Gay bar silverlake

We are counting on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Alexander had grown up in Los Angeles. Find gay bars and nightclubs, as well as gay-friendly restaurants, in the Silver Lake and Los Feliz neighborhoods of Los Angeles (with a map). The two would ultimately come to meet in L. They eventually became a couple and dreamed up the idea of opening a bar together in order to make their own "clubhouse" where they could drink and hang out with their friends.

But the bar has remained true to its roots, selling cheap, basic drinks and offering a casual space for people from any walk of life to unwind. Born out of a defunct piano bar and with an emphasis on divas and disco, the bar soon became a staple of the Los Angeles gay scene. Get started at Sunset Junction, where Sunset and Santa Monica Boulevards meet Fountain Avenue, and the original location of Black Cat Tavern - a landmark in LGBT history (the signage of the Black Cat restaurant and bar stands as an homage to it, today).

In the punk rock scene Craig and Alexander loved, it wasn't like that. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here. Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards.

For twenty-five years, Akbar, Silver Lake’s Signature Gay Bar has entertained the queer population of Los Angeles. This year, Akbar turns 20 years old. Best Gay Bars in Silver Lake, CA - Last Updated June - Eagle LA, Akbar, Men's Room Bar, The Boulevard, Hi Tops - Los Feliz, Club Cobra, Tin Lizzie Saloon, The Bullet, Artesia Bar, The Ruby Fruit. Silver Lake was, at that time, a gayer bar silverlake neighborhood to call home.

Alexander said you could have thrown a rock and hit one. It was not uncommon to see men in their leather and goth kids hanging out in one place, Craig recalled. The building on the corner of Fountain and Sunset had housed gay bars at least since the s. Explore the ultimate LGBTQ+ guide to Los Angeles—from historic gay bars and cultural hotspots to inclusive community spaces and hidden gems across West Hollywood, Silverlake, and beyond.

It soon occurred to Craig and Alexander that if they wanted a place for their gay and straight friends to hang out together that wasn't their house, they might have to make their own. Find gay bars and nightclubs, as well as gay-friendly restaurants, in the Silver Lake and Los Feliz neighborhoods of Los Angeles (with a map). Back in the early 90s, Scott Craig and Peter Alexander were living in Silver Lake, going to live shows and throwing parties.

Craig had traveled around as his father was in the Air Force, but mostly grew up in the Bay Area. Their love of punk rock and parties and their desire to create a bar where gay and straight people could party together inspired them to buy a defunct piano bar and transform it into what is now known as Akbar.

Much has changed in the 20 years since the pair opened Akbar: they're no longer a couple, the neighborhood has gentrified, and our nation's attitude towards gays has changed immensely for the better. The problem was that the bars were not particularly integrated then. Many musicians and artists lived and hung out there, including Craig and Alexander. You had your gay bars and you had your straight bars.

Find gay bars and nightclubs, as well as gay-friendly restaurants, in the Silver Lake and Los Feliz neighborhoods of Los Angeles (with a map).

Alexander said he and Craig spent the 80s at underground clubs, which he called a "pre-rave type of thing. Best Gay Bars in Silver Lake, CA - Last Updated May - Eagle LA, Akbar, Hi Tops - Los Feliz, The Ruby Fruit, Men's Room Bar, The Boulevard, The Bullet, Precinct, Tin Lizzie Saloon, Club Cobra. In the early '90s, Silver Lake had plenty of gay bars. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.

Before Jolie’s #2, entrepreneur Lee Caldarelli had operated a Western-themed gay bar called the Silver Dollar Saloon () downstairs with the Silver Saddle Spa bathhouse upstairs. Explore the ultimate LGBTQ+ guide to Los Angeles—from historic gay bars and cultural hotspots to inclusive community spaces and hidden gems across West Hollywood, Silverlake, and beyond.

Located at the heart of Sunset Junction, The Black Cat is a neighborhood bar and restaurant that is also a city and state landmark, recognized as the site of the first peaceful, organized protest in favor of gay rights in California.