City Cast Philly logo
Advertisement image

Get to Know the Gayborhood

Posted on May 25, 2023   |   Updated on September 30, 2025

The Gayborhood, in the heart of Washington Square West, is Philly’s iconic LGBTQ community hotspot. It's filled with shopping, dining, and plenty of nightlife.

Check out this map of the Gayborhood spots listed below. (Google Maps)

Check out this map of the Gayborhood spots listed below. (Google Maps)

Giovanni’s Room is a Gayborhood staple. It’s the oldest LGBTQ bookstore in the U.S, and it carries more than just books. You can also find records, CDs, DVDs, vintage clothing, and accessories.

In 2004, lesbian entrepreneurs Marcie Turney and Valerie Safran opened the Mexican restaurant Lolita on South 13th Street. They now own nine restaurants and boutiques in the area, including Barbuzzo.

Barbuzzo is known for its budino, a decadent pudding cup with salted caramel and chocolate. But before treating your palette to sweets, customers can choose from wood-fired pizzas, handmade pasta dishes, colorful vegetables, and tons of seafood.

Rainbow butterfly wings adorn the outside of Cockatoo Philadelphia. (Brittany Valentine/City Cast Philly)

Rainbow butterfly wings adorn the outside of Cockatoo Philadelphia. (Brittany Valentine/City Cast Philly)

If you’re celebrating Pride Month in June, Cockatoo Philadelphia is a great spot. This bar and restaurant has cocktails, wine, beer, tapas, empanadas, and plenty of vegan options too. It’s a vibrant and safe space for the LGBTQ community and allies alike.

Mark your calendars for Philly Pride 365, which takes place on Sunday, June 4. The march begins at Independence Mall and ends with a festival in the Gayborhood at 12th and Locust 🏳️‍🌈

Tell me something interesting about your neighborhood!

Share article

Hey Philly

Stay connected to City Cast Philly and get ready to join the local conversation.

Can't subscribe? Turn off your ad blocker and try again.
Advertisement image

The latest in Philly

Sponsored

Moving to Philadelphia? What to Check Before You Pick a Neighborhood, Book a Truck, and Sign a Lease

With this guide, you can move to Philadelphia, move from another place to Philadelphia, or just see if living in Philadelphia fits your d...

Wellknown Moving Company Logo
Philly, ExplainedOctober 9

Play Our Philly Crossword Puzzle

This mini-crossword is filled with clues on Philly history and headlines.

City Cast Philly Crossword
Keep It LocalOctober 8

4 Places To Get Very, Very Scared in Philly

Get chased through a “Terrifier” filming site, wander a former prison after dark, or hunt ghosts along the Manayunk Canal at these four f...

On a foggy night, a man dressed in all black, wearing a top hat, and holding a cane faces the Lincoln Mill Haunted House in Manayunk, a former textile mill. A police car with its lights on is parked in front of the brick building.
Keep It LocalOctober 8

Philly Spooky Quiz: How Well Do You Know Eastern State Penitentiary?

Over 100 inmates escaped Eastern State, but can you name its most famous? Put your Philly history to the test before your next eerie visi...

The imposing Gothic stone facade of Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, with its castle-like turret, arched iron gate entrance, and weathered dark stone walls.
Philly HistoryOctober 5

What’s Philly’s Connection to Edgar Allan Poe?

The “The Tell-Tale Heart” author lived in several homes in the city, but only one remains to this day.

A mural on a brick wall depicting a portrait of Edgar Allan Poe against a blue background in an oval frame. He is wearing a black dress coat and tie, and white shirt. Beside him is a quote from his short story Hop-Frog: “ I never knew anyone so keenly alive to joke as the king was. He seemed to live only for joking. To tell a good story of the joke kind, and to tell it well, was the surest road to his favor.”
Philly, ExplainedOctober 2

Prove Your Weekly Philly Knowledge

How well do you know Philly's latest headlines and historical facts? Try your hand at this quiz to find out!

A rainy view of South Broad Street at a traffic triangle. Several cars drive on the moist street under a cloudy sky.
Philly's BestOctober 2

How to Spend October 2026 in Philly

Mark your calendars with these frights and delights. This month, visit Philly’s pumpkin patches and haunted houses, or explore the city o...

Text that says “Halloween Nights at Eastern State Penitentiary” is projected onto the stone facade of the Neo-Gothic prison. Light emits from inside the building as guests enter through the main doorway.
Keep It LocalOctober 1

Where to Spend a Cozy Fall Afternoon in Philly

Looking for a warm, cozy place to enjoy an autumn afternoon? Here are four spots in Philly sure to give you maximum coziness.

Interior of Eremita Cafe in Roxborough, with customers sitting at tables and vintage upholstered chairs beneath a pressed-tin ceiling. A colorful abstract mural covers the left wall, while framed artwork lines the opposite wall and tall windows fill the space with natural light.