What is the Gay Neighborhood in Philadelphia?

Philadelphia's primary LGBTQ+ neighborhood is the Gayborhood, centered in the Washington Square West section of Center City. It spans roughly 16 blocks between Broad Street and 11th Street, from Chestnut Street south to Pine Street, with 13th & Locust as its heart.

What to Find in the Gayborhood

The Gayborhood is home to the densest concentration of LGBTQ+ bars, restaurants, and businesses in Philadelphia. You'll find about 68 rainbow street signs marking the neighborhood boundaries (the original 36 installed in 2007, expanded to roughly 68 by 2010) and rainbow-painted crosswalks at 13th & Locust. Major landmarks include Woody's (Philly's most iconic gay bar), Tavern on Camac (one of the city's oldest LGBTQ+ bars with piano lounge singalongs), Giovanni's Room (one of the oldest LGBTQ+ bookstores in the US, and the oldest still operating), and the William Way LGBT Community Center (its longtime 1315 Spruce Street building closed at the end of 2025 for a rebuild, with programming continuing off-site).

Beyond the Gayborhood

Philadelphia's LGBTQ+ scene extends well beyond the Gayborhood. South Street and Queen Village have become a growing hub with new queer bars and restaurants. Fishtown on the northeast side hosts queer-friendly venues like Fabrika and R&D Cocktail Bar with regular drag and burlesque nights. The city's estimated 60,000 LGBTQ+ residents make it one of the most established LGBTQ+ communities in the Northeast.