Gay community chicago
Northalsted, Chicago's Proudest Neighborhood
The first officially recognized gay village in the United States, Boystown Chicago is the commonly recognized nickname for the eclectic East Lakeview neighborhood established as Northalsted that is home to Chicago's visible and active lesbian, gay, double attraction and transgender community.
Northalsted, the first official gay neighborhood in the country (credit: )
Northalsted is situated just southeast of Wrigleyville in Lakeview. The area is bordered by Broadway Ave. on the east and Halsted St. on the west, Grace St. to the north and Belmont Ave. to the south.
The two main (north-south) avenues of Halsted St. and Broadway influence the heart of this commercial and entertainment district. Broadway primarily offers a variety of themed shops and restaurants stretching throughout the neighborhood while Halsted caters to a lively nightlife with more than 30 different gay and lesbian bars, nightclubs and restaurants.
The neighborhood is also home to the Center on Halsted, the Midwest’s largest
Chicago Gay City Guide: A Midwestern Jewel for the LGBTQ Community
Nestled on the shores of Lake Michigan, Chicago is an industrious metropolis that’s an electrifying place for the LGBTQ community. An international hub of culture, commerce, and creativity, the city provides a multitude of same-sex attracted resources to make every new resident feel at home.
A Brief History of the Windy City
Like many Midwestern regions, the Native Americans were responsible for cultivating a lot of the land. The actual term “Chicago” is roughly translated from a Native American word that means “wild onion,” something which grows abundantly to this day.
The city was born in and in , Chicago saw its first black mayor. In , for the first period in history, all three city-wide elective offices were held by women. Chicago is a forward-thinking and progressive town that has a lot to provide LGBTQ residents.
Quick Stats About the
- The city is square miles.
- Chicago has both a commuter rail and rapid transit system. (Metra and cta).
- Chicago is the third-most populous city in the United
As one of the busiest industrial centers and transportation hubs in the United States, Chicago at the beginning of the twentieth century attracted thousands of unattached women and men with new employment opportunities and nonfamilial living arrangements in the lodging-house districts of the Near North and Near South Sides. The anonymous and transient character of these neighborhoods permitted the development of Chicago's lesbian and gay subculture. During the early years of the century, much of this subculture was centered in the Levee, a working-class show and vice district. Here, several saloons and dance halls catered to gay men and featured female impersonation acts. By , the Vice Commission of Chicago noted the presence of “whole groups and colonies of these men who are sex perverts,” many of them active as department-store clerks in the Loop. The queer woman presence in the city was less visible during these years, in part because many working-clas
Andersonville, a Neighborhood for Everyone
Chicago's Andersonville neighborhood, known for its Swedish roots, historic architecture, and bustling urban main street, has one of the city's largest gay and lesbian communities, second only to Boystown.
The welcoming North Side neighborhood stretches from Foster Ave. to the south, Victoria St. to the north, Ravenswood Ave. to the west and Magnolia Ave. to the east.
Recognized as the “shop local capital of Chicago”, Andersonville’s commercial district and main shopping street, Clark St., features primarily independent, locally-owned boutiques and specialty stores.
In addition, the area features a number of same-sex attracted and lesbian bars, nightclubs and some of Chicago’s best restaurants.
Andersonville hosts Midsommarfest, one of Chicago’s most legendary street festivals, in early June. The annual event kicks off the summer neighborhood street festival season.
The Andersonville Chamber of Commerce is committed to equality, making Andersonville a ne