Gay Friendly Salt Lake City

Utah's reputation as a bastion of conservatism may have dissuaded a good many adventure-seeking gays from exploring the breathtaking natural beauty of the Wasatch Rockies and the Salt Lakes Valley. Forget the stereotypes - when it comes to gay-friendly destinations, Salt Lake City is more welcoming than you might expect.

The Shoshone Indians made Salt Lake Valley their home for thousands of years - that is until the Brigham Young arrived in 1849, leading his Mormon flock away from persecution in the East and to the safe canyons sheltered by 11,500-foot cliffs. A tightly knit religious community, the Mormons of Salt Lake City are now much more accepting of non-conformist lifestyles, warming up to the growing GLBT population, even electing two gay government representatives to the U.S. Senate and House.

As avid skiers and snowboarders know so well, being in balance is key to navigating the most challenging slopes; it makes for easy turns and spectacular carving and sliding. Most importantly, good balance will save your tush some potentially painful trashing about while you tunnel down one of the powdery ski slopes at Park City, Utah (a mere thirty miles East of Salt Lake City), where you can find the 'greatest snow on earth' for the better half of the year. Hey, it's worth a go even if your skiing is less than perfect - after all, some of the world's best pros competed here during the 2002 Winter Olympics.

Seeking out gay-friendly spots in Salt Lake City is a bit like keeping your balance on a steep slope -- although this large metropolis is largely conservative (over fifty percent of the metro population comprises of Church of The Latter Day Saints followers), savvy gay travelers will, more often than not, find gracious acceptance in the mainstream ranks. Salt Lake City has an enticing gay side, some great gay-favored restaurants and even a gayborhood of sorts -- the leafy area around 9th East and 9th South.


Where to Stay in Salt Lake City - Gay Friendly Hotels

Gay businessmen will have their corporate expectations met at the Sheraton City Centre Hotel, and a resort experience - in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City - to boot. For perks, get ready for an 'ahhhh' sleeping experience in their celebrated Sheraton Sweet Sleeper(SM) Bed and wake up to the refreshing mountain picturesque. Shopping is only a few blocks away, and if you wish to roam the town, the outdoor TRAX systems ensure effortless travel through the charming city of Salt Lake.
A favorite Gay-friendly boutique hotel is Kimpton's Hotel Monaco (15 W 200 S; (801) 595-0000), a fine example of early Deco-French-inspired architecture with playfully eclectic guestrooms set in a refurbished landmark 14-story building. Step into the high-ceilinged lobby, just past the sexy harem sofa and plump your tired limbs into velvety furnishings. Think jewel tones and bold geometric patterns, fabulously big mirrors and oversized beds. A discerning businessman's favorite, the hotel has Wifi internet service throughout and all the de-rigueur business amenities. The Bambara Restaurant's central exhibition kitchen provides a focal point for this Salt Lake City favorite, as Chef Robert Barker - a gregarious New-Orleans transplant - blends the flavors of regions and cultures from around the world, cooking up New American Bistro cuisine.

For sleeping options in gay-friendly Park City's thick of the action, choose the charming 10-room 1904 Imperial Hotel B&B Inn (221 Main St; 435/649-1904 or 800/669-8824), or the romantic Washington School Inn (543 Park Ave; 435/649-3800 or 800/824-1672), which has 15 opulent rooms and sits two blocks from the Town Ski Lift.

All Seasons Resorts (www.allseasonsresorts.us) offers eight condos and special rates to Queer Lounge participants.


What to See and Do in Gay Friendly Salt Lake City

History buffs can learn all about the Latter Day Saints Church at the LDS Genealogical Library, just west of Temple Square, ranking among Utah's most popular tourist attractions. While skiers and snowboarders are pampered with no less than eight ski resorts to choose from, all within 50 miles of the city - Alta, Brighton, Solitude, and Snowbird are located in Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons to the southeast; Deer Valley, The Canyons, and Park City Resort to the east, near Park City in Summit County; and Sundance to the southeast in Utah County. The ski resorts see frequent storms that deposit lake effect snow, enriching the cushy blanket favored by winter sports adepts.

There's a good deal to do and see during the daytime, especially if you like being out in nature - rock climbing and recreation trails in the Wasatch Range, where volcanic and glacial flows have created unique landscapes. Get your adrenaline thrills at the Lagoon Amusement Park, with their Rocket wild ride, 217 feet in the air - or the Colossus Fire Dragon roller coaster, speeding you breathlessly around 65-foot loops. (800-748-5246 or 801-451-8000)
Play 18 holes on the championship course, or just take the dinosaur museum tour at Thanksgiving Point, the world's largest man-made excavation at Kennecott Copper Mine, twenty minutes south of the city (888-872-6040).

If you're into quaint neighborhoods, head over to Sugar House (the name alone should entice you to check it out), one of Salt Lake City's oldest and most interesting neighborhoods, home to hip shops and the fashionable youth of the city. Sugar House Park is nestled here - quiet or vibrant, as you wish, it offers walking trails, baseball fields, basketball courts, playgrounds, picnic sites, and even a small pond often inhabited by the rare California Gull, the state bird. The park is the city's blow-out Fourth of July fireworks site, a spectacular display lasting up to 30 minutes.

The quaint factor extends to shopping as well - the Trolley Square (801-521-9877), an indoor/outdoor mall of renovated trolley barns with cobblestone streets features art boutiques, restaurants and major retailers, while the city's largest, ZCMI Center (801-531-1799) and Crossroads Malls (801-321-8745) (slated for renovation and connection via a skyway) are easy to find on State and Main.

Music lovers browse at The Depot, over in The Gateway District - the city's newest major center with national restaurants, clothing retailers, a movie theater, and the Clark Planetarium.

Mingle amidst the students and ex-Mormon bohos in the Coffee Garden, a cozy neighborhood cafe, and then saunter across the street to Cahoots, a gay card shop, before ambling into arthouse cinema/video store, The Tower Theatre (801-321-0310), a temple to indie filmmaking - including the latest in queer offerings.

Today's Gay Salt Lake City offers an energetic nightlife and friendly locals, with neighboring Park City's Queer Lounge at the head of the list. A gay oasis in the Utah conservative desert, the Queer Lounge plays host to a vibrant forum for gay filmmakers and gay film buffs during the Sundance Film Festival.

The site of the recent Winter Olympics and a favorite ski town among Hollywood glitterati, who have been swarming here each January for the Sundance Film Festival, Park City may anchor one of the most socially conservative states in the nation, but it is definitely GLBT-friendly. This picture-perfect village with a sensational setting in the Wasatch Mountains even hosts the Utah Gay & Lesbian Ski Week in early January. Park City is less precious and dressy than Aspen, but with no fewer sophisticated restaurants, lodges and watering holes. The town's historic Main Street is lined with hip galleries and boutiques, and at the foot of the street, a gondola whisks skiers (or sightseers) up to the stellar slopes. Just a half-hour west, Salt Lake City has several rocking gay nightclubs.

Salt Lake City Pride kicks off every June, and in 2006 the Salt Lake Film Center and Utah Pride presented the free-cover Damn These Heels Film Festival, while The Broadway Theatre (111 East 300 South; 801-321-0310) staged Lover Other and Boy Culture, and Say Uncle played at the Brewvies Cinema Pub (677 South 200 West; 801-355-5500).

If you're wearing a suit and hear the locals whispering behind your back, they're probably calling you a PIB - don't take offense, PIB is short for "people in black," the slightly derisive nickname for the hordes that descend on Sundance each year. The locals may be talking about Park City's secret bargain - the Monday after the close of Sundance, the Park City Library (435-615-5600) screens all of the festival's winning movies for free.


Dining in Gay Friendly Salt Lake City

All six Salt Lake City Gastronomy Restaurants - The Market Street Grill (freshest seafood in town; 801-322-4668), The Market Street Oyster Bar (six to eight varieties offered daily, including the Alaska Sterling oyster; (801-531-6044), Cafe Pierpont (a lively Americanized version of a Mexican cantina; 801-364-1222), Baci Trattoria (casual trendy; 801-328-1500), The New Yorker (the 'grand patriarch of Downtown SLC restaurants': 801-363-0588) and The Market Street Broiler (seafood flown in daily from around the world; 801-582.8107) - have a sizable gay clientele and impressive locations in refurbished historical buildings downtown.

Nestling amidst the industrial lofts and art studios of the Gateway district downtown is the Rio Grande Cafe (801-364-3302) which serves up good Mexican fare from a former train station, near the Salt Lake City Sundance HQ.

Park City abounds with stellar restaurants and bars - although there's no gay-specific nightlife, every bar and lounge in town is queer-friendly. The round of Queer Lounge brunches, happy hours and parties are the best bet for the socially inclined, and a reliable standby is The Spur (350 Main St; 435-615-1618), a hip Western-style space with a fashionable crowd and a light bar-food menu.

Head to 350 Main (350 Main St; 435-649-3140), for some of the more creative fare in town - its main dining room may seem a bit stuffy, however, the side bar at Butcher's Chop House (751 Main St; 435-647-0040) has a warm and cozy ambience and draws its share of trendy types and gay diners, and you can order everything from filet mignon to barbecued-chicken pizza.

Zoom (660 Main Street; 435-649-9108) - Robert Redford's own, is the site of the hippest festival parties, but for superb sushi and eclectic delights from Kobe beef burgers to "dreamloaf", head to the Blind Dog Grill (1781 Sidewinder Drive; 801-655-0800).

For a memorable breakfast complete with great people-watching, drop by Morning Ray Cafe (800/344-2460; $4-8), a colorful space with hearty food that emphasizes organic ingredients - and how could you resist trying out Bad Ass Coffee (651 Park Ave; 435-655-9811), where they serve up strong brews along with desserts and sandwiches. Get plenty of calories before sunset - you'll need the extra energy for your after dark club-hopping!

For a full list of our favorite Gay Friendly Restaurants in Salt Lake City, click on the Restaurant Tab under the City Directory located on the left side of this page.

Much to many sanctimonious locals' satisfaction, in 1999 "The Whirlwind of the Lord" -- a freak tornado -- swept in and destroyed the great city of salt's oldest gay bar; several avenues for fun and frolic still stand, including 10 taverns and private clubs.

Private clubs you ask? Yes - when getting your drink on in gay Salt Lake City - there is a bit more to know. Under Salt Lake City liquor laws, a "bar", "pub" or "restaurant" may serve beer or wine. Those establishments serving liquor are known as a "private club". At a "Private Club" you have to officially be a member. But no worries - becoming a member isn't too difficult. You can either have someone at the door "sponsor" you to become a member - or just pay a two week membership fee - which is often equivalent to a cover charge that one might expect to pay in other parts of the country - and a rather affordable cover charge at that.

Once you have that membership, pop in at the Radio City, a gay every day beer bar, to get your engines running. (147 South State; 801-532-9327). For members only, The Club Sound is the most happening place in town on Friday gay nights, where you can get lost in the mix, get your groove on the dance floor, or seek a private moment in the cushioned outdoor cabanas (801-328-0255).

Party time on Friday and Saturday nights at CLUB TRY-ANGLES with DJ BoyToy from 10 Pm to close and $1 drafts every Tuesday, Friday and Sunday (251 West 900 South; 801-364-3203). Head over to Heads Up for some GLBT Dancing and free your singing voice on Karaoke Thursdays (1330 South State; 801-359-2161).

For a seven-days-a-week gay drinking hole, try The Trapp (801-531-8727) - a private club for members - Salt Lake City's largest gay everyday dance club and a good place to meet the locals and cowboys, and the younger crowd milling on The Trapp Door dance floor (801-533-0173).

Home of Salt Lakes hottest Latin night "Club Pachanga", and 'the hottest Saturday night party in town' - "Inferno House Party", with dj panama & dj Darren (no cover before 10pm). Located at 615 West 100 South in the heart of Salt Lake City's Gateway district.

For a full list of Gay Bars in Gay Friendly Salt Lake, click on the nightlife tab found under the city directory on the left side of this page.

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