Everyone knows and I’ll confirm: San Diego enjoys year-round, sun-filled days and cool, mild evenings.  San Diego has a reputation for, and in fact is, also a very tolerant city.  With the obvious exceptions, there are few ‘businesses’ that a member of the LGBT community would feel uncomfortable patronizing. The LGBT nerve center or the “Hillcrest” neighborhood resembles a compact Melrose. It’s cool to just grab a cuppa joe at “Filter Coffee” and stroll down University Avenue to take in the hip shops, taste-of-the-world cuisine and rainbow adorned corner bars always abuzz with inviting, relatively attitude-free, laughter. Hoof it just a few short blocks south to what the locals call the “crown jewel”, Balboa Park, which bustles with activity regardless of race, creed, sexual preference or sundry wardrobe!   

If your desire is to experience what ticks beyond the gayborhood, you’ll be pleasantly surprised in San Diego. It’s not unusual in the central neighborhoods of North Park, University Heights, Normal Heights (and the quickly burgeoning South Park) to see a diverse community enjoying one another’s company. It’s always a liberating experience to walk along Adams Ave in my neighborhood of Normal Heights enroute to my corner “Visual Art Supply” store, which frequently doubles as a gallery for local shows.    Walks of life from around the world mingle with LGBT, watering their lawns and, walking their dogs engaging in small talk or politely waving.  When there’s not a music, art or book festival along Adams, the local ale houses rock with local music and merriment and the scent of espresso roast billows from the 24 hour Lestat’s Coffee House (a popular neighborhood favorite for as long as I can remember). Finally, it would be a mistake for any visiting artist or textile connoisseur to miss Adams Avenue ‘Discount Fabrics”, housed in an old movie theatre which announces itself with the vintage marquis that darts out over Adams. From already gessoed rolls of canvas to imitation rainbow fur and an upstairs scrap area where I’ve found vintage, red glittered vinyl and swatches of leather and strings of feathered boa.  An LGBT wonderland a few weeks before Halloween, or for that matter, any night in San Diego!