Travel

Travel Reports

Atlanta

Atlanta wouldn’t spring to many people’s minds as an obvious gay destination, but this Southern city has one of the biggest and friendliest scenes in the States.

Probably best known to outsiders as the setting for Gone With The Wind – almost the entire city was razed to the ground during the Civil War – it’s had a renaissance since hosting the 1996 Olympic Games.

With a population of over four million, the city is now the business and cultural centre of the southeast. And, fittingly for the place that gave us Dr Martin Luther King, Atlanta has a strong tradition of tolerance and diversity, and has long been somewhere in which African-Americans can be seen to be “moving on up”. If you still associate the American South with Rednecks, Atlanta will smash your illusions.

If South Beach is too snooty and plastic, and Houston’s just too damned tough, you’ll find Atlanta’s gay life a refreshing alternative. And we do mean alternative. Little Richard, “the Georgia Peach”, came from neighbouring Macon. The B-52s started out here – their mates REM, live down the road in Athens, and Lady Bunny and RuPaul first started working their punk drag thing in the city. It’s now home to the NAMES Project Aids Quilt. Atlanta has six “gay villages”, ranging from the bohemian Decatur to the more edgy East Atlanta Village, but with almost 30 bars and clubs in the midtown area, next to Piedmont Park, you may find you don’t have time to visit them all.

If you can stand the heat, the best time to visit is during Gay Pride Week at the end of June. They like to boast it’s the third-biggest Pride event in the States, with some 300, 000 people dropping by to party in Piedmont Park. Next year’s event takes place from June 23rd-25th (www.atlantapride.org).

Accommodation:

The Georgian Terrace Hotel (659, Peachtree Street, 00 1 404 897 1991) is perfectly situated for access to everything in the Midtown area. Converted from flats, so the rooms/suites are huge. And they hosted the Gone With The Wind premiere party here too.

Eating Out:

Cowtippers (1600, Piedmont Road NE) is a little way out of town, but you can sit on the patio and chomp on barbecued cow parts. Not for vegetarians then. The Flying Biscuit (1001, Piedmont Avenue, 00 1 404 874 8887) is an absolute must-do for breakfast, brunch or lunch – all big enough to fill you up for days. This friendly, folksy wholefood café is run by dyke band The Indigo Girls. Shockingly inexpensive and with a full range of vegetarian and vegan options.

Playing Away:

Southern Voice is the more serious, political gay newspaper, but pick up David Atlanta to check all the latest scene news. Both are available from the Outwrite Bookstore (991, Piedmont Avenue), which could be the best gay bookstore in the world, with great stock from Baldwin to Buffy, and charming staff to boot. There’s also a little café, and the usual array of porn, postcards and queer paraphernalia. With almost 50 gay bars and clubs, even a teetotal celibate should find something to tickle his fancy in Atlanta. Most clubs entrance fees will be a modest charge for your first drink. And just about everywhere will ask to see your passport before letting you in. The Armory (836, Juniper Street NE) is the best place to start your tour of the gay scene. A rough and ready, “unpretentious” dance bar, there’s a wide variety of types and ages (men only) and you’re guaranteed to find plenty of dark corners if you want some privacy. Backstreets (845, Peachtree Street, NE, www.backstreet.com) is Atlanta’s only 24-hour gay club. There’s drag and cabaret every night of the week and the large outside area packed with party crowds on hot summer weekend nights. Blakes (227, 10th Street, NE) is a large neighbourhood dance bar on several levels popular with the pretty and the twinky. Fusion (550-C Amsterdam Avenue NE) is the wildest club by a mile. Popular with African-Americans it’s a place where anything goes – but if you can’t indulge in a bit of debauchery on your holiday, when can you. A trip to Atlanta wouldn’t be complete without a visit to Hoedowns (931, Monroe Drive NE) an authentic Country and Western bar and the perfect place to pick up a cowboy or do-si-do your partner.

Getting There:

Atlanta is the hub for Delta who operate four daily flights from Gatwick and one daily from Manchester. 0800 414 767, www.delta.com