Category Archives: Gay Travel
My City: Paris Musts From The Founders Of Misterbnb & MyGayTrip
Travel like a local with Vee Travels’ My City features, which highlights the must-dos in a major city or neighborhood from men all over the world. In this edition, we explore the Paris with Matthieu Jost and Marc Dedonder, the founders of Misterbnb (the gay men’s Airbnb-like website) and MyGayTrip (popular gay lifestyle resource in Europe), who share their favorite places to dine, relax, shop and go out.
Misterbnb
France natives currently live in different neighborhoods in Paris, Matthieu and Marc launched Misterbnb earlier this year, now with offerings from London to Tel Aviv and Valencia to New York.
The apartment rental website, for short stays to vacation or long-term, was created to help gay men find stays with other members of the community to make sure they’ll be staying with open minded people and city (plus gay scene) insiders who’ll know where to go. While we shouldn’t live in a bubble where we communicate or socialize with only members of the community, when traveling and opting to stay in a stranger’s apartment (or if you’re the one hosting), knowing that one another is gay can help build some confidence in a way. Also, in case you are wondering who the fellow above is, it’s French model Johan Akan (a Misterbnb brand ambassador).
Paris of course if one of the top cities on Misterbnb. See Matthieu and Marc’s selections to visit below:
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My City: Model Colby Melvin’s Los Angeles Favorites And Nightlife Picks
Photo via Paul Boulon
Model Colby Melvin is best known for his popular work with Andrew Christian, which included video segments such as the Road Trip series and a photo session that had him drenched in paint in a collaboration with The Underwear Expert. A self proclaimed goofball, his fandom grew quickly on the web, and he’s been working on developing his own entertainment group, Colbra, with his fiancée and fellow Andrew Christian model, Brandon Brown (below). As an LGBT activist, Colby is also always sharing news and entertainment reads on his social media accounts and website, and partaking in events to raise money for gay causes.
Photos via Facebook
He’s originally from the Deep South, but has made Los Angeles his new home the past year. If you find yourself in Colby’s neighborhood, the gay mecca of West Hollywood, he’s provides us some of his favorite spots and musts dos throughout LA:
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WeHo’s PickUp Trolley Line
As an alternative to driving or cab-ing it to the bars and restaurants in West Hollywood, take advantage of the new WeHo PickUp trolley service—and don’t worry about “cuddling and breakfast” for the ride.
Starting August 16th, the free trolley bus (decked out in a bright yellow paint job and pop-art) will operate each Friday and Saturday night from 8:00 p.m. to 3 a.m.; circling WeHo on Santa Monica Boulevard between Fairfax and Robertson for 20 stops along the four mile route: Read the rest of this entry
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My City: Hell’s Kitchen Musts From Nightlife Personality, Justin Luke
If you’re a New York City gay in his 20s-30s, you either know of or have met nightlife promoter Justin Luke at one of his weekly parties across Manhattan. And if you are a traveler to the city, odds are you’ve been to at least one of them in your last visit during a night out.
Just getting his start four and half years ago at the soon-to-be closed Splash, Justin is the co-director and head promoter of longtime NYC gay nightlife promotion company, BoiParty. Justin is also a published author, a fellow blogger, and has a knack for social media; creating a private VIP Facebook group of over 7,700 international gay men in their 20s, Gorgeous Gay and Twenty-Something (GG20).
Kicking off this new series, Justin gives us his favorites and musts for the ever growing gay hub of Hell’s Kitchen; where he resides and the hottest parties take place.
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Gaymer X: World’s First LGBT Gaming Convention
Following the recent San Diego Comic Con, gay geeks will be heading to San Francisco from August 3-4 for Gaymer X, the first gaming and tech convention specifically designed with us in mind.
Previously known as Gaymercon, the weekend gathering will take place in San Francisco’s Japantown district at Hotel Kabuki and Hotel Tomo. Japantown was selected as the location because, “the atmosphere was so much more welcoming and festive than other places in the city,” says Gaymer X’s event page. “We want a place where people can have a really fun experience and where people can be comfortable expressing themselves.”
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Getting To Provincetown & Events This Summer
Photo via PBG
Getting to Provincetown has never been a quick and easy feat. Once you get to the Massachusetts and Rhode Island area, you can drive right through all of Cape Cod until arriving to the end point where this New England gay Mecca lies.
It takes about two hours and a half from Providence or Boston to P’town, this of course is without the summer traffic, which can keep you on the highway for an extra hour or two. Just under 10 square miles of land, you don’t even need a car in P’town with its several taxis, pedicabs and shuttle services throughout the two main streets; Commercial and Bradford.
Many take a fast ferry during season, mid-May to mid-October, from Boston Harbor Cruises or Bay State Cruise; both can get you there in 90 minutes. Bay State is adding a new ship to their arsenal this summer, and a new service on Mondays for those of you eager to kickoff your trip as early as possible—6:30 a.m., running from July 1st to August 26th. If you are in luck and have sunny weather, make sure to have your camera handy for beautful photos of the Massachsetts, Plymouth, and Cape Cod bays.
Photo by Andrew Villagomez
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Gay Las Vegas Clubs To Visit This Summer + Where To Cool Off
There are some hot new happenings and changes down in Las Vegas for this summer, and even though the golden rule is ‘what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas’, we’re here to spill!
The juiciest, and perhaps largest, addition to LGBT entertainment and nightlife in Vegas is the move of hotspot Krave to the downtown district’s historic Fremont Street at the neon-lit mall, Neonopolis. There, it’s been reestablished as Krave Massive, which has just opened its doors and will be expanding into a mega-club that will feature five uniquely themed dance rooms, reminding me of the South Beach gay party house, Twist.
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New York Gay Pride Guide 2013
If you’re visiting New York this Pride week, or thinking of making a last minute trip this weekend, we’ve got your events covered for a glitterfic good time!
Thursday (6/27)
Pride Thursday marks the grand opening of Marquee Q Thursdays from a team gay nightlife pros (Brandon Voss, Patrick Crough, Alan Picus, and Justin Luke), and will feature the New York Pride headliner and mega diva, Cher!
Starts at 10:00 p.m. at Marquee, 289 Tenth Ave
Friday (6/28)
Start your weekend officially, since it is an official New York Pride event, at The Pride Kickoff Rally. Hosts this year include Pandora Boxx and KeithPrice, with performacnes by Pam Ann and The Voice‘s Vicci Martinez. Oh, and Lady Gaga will be speaking at the event; added in last minute.
From 7 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at Pier 26 Hudson River, at North Moore St
When the sunsets, and after some pre drinks or dinner in Hell’s Kitchen several gay bars and gay-owned eateries, waddle your way down to XL Nightclub (if you aren’t already staying at The OUT) for PAPA vs. Forever Tel Aviv—a sure to be mega party from the two international entertainment groups. Watch the artfully, sexy trailer below:
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Eating In & Out Of The Castro: 10 Eats in San Francisco
In The Castro
Old and new places to try when visiting the gay Mecca and its surrounding areas:
Located in the heart of The Castro, Hi Tops (pictured above), which opened last fall and is the city’s first gay sports bar, if you can believe it, serves up the classics (Buffalo Wings, et al.) you’d expect from a sports-centric watering hole,though with a decidedly fancy twist—including a four cheese grilled sandwich (smoked gouda, cheddar, gruyere, and jarlsberg) with dried fruit chutney. One note, this place is poppin and can at times be pretty full.
While Hi Tops of course has burgers, they’re taken a bit more seriously a few buildings southwest at SliderBar. This mini California chain (the original opened in Palo Alto) offers a variety of pint-sized sandwiches made of beef, pork, chicken, shrimp, and veggies and many comes with sassy names, such as the Double Trouble (double grass-fed beef patties based sliders), the Hot Chick (fresh ground chicken with various spicy ingredients and add ons), and Italian Stallion (pork patty with Italy’s finest added).
Continuing southwest, you’ll find long-standing favorite Catch, a cozy seafood spot where Harvey Milk’s first camera shop once stood (not to be confused with his later camera shop, which is now an HRC shop). Though most of the dishes are delicious, we recommend the seared halibut, sauteed blue talapia, and linguine with clams. Eat inside or out on the heated, screened patio.
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Head Across The Pond For London Pride 2013
Logo of Pride in London; Huge rainbow flag of London Pride 2011 (via Flickr)
The annual London gay Pride event is officially back on for 2013! New organizers of the festival, London LGBT+ Community Pride, announced Pride in London‘s official, week-long events this year and its theme, ‘Love and Marriage’.
“As the Equal Marriage Bill continues to be debated in Parliament, the organizers of Pride in London believe the event offers the LGBT+ community a unique chance to be seen and heard with [a theme] uniting the community,” stated the organizers in today’s announcement.
Vee Travels 