CHICAGO!
 
The largest city in the Midwest with a population of nearly 3 million. The outcome of the Great Chicago Fire led to the largest building boom in the history of the nation. Since 1885, when the first skyscraper rose, downtown Chicago is known for it's fantastic architecture. Current skyline plans entail the supertall Waterview Tower , the amazing Chicago Spire , and Trump International Hotel and Tower . The 60602 zip code was named by Forbes as the hottest zip code in the country!

The city is subdivided into 77 distinct community areas . There are 552 parks with over 7,300 acres (30 km²) of municipal parkland as well as 33 beaches, nine museums, two world-class conservatories, 16 historic lagoons and 10 bird and wildlife gardens. Lincoln Park, the largest of these parks has over 20 million visitors each year, making it second only to Central Park in New York City. Nine lakefront harbors located within a number of parks along the lakefront render the Chicago Park District the nation's largest municipal harbor system.

Nearly 50 million people a year visit Chicago. Besides deep-dish pizza, Chicago is known for it's food. Over 5,000 food licenses in the city. And shopping! The Magnificent Mile  is a shopping district of world-renown shops. Shoppers can enjoy magnificent department stores and boutiques comprising a diverse mix of American and international style. With over 460 retail stores, there is something to offer every style.

Boystown is the popular name of a locally recognized neighborhood enclave within Chicago. Situated within the formal neighborhood of Lakeview, it was the first officially recognized gay village in the United States as well as the cultural center of one of the largest lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgender (LGBT) communities in the nation. Boystown has grown into a cultural haven for the nearly 300,000 LGBT residents estimated to live within the Chicago metropolitan area today.

North Halsted Street, also known as "Northalsted", is the central hub of this bustling district. It sports Chicago's highest concentration of LGBT-friendly establishments—-an eclectic mix of bars, coffeehouses, and restaurants in accord with the equally eclectic population of local hipsters and open-minded progressives.  11 pairs of rainbow-colored abstract Art Deco pylons adorn the Halsted strip. Coupled with the ever-present rainbow flag that is posted upon nearly every entrance encountered on the Northalsted strip, these pillars also denote the many respectable gay-owned and operated venues that have become hotspots for weekenders throughout the city as well as residents of Boystown.

There is SO MUCH to see and do in Chicago , both gay and non-gay,
this site will be your one-stop information source!


Welcome to the Best of Gay Chicago!!