Gay-borhoods.

[SanFranciscan]

Do you feel more comfortable in predominately gay neighborhoods, or is living in a mixed neighborhood your preference? I see the advantages of both. Which do you like more? Would you mind saying why?

 

[OrlandoMike]

Sadly, where I live, its not really an option...

But given the choice, yes I would love to live in one!

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

Same here. No real option, but if given the opportunity, I'd love to live in the 'hood.

 

[wallyb]

I live in a neighborhood that no one wanted
To visit when we first move here (we = the gays)
Then we made it the cool part of town - now all the breeders have moved in with their double wide baby buggies.
So now it's pretty mixed.

 

[dmwang9]

Do you feel more comfortable in predominately gay neighborhoods, or is living in a mixed neighborhood your preference? I see the advantages of both. Which do you like more? Would you mind saying why?

When I moved to San Francisco 6 years ago, I consciously chose to live in the Castro, because I wanted to see what it was like to live in a predominantly gay neighborhood. (I moved here from rural Delaware and wanted a change.)

Now that I've been here for a while, I think it doesn't really matter to me. I'm more concerned with a decent apartment at a reasonable price than location, location, location. Give me a high-speed Internet connection and a Netflix subscription, and I'm good to go.

 

[Sphyrna]

I think I'd like to live in a gayborhood. When I lived in So. Fl I thought my next move might have been to Wilton Manors, the gayborhood near Ft Lauderdale. Instead I moved to Pittsburgh. Not quite the same. Good thing about gayborhoods is property value usually increases since we take care of our stuff and like to make things look pretty!

 

[SanFranciscan]

I think I'd like to live in a gayborhood. When I lived in So. Fl I thought my next move might have been to Wilton Manors, the gayborhood near Ft Lauderdale. Instead I moved to Pittsburgh. Not quite the same. Good thing about gayborhoods is property value usually increases since we take care of our stuff and like to make things look pretty!

Oh, there are some lovely houses in heavily gay Eureka Valley here in San Francisco, and I think that on the whole you are right that gays are a positive influence on neighborhoods with aging houses. This was described at the nationwide level in the book "Passion To Preserve." The only bad part about it is that gays are resented by people who blame gays for "gentrification" and sometimes target gays for violence as a result.

 

[Bellastumbles]

My next move will be to a "gay friendly neighborhood" here in North Jersey..Montclair specifically. Now if money was no object I would love to move to NYC and live in the village! I however, live in reality so I get to stay here in NJ

 

[zeitzeuge]

When I was KCMO, I lived in the gayborhood (Midtown area), and it was nice. I went out a lot back then, so being close to the bars and gay owned/operated restaurants and shops was nice. Felt comfortable and safe.

In Dallas, I lived in the gayborhood for about 15 years. Although it wasn't, and still isn't the safest area in world, it's a wonderful place to live. I love it when you can go to the grocery store and see drag queens or a couple guys in leather in leather chaps with butts hanging out, shopping for groceries. Ah to be with your peeps.

We now live in an area called Oak Cliff, which is an older part of town, predominantly black, hispanic and gay men. We've taken over parts of Oak Cliff and totally changed certain areas. It's what we do...

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

When I was KCMO, I lived in the gayborhood (Midtown area), and it was nice. I went out a lot back then, so being close to the bars and gay owned/operated restaurants and shops was nice. Felt comfortable and safe.

In Dallas, I lived in the gayborhood for about 15 years. Although it wasn't, and still isn't the safest area in world, it's a wonderful place to live. I love it when you can go to the grocery store and see drag queens or a couple guys in leather in leather chaps with butts hanging out, shopping for groceries. Ah to be with your peeps.

We now live in an area called Oak Cliff, which is an older part of town, predominantly black, hispanic and gay men. We've taken over parts of Oak Cliff and totally changed certain areas. It's what we do...

Love the gay Kroger. DH is probably there right now, as a matter of fact...

 

[zeitzeuge]

Love the gay Kroger. DH is probably there right now, as a matter of fact...

Yeah we call that one Krogurl.

When Tom Thumb was across the street, we named that Mary Thumb. And of course Albertsons, was named Albuttsons.

Silly gays...

 

[rpmdfw]

Yeah we call that one Krogurl.

When Tom Thumb was across the street, we named that Mary Thumb. And of course Albertsons, was named Albuttsons.

Silly gays...

When I lived a few blocks away we called that one "Mary K".

Zeit, where did you live in the "hood" for 15 years?

I left Oaklawn six years ago after 8 years of living there, so we must have been there at the same time at some point.

I was off of Wycliff and Maple, right behind Sal's Pizza (boy, do I miss that place!)

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Rob, did you take your car to Auto Spa? Tommy over there was always a huge supporter of LifeWalk - really nice guy!

 

[zeitzeuge]

When I lived a few blocks away we called that one "Mary K".

Zeit, where did you live in the "hood" for 15 years?

I left Oaklawn six years ago after 8 years of living there, so we must have been there at the same time at some point.

I was off of Wycliff and Maple, right behind Sal's Pizza (boy, do I miss that place!)

Gosh where DIDN'T I live in the gayborhood? I lived at 4242 my first couple years there. Lived on Throckmorton a year. Lived not far from Sal's Pizza for about 5 years, probably 2 blocks from the apt complex you're talking about. Rest of the time was spent a few more blocks away, but still in the general area. I moved a lot. I'd find a cheaper or better place and I'd start packing.

 

[rpmdfw]

Rob, did you take your car to Auto Spa? Tommy over there was always a huge supporter of LifeWalk - really nice guy!

Um, nope. I'm not an "auto spa" kinda guy. I'm a "let's go to the do-it-yourself" high pressure spray wash next to Fresco" up on Lemmon kind of guy. Especially when the weather got warm and there were lots of shirtless hotties at that car wash.

Gosh where DIDN'T I live in the gayborhood? I lived at 4242 my first couple years there. Lived on Throckmorton a year. Lived not far from Sal's Pizza for about 5 years, probably 2 blocks from the apt complex you're talking about. Rest of the time was spent a few more blocks away, but still in the general area. I moved a lot. I'd find a cheaper or better place and I'd start packing.

How in the heck did we not meet? I'd be willing to bet that we lived only blocks away from each other for at least part of that time.

 

[SanFranciscan]

In Eureka Valley, especially in the Duboce Triangle surrounding Castro Street, the "gayborhood" has grown more conservative in the over 20 years that I have lived in San Francisco. There are at least two all-gay religious congregations, at least one Jewish and one Christian. The rate of gardening among those with little yards is high. In nearby Noe Valley, same-sex couples with little ones in push carts is not an uncommon sight. This has created tensions between gays who come to San Francisco and head straight for "the Castro" thinking "Where's the party?!" and those who don't like the noise, the pee in their flower beds, etc.

This got me to thinking about the pluses and minuses of gayborhoods. Does there come a point at which gays might fit in better in neighborhoods with mostly heterosexual families? I recently had breakfast in the the part of Eureka Valley also known as "the Castro," and a man sitting at one of the outside tables was very offended by two other men at one of the outside tables because they had no clothes on. He said that it was very rude, and he was with another adult so I can imagine the attitude parents might take whether or not they were themselves gay. I have noticed that it always seems to be the least attractive people who think that public nudity is a good idea, but that was beside the point.

I do believe that gays are on the whole a positive influence upon communities because gays are, on average, very civic-minded and, as has already been said here, on average, very inclined to take care of property. Yet just because two people are both gay that doesn't mean that they have anything else in common so naturally we are seeing NIMBY-ism in predominately gay neighborhoods. Is the solution gay/heterosexual integration, or are gay neighborhoods still needed?

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Um, nope. I'm not an "auto spa" kinda guy. I'm a "let's go to the do-it-yourself" high pressure spray wash next to Fresco" up on Lemmon kind of guy. Especially when the weather got warm and there were lots of shirtless hotties at that car wash.

How in the heck did we not meet? I'd be willing to bet that we lived only blocks away from each other for at least part of that time.

OK, well, I haven't washed my own car in more than 20 years so if you ever need a good full-service car wash recommendation...

 

[reid_man]

I think I would enjoy living in a gay neighborhood once I got out on my own.
Maybe like the village in Nyc

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

I think I would enjoy living in a gay neighborhood once I got out on my own.
Maybe like the village in Nyc

The village (I assume you mean the West Village) isn't really the gayborhood in New York anymore, unless you are in your 40s-50s-60s. Mostly because it's completely affordable. Chelsea and Astoria are more well known "gayborhoods", as well as Park Slope for the ladies.

 

[reid_man]

Yuck! Old people! (I kid, I kid)

Well wherever I end up, I think a predominately gay neighborhood would be right for me!