Gay Sacramento City Guide - Gay Bars, Clubs & Nightlife Reviews, Gay Hotels, Restaurants, Bookstores & Realtors - Maps, Reviews and Photos - PrideCityGuide.com

Gay Friendly Sacramento

California's capital city has steadily developed a reputation as one of the West's best-kept secrets for gay and lesbian visitors. This welcoming, historic, and vibrant city at the confluence of two major California rivers claims a sizable GLBT population and numerous hotels, restaurants, bars, and shops with gay-friendly reputations.

Sacramento also makes an affordable, easy-to-reach base for exploring a number of nearby destinations within day-tripping distance, from the wine regions of Calaveras and Amador counties to Lake Tahoe and Yosemite National Park.

Much of the action in Sacramento is centered on the lively and attractive Midtown neighborhood, which is home to enough gay-owned businesses and households to have earned it the popular nickname "Lavender Heights." The district just east of downtown is famed for its charming, tree-shaded streets and meticulously restored Victorian and early-20th-century Craftsman and Colonial Revival homes. More recently, a number of sleek lofts and condos have been developed in Midtown, a neighborhood that's easy to explore on foot.

Within Midtown, you'll find plenty to see and do, including one of state's most historic attractions, Sutter's Fort State Historic Site, where Swiss pioneer established the region's first non-indigenous permanent settlement in 1839 . Fans of the arts should check out the many fine galleries in the neighborhood. You'll also find a number of hip boutiques and one-of-a-kind shops in the neighborhood. And once a month, folks mingle and gather among Midtown's galleries, shops, cafes, and bars for Second Saturday Art Walk, which takes place from 6 until 10 pm.

From Midtown, you're a short drive or leisurely stroll from many of the city's other top attractions, including downtown's prestigious Crocker Art Museum and the stately 1874 California State Capitol building, of which tours are available each day. The Capitol anchors a picturesque park filled with verdant flora.

Be sure to spend a little time wandering through the city's earliest commercial district, Old Sacramento. This neighborhood fringing the Sacramento River boomed in the mid-1800s during the California Gold Rush. Its fortunes waxed and waned over time, but preservationists and entrepreneurs eventually recognized Old Sacramento's potential, and today it's a bona fide attraction. With horse-drawn carriages, frontier-style buildings with wooden balconies and period details, and riverboats tied up along the boardwalk fronting the Sacramento River, this festive district genuinely recalls the Wild West.

If you're feeling truly ambitious and energetic, consider taking a stroll or bike ride along the banks of the American River, which runs east from the Sacramento River along the northern edge of downtown. Aside from being popular with gay sunbathers and strollers at certain points, the scenic American River Bike Trail runs for 23 miles out to Folsom Lake. You can pick up the trail at Old Sacramento or from several spots just north of Lavender Heights.

Where to Eat and Play in Midtown

The city's bustling Midtown neighborhood is packed with fantastic restaurants, many of them with open-air patios and urbane bars. Long-time favorites such as Paesanos for brick-oven pizzas and fresh pastas, and Waterboy for California-inspired French and Italian fare can always be counted on for delicious meals. Check out Moxie's creative American cuisine and Azul for some of the best Mexican food (and potent margaritas) in town. For a bracing espresso drink, drop by True Love Coffeehouse, and consider Hot Rod's for inexpensive but delicious burgers, fries, and luscious milkshakes.

Where to Stay in Gay Friendly Sacramento

Sacramento offers plenty of gay friendly hotels within walking distance of the Lavender Heights gay scene. A particular favorite is the luxe Citizen Hotel, a swanky boutique hotel just a couple of blocks from the California State Capitol. It's part of the gay-popular Joie de Vivre hotel group and home to a superb (and quite trendy) restaurant and bar, Grange. The intimate and gay-friendly Inn & Spa at Parkside, overlooking leafy Southside Park, is another excellent option relatively close to Midtown and downtown attractions and businesses.

A short drive south of downtown, with a tranquil, scenic setting along the Sacramento River, the posh Le Rivage Hotel makes the ultimate romantic getaway, with rooms decorated in sophisticated country Italian furnishings. You can relax with a massage or wrap in the hotel's Spa LeLe, or enjoy dinner overlooking the river at Scott's Seafood. Drive just a bit north of downtown (not far from the popular Arden Fair shopping mall), and you'll discover another gay-friendly lodging option of note, the offbeat Greens Hotel. This quirky, moderately priced hotel has 26 rooms done with mod furnishings and art by up-and-coming regional artists.

Mark Your Calendar

A city known for its many engaging events and festivals - including the Sacramento International Film Festival, Sacramento Jazz Jubilee, and the California State Fair - Sacramento also has a few gatherings geared toward GLBT residents and visitors. In late June, the annual Sacramento Gay Pride takes place right in the heart of Midtown and includes a parade and festival, and parties at many bars and restaurants around Midtown. Over Labor Day weekend in early September, the Rainbow Festival offers three days of concerts, shows, and parties - the entire event is held to raise money for a variety of local charities. Also in early September, the Sacramento Valley AIDS Run/Walk draws thousands of participants to the city, in support of an important cause. Finally, in late October, the Sacramento International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival has become increasingly prestigious in recent years.

Club 21

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Mercantile Saloon

Headhunters Video Bar & Grill

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