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Feb 22, 2014
Get some great travel recommendations from a few gays around the world, giving you the lesbian lowdown on different cities, their LGBT scenes and what’s hot or not across the globe.
Name: Amanda Van Slyke
Age: 24
I’m a freelance writer/ entrepreneur and I’ve written for various publication such as XO Jane as well as running Flurt, a magazine for young women that mixes real issues with pop culture. In my spare time I love to check out live shows, go dancing and stay in to watch Netflix. I love to have company over and cook, as well as dine out at nice restaurants. I recently ventured to Vancouver and in the short time I’ve been here I’ve been able to check out the great gay scene Van city has to offer.
The Cobalt
The Cobalt has a shady history in Vancouver, but it’s turned itself around as a prime spot for entertainment. It’s a mixed bar, but they have gay events on Saturdays which involve drag queens and random nudity. One of my favourite times was when Man Up and Blondtron were performing. Man Up is a kick ass drag king troupe and Blondtron is a great DJ/producer located here in Van and, if you can’t make it to one of her shows, I highly suggest you check her out on Soundcloud. This night definitely beat out my first time at The Cobalt, which consisted of two men from Ireland very persistently trying to make out with me while I pointed to the rainbow flag painted on the wall.
Granville Island Kids Market
I had my first date with a woman I met in Vancouver on Granville Island, and I’ll always remember it because of the original place we had it at. The Kids Market has a toy store, a costume boutique and an overpriced play area that, unsurprisingly, we weren’t allowed to enter. There’s also an arcade where we got to know each other’s competitive abilities (or non-abilities) and bought cheap trinkets with the tickets we won (I opted for pink rubber handcuffs and she opted for a blinged-out dollar sign ring). Afterwards we grabbed drinks and sweet potato fries at Cat’s Social House, a Granville Island favourite.
Image: IgoUgo
Oasis Ultra Lounge
On a whim of bar hopping one night with a friend, we decided to enter one of Vancouver’s well-known gay bars, Oasis. I’m not sure if we went on a slow night, but right off the bat I could tell I wasn’t into it. The bar was very narrow with lots of seating but a small dance floor. It’s got a down and dirty vibe, if you’re into that kind of thing.
Lynn Canyon
When I first moved here, my roommate and I took a trip to North Van to go hiking in Lynn Canyon. My roommate is a 6 foot something MMA fighter whose idea of hiking is, to my present knowledge, vastly different than mine. I expected a brisk stroll through the rainforest, instead he brought me through a Survivor episode of climbing slippery moss-covered rocks over the river and crawling under logs to the point where I was covered in dirt. However, I did experience drinking straight out of glacier water and some tame cliff diving into it. If you have a sense of adventure, I’d definitely recommend Lynn Canyon
Hershe Bar at Red Room
What’s better than a club filled with hundreds of women who like women? Nothing. Coming from a city where we only had one gay bar, I can honestly say I’ve never seen so many gorgeous femme lesbians in my life. Hershe is an event hosted by Flygirl in Vancouver, and I’ve been told they throw the best parties. Evidently, I wasn’t disappointed. At Red Room there was a large dance floor, two bars and lots of seating areas. The drinks were a little overpriced, but the music was killer and I danced all night to some great DJs. Hershe by far beats any gay event I’ve been to and I most certainly don’t regret going. However, the woman who got up on stage to dance topless might.
Amanda is a freelance writer and the founder of Flurt, a magazine that mixes real issues with pop culture for young women by young women. Find her on Twitter: @vanslykea