-check the party is still happening before heading out as many of these evenings come and go like the wind.
Over the past decade, lesbians were most visible in Brooklyn, especially in the neighbourhood of Park Slope (aka Dyke Slope) where the streets between 5th and 7th avenues are especially girl-friendly. All the same, in recent years Park Slope has undergone a real renaissance. With that comes a certain "de-queering" of the gaybourhood and nowadays you're likely to find all kinds of cool, straight moms hanging around places that used to be the exclusive domain of us bent girls. To boot, the lesbian bar Cattyshack closed down in early 2009, taking with it the only NYC area full-time lesbian dance club.
If hipster dykes are more up your alley, Williamsburg is another Brooklyn neighbourhood you should check out. Easily accessible from Manhattan via the L train, Williamsburg is located just across the Williamsburg bridge. Keep your eyes out for the main drag, Bedford Ave., and all the cute girls with their faux-hawks, skinny jeans and vintage t-shirts.
In a city renowned for its restaurants, you'll find a good number of high quality eateries that are either lesbian-owned or that have lesbian executive chefs (see the restaurant link to your left). Enjoying a nice leisurely meal at one of these spots is a great way to pass an evening in the big city.
Aw...Don't forget Brooklyn. You would be missing out on some great neighborhoods and a more relaxed vibe. Park Slope and Williamsburg are great places to start!
lisa on Aug 01, 2009
If you're going to New York as a tourist, you want to see what everyone else is seeing...parks, museums, buildings, districts like Chinatown, Greenwich Village, etc. Forget Brooklyn. There are easily googleable lesbian happenings in Manhattan, and there is an lgbtq center there with more info.
sheila on Mar 14, 2009
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