I toured LGBTQ-friendly neighborhoods in 3 cities during Pride Month and found they all honor LGBTQ people in unique ways

Frank OlitoJun 23, 2022, 20:02 IST

Skittles; Rachel Mendelson/Insider

I toured the West Village in New York, Boystown in Chicago, and Ferndale near Detroit to see how they honor Pride.
There's a virtual reality tour at the Stonewall Inn in New York, while Boystown has the Legacy Walk.
The neighborhoods had one thing in common: their commitment to honoring the past to ensure safe places for LGBTQ people in the future.

Editor's note: This article was originally published in 2021. It has been included in Insider's 2022 Pride series, "We/Us/Ours."

Most cities in the US have a neighborhood where there is a concentration of LGBTQ-friendly bars, restaurants, clubs, and stores.

A man stops in front of the Stonewall Inn on June 24, 2016, in New York City.Getty Images

My first stop was the West Village in New York City, which is where the Gay Rights Movement began.

West Village is located on the west side of Manhattan.Google Maps

The Stonewall Inn is currently covered in scaffolding but it still operates as a bar and landmark today.

The exterior of the Stonewall Inn.Frank Olito/ Insider

Just outside the Stonewall Inn, there is a small park, which has been designated as a National Monument.

The Stonewall National Monument.Frank Olito/ Insider

This year, the national monument has a great virtual feature that walks you through the history of the Stonewall Inn.

Screenshots from the virtual reality tour.Frank Olito/ Insider

As I walked away from the Stonewall Inn, I saw Pride flags all over the neighborhood.

Pride flags were all over the West Village.Frank Olito/ Insider

While walking through the West Village and down the famous Christopher Street — where the Stonewall Inn is located — I passed legendary LGBTQ bars like Cubbyhole.

Cubbyhole.Frank Olito/ Insider

While walking through the West Village and down the famous Christopher Street — where the Stonewall Inn is located — I passed legendary LGBTQ bars like Cubbyhole.

I ended my West Village tour at the Christopher Street Pier, which is another LGBTQ-friendly spot in the neighborhood.

Pride colors at Christopher Street Pier.Frank Olito/ Insider

On the other hand, Chicago's LGBTQ-friendly neighborhood, Boystown, is a bit more subdued.

Boystown in Chicago.Google Maps

While walking through Boystown, I saw Pride flags on storefronts, in windows, and on lampposts.

Rainbow flags in Boystown.Frank Olito/ Insider

The neighborhood and bars I passed were mostly quiet, so the rainbow crosswalk really stood out.

The rainbow intersection in Boystown.Frank Olito/ Insider

Another crosswalk was painted with the colors of the transgender flag.

Transgender flag in Boystown.Frank Olito/ Insider

Most interestingly, Boystown has permanent monuments known as the Legacy Walk.

One of the pylons in Boystown.Frank Olito/ Insider

When I got closer to the pylons along the Legacy Walk, I noticed each side honored an LGBTQ leader.

Three of the plaques at the Legacy Walk.Frank Olito/ Insider

My third stop on my LGBTQ-friendly tour was Ferndale, Michigan, which sits just outside of metro Detroit.

Ferndale is located outside of Detroit.Google Maps

As soon as I arrived in Ferndale, I saw a rainbow crosswalk similar to the one in Chicago.

A rainbow crosswalk in Ferndale.Frank Olito/ Insider

Since Ferndale is known for its LGBTQ-owned shops, I first went into the Rust Belt Market.

A shop in the Rust Belt Market.Frank Olito/ Insider

When I left the market, I heard music bumping in the distance. I followed it across the street to Como's.

Como's in Ferndale.Frank Olito/ Insider

I decided to keep walking through Ferndale and spotted Pride flags all over.

Pride flags in Ferndale.Frank Olito/ Insider

Once I walked away from the main strip of shops and restaurants, I was surprised to find a quaint, suburban neighborhood.

A street in Ferndale.Frank Olito/ Insider

After touring LGBTQ-friendly neighborhoods in New York, Chicago, and Detroit, I realized there is no one way to celebrate Pride.

An "equality" sign in Chicago's Boystown.Frank Olito/ Insider

I flew on Breeze's brand new Airbus A220 from Richmond to San Francisco in first class and it completely exceeded my expectations

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I toured LGBTQ-friendly neighborhoods in 3 cities during Pride Month and found they all honor LGBTQ people in unique ways

Most cities in the US have a neighborhood where there is a concentration of LGBTQ-friendly bars, restaurants, clubs, and stores.

My first stop was the West Village in New York City, which is where the Gay Rights Movement began.

The Stonewall Inn is currently covered in scaffolding but it still operates as a bar and landmark today.

Just outside the Stonewall Inn, there is a small park, which has been designated as a National Monument.

This year, the national monument has a great virtual feature that walks you through the history of the Stonewall Inn.

As I walked away from the Stonewall Inn, I saw Pride flags all over the neighborhood.

While walking through the West Village and down the famous Christopher Street — where the Stonewall Inn is located — I passed legendary LGBTQ bars like Cubbyhole.

I ended my West Village tour at the Christopher Street Pier, which is another LGBTQ-friendly spot in the neighborhood.

On the other hand, Chicago's LGBTQ-friendly neighborhood, Boystown, is a bit more subdued.

While walking through Boystown, I saw Pride flags on storefronts, in windows, and on lampposts.

The neighborhood and bars I passed were mostly quiet, so the rainbow crosswalk really stood out.

Another crosswalk was painted with the colors of the transgender flag.

Most interestingly, Boystown has permanent monuments known as the Legacy Walk.

When I got closer to the pylons along the Legacy Walk, I noticed each side honored an LGBTQ leader.

My third stop on my LGBTQ-friendly tour was Ferndale, Michigan, which sits just outside of metro Detroit.

As soon as I arrived in Ferndale, I saw a rainbow crosswalk similar to the one in Chicago.

Since Ferndale is known for its LGBTQ-owned shops, I first went into the Rust Belt Market.

When I left the market, I heard music bumping in the distance. I followed it across the street to Como's.

I decided to keep walking through Ferndale and spotted Pride flags all over.

Once I walked away from the main strip of shops and restaurants, I was surprised to find a quaint, suburban neighborhood.

After touring LGBTQ-friendly neighborhoods in New York, Chicago, and Detroit, I realized there is no one way to celebrate Pride.