• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Towleroad
  • Towleroad on Social Media
  • Privacy Policy

Towleroad Gay News

Gay Blog Towleroad: More than gay news | gay men

  • Body
  • Daily Resist
  • POLITICS
  • Travel
  • Music
  • Theatre
  • Film
  • TV
  • Business
  • Men
  • Marriage Equality
  • Space
  • Trans Rights
  • Books
  • Science
  • Gay Iconography
  • TowleREAD

5 Things You Can’t Miss In Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Ed Salvato March 13, 2015

Gay beach flickr.com-Ed and Eddie https---www.flickr.com-photos-edandeddie-16221387101

This weekly travel column is brought to you by ManAboutWorld, an immersive digital premium gay travel magazine from Billy Kolber, Ed Salvato, Kenny Porpora, and nearly 75 Global Correspondents.

While many gay meccas are becoming more mainstream (j'accuse Castro, South Beach and Chelsea!), Fort Lauderdale is actually becoming gayer. This is thanks in part to a growing base of out gay men in their 40s and older — many of whom migrated from these former gay capitals — who keep local businesses vibrant, including Ft. Lauderdale's huge assortment of gay restaurants, cafes, bars, clubs and sexually focused venues. Now is a great time to visit the Venice of America with its beautiful canals crisscrossing the city. Or wait till May for Beach Bear Weekend (May 6-11). Or, plan on staying a night or two before or after an upcoming cruise. We probably all know the city has a great gay beach (St. Sebastian) and the fabulous, untouched Hugh Taylor Birch Park, a protected reserve that harkens back to ye olde Ft. Lauderdale. So, here we present our top five things you may not expect and must not miss.

1. Rosie’s: Ok, so you'd totally expect this boozy bar-food joint but it is so gay, no visit to FLL is complete without stopping here. The indoor-outdoor hot spot offers a menu full of quirkily named burgers you shouldn’t be eating and drinks you definitely should be drinking. The food is pretty ordinary despite the high-falutin' menu nomenclature, but this Wilton Manor institution is always packed with gays of all ages and denominations.

2. Day pass at the Grand: If you're not staying at a gay hotel, a day pass at one of Ft. Lauderdale’s gay resorts is a great way to sample the gay guesthouse experience and enjoy a relaxing time in the city (and maybe meet a fellow traveler for fun!) Our first choice is an Editors’ Choice award winner, whose convivial atmosphere is conducive to meeting fellow travelers. The Grand has a day-pass for their small but excellent spa. There’s also a pool area that’s not clothing optional but the large spa is, allowing guests to choose just how naughty they feel like being. There’s a pretty good fitness facility with actual free weights.  

World Aids Museum image3. Bill's Filling Station: Come Friday night, you should be swilling drinks at Bill’s where bears sing karaoke and the Happy Hour specials are kicking. And lets not forget the Friday night GROWL party! This is a down-to-Earth bar where  anyone can have a great time, though, admittedly, it’s mostly leather clad daddy bears letting loose to some great music.

4. Market 17: Fort Lauderdale doesn’t have a distinctive local cuisine or big foodie scene, but that doesn’t mean you can’t eat well. Market 17 serves the most sophisticated food in town, a farm to table experience, fresh, healthy, and delicious; open dinner only.

5. World AIDS Museum: A quick drive to Wilton Manors and you’ll find this museum that opened this past December
inside a nondescript Wilton Manors strip mall. The first museum of its kind, the space chronicles the fascinating, eye-opening, and often heart-wrenching history of HIV/AIDS through a timeline exhibit starting in 1908 (not 1980 — 1908!), art, interactive multimedia and memorabilia. The docent-led or self-guided tours offer a window into the history, hope and devastation of this highly politicized disease and the 39 million lives it has taken. 

You can find loads more information on gay-ascendant Ft. Lauderdale in ManAboutWorld, whose current issue gathers the top recommendations for a short stay, combining attractions that are unique to Fort Lauderdale with top hotel, nightlife and dining recommendations. ManAboutWorld offers opinionated travel information and inspiration in over 100 destinations around the world: Get ManAboutWorld Magazine on iTunes (iOS) or Google Play (Android). You may also find information at the tourism authority's gay microsite Sunny.org/LGBT. 

Image credits: Top: Ed and Eddie; right: Billy Kolber; bottom: Ryan Blanding

Screen Shot 2015-03-12 at 10.23.10 AM

Topics: Uncategorized More Posts About: florida, Fort Lauderdale, Gay, gay Ft. Lauderdale, Gay travel, ManAboutWorld, Travel, Travel: Florida, Travel: Fort Lauderdale

Related Posts
  • John Oliver targets three of the biggest ‘failures’ among the 2022 candidates; Big Story Is Most Compelling Report on Climate Racism. WATCH
  • Disney’s corporate affairs head leaves three months after joining
  • Americans do not support politicians punishing firms for their views -Reuters/Ipsos
  • US archbishop bans Pelosi from communion over abortion rights support

    US archbishop bans Pelosi from communion over abortion rights support

    Published by AFP Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, a lifelong Catholic, has been barred from holy communion by the archbishop of San Francisco over her support for abortion San Francisco (AFP) – The …Read More »
  • Giuliani meets with U.S. House Jan. 6 panel, CNN reports

    Giuliani meets with U.S. House Jan. 6 panel, CNN reports

    Published by Reuters WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Rudy Giuliani, who served as former U.S. President Donald Trump’s personal attorney, met for more than nine hours on Friday with the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack …Read More »
  • WHO working on more monkeypox guidance as cases rise – senior adviser

    WHO working on more monkeypox guidance as cases rise – senior adviser

    Published by Reuters By Jennifer Rigby LONDON (Reuters) – The World Health Organization is working on further guidance for countries on how to mitigate the spread of monkeypox, amid concerns cases could spike further in the …Read More »
  • Belgian Pride festival returns to Brussels after two-year hiatus

    Belgian Pride festival returns to Brussels after two-year hiatus

    Published by DPA People take part in the Belgian LGBTI+ Pride Festival. Nicolas Maeterlinck/BELGA/dpa The Belgian Pride festival returned to the streets of Brussels on Saturday after a two-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Marching …Read More »
Previous Post: « Out Former Atlanta City Council President Cathy Woolard Enters 2017 Mayoral Race
Next Post: Lawyers for Philly Gay Bashing Trio to Ask for Charges to Be Dropped or Lowered »

Primary Sidebar

News

  • Harris, White House Spox Rip Oklahoma For Passing Near-Total Abortion Ban Weeks After Leaked Supreme Court Opinion

    Harris, White House Spox Rip Oklahoma For Passing Near-Total Abortion Ban Weeks After Leaked Supreme Court Opinion

  • Trump pays $110,000 fine for blocking New York state tax probe

    Trump pays $110,000 fine for blocking New York state tax probe

  • Erdogan demands concessions to back Swedish, Finnish NATO membership

    Erdogan demands concessions to back Swedish, Finnish NATO membership

  • Zelensky says Ukraine has ‘broken the backbone’ of the Russian army

    Zelensky says Ukraine has ‘broken the backbone’ of the Russian army

Break

  • Vladimir Putin’s Daughter SECRETLY Living In Germany With Man Named Igor Zelensky

    Vladimir Putin’s Daughter SECRETLY Living In Germany With Man Named Igor Zelensky

  • Tucker Carlson: Voice of white America’s outrage and fears

    Tucker Carlson: Voice of white America’s outrage and fears

  • Viola Davis was called by director’s maid’s name

    Viola Davis was called by director’s maid’s name

  • Kerry Washington infuriated Scandal co-stars with kiss confession

    Kerry Washington infuriated Scandal co-stars with kiss confession

RSS Partner Links

  • See the best of David’s exes on Schitt’s Creek!
  • How Tom Daley is celebrating his 28th b-day!
  • OMG, why not wear it?  Novel necklines fit for royalty
  • Walking In L.A.-uh!
  • OMG, have you heard? The Rihanna baby hath dropeth!
  • OMG, gaymers: ‘Logjam’ is the new BEAR ICON of the videogame world
  • Birthday Sluts
  • Song of the Day: 'Push It' by Salt-N-Pepa
  • Saturday 'Stache

Most Recent

  • Explicit Photos To Blame? ‘Speechless’ Madonna Is Outraged After Being BLOCKED From Instagram Live

    Explicit Photos To Blame? ‘Speechless’ Madonna Is Outraged After Being BLOCKED From Instagram Live

  • US archbishop bans Pelosi from communion over abortion rights support

    US archbishop bans Pelosi from communion over abortion rights support

  • Giuliani meets with U.S. House Jan. 6 panel, CNN reports

    Giuliani meets with U.S. House Jan. 6 panel, CNN reports

  • WHO working on more monkeypox guidance as cases rise – senior adviser

    WHO working on more monkeypox guidance as cases rise – senior adviser

  • Belgian Pride festival returns to Brussels after two-year hiatus

    Belgian Pride festival returns to Brussels after two-year hiatus

  • Spain identifies possible new monkeypox cluster in Canaries

    Spain identifies possible new monkeypox cluster in Canaries

  • Angie Bowie: David Bowie had to present as ‘heterosexual with bisexual tendencies’ in America

    Angie Bowie: David Bowie had to present as ‘heterosexual with bisexual tendencies’ in America

Most Commented

Social

Twitter @tlrd | Facebook | Instagram @tlrd
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Towleroad
  • Towleroad on Social Media
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2022 · Log in