Story and photos by Ed Salvato; above Boston's skyline as seen from a roof deck in the South End
Gotta love Massachusetts. From the state that brought you gay marriage (starting May 17, 2004) comes the first LGBT travel application launched for a U.S. domestic destination developed by a state tourism organization. The "LGBT Massachusetts Phone App" is available at MassVacation.com/rainbow or on iTunes by clicking here.
The app allows visitors and locals alike to:
- Find out where to stay, eat, play, and meet;
- Search for activities and attractions based on personal interests;
- Discover the latest hotspot; and,
- Follow the state's official LGBT blog.
The app helped one reporter find out that Boston's longtime gay landmark Club Café has, like Cher or 
Madonna, gone through yet another transformation. Renovations included a new glassed-off area for live music named for the beloved (and sadly defunct) Boston institution Napoleon's. In addition there's a restaurant, which has never gotten rave reviews for its cuisine but is nonetheless a fun see-and-be-seen dining spot. (Right: The John Hancock building slices heavenly, seemingly in two dimensions.)
Friday and Saturday nights are still the most rocking. There's a cover of $10 to the annoyance of some visitors but drinks are fairly inexpensive and the bar staff is friendly.
Another recent update to Boston's dining scene is Joe's American Bar and Grill on Newbury Street in Boston. Dependably great service and food are the primary reason to visit here, but it's also very popular for its convenient location in the middle of Boston's chicest shopping and people-watching neighborhood along with the wide open windows and retractable roof, which creates an open, breezy terrace dining oasis. (Left: Joe Allen's flooded with sunlight.)
While on the subject of phone apps, be sure to check out the new application by brother media outlet Out Magazine available on iTunes by clicking here. It currently covers Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and San Francisco and provides updated information on LGBT-oriented venues of interest for visitors and locals alike.
Story and photos by Ed Salvato; above Boston's skyline as seen from a roof deck in the South End
Gotta love Massachusetts. From the state that brought you gay marriage (starting May 17, 2004) comes the first LGBT travel application launched for a U.S. domestic destination developed by a state tourism organization. The "LGBT Massachusetts Phone App" is available at MassVacation.com/rainbow or on iTunes by clicking here.
The app allows visitors and locals alike to:
- Find out where to stay, eat, play, and meet;
- Search for activities and attractions based on personal interests;
- Discover the latest hotspot; and,
- Follow the state's official LGBT blog.
The app helped one reporter find out that Boston's longtime gay landmark Club Café has, like Cher or Madonna, gone through yet another transformation. Renovations included a new glassed-off area for live music named for the beloved (and sadly defunct) Boston institution Napoleon's. In addition there's a restaurant, which has never gotten rave reviews for its cuisine but is nonetheless a fun see-and-be-seen dining spot. (Right: The John Hancock building slices heavenly, seemingly in two dimensions.)
Friday and Saturday nights are still the most rocking. There's a cover of $10 to the annoyance of some visitors but drinks are fairly inexpensive and the bar staff is friendly.
Another recent update to Boston's dining scene is Joe's American Bar and Grill on Newbury Street in Boston. Dependably great service and food are the primary reason to visit here, but it's also very popular for its convenient location in the middle of Boston's chicest shopping and people-watching neighborhood along with the wide open windows and retractable roof, which creates an open, breezy terrace dining oasis. (Left: Joe Allen's flooded with sunlight.)
While on the subject of phone apps, be sure to check out the new application by brother media outlet Out Magazine available on iTunes by clicking here. It currently covers Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and San Francisco and provides updated information on LGBT-oriented venues of interest for visitors and locals alike.
