Just across the San Francisco Bay from "The City" is California's 7th largest city: Oakland also known as “The Town”. Oakland embraces the original and the creative. Visitors and residents alike feel free to be themselves here and immerse themselves in this diverse city. When it comes to the gay scene, Gertrude Stein's famous quip about Oakland, "There's no there there," would be categorically false. There are a number of great bars and clubs. Several boast an urban flavor and attract heavi...
Just across the San Francisco Bay from "The City" is California's 7th largest city: Oakland also known as “The Town”. Oakland embraces the original and the creative. Visitors and residents alike feel free to be themselves here and immerse themselves in this diverse city. When it comes to the gay scene, Gertrude Stein's famous quip about Oakland, "There's no there there," would be categorically false. There are a number of great bars and clubs. Several boast an urban flavor and attract heavily black and Latino crowds for salsa and hip-hop style, and others display a colorful mix as unique as Oakland itself.
Serving Oakland’s diverse and vibrant LGBTQ+ Community is the Oakland LGBTQ+ Community Center.
Further south, down the east side of the San Francisco bay, you'll find Hayward, Fremont and other suburbs where locals flock for drinking, dancing and finding supportive community. For those who choose to avoid the Bay Bridge fare to hit San Francisco, there is plenty of fun to find in the East Bay. And if you are staying in "The City" it's worth the bridge (or, preferably, BART) fare to check out the very cool scene over there.
Also see our other San Francisco Bay Area guides:
San Francisco and
San Jose / Silicon Valley