Chicago's Gay District
Northalsted, Chicago's Most Esteemed Enclave
The initial officially recognized gay village within the United States, Boystown Chicago is the commonly adopted moniker for the varied East Lakeview neighborhood known as Northalsted. This locale is home to Chicago's visible and dynamic lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community.
Northalsted, the country's inaugural official gay neighborhood(credit: northalsted.com)
Northalsted is located slightly southeast of Wrigleyville in Lakeview. This area is bounded by Broadway Ave. to the east and Halsted St. to the west, with Grace St. to the north and Belmont Ave. to the south.
The two chief (north-south) thoroughfares of Halsted St. and Broadway dominate the nucleus of this commercial and entertainment district. Broadway predominantly features a range of themed stores and eateries spanning the entire neighborhood, whereas Halsted caters to a lively nightlife featuring over thirty distinct gay and lesbian bars, nightclubs, and restaurants.
The neighborhood is also the location of the Center on Halsted, the Midwest's largest LGBTQ community center, welcoming over one thousand individuals daily. Northalsted stages a number of annual events — Chicago Pride Fest, the Chicago Pride Parade, and Northalsted Market Days — attracting over a million people to the North Side neighborhood each summer.
Immerse yourself in Chicago's LGBTQ scene!
Chicago presents an ideal setting to celebrate pride this summer, with a dynamic LGBTQ+ community and events tailored to everyone's tastes. Here are a few further activities while visiting.
Legacy Project Rainbow Pylons
While exploring the Northalsted neighborhood, it will quickly become apparent, the twenty rainbow pylons that decorate "Chicago's most proud neighborhood."
The twenty-five-foot-tall pylons were designed and installed by the architecture firm DeStefano+Partners as part of a series of streetscape projects undertaken by Mayor Richard M. Daley. They were officially dedicated in nineteen ninety-eight. This marked the initial occasion that a city government formally acknowledged an LGBTQ community.
Legacy Project attains landmark status (credit: Spike King)
In two thousand and twelve, the Legacy Project chose the unique rainbow pylons as the setting for the initial outdoor museum, acknowledging the significant global achievements and contributions of LGBTQ individuals.
As of two thousand nineteen, the pylons have been improved with forty illuminated bronze plaques honoring historically important figures, including Frida Kahlo, Jane Addams, Sally Ride, and Alan Turing. The plaques are affixed with stainless steel frames on the sidewalk-facing sides of each pylon. They are known as the Legacy Walk, the planet's only outdoor museum devoted to LGBTQ history.
The nonprofit Legacy Walk Organization was established by long-standing LGBTQ activists Victor Salvo, Lori Cannon, and Owen Keehnen. (legacyprojectchicago.org)
Center on Halsted - 3656 N. Halsted
Center on Halsted is the Midwest's largest comprehensive center serving the LGBTQ community of Chicago. The Center organizes a variety of cultural events, including concerts, theatrical performances, and lecture series, in addition to sports and recreational programs. (centeronhalsted.org)
Bars, Nightclubs and Restaurants
The stretch of entertainment situated on North Halsted, from Belmont Ave. to Grace St., is home to some of the oldest and most iconic LGBTQ owned and operated establishments within the Midwest. From the neighborhood's hottest drag brunch at D.S. Tequila Co, to slushy beverages on the rooftop deck, and show-tune evenings at Sidetrack, along with thumping nightclub DJs until four a.m. at Hydrate Nightclub, it is possible to locate just about anything that corresponds to your preference and time of day.
Boystown Bars | LGBTQ Bars in Chicago
Celebrate summer on Sidetrack's expansive rooftop deck (credit: Sidetrack)
When it comes to shopping, don't miss Cram Fashion, a casual menswear boutique, along with hard-to-find queer works available at Unabridged Bookstore.
GoPride.com offers a full business directory and an LGBTQ calendar.
Header Image: A seven hundred fifty-square-foot queer-themed mural that blankets the entire south wall of the Howard Brown Health Center, located at three thousand two hundred forty-five North Halsted, honoring non-binary community members and features holistic healer and interdisciplinary artist Kiam Marcelo Junio. Artists Sandra Antongiorgi Music Artist, Andy Bellomo, and Sam Kirk finished the LGBTQ tribute mural in two thousand eighteen, opening up a dialogue about queer culture and community.Image courtesy: Del Nakamura (northalsted.com).