10 Great Neighborhoods with a Gay Vibe
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Logan Circle (Washington, D.C.)
If you walk about six blocks due east of uber-gay Dupont Circle, you'll come to Logan Circle, the white-hot D.C. neighborhood that's enjoyed a massive gentrification in recent years. Along 14th Street, you'll see the greatest evidence of change - hot new restaurants, the chic gay lounge Halo, a huge Whole Foods Market, and the stylish Hotel Helix, which is run by the GLBT-friendly Kimpton Group. Fans of the neighborhood's handful of fine theaters hang out at the inviting 1409 Playbill Cafe, and live-music devotees stroll along the U Street Corridor, which marks the neighborhood's northern boundary and is lined with great clubs and restaurants. Even before Logan Circle became so fabulous, gays and lesbians began buying the Edwardian and Victorian townhouses in this historic but formerly blighted neighborhood. For example, gay William Lewis House B&B has been going strong for well over a decade.

Midtown (Houston, Texas)
Between downtown and Montrose, Houston's Midtown neighborhood has one of the hottest real-estate markets in the country, as this once virtually deserted area booms with new condos and town homes. Cool restaurants are popping up, too, such as Farrago, a dapper bistro serving creative pizzas, affordable pastas and burgers, and wonderful weekend brunch fare. A more upscale but still moderately priced option is Gravitas, a slick space serving innovative regional American cuisine. For nightlife, there's Brazos River Bottom, a country-western bar that was welcoming queer folks to Midtown years before the neighborhood started getting trendy. Midtown's proximity to the numerous gay bars of Montrose have made it a hit with many gay and lesbian homeowners.

Roosevelt Row (Phoenix, Arizona)
On the north side of downtown Phoenix, Roosevelt Row is a burgeoning mixed-use residential district that supports several excellent galleries as well as a wonderful bakery, Tammie Coe Cakes (stop in for a latte and a sweet treat or two). Vinophiles have taken a shine to Cheuvront Wine & Cheese Cafe, the brainchild of the city's openly gay state senator, Ken Cheuvront. This happening neighborhood is also home to the esteemed Phoenix Art Museum and the Native American-focused Heard Museum. You'll also find one of the city's top gay bars, Amsterdam, an elegant lounge with a festive patio out back.

St. Anthony Main (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
Just across the Mississippi River from downtown Minneapolis, you'll find some of the city's most intriguing neighborhoods, beginning with Nicollet Island, which is home to the St. Anthony Falls Historic District, a warren of vintage mills and renovated warehouses. St. Anthony Main, the area immediately northeast of the island, was once a Polish neighborhood. Several cool bars and restaurants have opened in these parts, and younger residents - many of them gay - have begun transforming the area. You can stroll along the riverbank, which has park benches, and amble down along the crashing cataracts at St. Anthony Falls. You'll find some great, gay-friendly restaurant options in the area, including Pizza Nea and kitschy Nye's Polonaise Room, serving up hearty Polish food and featuring dancing to live polka bands.

Andrew Collins is the author of Fodor's Gay Guide to the USA and as well as numerous other guidebooks.