Pittsburgh - Guide for Gays, Lesbians and Queers

Pittsburgh doesn't have one single gayborhood. Its queer venues are spread across several parts of the city. The bars used to cluster along Liberty Avenue downtown; today Shadyside and Lawrenceville are the main addresses, with Bloomfield, the Strip District, Millvale and the North Side adding to the map.

In Shadyside, the 5801 Video Lounge on Ellsworth Avenue combines a café with drag shows and brunch, and the Pittsburgh Equality Center is just a short walk away. Lawrenceville has the Blue Moon on Butler Street and Cattivo on 44th Street. Brewer's Hotel on Liberty Avenue is considered the oldest gay bar still operating in the city. PTown Bar sits on Baum Boulevard, and in the Strip District you'll find the Real Luck Café, a no-frills bar most people simply call Lucky's.

Across the Allegheny River in Millvale, Harold's Haunt calls itself a "they bar" and welcomes a mixed queer crowd.

For counseling and support there's the Persad Center on Butler Street, one of the oldest LGBTQ+ counseling centers in the country, founded in the early 1970s. Young queer people have their own space at Proud Haven.

Because the scene is so spread out, it helps to plan a night around one neighborhood. Shadyside and Lawrenceville are both easy to explore on foot; getting between them takes a bus or a cab.