Some of the Most Expensive Gayborhoods To Live In

The Most Expensive Affordable Gay Cities to Live In

Here at Fleshbot Gay HQ, we are constantly hearing of the latest gays who've had to move back home because of Los Angeles' high cost of living. We know all too well how expensive rents are here, and even doing simple things around town can take a toll on your wallet. Want to take your boyfriend to the movies? Prepare for at least $100 for tickets, parking, and a basic snack. Even free events will cost you money in parking, and of course, you have to fill up your gas tank. Or you can stay in and hang out in your $2500 studio. Sigh. The Advocate recently did a report on the most expensive gayborhoods to live in. Here are our thoughts on a few of those areas listed.

Laguna Beach

An average home will run you $2.5 million in SoCal's Laguna Beach. Having been born and raised in this area, we can attest that yes, the home and very expensive. We aren't sure why this is considered a thriving gayborhood, though. At his height, there were at least four gay bars all next to each other that would host streets full of hot gay men cruising around. The beach at the bottom of the (now closed) Boom Boom Room was notorious for public hooking up. Gay Mart was a small porn and toy shop that was actually the first place we rented a gay porn flick. Main Street Bar was the last gay bar standing, but it closed right after the pandemic. Since then, Laguna Beach has become family-oriented, catering to art and fashion lovers. The beaches are absolutely gorgeous, and you'll find many celebrities staying at the nearby Ritz-Carlton. Alas, it is no longer popular among cruising gays. In fact, Orange County is home to very few gay bars. Pass!

Rehoboth Beach

This gayborhood is located in Delaware. An average home will run $1.94 million. To be honest, we haven't heard of this gay city, but we have learned that it is quite popular and has gay beaches, great shopping, and a fun boardwalk. Former President Joe Biden has a residence there. We will have to check it out.

Chelsea

This should come as no surprise. Chelsea is gay gay gay and located in Manhattan, NYC. Average homes run $1.92 million. Chelsea is home to many popular and luxurious attractions, as well as a thriving gay scene. This gayborhood is not for the granola gay; you'd better make sure your outfit is on point to head out to the local coffee shop. We like our gays with a little casual energy, so we are going to pass on this one.

Greenwich Village

Right behind Chelsea in pricing is Greenwich Village, with media homes costing $1.85 million. This area is both beautiful and walkable. It is also home to the historical Stonewall Inn. This is part of our gay history. While expensive, we like the eclectic and inclusive feel. The gay community is diverse and thriving. We are going to give this one the green light. We'd fork up the money to live here.

The Castro

Located in San Francisco, the Castro has been a major part of queer history and one of the first major gayborhoods on the West Coast. This area is full of gay bars, gay resources, queer monuments, and plenty of cruising. Did someone say Folsom? The average home will run you $1.7 million. We have to admit, the gay culture has changed a bit, and Castro isn't what it once was. It seems a bit more commercial than before, and the community is not as welcoming as it used to be. Still, we love the history and the architecture. And it is close to all that San Francisco has to offer. We'd pay the price to live here.

Silver Lake

Also on the West Coast is Silver Lake. To put things in perspective, Silver Lake is about 20 minutes (with no traffic) east of West Hollywood. We are surprised this area was higher on the list than West Hollywood. Average homes cost $1.47 million. If West Hollywood (Weho) is the land of pretty boys, Silver Lake is the land of leather guys. The gay clubs in Silver Lake tend to cater to the leather and hole-in-the-wall bar community. The area itself is very diverse with both gay and family populations. It is very artsy, some consider it hipster, and some consider it grungy. There is no shortage of any type of restaurant you want. It definitely has a different vibe than Weho. Even though you might snag a great home, forget about trying to park. And if your friends live in Weho, they will never visit. The traffic makes this more than a trek. This is a soft pass for us, we like Weho.

The Hamptons

Well, this goes without saying. We all know the rich like to stay in The Hamptons to celebrate other folk who live in luxury. This vacation spot is usually for rich people to have their second (or third, or more) home to escape NYC. It is notorious for luxury living and the center for gay folk interested in being seen in the social scene. We've visited and, while it is posh and full of pretty people, it was a little too snobby for our liking. We also didn't see a lot of racial diversity. Pass!

Which of these gayborhoods would you pay extra to live in?

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