Every year, there are numerous LGBTQ festivals, events, and marches held throughout the boroughs, with NYC Pride being the most well-known. NYC Pride is a celebration of the LGBT community that was established the year following the Stonewall riots. It draws tens of thousands of participants and millions of onlookers to the sidewalks each June, making it one of the biggest annual Pride marches in the entire world.

• DragCon NYC is the annual drag conference takes place in New York. In this event, you can meet some of your favorite queens and a ton of other amazing celebrities, take part in competitions, watch performances by special guests, and attend discussion panels.

• The only comic book and art fair in New York City that exclusively features LGBTQ illustration and sequential art is called Queer Comic Fair. Although New York City is home to many fantastic queer-themed conventions and fairs, the NYC Queer Comic Fair is the city's first event solely dedicated to queer comics, graphic novels, illustrated stories, photo-comics, and/or any other intriguing approach to the still-visual storytelling and/or illustration medium.

• New York Fashion Week (Queer Fashion Show) is held each September. dapperQ, a leading digital queer style magazine, produces the largest queer fashion show during New York Fashion Week. Over 70 models participate in the exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum, which features a variety of body types, racial and ethnic backgrounds, and gender identities. The event draws more than 2,000 attendees.

From Hell's Kitchen to the East Village, each neighborhood is deserving of its own best LGBTQ bar article. Regarding the latter, Club Cumming is one of the most fun, entertaining additions to the LGBTQ nightlife scene this decade. Club Cumming, created by nightlife promoter Daniel Nardicio of NYC (and Fire Island) and actor/singer Alan Cumming, attracts famous people like Emma Stone, Jake Shears, Adele, and Jennifer Lawrence with its varied lineup of performances by well-known and up-and-coming performers in comedy, drag, singing, and burlesque.

• Greenwich Village and the West Village are home to some of NYC's most beloved and iconic bars and clubs, starting with the Stonewall Inn, which was designated a U.S. National Monument by President Obama in 2016. The Stonewall Inn, which offers drink specials, drag shows, and the occasional surprise celebrity appearance, is situated directly across from the pie-shaped Christopher Street Park and its two same-sex couples Gay Liberation statues.

• A few blocks to the east is Julius', which has a rich history of its own. It was originally founded as a bar in 1864, changed its name to Julius in 1930, and began attracting LGBTQ customers in the 1960s after the "sip in" protest of the activist group The Mattachine Society in 1966 brought attention to the fact that establishments at the time could refuse service to gay people.
  

• Up in Harlem, there are a pair of Black-owned LGBTQ bars located just six blocks from door to door: Alibi Lounge and Lambda Lounge, the latter having been opened in 2020 by married couple Charles Hughes and Ricky Solomon, who previously founded Lambda Vodka in 2016.

The Hell's Kitchen gayborhood, running along 9th and 10th Avenue from the 40s through 50s, is of course packed with buzzy see-and-be-seen, ethnically diverse spots to eat and socialize. Plenty of gay chefs and restaurateurs keep the NYC dining scene exciting, and several specialize in Southeast Asian cuisine.

• Chelsea's Elmo and the 24/7 Cafeteria are longtime gay favorites, serving up twists on American comfort fare, tasty cocktails, and of course brunch. The same goes for West Chelsea's bustling Cookshop, located just across from Highline Park. If you're a fan of Mexican cuisine, James Beard Award-nominated, openly gay chef/cookbook author Roberto Santibañez's Fonda—with locations in both Chelsea and Park Slope—offers dishes straight out of Mexico City.

• Chef Hillary Sterling's Vic's in NoHo, to the southeast, offers creative fresh pastas, light, blistery wood-fired pizzas, and paleo-friendly options, in addition to the Italian gluten decadence. The Lower East Side's Bari Musacchio's Baz Bagel combines traditional Miami and New York City Jewish delicatessen culture, decor, and menus with mouthwatering hand-rolled bagels, smoked fish, latkes, matzoh ball soup, blintzes, and a variety of other delicious foods. This is definitely one of the most important LGBTQ travel guides to NYC.

Talk about spoilt for choice! New York City is a hotel lover's paradise if money isn't an issue. The Breslin restaurant by April Bloomfield and a branch of Stumptown Coffee are both located in the 258-room hipster favorite Ace Hotel in the Flatiron District. The 509-room W Times Square is right outside the door of Hells Kitchen and Broadway theaters, while the 452-room Times Square Edition ups the ante on Zen-blissed urban luxury (with superb dining from chef John Fraser).

The William Vale, the 183-room Brooklyn hotel, features an unbeatable Williamsburg location, open-air balconies, a rooftop bar, views of Manhattan, a 60-foot outdoor pool, and the superb Southern Italian restaurant Leuca (the pasta is spectacular).

In addition, there are numerous apartment rental websites, such as Airbnb and Vrbo. Both organizations support the LGBT+ community and have inclusive policies. If you're willing to get a room in a shared apartment, prices are typically comparable to those of low-cost hotels. This is definitely one of the most important LGBTQ travel guides to NYC.

There are three airports in New York City where your flight will land: JFK, La Guardia, or Newark. The variety of options for getting into the city, including trains, subways, buses, taxis, rideshare services, and shuttles, can almost be overwhelming. All airports are quite distant, so cab and rideshare prices are well-known to be high. The bus or subway are typically the most affordable options.

Given that you have luggage and don't want to pay $50–$80 or more for a taxi or rideshare, in JKF, you can take Penn Station's Long Island Railing. From Penn Station, you can take the subway, a taxi, or a ride-sharing service to get to your hotel or place to stay. Take the M60 bus from La Guardia to 125th Street in Manhattan, where you can connect to the subway or take a taxi or rideshare to your hotel or place of lodging. Take the NJ Transit to Penn Station from Newark. From Penn Station, you can take the subway, a taxi, or a ride-sharing service to get to your hotel or place to stay.

Once you make it into the city, the easiest way to get around is by taking the subway (MTA), taxi, Uber or Lyft. If you’re planning on moving around a lot during the day, a multi-day pass is a good option. Otherwise, you can just pre-load a set amount of money on your card and pay-per-use.

New York is not exactly a beach destination but there are a couple of places popular with LGBT locals to enjoy the sun and warmth, when the weather is nice. Queens’ Riis Park – this has been a gay destination for decades. People of all colors, backgrounds and ages come here, creating a lively gathering at the eastern end of this expansive public beach. You can also find a wide range of artisanal eats and treats at the Riis Park Beach Bazaar.

Despite not being a beach, Pier 45 (Christopher Street Pier) is a historic waterfront location. It is better known as the Queer Pier and was formerly a gay cruising area before transforming into a refuge for street-kids of color. The Pines and Cherry Grove are the two gay beaches on Fire Island, which is a little distance from New York City. If you have time and are in NYC for the summer, it might be worthwhile to take a day trip.

New York City has something for everyone. There are many examples of culture and history, but there are also many tourist traps and overrated locations. The High Line is a symbol of contemporary architecture and the adaptive reuse of outdated infrastructure. On train tracks that had been abandoned since the middle of the 1980s, the entire park is elevated above the city. There is no need to avoid bikers because only pedestrian traffic is permitted on the narrow track. The views of the surrounding skyscrapers as you weave in between, to the side, and beneath them are the best part of The High Line.

• Central Park is a well-known but essential park to visit while in New York. Since its inception in 1857, the park has grown to take up nearly 4% of Manhattan's total land area. You can easily spend several hours exploring this well-known landmark because there are so many playgrounds, running paths, and food stands all throughout the park.

• The Leslie-Lohman Museum offers a space for creative inquiry using a variety of queer perspectives. By serving as a cultural center, it was established to protect LGBT identity and foster a sense of community. The museum, which has a collection of more than 30,000 items, presents six significant exhibitions each year.

• Bushwick Inlet Park provides stunning views of the Manhattan skyline. Take in the scenery by sitting on a bench along the waterfront. The weekend market Smorgasburg, which is held at East River State Park and is close to this park, features a variety of stalls selling a wide range of foods, from savory to sweet. Alternately, if you'd like to see things from a different angle, hop on the free Staten Island Ferry.

Fashion-forward is a reputation that New York City enjoys. When New York City is dressed to the nines, no other city can compete. The five boroughs are glammed up and celebrity-driven. Men and women, gay and straight, always dress nicely, whether they are going out to eat, taking in a cultural event, hitting a hot club, or simply strolling through an LGBTQ+-friendly neighborhood. Cool shops can be found all over New York City, but Hell's Kitchen and Chelsea have a higher concentration of gay-focused stores, making them must-visits for locals.

• For LGBTQ+ people, Nasty Pig is a must-visit store. This homegrown label sells sportswear and fetish, club and street apparel. It’s worth a visit to Chelsea for Nasty Pig’s one-of-a-kind “shredders,” hand-distressed and handcrafted sleeveless shirts sold in-store only. No other brand designs underwear, jeans and jocks with such an innate understanding of what’s sexy and comfortable on the male body, and the friendly sales crew are always helpful in conceiving looks that work.

• You can visit Parke & Ronen, a chic store that has been serving savvy gay boys and their metrosexual friends for years, when you need a new swimsuit for Fire Island. The Chelsea-based company sells swimwear with a retro vibe, including European-style swim briefs, as well as unique tops, bottoms, and accessories.

• Another LGBTQ+ store, Bird, targets the fashionable female by hand-selecting unique, difficult-to-find handmade clothing, jewelry, and accessories. Each shop location features trendy brands like Acne Studios, Rachel Comey, and Proenza Schouler in addition to local ones. The shops have a hip, queer vibe, with helpful staff and a welcoming environment for dogs.