Gay-owned and -friendly Starlite Room features live music throughout the week. A comprehensive, guided tour of his study is offered. Not an oenophile? Take a tour of Elmira town to walk the steps of Mark Twain who wrote the majority of his great works here. Stop into Red Newt for a tasting, where the charming and young wine maker, Brandon Saeger, is openly gay. Seneca Lake has the most wine production, including Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Meritage, and a bestselling Riesling. Why Go: The Finger Lakes- a whopping area of 9,000 square miles-is the largest wine-producing region east of California. Think Gilligan Island Suite and Wizard of Oz Suite, designed in a whimsical way (the owners’ backgrounds are in theater and set design).
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Last year’s brand-new wing brought 9 themed suites, each paying tribute to popular 60s and 70s TV shows and movies. The Roxbury Motel (rates from $99/weeknight, $125/weekend night) is owned by a gay couple who are movers and shakers in the area. And while that trend died out, Roxbury is experiencing something of a renaissance. Gay New Yorkers may remember that in the 80s, Roxbury Village was the weekender from NYC. Don’t let “B&B” fool you: it feels more like an intimate, boutique hotel with contemporary furnishings in all five guestrooms-some with private terraces or whirlpool tubs-and impressive antique pieces and local artwork in the public areas. The five-room hideaway is perched 400-feet high on a bluff overlooking Delaware River where eagles soar through the sky. The truly remote, gay-owned Ecce Bed & Breakfast (rates from $200/night), though, is perhaps cream of the crop. The property looks over White Lake and is within walking distance to cute shops. Where to Stay: Check into Bradstan Country Hotel (rates from $225/night), owned by a gay couple that officially got married last summer. It’s sprawling earth and all sky in this neck of the woods, so check out the popular Kaaterskill Falls or Alder Lake for picnics and hiking. Next door to the recently renovated Roxbury Motel (see below) is the gay-owned Public Lounge, a groovy restaurant serving farm-to-table dishes (average main: $11). The recently opened Dancing Cat Saloon and Catskill Distillery is a go-to for live music and Peace Vodka tastings (average main: $14).
Get nostalgic at the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, a contemporary museum that celebrates sixties history and the iconic Woodstock Festival (yes, it took place here in Sullivan, not Woodstock). While hiking and canoeing are top activities, Sullivan is more of a retreat for simply doing nothing at all, though people-watching is a favorite pastime-celebrities like Michelle Williams and Mark Ruffalo own homes here. There’s even a local magazine and a web site dedicated to the gay community. In fact, this quiet getaway from the city has been a favorite for the LGBT community for years (up to 70 percent of businesses in Narrowsburg Village alone are gay owned). Why Go: Looking to buy a second home in Sullivan County? There’s a good chance your neighbors will most likely be gay. Buttermilk is only fifteen minutes from New Paltz, and most visitors take the train from Grand Central Station. The mostly solar-powered spa features an indoor pool and solarium looking out into the Hudson, and New-Age-minded therapists can knock out a kink while giving you optional spiritual advice.
New Paltz‘s bohemian flair stands out, and travelers explore the Minnewaska State Park Preserve or Mohonk Preserve, both of which offer miles of hiking trails in almost 20,000 sprawling acres combined, as well as national historic landmarks including Huguenot Street.Īn onsite farm is home to sheep, peacock, llamas, and even chickens from whom the kitchen pulls their eggs. Why Go: This notoriously “hippie” college town in the Hudson Valley already has a thriving gay community. Whether traveling with a pack of friends or taking their partner for a romantic escape, visitors are now finding Upstate New York to be a convenient and memorable gay-friendly destination.
Popular upstate hotspots like Lake Placid, the Catskills, and Finger Lakes are seeing new highs in the “pink dollar”-so much that luxury resorts are catering specifically to the LGBT traveler with themed packages in hopes of voicing their acceptance.Įven gay-owned establishments (from bed & breakfasts to gay bars) are seeing more out-of-towners who want to immerse themselves in star-speckled night skies, farm-to-table restaurants, sprawling landscapes, and a burgeoning LGBT community. And the Big Apple isn’t the only place they’re heading.
Since it became legal for same-sex couples to get married in the state of New York (and hopefully will be in more states soon, given President Obama’s statement of support of same-sex marriage today), gay couples have been flocking over in record numbers to get hitched, and even honeymoon there.