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I realize that this is a frequent topic but I thought I'd share with folks looking to move to South Florida (SoFlo) and provide an update for those folks (LGBT) looking to move here.
Note: If you live in a rural or other area that is not accepting of LGBT people, I strongly urge you to consider moving to the cities and neighborhoods around Wilton Manors. Most gay people here feel very free to be open about being gay at work, at church, etc... I have spoken with so many men and women who found it so freeing to be able to holds hands or hug their partners while out about town without the stares or nasty comments.
SOUTH BEACH (SoBe) & MIAMI AREA
10-20 years ago, SoBe was THE place for gays to live and work in SoFlo. While SoBe still has some younger, more urban gay men, the majority of the gay community has moved out of the area. Reports of homophobic attacks throughout SoBe and even reports of hostility by the SoBe police towards the gay community can be easily found using Google.
Miami itself is very diverse with people from many different countries and cultures throughout the city. It can be somewhat segregated, though. Depending on the neighborhood, gay people may or may not be welcome or accepted openly.
Miami Shores has a large LGBT population with a mix of White, Latin, and Black populations. The area, like many of the more affluent parts of Miami, can be beyond the reach of some gay people's budgets.
WILTON MANORS (WiMa)
The gayest place in the country... literally. According to the Census and other polls, it has the highest concentration of gay people in the country. While it's a small city of 12k, it has an area called "The Drive" which is about 10 blocks long and is the epicenter of gay bars, restaurants, etc... It's quite common to see gay men walking their dogs in the neighborhood streets, holding hands and kissing at the local Starbucks and it has a very nice, small town feel but with a gay twist. It's also a very expensive area with many apartments costing well over $1k a month and homes costing $300k and up.
In the past, the majority of gay men who lived here were older (many, many bears) but in recent years, it has seen a lot of younger and more diverse gay men, especially latin men from the Caribbean and South America.
This is THE place where gay men, both young and old, come to party on the weekends.
I highly recommend The Manor's Saturday Latin night. Great latin music and dancing! While mainly a younger crowd of hispanics on the dance floor, "gringos" and others feel welcome to join in.
(Example rent - 2 bedroom $1250)
OAKLAND PARK
This city lies just north of Wilton Manors and also has a large gay population. The cost of living is more reasonable than WiMa and most parts of the city are within a 10 minute drive to The Drive.
Some parts of the city are still transitioning. So, neighborhoods closer to the beach or The Drive are the most in demand by gays.
(Example rent: El Sol Condos on Dixie Highway: 1bed/bath $750/month - 2bed/1bath $950)
FORT LAUDERDALE
The city has been named the Number #1 gay vacation destination in the US. It has a great gay beach (although most beaches are LGBT-friendly) and has a number of beach hotels that cater to the LGBT community.
While gay people can be found throughout the city, the neighborhoods of Middle River Terrace, Poinsettia Heights and Lake Ridge lie just to the south of WiMa and have large gay populations.
Boca Raton, Palm Beach and other cities to the north... while gay people live in these areas as well, they are more known for straight families and retirees.
QUESTION: Anyone know if Hollywood is becoming more popular with LGBT crowd? It seems to still be one of the most affordable cities in the SoFlo area.
I realize that this is a frequent topic but I thought I'd share with folks looking to move to South Florida (SoFlo) and provide an update for those folks (LGBT) looking to move here.
Note: If you live in a rural or other area that is not accepting of LGBT people, I strongly urge you to consider moving to the cities and neighborhoods around Wilton Manors. Most gay people here feel very free to be open about being gay at work, at church, etc... I have spoken with so many men and women who found it so freeing to be able to holds hands or hug their partners while out about town without the stares or nasty comments.
SOUTH BEACH (SoBe) & MIAMI AREA
10-20 years ago, SoBe was THE place for gays to live and work in SoFlo. While SoBe still has some younger, more urban gay men, the majority of the gay community has moved out of the area. Reports of homophobic attacks throughout SoBe and even reports of hostility by the SoBe police towards the gay community can be easily found using Google.
Miami itself is very diverse with people from many different countries and cultures throughout the city. It can be somewhat segregated, though. Depending on the neighborhood, gay people may or may not be welcome or accepted openly.
Miami Shores has a large LGBT population with a mix of White, Latin, and Black populations. The area, like many of the more affluent parts of Miami, can be beyond the reach of some gay people's budgets.
WILTON MANORS (WiMa)
The gayest place in the country... literally. According to the Census and other polls, it has the highest concentration of gay people in the country. While it's a small city of 12k, it has an area called "The Drive" which is about 10 blocks long and is the epicenter of gay bars, restaurants, etc... It's quite common to see gay men walking their dogs in the neighborhood streets, holding hands and kissing at the local Starbucks and it has a very nice, small town feel but with a gay twist. It's also a very expensive area with many apartments costing well over $1k a month and homes costing $300k and up.
In the past, the majority of gay men who lived here were older (many, many bears) but in recent years, it has seen a lot of younger and more diverse gay men, especially latin men from the Caribbean and South America.
This is THE place where gay men, both young and old, come to party on the weekends.
I highly recommend The Manor's Saturday Latin night. Great latin music and dancing! While mainly a younger crowd of hispanics on the dance floor, "gringos" and others feel welcome to join in.
(Example rent - 2 bedroom $1250)
OAKLAND PARK
This city lies just north of Wilton Manors and also has a large gay population. The cost of living is more reasonable than WiMa and most parts of the city are within a 10 minute drive to The Drive.
Some parts of the city are still transitioning. So, neighborhoods closer to the beach or The Drive are the most in demand by gays.
(Example rent: El Sol Condos on Dixie Highway: 1bed/bath $750/month - 2bed/1bath $950)
FORT LAUDERDALE
The city has been named the Number #1 gay vacation destination in the US. It has a great gay beach (although most beaches are LGBT-friendly) and has a number of beach hotels that cater to the LGBT community.
While gay people can be found throughout the city, the neighborhoods of Middle River Terrace, Poinsettia Heights and Lake Ridge lie just to the south of WiMa and have large gay populations.
Boca Raton, Palm Beach and other cities to the north... while gay people live in these areas as well, they are more known for straight families and retirees.
QUESTION: Anyone know if Hollywood is becoming more popular with LGBT crowd? It seems to still be one of the most affordable cities in the SoFlo area.
Just moved out of Hollywood a few months ago and I would NOT say it's particularly LGBT oriented. Downtown Hollywood has a mix of restaurants and bars and they tend to cater to tourists and snowbirds alike as well as the Canadians. There's no gay bars or clubs or anything that a gay person would be particularly drawn to.
QUESTION: Anyone know if Hollywood is becoming more popular with LGBT crowd? It seems to still be one of the most affordable cities in the SoFlo area.
Quote:
Originally Posted by OptimusPrime69
Just moved out of Hollywood a few months ago and I would NOT say it's particularly LGBT oriented. Downtown Hollywood has a mix of restaurants and bars and they tend to cater to tourists and snowbirds alike as well as the Canadians. There's no gay bars or clubs or anything that a gay person would be particularly drawn to.
Permit me to make a note about the gay history in Hollywood.
Back in the day ... the 1960's, 1970's, and the first half of the 1980's, Hollywood was the third gayest destination after Miami and Fort Lauderdale. When I was coming out there no fewer than 5 bars that catered to gays and lesbians in Hollywood and Hallandale:
Keith's Cruise Room, by the railroad tracks near Dixie Hwy. in Hallandale (one of the most popular gay bars and discos in all South Florida)
Top's Lounge, on Pembroke Road and 21st Ave by the railroad tracks .... lesbian bar.
Odds and Ends Executive Lounge, 21st Ave. and Jefferson St. in Hollywood - great drag shows
Tee-Jay's on Dixie Hwy. just a few blocks south of Sheridan - the cruisiest gay bar and upscale decor. The owner, Tee - Jay Johnston - was an artist.
There was another one on Hollywood Blvd. a block east of City Hall Circle, but I can't remember the name. It was short lived. There was yet another one in the early '70's on 441 near Washington Street, it had a restaurant too.
Young Circle Park was very cruisy. The "Tea rooms" (public men's room) was notorious.
The gay rights pioneer, activist, and author Jack Nichols lived in Hollywood near Federal Hwy. on Jefferson St.
The Stonewall Library - now called the Stonewall National Museum and Archives - was started by a teenager named Mark Silber in his parent's home in (yes, you guessed it ... on Jefferson St. near Jefferson Park) in Hollywood.
Older and more affluent gay and lesbian couples preferred to live in neighborhoods of North Lake, South Lake, Hollywood Hills, and Emerald Hills. Other neighborhoods like West Hollywood, Pembroke Pines, Miramar, Davie, Cooper City, etc. were considered either "redneck" or "too family oriented" or just not friendly places for LGBT people.
I appreciate you indulging an old timer the privilege of reminiscing about his home town.
I think people who read this post should realize that Wilton Manors is not like most Gay communities around the U.S. as it's populated by mostly older Gay men as opposed to the younger Gay men who populate the majority of Gay neighborhoods around the U.S.
The City of Wilton Manors has done nothing to make developers of new apartment buildings in Wilton Manors set aside a small number of units in their buildings that charge rents based upon a person's income. Florida has a minimum wage of $7.75 an hour and younger Gay men have found it increasingly difficult to find an affordable apartment in Wilton Manors and because there's not a large number of apartment buildings in Wilton Manors in comparison to the number of single family homes, the younger Gay men who might otherwise live in the area don't.
A quick visit to the majority of restaurants and clubs in Wilton Manors and some talking to the other patrons will show you that the majority of the younger people in these clubs are either tourists or do not live in Wilton Manors.
The whole Fort Lauderdale area is increasingly becoming devoid of younger Gay men as rents and home costs continue to rise because of the large number of out of State moneyed people buying property here so they can claim Florida residency and not have to pay state and city taxes on their investment income, which many people now have these days from taking stock in their companies as part of their retirement income. The state of Florida and the cities here have no income taxes that you'll see in places like New York and Chicago, to name a few.
The two Gay bath houses in the Fort Lauderdale area have mostly older patrons and one is quite popular with the senior crowd which generally has fixed incomes as it provides a free all you can eat style of buffet on Saturdays and Sundays during certain hours.
Most of the younger men that you do see here are usually being kept by an older Daddy type because it's tough to find a job in this area as most of the retail jobs are low paying and located in discount price type stores that don't pay commissions. I can't tell you the number of times I've been hit on by a guy in his 20's, who after talking me up, introduces me to their, "Dad," and wants me to go home with the two of them with the younger guy acting as "Dad's" bait.
So just because Wilton Manors has a high percentage of Gays, don't think they're young as they are not. Instead of settling down and moving out of the "Gay Ghetto" as they get older as they form relationships, get married, and pursing a career, the majority of Gays here are older men with some sort of Peter Pan syndrome where they seem to think they are forever young, try to look like it with lots of inappropriate clothing choices for older sagging bodies and who seem to be moving here in droves to spend their time playing Bingo at the Pride Center and trying to pick up younger men coming out of the large number of meetings held there where they are attending drug and alcohol recovery groups which seems to be the main social outlet here for younger Gay men, probably to help them deal with the reality of living here and the remorse they have to deal with for going through the expense and trouble of moving here and not being able to financially survive unless they take on an older, usually not too well preserved older Sugar Daddy, or find a series of older Gay men who will help them with their rent, utility, clothing expenses, etc. in return for the younger guy dispensing his favors.
Last edited by HotandHumid; 01-14-2015 at 10:03 AM..
I think people who read this post should realize that Wilton Manors is not like most Gay communities around the U.S. as it's populated by mostly older Gay men as opposed to the younger Gay men who populate the majority of Gay neighborhoods around the U.S.
The City of Wilton Manors has done nothing to make developers of new apartment buildings in Wilton Manors set aside a small number of units in their buildings that charge rents based upon a person's income. Florida has a minimum wage of $7.75 an hour and younger Gay men have found it increasingly difficult to find an affordable apartment in Wilton Manors and because there's not a large number of apartment buildings in Wilton Manors in comparison to the number of single family homes, the younger Gay men who might otherwise live in the area don't.
A quick visit to the majority of restaurants and clubs in Wilton Manors and some talking to the other patrons will show you that the majority of the younger people in these clubs are either tourists or do not live in Wilton Manors.
The whole Fort Lauderdale area is increasingly becoming devoid of younger Gay men as rents and home costs continue to rise because of the large number of out of State moneyed people buying property here so they can claim Florida residency and not have to pay state and city taxes on their investment income, which many people now have these days from taking stock in their companies as part of their retirement income. The state of Florida and the cities here have no income taxes that you'll see in places like New York and Chicago, to name a few.
The two Gay bath houses in the Fort Lauderdale area have mostly older patrons and one is quite popular with the senior crowd which generally has fixed incomes as it provides a free all you can eat style of buffet on Saturdays and Sundays during certain hours.
Most of the younger men that you do see here are usually being kept by an older Daddy type because it's tough to find a job in this area as most of the retail jobs are low paying and located in discount price type stores that don't pay commissions. I can't tell you the number of times I've been hit on by a guy in his 20's, who after talking me up, introduces me to their, "Dad," and wants me to go home with the two of them with the younger guy acting as "Dad's" bait.
So just because Wilton Manors has a high percentage of Gays, don't think they're young as they are not. Instead of settling down and moving out of the "Gay Ghetto" as they get older as they form relationships, get married, and pursing a career, the majority of Gays here are older men with some sort of Peter Pan syndrome where they seem to think they are forever young, try to look like it with lots of inappropriate clothing choices for older sagging bodies and who seem to be moving here in droves to spend their time playing Bingo at the Pride Center and trying to pick up younger men coming out of the large number of meetings held there where they are attending drug and alcohol recovery groups which seems to be the main social outlet here for younger Gay men, probably to help them deal with the reality of living here and the remorse they have to deal with for going through the expense and trouble of moving here and not being able to financially survive unless they take on an older, usually not too well preserved older Sugar Daddy, or find a series of older Gay men who will help them with their rent, utility, clothing expenses, etc. in return for the younger guy dispensing his favors.
Its sad when you try to act all educated and don't even know Florida minimum wage. I think you should do us favor and stop acting like know it all.
I'm gay, and my partner and I bought a house not too long ago in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood. We moved there from Miami's Midtown area. As far as I can tell, we're the only gay-occupied house on our street, but we've noticed that there are others like us in the general area. Also, I follow real estate sales, and several Hollywood Hills sales in 2014 were to gay/lesbian couples. Hollywood is not in anyway "gay," however. I figure the Hollywood Hills area might be attractive to couples, as it was to us, because it has a great stock of large 1960s-era homes, and you can get much more house for the money than in Miami-Dade County. In addition, you've got proximity to I-95, the beach, and an attractive downtown area. We're enjoying it.
I'm gay, and my partner and I bought a house not too long ago in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood. We moved there from Miami's Midtown area. As far as I can tell, we're the only gay-occupied house on our street, but we've noticed that there are others like us in the general area. Also, I follow real estate sales, and several Hollywood Hills sales in 2014 were to gay/lesbian couples. Hollywood is not in anyway "gay," however. I figure the Hollywood Hills area might be attractive to couples, as it was to us, because it has a great stock of large 1960s-era homes, and you can get much more house for the money than in Miami-Dade County. In addition, you've got proximity to I-95, the beach, and an attractive downtown area. We're enjoying it.
My favorite aunt, who sadly passed away recently, lived the past 50 or more years on Hayes Street just a few blocks west of Hollywood Memorial Hospital (where Joe Dimaggio and Anna Nicole Smith died) in Hollywood Hills. It's a very attractive and well maintained neighborhood. The streets and homes are beautifully landscaped and the various "circles," "crescents," and "diagonals" make the area very charming. Too bad the Hollywood Mall (where Adam Walsh was abducted) is no longer there.
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Nice Job
Most Gays Older in Wilton Manors
