Top 5 Cities for Gay Nightlife

Toronto

Social stats: There’s a reason Toronto was
chosen for the role of body double for Queer As
Folk. Hot bars, hot boys (and girls!), and no
shortage of social enthusiasm keep Canada’s hottest
gay city sizzling -- no matter how low temperatures
drop outside.

Hotspots: Woody's (465-467 Church St;
416-972-0887) is a labyrinthine complex of five bars
famed from Queer As Folk. It attracts the
after-work crowd and has nightly events such as the
"Best Chest Contest." Another famed QAF venue is the
throbbing Fly NiteClub (8 Gloucester St;
416-410-5426), the 10,000-square-foot dance emporium
that served as the original Babylon for the gay
series. Gay folks also frequent super-club Circa, a mixed
straight/gay venue in the predominantly hetero Entertainment
District.

Chicago

Social stats: Visitors will find Chicago's nightlife
scene refreshingly less aggressive and style-conscious
than New York's or L.A.'s. The majority of gay bars
are in Boystown (Lakeview) on North Halsted Street, or
farther north in Andersonville.

Hotspots: Sidetrack (3349 N. Halsted St.;
773-477-9189) is a video bar specializing in theme nights
('70s & '80s; show tunes; comedy night), and is
busy most every night of the week. It's by far the
most popular gay bar in Chicago. Roscoe's (3354 N. Halsted St.;
773-281-3355) is the stomping ground for a wide-eyed and
barely legal set of young gays. Circuit (3641 N. Halsted St.;
773-325-2233) is Boystown's largest dance space, with 3D
glitter-effect flooring and a young dance crowd. The
city’s freshest, hippest hotspots are
Scarlet (3320 N. Halsted St; 773-348-1053), a chic
red and exposed brick drinking den; and sleek Minibar (3341 N. Halsted St;
773-871-6227), home to the city’s stand and model
set.