Chicago gay neighborhood
The ultimate LGBTQ+ neighborhood instruction to Chicago
No matter how you identify, you’ll touch right at home in Chicago. Our city is known for embracing diversity and inclusion, from our world-famous Pride celebrations to establishing the country’s first official LGBTQ+ neighborhood. And while the whole municipality exudes a welcoming vibe, there are a couple of neighborhoods and places you shouldn’t miss.
LGBTQ+ neighborhoods in Chicago
Make a beeline for Northalsted
Northalsted, also acknowledged as Boystown, is the oldest LGBTQ+ neighborhood in the country. The area’s proud history is on display with the Legacy Walk, which commemorates notable LGBTQ+ heroes and historic events. The walk is a great way to tour the community — make sure to cease into the many excellent eateries, friendly bars, vintage stores, and unique boutiques along the way.
Come June, you’ll find Northalsted at the heart of the city’s annual Pride Month celebrations, which include two days of music, kingly shows, dancing, and more at Chicago Pride Fest, and culminates with the famed Chicago Pride Parade, a spectacular procession held on the last Sunday of June.
A couple of the many s
Northalsted (Boystown)
Why we cherish it
Northalsted (also recognizable as Boystown) is one of the most country’s inclusive LGBTQ+ communities and the oldest officially recognized gay neighborhood in the Together States. It’s recognizable for its welcoming vibe, nonstop nightlife, LGBTQ-owned businesses, and excellent dining options. It’s also the center of some of Chicago’s most popular events and festivals.
Explore like a local
Insider tips
Stroll the award-winning Legacy Walk, the world’s only outdoor LGBTQ history museum. Located on Halsted Street from Belmont Avenue to Grace Street, the Legacy Walk commemorates LGBTQ+ heroes and historical events with colorful monuments.
Along the way, stop into funky boutiques, chilly vintage clothing stores, and independent shops that capture the casual, funky energy of the neighborhood — CRAM Fashion, Unabridged Bookstore, Ragstock, and Reckless Records are just a few.
Enjoy a meal at one of the many charming neighborhood restaurants: Drew’s on Halsted has American bistro fare and a trendy patio, The Chicago Diner has been serving vegetarian cuisine since 1983, Ann Sather is a cozy Swedish brunch
Chicago Gay City Guide: A Midwestern Jewel for the LGBTQ Community
Nestled on the shores of Lake Michigan, Chicago is an industrious metropolis that’s an exciting place for the LGBTQ community. An international hub of culture, commerce, and creativity, the city provides a multitude of gay resources to make every new resident feel at home.
A Brief History of the Windy City
Like many Midwestern regions, the Native Americans were responsible for cultivating a lot of the land. The actual term “Chicago” is roughly translated from a Native American word that means “wild onion,” something which grows abundantly to this day.
The city was born in 1883 and in 1983, Chicago saw its first jet mayor. In 2019, for the first time in history, all three city-wide elective offices were held by women. Chicago is a forward-thinking and progressive town that has a lot to offer LGBTQ residents.
Quick Stats About the 312
- The city is 227.63 square miles.
- Chicago has both a commuter rail and rapid transit system. (Metra and cta).
- Chicago is the third-most populous city in the United States (approx. 2,705,994 people).
- Spray paint was invented in Chicago.
- Chi
As one of the busiest industrial centers and transportation hubs in the United States, Chicago at the beginning of the twentieth century attracted thousands of unpartnered women and men with new employment opportunities and nonfamilial living arrangements in the lodging-house districts of the Near North and Near South Sides. The anonymous and transient character of these neighborhoods permitted the development of Chicago's lesbian and gay subculture. During the early years of the century, much of this subculture was centered in the Levee, a working-class fun and vice district. Here, several saloons and dance halls catered to gay men and featured female impersonation acts. By 1911, the Vice Commission of Chicago noted the presence of “whole groups and colonies of these men who are sex perverts,” many of them active as department-store clerks in the Loop. The homosexual woman presence in the city was less visible during these years, in part because many working-class lesbians “passed” as men in request to gain access to better-paying jobs; Chicago newspap