A Guide to Sydney's Gay and Lesbian Nightlife on Oxford St
April 24th 2008 17:50
I wouldn't call myself a party animal, but I happen to have been to most of the venues on Oxford St and figure I might as well share my knowledge with you.
Obviously, the best time to be at Oxford Street is on the day of the Mardi Gras Parade, late February or early March. You won't want to spend your time in any of the below establishments as the most interesting events will be happening on the street itself, though.
The first club on my list isn't actually on Oxford Street, but just off it, on a street called Flinders. ARQ has two floors, each with a(n internationally renowned) DJ, and you'll find dancey mixes of top 40 songs as well as some lyric-less trance music. The lighting in this place is fantastic, with things like numerous spotlights which follow you around on the first floor, and electric green lasers on the second. Smoke is leaked out from certain sections of the floor periodically, engulfing dancers nearby for a while before it spreads and thins across the room. Some of the more confident guys take their shirts off, and as the night goes on it gets increasingly sleazy - you will see a lot of gay and heterosexual making out if you stay for any length of time! Yes, it's straight-friendly, just like all of the other venues I'll be taking you through. ARQ attracts the youngish, hip and toned, the glittery, fabulous and scantily clad. I have some good memories of this place, and I even made two new friends here last year. I usually go on a Saturday night; there is a foam party on Friday, and it's also open on Thursdays and Sundays. They also have girls-only nights and transexual-themed events once a month. Check out their great website for more info. A friend tells me that shooting up can happen in the male toilets. Entry is $15, if I remember correctly, a bit more if you enter after 11pm (doors open at 9pm). The upper level opens at 11pm, and is the most popular, although there are pool tables below. One of my favourite spots to get my groove on.
Almost opposite ARQ is the Flinders Hotel, which has a bar and is popular with those in search for a relaxed atmosphere. Ha, I just looked up the website and it described itself as 'sophisticated yet relaxed'. The decor is in dark colours, and I found it just a little too dark for my liking. Flinders hosts a number of events including the all-girl events Luscious (3rd Saturday of every month) and Bada Bing, which is an urban performance night.
This place also has a restraunt which caters to large groups, so I assume it's a good place to host a function or really big party! Check out the website to get more of a feel for it.
Heading over to Oxford St proper, you have the Oxford Hotel near the Eastern Suburbs bus stops, which has an industrial look inside and has an outdoor area with metallic chairs where you can sit with your friends, old or new. It's mainly frequented by men, but don't let that stop you, girls... as in much of this area, you are likely to be greeted friendlily and find someone to chat to without trying too hard. Subjects I have discussed here include everything from the poverty in South-East Asia to how it's obvious you're carrying around a sex toy when you've got a rectangular package in a brown paper bag. Its home on the web is here. Not my favourite pub, but not a bad way to spend an afternoon either.
My favourite pub would have to be the deceptively named Stonewall... there is nothing stony about this place (except perhaps those 'abs of steel'), as the floor glitters (as well as holding representations of Hollywood Walk of Fame-like stars, with a name for many an influential member of the community), and rainbow lights cascade all over it. (And yes I know that is named after a New York establishment which was attacked by police, and led the people in it to rise up and start the first ever G&L Mardi Gras Parade in New York, but I still can't get over the cold-sounding name.) There is a little dance floor podium on the first floor and the place gets absolutely packed on Saturdays, when they club hosts drag and other performances, and bar-top male dancers (last time I was there one of the dance moves was simulating anal sex for a beat). Yes, the entertainment has a decidedly sexual theme, and may alienate the more genteel (myself included), but overall its fun, doesn't take itself too seriously, and always makes for good conversation starters. When the (hourly, I believe) entertainment isn't on, it's up to the customers to pick songs from the Jukebox. You're likely to hear Madonna, Kylie and ABBA during your stay, mixed with the latest gay-friendly boppy tunes and with an occasional oldie thrown in. The corresponding video clips play on one of the several screens around the pub. The clientele? People, especially men, of all ages frequent this joint- it seems to be equally popular with middle-aged working people and the often pierced and spiky-haired youth. One of the last times I was there a straight guy confided that he comes to Stonewall to pick up the girls who accompany their male friends, so it's literally a place for everybody. If you go up the stairs you'll find the second floor, where people are dancing to the latest pop/dance songs, despite the fact that the furniture is in the middle of the room, somewhat restricting the dancefloor space. Further up you'll find flashing lights and a more hardcore trance atmosphere, with a floor thankfully liberated of much furniture... there are less people there, which is nice. Between floors one, two and three you could easily spend your whole night here, and it's all free! Stonewall has an equally colourful home on the web here.
Edging further down the street on the same side, you'll find the also very happening Colombian, which has chic, shiny stylings and welcomes people of all persuasion. This is another pub which plays video clips, and there is also a chill-out place upstairs but I haven't been there for ages so I can't remember if it contains a dancefloor or not. Probably. Unlike Stonewall, the Colombian allows you to sit and watch the human traffic outside, which is always entertaining. I remember last year I saw an Asian woman with a large glittery skull on her black shirt. I shuddered, then admitted that it was very postmodern... macabre-glam! Actually, it reminds me of Chiho Aoshima now. The Colombian doesn't seem to have an official website, but there are some reviews of it (and a picture) here.
Between Stonewall and The Colombian you can find a club called Havana which, according to their website, refuses to be pigeon-holed into one genre. It's crosses the line between club and lounge, and offers an eclectic array of music, everything from retro to house to the newest party music. I've never been there, but perhaps I will soon!
Just about every store on Oxford St is gay-friendly, but HUM Music deserves a special mention - it stocks cds, dvds and other technologies which are of especial interest to GLBTI audiences. Want a film that played in the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Film Festival and isn't widely distributed? You'll find it here. You'll also find a wide range of free publications geared towards the community. Grab them up! They have a simple page over here.
Past Hum you'll find the popular MidnightShift, which contains a roomy pub on the first floor (again, the music videos are happily ubiquitous), which is decorated with wood, and mainly appeals to men... there is a small dancefloor if you go all the way in, where the (mostly inebriated) guys shake their stuff and make new friends. Upstairs, though with a different ground floor entrance, is the MidnightShiftClub, which is very fabulous, especially on a Friday night. Funky sounds emanate from the DJs' corner, and images are broadcast upon the wall (last time I was there you could see Kylie performing silently there), while blue and pink lasers come out from every angle, outdoing ARQ's more minimalist approach to them. This is the place to hear Rihanna remix remixes, and other interesting sounds. There is a catwalk platform in the middle of the spacious dancefloor where you can parade and pose to your heart's content. There is a pub and chill-out area in the adjoining room, and if you climb the stairs on the dancefloor, you will come across two double beds with pillows, for your sitting or body-to-body making out purposes. Last time I was there there was a young couple making out on one of them and I felt very voyeuristic. The upstairs section/mezzanine (at least that's what I think it's called, please feel free to correct me) allows you to gaze down at the dancefloor below. Arq has a similar feature on its third floor, but it has these funky pod-like dents in the wall where you can sit and chat instead of beds. Check out MS's site here - could they fit any more bare-chested men onto that banner? Lol.
If you continue to creep, sashay or whistle your way down this side of Oxford Street, you'll be greeted by the exclusive-looking Slide club. Slide has a ratio of man to women, 7:3, so if you're a lady and there are too many other women already in the place you won't be able to enter. However it's stunning Rennaisance chandeliers meet minimalist Asian decorations (the very stuff of fusion), contrasted by the red-and-blue chequered tiles of its glowy dancefloor (which makes you pay more attention to your legwork, as your gaze is drawn down to the light), making for a stylish postmodern experience. Looks-wise, this is my favourite place. It also hosts girlie nights, and a lot more boi-time events, I'm guessing. There is an upper level which can be booked for parties, and the restrooms are gorgeous, ultra-chic and modern. There is lots of black, and some white, too, with a sofa or two on the main floor. Red lighting seems to prevail (which makes everyone's skin look better than usual). Their home on the web can be found here. I should really go there more often.
We have now reached the end of this side of the busy part of the street. I should mention one other place before we cross the road, and that's 'The Bookshop', my favourite bookstore on earth. It caters specifically to GLBTI customers, and has a truly fantastic selection as a result. It doesn't just contain books which have explicitly gay issues, but books and publications which would be of interest to a non-heterosexual reader. Anything odd and quirky fits in. I will always remember laughing my head off at a satirical book called 'Why Paint Cats'... it had full-page pictures of poor felines who had had their fur painted into themes such as a butterlfy or a clown.
Ah... anyway, here's the place to buy anything from Hillary Clinton's autobiography to magazines full of erotic male photography. You can get a Buffy calendar or the latest book on social theory. Are you a Christian non-heterosexual? You'll find a lot of books to suit your interests. Are you an aspiring metrosexual? You can brush up on the history of it, and then some. Are you simply fabulous, curious and open-minded? I once spent so much time here reading that the guy at the front desk assumed that I had left without my handbag (which you are asked to leave at the front) and rang my mother to inform her where the bag could be found... this place is too addictive! I always say the name The Bookshop is either minimalist or postmodern... perhaps minimalist postmodern? You can check them out online here. They're open way late, and I always pop in when I'm in the area and have some time.
Okay, one more while we're on this side: Go into Gloria Jeans, but only to pick up the latest issues of Lesbians on the Loose (LOTL), Cherrie or the other gay-themed magazines - Gloria Jeans gives some of your money to Mercy Ministries, which is supposed to provide shelter for disadvantaged women, but equates lesbianism with witchcraft - both are seen as undesirable and something to be gotten rid of through religious devotion. Get your coffee or beverage of choice at Starbucks of one of the other cafes on the street instead.
On the other side of the street, we have Spectrum, a rock/indie/lightly groovy/emo joint which is populated by a hard-partying crowd. You'll find guys or girls with dreads here, and a bar as well as a (hideously sticky) dancefloor. I found this place underlit and overcrowded, but still fun. Interestingly enough, they sell earplugs at the bar, which I felt like I needed after standing close to the speakers for an hour! Spectrum above turns into Pheonix below on Sundays, becoming a 'day club' venue... it goes until 3pm and contains people who are still partying from Saturday night as well as newcomers who don't have time to party at night (or live too far away to do so). The lighting doesn't compare to Midnight Shift or ARQ, but considering it's a daytime party (Gay Day Play is their motto) venue, it's pretty good. The bathrooms, however, are not for the faint-hearted. Read more about Spectrum here.
Moving up the street, we have Q Bar, which I haven't been to for years and years, but I hear it has different theme nights. Okay, according to their website they are open 7 nights a week, play great house music and Fergie (who used to date women) visited while she was here. Check out more about this venue here.
Well, that concludes my tour for the evening (okay, okay, morning), I hope you were pleasantly entertained... all of those sites are very informative, so do check them out, and rejoice in the colour and excitement that Oxford St can be! There are few places in the world where partying can be such a pleasant and heartening experience. The diversity is refreshing, and people will smile even if they're not feeling at their best because optimism against the odds is the thing to do in the gay community.
Newtown in Sydney is another place where they gay venues are plentiful, but I don't know much about it, I'm afraid to say. That part of the city is far too filthy (a la polluted) for me to spend much time in, even if the vibe is very progressive and gay-friendly. I guess when you're spoiled for choice you can choose to be picky! ;o)
Disclaimer: This guide does not claim to be complete or unbiased... I haven't mentioned venues like 'The Gaff" because I haven't been there (though this guy with an Irish accent promoted it to me as 'The Fag' backwards), and I'm sure I've missed other venues. (Is Kinselas gay-themed? Probably.) I'd appreciate any feedback from discerning ppl who know Oxford St better than I do!
Obviously, the best time to be at Oxford Street is on the day of the Mardi Gras Parade, late February or early March. You won't want to spend your time in any of the below establishments as the most interesting events will be happening on the street itself, though.
The first club on my list isn't actually on Oxford Street, but just off it, on a street called Flinders. ARQ has two floors, each with a(n internationally renowned) DJ, and you'll find dancey mixes of top 40 songs as well as some lyric-less trance music. The lighting in this place is fantastic, with things like numerous spotlights which follow you around on the first floor, and electric green lasers on the second. Smoke is leaked out from certain sections of the floor periodically, engulfing dancers nearby for a while before it spreads and thins across the room. Some of the more confident guys take their shirts off, and as the night goes on it gets increasingly sleazy - you will see a lot of gay and heterosexual making out if you stay for any length of time! Yes, it's straight-friendly, just like all of the other venues I'll be taking you through. ARQ attracts the youngish, hip and toned, the glittery, fabulous and scantily clad. I have some good memories of this place, and I even made two new friends here last year. I usually go on a Saturday night; there is a foam party on Friday, and it's also open on Thursdays and Sundays. They also have girls-only nights and transexual-themed events once a month. Check out their great website for more info. A friend tells me that shooting up can happen in the male toilets. Entry is $15, if I remember correctly, a bit more if you enter after 11pm (doors open at 9pm). The upper level opens at 11pm, and is the most popular, although there are pool tables below. One of my favourite spots to get my groove on.
Almost opposite ARQ is the Flinders Hotel, which has a bar and is popular with those in search for a relaxed atmosphere. Ha, I just looked up the website and it described itself as 'sophisticated yet relaxed'. The decor is in dark colours, and I found it just a little too dark for my liking. Flinders hosts a number of events including the all-girl events Luscious (3rd Saturday of every month) and Bada Bing, which is an urban performance night.
This place also has a restraunt which caters to large groups, so I assume it's a good place to host a function or really big party! Check out the website to get more of a feel for it.
Heading over to Oxford St proper, you have the Oxford Hotel near the Eastern Suburbs bus stops, which has an industrial look inside and has an outdoor area with metallic chairs where you can sit with your friends, old or new. It's mainly frequented by men, but don't let that stop you, girls... as in much of this area, you are likely to be greeted friendlily and find someone to chat to without trying too hard. Subjects I have discussed here include everything from the poverty in South-East Asia to how it's obvious you're carrying around a sex toy when you've got a rectangular package in a brown paper bag. Its home on the web is here. Not my favourite pub, but not a bad way to spend an afternoon either.
My favourite pub would have to be the deceptively named Stonewall... there is nothing stony about this place (except perhaps those 'abs of steel'), as the floor glitters (as well as holding representations of Hollywood Walk of Fame-like stars, with a name for many an influential member of the community), and rainbow lights cascade all over it. (And yes I know that is named after a New York establishment which was attacked by police, and led the people in it to rise up and start the first ever G&L Mardi Gras Parade in New York, but I still can't get over the cold-sounding name.) There is a little dance floor podium on the first floor and the place gets absolutely packed on Saturdays, when they club hosts drag and other performances, and bar-top male dancers (last time I was there one of the dance moves was simulating anal sex for a beat). Yes, the entertainment has a decidedly sexual theme, and may alienate the more genteel (myself included), but overall its fun, doesn't take itself too seriously, and always makes for good conversation starters. When the (hourly, I believe) entertainment isn't on, it's up to the customers to pick songs from the Jukebox. You're likely to hear Madonna, Kylie and ABBA during your stay, mixed with the latest gay-friendly boppy tunes and with an occasional oldie thrown in. The corresponding video clips play on one of the several screens around the pub. The clientele? People, especially men, of all ages frequent this joint- it seems to be equally popular with middle-aged working people and the often pierced and spiky-haired youth. One of the last times I was there a straight guy confided that he comes to Stonewall to pick up the girls who accompany their male friends, so it's literally a place for everybody. If you go up the stairs you'll find the second floor, where people are dancing to the latest pop/dance songs, despite the fact that the furniture is in the middle of the room, somewhat restricting the dancefloor space. Further up you'll find flashing lights and a more hardcore trance atmosphere, with a floor thankfully liberated of much furniture... there are less people there, which is nice. Between floors one, two and three you could easily spend your whole night here, and it's all free! Stonewall has an equally colourful home on the web here.
Edging further down the street on the same side, you'll find the also very happening Colombian, which has chic, shiny stylings and welcomes people of all persuasion. This is another pub which plays video clips, and there is also a chill-out place upstairs but I haven't been there for ages so I can't remember if it contains a dancefloor or not. Probably. Unlike Stonewall, the Colombian allows you to sit and watch the human traffic outside, which is always entertaining. I remember last year I saw an Asian woman with a large glittery skull on her black shirt. I shuddered, then admitted that it was very postmodern... macabre-glam! Actually, it reminds me of Chiho Aoshima now. The Colombian doesn't seem to have an official website, but there are some reviews of it (and a picture) here.
Between Stonewall and The Colombian you can find a club called Havana which, according to their website, refuses to be pigeon-holed into one genre. It's crosses the line between club and lounge, and offers an eclectic array of music, everything from retro to house to the newest party music. I've never been there, but perhaps I will soon!
Just about every store on Oxford St is gay-friendly, but HUM Music deserves a special mention - it stocks cds, dvds and other technologies which are of especial interest to GLBTI audiences. Want a film that played in the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Film Festival and isn't widely distributed? You'll find it here. You'll also find a wide range of free publications geared towards the community. Grab them up! They have a simple page over here.
Past Hum you'll find the popular MidnightShift, which contains a roomy pub on the first floor (again, the music videos are happily ubiquitous), which is decorated with wood, and mainly appeals to men... there is a small dancefloor if you go all the way in, where the (mostly inebriated) guys shake their stuff and make new friends. Upstairs, though with a different ground floor entrance, is the MidnightShiftClub, which is very fabulous, especially on a Friday night. Funky sounds emanate from the DJs' corner, and images are broadcast upon the wall (last time I was there you could see Kylie performing silently there), while blue and pink lasers come out from every angle, outdoing ARQ's more minimalist approach to them. This is the place to hear Rihanna remix remixes, and other interesting sounds. There is a catwalk platform in the middle of the spacious dancefloor where you can parade and pose to your heart's content. There is a pub and chill-out area in the adjoining room, and if you climb the stairs on the dancefloor, you will come across two double beds with pillows, for your sitting or body-to-body making out purposes. Last time I was there there was a young couple making out on one of them and I felt very voyeuristic. The upstairs section/mezzanine (at least that's what I think it's called, please feel free to correct me) allows you to gaze down at the dancefloor below. Arq has a similar feature on its third floor, but it has these funky pod-like dents in the wall where you can sit and chat instead of beds. Check out MS's site here - could they fit any more bare-chested men onto that banner? Lol.
If you continue to creep, sashay or whistle your way down this side of Oxford Street, you'll be greeted by the exclusive-looking Slide club. Slide has a ratio of man to women, 7:3, so if you're a lady and there are too many other women already in the place you won't be able to enter. However it's stunning Rennaisance chandeliers meet minimalist Asian decorations (the very stuff of fusion), contrasted by the red-and-blue chequered tiles of its glowy dancefloor (which makes you pay more attention to your legwork, as your gaze is drawn down to the light), making for a stylish postmodern experience. Looks-wise, this is my favourite place. It also hosts girlie nights, and a lot more boi-time events, I'm guessing. There is an upper level which can be booked for parties, and the restrooms are gorgeous, ultra-chic and modern. There is lots of black, and some white, too, with a sofa or two on the main floor. Red lighting seems to prevail (which makes everyone's skin look better than usual). Their home on the web can be found here. I should really go there more often.
We have now reached the end of this side of the busy part of the street. I should mention one other place before we cross the road, and that's 'The Bookshop', my favourite bookstore on earth. It caters specifically to GLBTI customers, and has a truly fantastic selection as a result. It doesn't just contain books which have explicitly gay issues, but books and publications which would be of interest to a non-heterosexual reader. Anything odd and quirky fits in. I will always remember laughing my head off at a satirical book called 'Why Paint Cats'... it had full-page pictures of poor felines who had had their fur painted into themes such as a butterlfy or a clown.
Ah... anyway, here's the place to buy anything from Hillary Clinton's autobiography to magazines full of erotic male photography. You can get a Buffy calendar or the latest book on social theory. Are you a Christian non-heterosexual? You'll find a lot of books to suit your interests. Are you an aspiring metrosexual? You can brush up on the history of it, and then some. Are you simply fabulous, curious and open-minded? I once spent so much time here reading that the guy at the front desk assumed that I had left without my handbag (which you are asked to leave at the front) and rang my mother to inform her where the bag could be found... this place is too addictive! I always say the name The Bookshop is either minimalist or postmodern... perhaps minimalist postmodern? You can check them out online here. They're open way late, and I always pop in when I'm in the area and have some time.
Okay, one more while we're on this side: Go into Gloria Jeans, but only to pick up the latest issues of Lesbians on the Loose (LOTL), Cherrie or the other gay-themed magazines - Gloria Jeans gives some of your money to Mercy Ministries, which is supposed to provide shelter for disadvantaged women, but equates lesbianism with witchcraft - both are seen as undesirable and something to be gotten rid of through religious devotion. Get your coffee or beverage of choice at Starbucks of one of the other cafes on the street instead.
On the other side of the street, we have Spectrum, a rock/indie/lightly groovy/emo joint which is populated by a hard-partying crowd. You'll find guys or girls with dreads here, and a bar as well as a (hideously sticky) dancefloor. I found this place underlit and overcrowded, but still fun. Interestingly enough, they sell earplugs at the bar, which I felt like I needed after standing close to the speakers for an hour! Spectrum above turns into Pheonix below on Sundays, becoming a 'day club' venue... it goes until 3pm and contains people who are still partying from Saturday night as well as newcomers who don't have time to party at night (or live too far away to do so). The lighting doesn't compare to Midnight Shift or ARQ, but considering it's a daytime party (Gay Day Play is their motto) venue, it's pretty good. The bathrooms, however, are not for the faint-hearted. Read more about Spectrum here.
Moving up the street, we have Q Bar, which I haven't been to for years and years, but I hear it has different theme nights. Okay, according to their website they are open 7 nights a week, play great house music and Fergie (who used to date women) visited while she was here. Check out more about this venue here.
Well, that concludes my tour for the evening (okay, okay, morning), I hope you were pleasantly entertained... all of those sites are very informative, so do check them out, and rejoice in the colour and excitement that Oxford St can be! There are few places in the world where partying can be such a pleasant and heartening experience. The diversity is refreshing, and people will smile even if they're not feeling at their best because optimism against the odds is the thing to do in the gay community.
Newtown in Sydney is another place where they gay venues are plentiful, but I don't know much about it, I'm afraid to say. That part of the city is far too filthy (a la polluted) for me to spend much time in, even if the vibe is very progressive and gay-friendly. I guess when you're spoiled for choice you can choose to be picky! ;o)
Disclaimer: This guide does not claim to be complete or unbiased... I haven't mentioned venues like 'The Gaff" because I haven't been there (though this guy with an Irish accent promoted it to me as 'The Fag' backwards), and I'm sure I've missed other venues. (Is Kinselas gay-themed? Probably.) I'd appreciate any feedback from discerning ppl who know Oxford St better than I do!
| 39 |
| Vote |
Subscribe to this blog
Comment by Morgan Bell
Deep Pencil
Current Business News
Movie Train
Artist Quirk
Arq - major drug pit, the womens toilets are where all the dealers and users hang out and the toilet bowls have empty plastic "fish" swimming around in them cos the users are too trashed to realise they dont flush, there is regularly G overdoses and the staff just throw them out on the footpath to avoid responsisbility . . . on the upside the music is fantastic, all the boys are beautiful, you can wear whatever you want, nothing is too outrageous, and the drag shows on Thursday and Sunday nights are probably the best productions in australia, those are the only nights i would recommend going . . . i think saturday nights are $25 now and have become more of a stright or mixed night due to the ease of purchasing drugs
Stonewall - or as i affectionately renamed it "spew-wall" due to the strong smell of vomit eminating from the carpet (is that carpet or just some tar covered cork?) and toilets . . . the place is absolutely packed (like fire hazard packed) on friday and saturday nights, often with a line-up down the street, theres no door entry charge but id recommend going really early (10pm) to claim a table or really late (2am) as you can stay and drink til the sun comes up . . . this is a real drinkers bar, great for an afternoon beer but becomes impossible to get through the crowd to the bars or the spewy toilets (perhaps why so many people resort to spewing on the floor) . . . personally i find "boys bar up" on thursdays to be really ridiculous and annoying and just stops bar service, however i love karaoke on tuesday, malebox on wednesdays and the drag shows on sundays, they are some of the most fun times ive had in my life
The Midnight Shift - mostly old white guys and younger asians guys, i never been upstairs because women are genrally refused entry, theres pretty much no women in their ever, i used to go fairly regularly but i was so offended when i was refused entry to the main bar for my shoes that i wont ever go back
The Oxford - after the sun comes up the alcoholics head to The Oxford and brawl over standing room in the smoking area and the druggies head over to Manacle . . . these places are really only for hard-core trashbags . . . have i had a screaming match in The Oxford over some idiot standing too close to me? yes! was it one of the longest and most memorable nights of my life? yes! haha
is Palms still open? thats a cool retro disco club that attracts and older more relaxed crowd
Comment by Catatonic Kid
I'd have to agree that it doesn't get much better than the bookshop. If you can't find several somethings there you want to read, you're just not trying hard enough
The Oxford Street markets on a weekend are also a great place to get all the latest updates on what's going on with the GLBT community in the area. Not to mention fun, though fairly expensive. The high cuteness factor of the visitors makes up for that though. Just strike up a conversation with one of the stall owners, and you're all set to know what's hot and what's not from Taylor Square to the Mall in Bondi Junction.
CK
Comment by postmoderncritic
Postmodern Critic
Daily Inspirations
Relativity Watch
Padsoc
Thanks for sharing your experiences, they add to mine and I'm sure newcomers to the scene will appreciate it!
Wow, I didn't know the drug scene was that bad at ARQ... maybe that explains some of the more uninhibited behaviour I've seen there... I know E (that's ecstasy, for those with even less slang savvy than me), but what does G stand for?
I haven't been to ARQ or Thursdays or Sundays, will have to do so! I think it's $15 from 9pm-11pm, and $25 after... and yes, it is mixed (in no way straight though!), but I don't mind. I neglected to mention a minor complaint- the upper floor smells a bit like burnt plastic or something. After a while you don't notice it, though.
Stonewall - yeah, the carpet was pretty bad. They have a new carpet-less set-up now, so it's much better.
I was once there on a Friday and there was almost no-one there, which wasn't what I was expecting. I'm sure that was an exception to the rule.
MidnightShift- Dead on about the demographics; I've only seen one other female in the place... Unfortunately this can mean that the men who go there don't really want to come into contact with women that much. A lot of places are quite strict about footwear - sandals, for instance, are out.
Another tip: Don't be surprised to find men using the women's toilets as a place to hang out at any of these venues! Nobody seems to mind...
Hey Catatonic Kid,
I had no idea there were markets on Oxford Street! I'd be interested in GLBT events in Westfield Bondi Junction as it's much closer for me to get to...
Thanks for your comments, ppl!
Comment by Catatonic Kid
Yeah, I'd really love for there to be more of a 'scene' around the Junction too but I think it's a bit too much of a mixed bag in the area. Maybe in time, we can hope.
CK
Comment by postmoderncritic
Postmodern Critic
Daily Inspirations
Relativity Watch
Padsoc
Well, first of all Havana is not popular with the gay Oxford-ites. It has really terrific music (mostly hip hop and pop, with schizophrenic overlap between two songs on the way out/in), luxurious-looking and very comfortable seating, a tropical vibe, and two bars on either side of the long rectangular room. The lighting doesn't compare to ARQ or MidnightShift, but isn't bad. Entry is $20, and a glass of lemon squash cost me $4. I would go back there, even though it was pretty much a straight club. At one point a representative of munky.com.au came up to me and my friends to take our picture, and advised us to find it on their website. There are no shots from the night available as yet, but when I find the pic I will post it up here (providing I look okay in it, haha).
I was right - the top of the Colombian is an L-shaped dance space, with the walls lined with seats. They play mostly electro-funk, and is much gayer than Havana. A big chunk of the space available is taken up by the bar, which featured a bare-chested male bartender with long hair. The lighting is red and dim, and there are lovely floral motifs on the walls. It's pretty funky. On the way up you'll find some generic black cushion seats on which you can chill out.
Comment by Morgan Bell
Deep Pencil
Current Business News
Movie Train
Artist Quirk
and dont get me started on the so-called open-toe shoe rule that applies to some and not others, and never applies to drag queens or scene queens, and sometimes applies when toes are fully enclosed . . . wheres my soap box, this is my favourite topic to rant on
The Columbian - its slogan should be "the place where bi-curious couples go when theyre horny to fish for whatever they can get because theyre under the misconception that all queer people are swingers" . . . long title i know haha . . . the Columbian is also a big "come-down" hang out on Sundays and Mondays during the day for people who havent been home from the night before, you will notice the oversized dark sunnies everyone is wearing
overall id say my favourite places to hang out were Battutas cafe and Yeeros pizza shop lol . . . in between all the drag shows of course . . . ahhh im quite the negative little storm cloud arent i hahaha
nah oxford street is the best, if i could be anywhere in the world right now i would be there!
Comment by Catatonic Kid
I'm really enjoying reading your blog so I thought I'd pass on this meme, fairly randomly which is fitting since it's the 8 Random Facts meme.
Here's the link for the scoop on this one: Tag, You're it
Have a great day,
CK aka the blog-tag fairy
Comment by postmoderncritic
Postmodern Critic
Daily Inspirations
Relativity Watch
Padsoc
LOL at your Colomian moniker, your insight into its culture doesn't surprise me... According to one of my friends, ARQ on Sundays is also a kind of cool-down venue.
I know the Yeeros shop (which is open 24 hours), but where is Battuta's?
As for being negative, I encourage you to be as positive as possible - it can only work out in your favour.
If I could be anywhere in the else, I'd be in San Francisco, which also has a fantastic non-hetero scene. Castro is quite lovely, especially the street with the Castro Theater on it (I've forgotten its name). It is my dream to live in the Bay Area some day.
Dear CK,
Thanks for that, it's a good idea and I'll make my next blog entry dedicated to it!
Comment by Morgan Bell
Deep Pencil
Current Business News
Movie Train
Artist Quirk
i know, i know, i shouldnt be so negative . . . i just think to love something (or someone) fully you must first admit their faults and accept them . . . hey i put the "hag" in faghag baby haha
Comment by postmoderncritic
Postmodern Critic
Daily Inspirations
Relativity Watch
Padsoc