Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Hey everybody. I am a gay male in his 30's and currently residing in Boston and looking to move within the next year due to the extreme cost of living here and the crappy winters. Anyway as you can see from my screen name I was considering Chicago, great city but don't think I could take the brutal winters there. I'm also looking for a place cheaper to live. So I am considering the South now, also because I have most family there (South Carolina and Florida).
Anyway I have been hearing great things about the Raleigh/Chapel Hill area so I am planning a trip there in July. Can someone suggest a decent hotel in the Raleigh downtown area to stay at? Also is most of the downtown area safe or should I stick to a certain neighborhood?
Also I am wondering about the nightlife. I hear there are a few gay bars in Raleigh, but I read that you need to be sponsored in order to get in? What does this mean? I have never heard this before so just wanting some clarification. I would hate to not be able to hit a few bars for a drink because I don't have a sponsor (maybe someone from AA created this rule? lol) Seriously, is this a North Carolina thing?
Anyway thanks in advance for your help, it's muchly appreciated and I am looking forward to visiting your city!
I hope someone knowledgable will be along to answer your questions soon. There is a guy on this forum called Francois that should be able to help you (you might PM him if he doesn't show up). My partner and I had meant to come down to the Triangle at Easter for the same sort of expedition, although we were going to stay in Chapel Hill so only investigated hotels there. But about the bars -- I had the same question. Apparently in NC all nightclubs are technically private membership clubs, but someone on this forum said that they have never heard of anyone being turned away because they didn't have a membership yet -- the management will make you their guest or they will get another customer to do the same. Also someone said that the rule about private memberships only applies in the first year of an establishment's existance, though I'm not sure that's correct. Anyway, hope that helps a little. Again, I'm hoping that someone who knows will answer you, because I'd be interested in the info. Partner and I will still probably come down later this year, in the autumn once the universities start back up again.
I don't have hotel recommendations for dowtown Raleigh. Alot of my co-workers stay at the Marriott hotel across the street from Crabtree Mall. It would give you a short drive up Glenwood to check out five points and Hargett Street area.
The clubs you would want to check out are CC (Capital Corral) Welcome and Legends Legends Nightclub Complex - Raleigh, NC - "Legends" And "View". They are on the same block. You can pay the guest access charge for both clubs no problem. I've done it many times with no problems. The whole membership part has to do with NC liquor laws. It won't affect you getting into the club.
The only club that may give you a hard time would be Steel Blue in Durham. It's mainly a lesbian bar. I usually go in on my friend's membership as a guest since I prefer Legends or CC's over Steel Blue. The music is better at Legend's and CC.
There is a gay centric bookshop called White Rabbit. It's a block over on W Martin St. If you have any questions feel free to PM me. I am pretty certain Francois will add his insight fairly soon.
Thanks for all the replies, they were very helpful! I will definitely check out some of the bars/clubs when I visit and I'm glad to hear that you don't need a "membership" to get into the bars, I would have felt a bit awkward asking a complete stranger to sponsor me as a member lol
It looks like I am going to be visiting Raleigh the week of July 4th since I have some time off from work. I'm really looking forward to visiting and exploring your city and the surrounding areas. Thanks again for the replies!
I hope you'll report back to us your experiences and impressions! Hopefully besides Raleigh you might also have a look at Chapel Hill-Carrboro and Durham.
Yep doctorjef I definitely will give a full report when I return! Chapel Hill is one of the areas that I definitely plan on taking some time to explore, as well as Carrboro (heard really good things about it) One of my favorite things to do in a new area is just drive around and check out the different neighborhoods. I'll keep ya posted!
Like my posts identify, I live in Greenville, Delaware. That's a suburb of Wilmington DE, up in the woody, hilly Appalachian Piedmont of DE (a tiny area in a tiny state, but the most beautiful part of DE -- to me the only really lovely bit of this state). If you look at my profile you'll find some more stuff as to where the two of us have lived. We spent a few years in continental Europe and London before moving back to the States - to DE - and before that we were in Austin, TX for many years. I'm interested in finding a place on the east coast that's more like Austin, so Chapel Hill might fit the bill. Asheville NC could be nice, but I'm also wanting to flee the winters in DE (not terrible, but too long and sustained cold for my tastes), so I'm not sure the mountains would be a good idea, plus only the Triangle has direct air service to London, which is a "must" for us. Realistically, I can't imagine we could make a move before 2011, due to the loss in real estate values and slow real estate market. We're putting money into our house here in an effort to increase its value and marketability when we do get ready to sell. Compared to northern DE, real estate prices in the Triangle generally look pretty good, though not drastically better.
Hey, chicago_bound--I guess I have been noted as "the local gay resource" on this board, but I didn't see your question because of the generic subject heading "a few questions".
danadana mentioned the local "bar scene"--such as it is--but by and large, the community is not all that centered around the bars; there are GLBT bowling leagues, softball leagues, a Gay Men's Chorus, a gay rugby team, pickup volleyball games, etc etc etc. And, there's a monthly "Happy Hour" (some cities call them "takeovers") where a different (non-gay) restaurant/bar is chosen and evites sent around, with usually about 200 attending.
I grew up here and have been in "the gay scene" as it were for almost 30 years, so I ought to be able to at least point you in a direction for further exploration, even if I'm getting a little old to be up on what the 20something crowd is doing these days!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
