Hollywood beach chicago gay
On the southernmost corner of Edgewater’s Kathy Osterman Beach, the usual sounds of children laughing and waves crashing are drowned out by the thumps of a pop lyric, usually the vocals of a queen. By noon regulars have staked out spots along the shoreline, put up tents, and are well into sandy festivities.
You can anticipate to find a large and lively crowd between the Kathy Osterman Beach House and the rainbow beacon that serves as the beach’s southern border, especially on affectionate weekends. Though most come in little groups or alone, the collective is like a beehive, each person doing a separate but connected activity. Here the queers possess both officially and unofficially made the space theirs.
If Sidetrack and Roscoe’s are weekend nighttime staples in Northalsted, Osterman Beach (aka Hollywood Beach) is the daytime counterpart, serving as both a precursor to evening festivities and a balm the morning after.
More than a few beachgoers told me that running into familiar faces is just a part of the experience at the beach. Mo, an Afro Arab bodybuilder, says the beach feels less claustrophobic and more relaxed than the homosexual bar scene in Andersonville and Lakeview. Johnny,
Hollywood Street Beach
It is a great place for site seeing lots of eye candy -- vollyball is fun to watch. Some local gay bars have volyball teams. Most of the guys that sunbathe, see like supermodels. Small pier is a great romantic stroll and the rocks area is very cruisy day
Crowd: Total variety of shapes and sizes as adv as ages! It makes you wonder if these people own jobs.
Who's Coming
Total variety of shapes and sizes as well as ages! It makes you wonder if these people have jobs.
- Crowd:Total variety of shapes and sizes as well as ages! It makes you wonder if these people have jobs.
- Hours:Summer 8 am-11 pm
- Cruising Info/ Tips:I endorse safe onl and trust no-one.
Cruisiest Spots: The beach is located at the end of Hollywood; the public mens room is cruisy and there are holes in the stalls. After the bathrooms close the rocks get extremely cruisy and most guys are very bold! - Nudity / Policy:Do thongs count?
- Wheelchair Accessible:No
- Warnings:Lifeguards are not friendly. Police patrol through the park but they are avoidable. Do not receive caught in the park after it is closed.
Warnings: Stay completely aware o
It is apt that the gay beach in Chicago, popularly called Hollywood Beach, is officially named after Kathy Osterman, the Chicago politician who fought for gay rights in the 1980s. It is arguably one of the foremost kept secrets in male lover travel.
The beach is packed of pure white sand that, on a sunny Midwest day, makes you believe that you are in Florida rather than Illinois. You’ll also discover a friendly, down-to-earth crowd with a lot less attitude than other US beaches on the south coast.
Note that smoking is not permitted on any Chicago beach. On the upside, there is free wi-fi offered by the city council.
How to receive there
There is no machine park by the beach so it is top reached by public transport You can take the 147 (Outer Drive Express), 84 (Peterson) or 151 (Sheridan) buses and become off at Ardmore. From there, walk towards the lake. If you approach by train, take the red line, get off at Bryn Mawr (six stops north of Belmont at Boystown) and again walk under Lakeshore Steer towards St Andrews church and the lake. Once you reach the beach, head to the southern part close to the pier which is exclusively gay. Last updated:03-13-2014
Chicago: so nice, you’ll think it’s hitting on you
For a gay ol’ period, follow the rainbow to the Midwest. In this part of the territory, Chicago is “the city,” but one that largely puts aside those big-city rules. In virtual dating terms, Chi-Town doesn’t wait two days to call you back after a date. Friendly and inviting, it’s the city that forgot that big cities are supposed to have an attitude.
Architecture aficionados and novices keep their eyes facing upwards to take in the grandeur. For closer-to-the-ground fun, do your duty as a tourist and leader to Millennium Park. Get out your camera because you’re about to come across “The Bean” (which sounds like a horrible come on). Officially, the stunning sculpture is called Cloud Gate, but for reals, it looks like a big shiny bean. Try as they might, no homosexual can resist a reflective surface. There’s lots more to see in and around the park, including the Art Institute of Chicago. Not just for art fags, this is an era-spanning collection that will even impress those who don’t fancy museums.
During nice weather, can you really pass up a day at the beach? Though technically landlocked, Lake Michigan does a fantastic ocean impression. An astounding 2