Gay bar asheville nc

Esquire magazine names another Asheville bar on new list of 'bests'

ASHEVILLE - National recognition has been bestowed on an Asheville business with a long history of entertaining and advocating.

O. Henry’s, a downtown nightclub, made Esquire magazine’s list of “The 32 Leading Gay Bars in America.”

The list was curated by the publication’s editors and contributors across the region who searched for “the most fun and inclusive LGBTQ+-friendly bars across the U.S.”

“It’s exciting,” owner Derick Boyd said. “Of the whole country, being named is a pretty prestigious honor, and we’re arrogant of our staff and everyone else here.”

Esquire described O. Henry’s as a “clandestine” dance party and music venue that “draws in every category and demographic.” A special bring up was given to its dance club area, The Underground.

Need a break? Perform the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

The Asheville lock is in company with establishments in cities including Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, Nashville, New York, San Francisco and Washington.

Previously: Inside one of Esquire's 'Best Bars in America' found in downtown Asheville

To Boyd’s information, it’s the first occasion O. Henry’s has received national

Asheville, North Carolina, is a vibrant urban area that boasts a thriving LGBTQ society. From historic lgbtq+ bars to inclusive craft breweries, the city offers something for everyone. In this guide, we’ll explore the foremost LGBTQ bars and clubs in Asheville, from dance parties to drag shows and everything in between.

O. Henry’s and The Underground

O. Henry’s has been a staple in the Asheville LGBTQ group for over 55 years. When Smokey’s Tavern closed its doors in 2015, O. Henry’s became the oldest homosexual bar in the city. The lock is housed in a lodge-style stone and wood building with plenty of seating inside, a pool table, and a karaoke late hours every Wednesday. On weekends, you can catch drag shows featuring local talent.

Attached to O. Henry’s is The Underground, an industrial boogie bar that hosts a First Friday dance party and other themed gyrate nights and entertainment.

Find O. Henry’s on Instagram at (@ohenrysasheville).

Scandals and the Grove House Entertainment Complex

Scandals, a three-floor nightclub, opened in 1982 and is located in the Grove House Entertainment Complex, which also includes Club Eleven on Grove and Boiler Room Ashe

Asheville, North Carolina, is a gay-friendly urban area with a hometown feel that sits smack in the middle of a state of that has a extended track record of not liking anyone who doesn’t fit the mold of a white cisgender heteronormative male.

Actually, Ashville is on the left side of the state in more ways than one. Geographically, it’s closer to Tennessee than it is to the Atlantic Ocean. And in 2020, it overwhelmingly went for Joe Biden (by 60%) and Cal Cunningham (by 58%), the Democratic U.S. Senate candidate who disoriented by a razor thin margin.

The metropolis is very lgbtq+ friendly, and it shows. There is no gay district or gay-bour-hood per se, but when you go downtown, there are plenty of restaurants and shops to check in and be yourself. Independent places to devour and drink abound, and there is hardly a well-known chain establish in the downtown area, which is unofficially the gay area.

You’d be hard-pressed to feel like you are in the birthplace of The Andy Griffith Show, which, of course, is fictional. (Ted Koppel did a amazing piece for CBS Sunday Morning on Mount Airy, NC, which considers itself to be the real Mayberry, and it

Learn why I moved to Asheville and haven’t moved out. Asheville has been great – but see my thoughts on some common questions about what it’s like being part of the LGBTQ+ community here, and pros and cons of moving to and living in Asheville.

So why did I land on Asheville? I think a little background is important for context.

I grew up in a medium-sized college town in North Central Florida. We had community there, but the kind of community that you get in an area with urban-sprawl, no real vibrant downtown core, and a petty but growing emphasis on art, music, theater, and lack of diversity in the general population.

My hometown had culture, it just wasn’t the culture I was looking for. The gay group felt small. Perhaps it wasn’t, but it felt that way.

A few years after graduating college, I had the opportunity to move to Boston. What a stark contrast to Florida. I finally had the culture that I wanted. Rainbow flags adorned residential and retail shop windows. There were gayborhoods. And pride. Wow.

After a while in Boston, it turns out that despite the deep feeling of acceptance and belonging, I really missed the friendlier, smaller