Question: What is the gay scene like in Las Vegas?

Brandon in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Answer: Unlike many other major cities, Las Vegas does not have a centralized neighborhood where you'll find the majority of the gay nightlife, so there's no Castro or West Hollywood or Halstead Street. Instead, you'll find pockets here and there where several gay clubs group together to form mini-West Hollywoods, and each caters to a slightly different taste.

The most popular club, with tourists at least, is Krave. Originally co-created by circuit party impresario Jeffrey Sanker, it's the only "alternative lifestyle" club on the Strip, located on the south side of the Aladdin/Planet Hollywood. It's a big, gorgeous club and it draws a good mixture of men and women, mostly younger, and almost all tourist.

Just east of there, about a block south of the Hard Rock Hotel, is a small collection of bars and clubs that is probably most known to tourists. The Gipsy is a very popular dance club that draws a fairly healthy mix of tourists and locals; Piranha is a new ultra-lounge/bar concept right next door; The Buffalo is across the street and caters primarily the leather/Levi crowd, although it's more Levi than leather; and the Free Zone is sort of a neighborhood-style bar with a dance floor, entertainment on many nights and video poker at the bar.

A few blocks east of The Sahara hotel is another small collection of bars and clubs in the Sahara Commercial Center. There's a country-and-western bar and another that caters to the transgender community, plus some sit-and-drink type places that fall completely under most tourists' radar, and probably for good reason.

There are a few other bars scattered around town and depending on your taste, mood, and budget you should be able to find something to your liking.

There's only one exclusively gay hotel in the city, the Blue Moon Resort, located just off Sahara next to Interstate 15. It's a nice place with a festive clothing-optional pool area for those in the mood for an all-over tan.

You can get more information on some of the better gay bars in the nightlife section of Vegas4Visitors and I also recommend GayVegas.com and GayLasVegas.com for more details.

If you have a question you'd like to submit, click here.

The Full Story

• Off-Strip Casinos Show Off New Looks
• Golden Nugget Buffet Moves Near Top Tier
• Vegas Q&A: Does Vegas Have Gay Areas?

In Next Week's Column

Next week: The latest from Las Vegas.

Plus, don't forget to send your questions about Las Vegas. I've got room for more, so send them in today!

Find the hotel that's right for you with Vegas4Visitors.com's reviews!

And check out the new Moon Handbooks Las Vegas.