It’s been a tumultuous journey since early cradles of queer civilization sprouted in major American metropoles following World War II. Areas like the Castro, the West Village, and Boystown have grown, shrunk, and sometimes changed their names to reflect the ever-changing communities that live there. What hasn’t changed is the necessity for gay-friendly cities. According to a 2019 survey by Community Marketing and Insights, the number-one reason LGBTQ people travel is to relax — and for them, relaxing means visiting somewhere they know is queer-friendly, like a well-established gayborhood. Here are the top 9 LGBTQ+ friendly neighborhoods in the USA:
#9 – Bushwick, Brooklyn
#8 – Andersonville, Chicago
#7 – The Castro, San Francisco
#6 – The Marmalade, Salt Lake City
#5 – Midtown, Atlanta
#4 – Hillcrest, San Diego
#3 – Short North, Columbus
#2 – Montrose, Houston
#1 – Wilton Manors, Fort Lauderdale
