The Curious Case of London Pride

From this angle, it doesn't look *that* bad!
From this angle, it doesn’t look *that* bad!

Our man in the field, London resident and ManAboutWorld Global Correspondent Ben Rossignol was disappointed with last year’s Gay Pride celebration in the United Kingdom’s capital city. He’s hoping this year’s (scheduled for June 23 to July 1 with more information at London Pride) improves. In his words:

About 3 million LGBT’s call London home, making it Europe’s biggest gay town. With such a vibrant population, one would think London Pride would be the highlight of Pride month in Europe. However, year after year, Londoners flee to nearby capitals on Pride weekend, resulting in average numbers and disappointing events. Did the London gays already party enough in their city all year long? Is the UK weather to blame once again?

Keep calm and click “Read the rest of this entry” to read the rest of his report.

Here’s Ben:

BEN-500x280

Continue reading “The Curious Case of London Pride”

Philadelphia Gets Its Summer Gay On

Philly's gayborhood. Photo: J. Smith for GPTMC
Philly’s gayborhood. Photo: J. Smith for GPTMC

Celebrating a decade of getting its history straight and nightlife gay (riffing off their groundbreaking LGBT advertising campaign), the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection is promoting a very gay summer (and early fall). Here’s a look at some of the most popular events to plan a weekend visit around. (Before you go, download our September 2012 issue.)

  • Summer Pink Pub Crawl guides participants to some of the Gayborhood’s favorite watering holes beginning at Tavern on Camac then onto the Venture Inn, Tabu Sports Bar and finally Voyeur Nightclub. Those wearing pink can join the sipping for $25 while non-pink wearers can join the fun for $5 more at $30. July 13 pinkpubcrawl.com
  • QFest welcomes independent LGBT filmmakers to town to screen dozens of movie premieres and attend other celebrity-studded events. July 11-22.qfest.com
  • The Philadelphia Phillies welcome thousands of gay and lesbian fans to Citizens Bank Park each August for Gay Day. August 7. 1 Citizens Bank Way, (215) 463-6000, phillygaydays.com
  • Gender Reel takes a look at transgender life during a special art and film festival featuring live music and special events. September 19-21. (215) 732-2220, genderreelfest.com
  • Philadelphia celebrates National Coming Out Day with OutFest, a block party in the heart of the Gayborhood that’s made up of drag shows, games, bar crawls and shopping. Philadelphia’s celebration is the largest Coming Out Day street festival in the world. October 13.
    (215) 875-9288, phillypride.org

ManAboutWorld Welcomes Newest Correspondent: Zachary Moses

funimage3Welcome to our newest Global Correspondent, Zach Moses!

Zachary is the Director of Marketing & Adventure Tour Development for HE Travel; the world’s first gay tour operator. His title is long, but is an understatement for the many hats he wears. Zachary has spearheaded the re-branding of HE Travel; formerly two distinct companies: Hanns Ebensten Travel & Alyson Adventures.

Recently named one of the top 35 travel professionals under the age of 30 by Travel Agent Magazine, Zachary has been making a splash in the gay travel scene. He discovered his love for travel as a stand-up comic. While planning his tours all over the western United States,  he discovered his knack for communicating with people and coordinating travel.

Zachary’s passions are travel, comedy, writing, playing guitar and exotic foods.

Follow Zach on Facebook or his blog.

ManAboutWorld Welcomes Newest Correspondent: Aaron Drake

Aaron Drake travel shot

Welcome to our newest correspondent!

Aaron Drake was corn fed, born and raised in Ohio before relocating to California at the age of 20. He graduated magna cum laude with honors from The Ohio State University with a B.A. in Mass Communication & Social Issues. The former editor of Frontiers magazine, Los Angeles’ local gay rag, Aaron has also freelanced for The Advocate, Outlook Weekly, GayCities and OutinAmerica.com.

Aaron was introduced to the exciting world of travel during college when he studied abroad in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Since then his travels have taken him throughout the U.S., Mexico and Canada. Whether it’s enjoying the lifestyle of luxury travel, cozy gay resorts or a wilderness adventure, he is always itching to find the next breathtaking experience. He is also an actor and singer/songwriter. Aaron is married and lives with his husband and their mischievous Cairn Terrier in L.A.

Follow Aaron on Twitter: @theaarondrake

Connect with him on LinkedIn. 

Boston Update: Hotel Commonwealth in Kenmore Square

 

The lobby
The lobby

Hotel Commonwealth, a super-friendly boutique hotel in a bustling neighborhood in Boston, has been hiding in plain sight for a decade. With a recent renovation, it is high time that gay visitors gave it a second look. The hotel is rather elegant from outside and inside. The entrance leads upstairs (it’s a tad confusing but you’ll get used to it pretty quickly) to an inviting lounge with big comfy chairs and the incredibly friendly reception area. Well trained, the front desk staff are quick, efficient and fonts of local knowledge.

The hotel is in Kenmore Square with a Green Line subway station right under the building; a major (and beautifully designed) bus station across the street; and a major Hubway (bike share) station also across the street that always had bikes available during a recent weekend visit. This system is inexpensive ($6 per day) and tourist friendly. The hotel is near Boston University so expect a young, vibrant neighborhood with great places to eat (many very budget focused). The only drawback to this neighborhood would be during a Red Sox game. With Fenway Park just behind the hotel, the crowds may be rather difficult to navigate when a game lets out.

Round The World With Paul And Jose: Gay Tokyo Update

 

But, but, but ... I've never!
But, but, but … I’ve never!

ManAboutWorld Global Correspondent Paul Teixeira and his partner Jose are in the midst of an 87-day global gay adventure. He agreed to document his trip here with highlights from many destinations around the world. In his own words:

ManAboutWorld’s March 2013 issue has an impressive and informative exclusive on Gay Japan, including a long weekend article on Tokyo. For our first visit to Tokyo we relied heavily on this article and we were not disappointed.

If we were to add anything to supplement this article, it would be that even though you will be promptly and completely overwhelmed with sensory input, complicated city navigation and a myriad of choices for everything, the city and its people are extremely pleasant, orderly, and helpful. Taking care to plan what you are doing and looking for help will quickly show that it is actually not that difficult at all, even for first time visitors.

Continue reading “Round The World With Paul And Jose: Gay Tokyo Update”

Correspondent Update: Eating Berlin

Facil
Facil

ManAboutWorld Global Correspondents Niazi Rubez and Marcio Chapman ate and sipped their way across Berlin. Here are their favorite restaurants.

Gustav heuriger

A typical grastropub: cozy, the atmosphere is relaxed. Patrons greet the waitress by her name. The menu is based on Austrian food. The wine selection is small, focused in Austria and Germany. Wines by the glass are a good and reliable option.

Motzstrasse 10-10777 – Schöneberg

Tel 030/21280140

Facebook.com/Gustav.Heuriger

Café des Artistes

Restaurant, winebar and art gallery. As the name suggests the focus is French cuisine. Tasteful decor, silverware, linen table ware give a certain air of refinement. The service is very friendly. The Wine Bar is perfect.

Fuggerstrasse 35-10777 – Schöneberg

Tel 030/23635249

www.artistico-Berlin.com

Continue reading “Correspondent Update: Eating Berlin”

Mixing Business With Pleasure In Las Vegas and Chicago

The fabulous Cosmopolitan Hotel
The fabulous Cosmopolitan Hotel

By ManAboutWorld Global Correspondent Jeff Guaracino

Great trip ideas can come from travel columns like this one, from your favorite travel magazine or recommendations from friends and family. Business travel — if planned correctly — can be a perfect time to research your next pleasure trip. Yes, I know we are always in a rush to get to that next meeting, answer that pesky text or resolve the work emergency, but hey it’s travel. Don’t forget to stop and smell the fun!

Viva Las Vegas—midweek

I was invited to speak at the Las Vegas International Tourism Safety and Security Conference. I hadn’t been to Las Vegas since 2007, so I was excited to see what had changed along the famed Las Vegas Strip. A midweek trip proved to be an exceptional option to avoid the crowds but still enjoy all of the amenities that Vegas has to offer.

Continue reading “Mixing Business With Pleasure In Las Vegas and Chicago”

ManAboutWorld Gets Around

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Our newest Global Correspondent Cristian Flores is a passionate traveler, photographer and master of Photoshop. He added our ManAboutWorld logo to this photo he took in Patagonia. We feel like we were there in spirit!

Blackstone Hotel, Chicago: An Unexpected Oasis

Screen Shot 2013-05-12 at 3.46.50 PMPerched alongside Chicago’s most famous parks (at South Michigan Ave and Balbo Street), the Renaissance Blackstone Chicago Hotel has a long, rich history and a desirable set of assets and amenities that make it a worthy choice for gay travelers.

It’s steps from Millennium and Grant Parks, home to art museums, fountains, lush lawns, outdoor performance spaces and, of course, the famous reflective “Cloud Gate” sculpture, informally known as the Bean. It’s near the financial and theater district, the Loop (and the “El,” what we know of as the subway in New York). Downtown is where most major hotels are located in Chicago. Boystown is a good $20 cab ride away but you can hop on the Red Line which goes right to the heart of Boystown in about 20 minutes for a lot less. (Take the El at Harrison and get off at Belmont.) There’s shopping and a Starbucks on the Concourse level below the lobby.

Credit: www.flickr.comphotos22746515@N024865734246.jpg

Photo credit: www.flickr.comphotos22746515@N024865734246.jpg

Continue reading “Blackstone Hotel, Chicago: An Unexpected Oasis”