SINGLE AND LOOKING?
Chicago, Illinois
Vibrant and friendly low-attitude bars and clubs and a slew of cheap but delicious dining destinations entice impecunious gay travelers to the nation’s third-largest city, a world-class destination by any measure. Beaches, lakeshore parks, and funky budget-friendly neighborhoods such as Wicker Park, Bucktown, and Andersonville add to the lure of this easy-on-the-pocket city. Downtown business-oriented hotels can be costly, but you’ll find a handful of small, reasonably priced motels, hotels, and inns to the north, in or near the city’s gay-popular Lakeview neighborhood. Chicago’s glorious skyline is free to admire.
Austin, Texas
Queer Austin folks like to say that they live in the “un-Texas” Texas, a land of green rolling hills, beautiful lakes and rivers, a progressive populace, and an urbane alternative arts and music scene. As Austin has boomed with dot-comers and entrepreneurs in recent years, its costs have risen, but it’s still a good value, especially when it comes to dining out -- Austin has scads of superb restaurants in all price categories. The bar scene is compact and the crowds friendly, and the presence of the University of Texas adds a youthful edge. There’s a great gay swimming and sunning hole, Hippie Hollow, just west of the city -- a free and friendly spot to cruise and make new friends.
Portland, Oregon
Funky Portland has received plenty of attention and an influx of newcomers in recent years, but it’s still a scaled-down, user-friendly city that offers much of the culture, attitude, and excitement of Seattle and San Francisco at a fraction of the price. The midsize metropolis sits on the pretty Willamette River. Foodies recognize it as one of America’s great gourmet bargains, and fans of historic hotels and inns appreciate the reasonable rates offered at several excellent properties within walking distance of the gay bars along Stark Street. The feminist scene here is one of America’s most pronounced, making this a potentially excellent vacation spots for your single lesbian pals hoping to find a like-minded soul.
Montreal, Quebec
For U.S. travelers, Canada is less of a bargain than it was five years ago, as the Canadian dollar has gained considerable strength against U.S. currency. Still, Montreal can be a steal, with numerous gay-friendly hotels and inns charging as little as $50 or $60 per night. This fun-loving city is a great destination for bar-hoppers -- the singles scene is frisky and sexy, and sultry gay saunas dot the landscape, appealing to guys of all ages and tastes. The city also has dozens of affordable cafes and coffeehouses, many of them in the hip Gay Village.
Sacramento, California
California’s underrated capital is, to be frank, a dark-horse candidate as one of the nation’s top gay singles destinations, but keep an open mind. The city is within a two-hour drive of much pricier places, including San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and the Napa- Sonoma Wine Country, and yet here you can easily find rooms for under $100 nightly. Sacramento boasts a vibrant (if not particularly conspicuous) gay community that is remarkably friendly and diverse in age -- it’s a pretty easy place to meet the locals. The dining scene here is excellent, and accommodations range from the gay-owned and upscale Inn at Parkside and Hartley House Inn to a slew of cheap and comfortable chain motels right in the center of the city, within walking distance of the several fun bars, coffeehouses, and restaurants.
Andrew Collins is the author of Fodor’s Gay Guide to the USA and eight additional travel guides. He can be reached at OutofTown@qsyndicate.com.
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