Although proportionately not as big as that of San Francisco, the gay scene in LA is no less prominent. While West Hollywood is synonymous with the (affluent white) gay lifestyle, not just in LA but all over California, there are many other spots where intolerance is kept at bay. The other major gay community is Silver Lake, most evidently along Hyperion Boulevard, home to working-class blacks, whites and Hispanics, while other places like Venice, Los Feliz, Studio City and even Laguna Beach in Orange County are comfortable gay and lesbian locales. We've listed gay-friendly accommodations, restaurants, bars and clubs in the relevant listings sections.

The city's best known gay and lesbian bookshop is A Different Light , 8853 Santa Monica Blvd (tel 310/854-6601, ), with monthly art shows, readings and musical events. Magazines with good listings sections include Nightlife, Edge and Frontiers . The Gay Community Yellow Pages (tel 323/469-4454) is a comprehensive annual directory ($5) of gay businesses, publications, services and gathering places; it also publishes a gay restaurant guide. The Gay and Lesbian Community Services Center , 1625 N Schrader Blvd (tel 323/993-7400), is the community's prime resource for counseling, health testing and information.

Gay and lesbian bars and clubs
Arena 6655 Santa Monica Blvd, Hollywood tel 323/462-0714. Many clubs under one huge roof, large dance floors throbbing to funk, Latin and hi-NRG grooves. At the same address, Circus is mostly men at Pink Feather night on Tuesdays; gay...
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Eating

LA eating covers every extreme: whatever you want to eat and however much you want to spend, you're spoiled for choice. Try to take at least a few meals in the more acclaimed restaurants, if only to watch the city's many self-appointed food snobs going through their paces. If you simply want to fill up quickly and inexpensively, the options are almost endless, and include terrific burger stands where you can scarf down mountains of fried favorites, and the many restaurant and bar happy hours where you can get a range of good, free food available for the price of a drink. LA is also littered with celebrity-owned outfits - like Steven Spielberg's submarine-shaped sandwich store Dive ! and Planet Hollywood (where displays include Forrest Gump's box of chocolates) in Beverly Hills - but the food is usually unremarkable, as many visitors soon discover.

Downtown
Buffet Palace 3014 Olympic Blvd tel 213/480-8949. Authentic Korean restaurant in the heart of Koreatown, good for spicy barbecued beef. Clifton's Caféteria 648 S Broadway tel 213/627-1673. A cafeteria complete with redwood trees,...
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Hollywood
Casa Carnitas 4067 Beverly Blvd tel 323/667-9953. Tasty, cheap Mexican food from the Yucatan, with dishes inspired by Cuban and Caribbean cooking; lots of seafood, too. Citrus 6703 Melrose Ave tel 323/857-0034. Trendy, upmarket...
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West LA
Apple Pan 10801 W Pico Blvd tel 310/475-3585. Grab a spot at the counter and enjoy great pies and fresh, juicy hamburgers. A much better choice than the adjacent Westside Pavilion mall's food court. Campanile 624 S La Brea Ave tel...
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Santa Monica, Venice and Malibu
Café 50s 838 Lincoln Blvd, Venice tel 310/399-1955. No doubts about this place: Ritchie Valens on the jukebox and hot 'n' juicy burgers on the tables. Café Montana 1534 Montana Ave, Santa Monica tel 310/829-3990. Good breakfasts,...
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Disneyland and around
Angelo's 511 S State College Blvd, Anaheim tel 714/533-1401. Straight out of Happy Days , a drive-in complete with roller-skating car-hops and good burgers. Open until 2am at weekends. Belisle's 12001 Harbor Blvd,...
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San Gabriel and San Fernando valleys
Dr Hogly-Wogly's Tyler Texas Bar-B-Q 8136 Sepulveda Blvd, Van Nuys tel 818/780-6701. Queue up for the chicken, sausages, ribs and beans - some of the best in LA. Fair Oaks Pharmacy and Soda Fountain 1526 Mission St, South Pasadena...
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