Many people think of Los Angeles as a welcoming place for everyone, but that’s not necessarily the case. There are parts of LA that are conservative and parts that are quite open and progressive. Silver Lake is one area that’s considered an LGBTQ haven. Founded in the 1900s, this community has served as home to Walt Disney’s first major studio, unique pedestrian staircases, and more.

When Did Silver Lake Become a Gay Ghetto?

Silver Lake didn’t start out as a gay village. In fact, during the 1950s and 60s, the community was home to many Latino citizens. They mostly commuted to downtown LA to work in the various manufacturing plants located there. However, the 70s saw these plants close due to outsourcing. As a result, Silver Lake fell into decay, and many of the more affluent homeowners left the area.

As they moved out, LGBTQ individuals and families moved in. As with many cities, LA had slowly pushed those they found “undesirable” to the more disreputable neighborhoods. Silver Lake became a hub for the gay leather subculture of LA. For a time, it was known as a location for public sex, but that changed in the 1990s. Gentrification began transforming the area, and today, Silver Lake is home to many boutiques, restaurants, and other shops. Home prices have risen, too, driving out some renters and making it difficult for others to buy property in the community.

The Mattachine Society and The Black Cat Tavern

While it didn’t become a full-fledged gay neighborhood until the 70s, the LGBTQ community has had a presence in Silver Lake since the 1930s. The gay organization Bachelors Anonymous, which later became the Mattachine Society, is considered the first organized gay group. Its founder lived in Silver Lake and often held meetings there.

Silver Lake made headlines in 1967 after police raided the Black Cat Tavern, a popular LGBTQ bar. Fourteen people were arrested, and brutal force was used. Six weeks later, community members held a protest, one of the first for LGBTQ rights. This happened two years before the Stonewall Riots. Some 25 years later, in 1992, LGBTQ activists marched down Sunset Boulevard in protest of violent acts perpetrated against gay men in the area.

Looking to Live in Silver Lake?

While the price of buying a home in Silver Lake has certainly increased, it’s worth it if you want to live in what many call the hippest neighborhood in LA. You can contact a gay or lesbian real estate professional to get the ball rolling.

Snowbirds is a term used for people who live most of the year in a northern climate, but then move to a warmer area for the harsh winter months. Many snowbirds own RVs and simply drive south when the temperature drops, while others may own a second home in a warmer state. If you’re a snowbird, and also a part of the LGBTQ community, never fear—there are plenty of welcoming places for you to go during the winter.

You might enjoy your snowbird location so much that you decide to move there permanently or to purchase a second home in the area. If that’s the case, you have a number of different factors to consider.

Snowbirding to Florida

Many people on the East Coast spend the winter in Florida. This is an excellent location for LGBTQ snowbirds. St. Petersburg is considered both a very welcoming city and a great place to escape the winter. It’s very affordable, has a lot to offer, and isn’t far from the beach. For those who really love the big city, Orlando is another good destination, although it tends to be more expensive due to the high number of tourists. Lake Worth is known for its large LGBTQ community, as is South Tampa.

Options on the West Coast

On the other hand, you may want to spend some time in California. The golden beaches of this state are well-loved by snowbirds, but you do need to keep the climate in mind. San Francisco may seem like the natural place for LGBTQ snowbirds to travel to, but the rain and the proximity to the ocean do keep the temperatures in the 50s or lower during December and January.

Instead, try going inland a bit. Anaheim is popular since Disneyland and other attractions are located there. It’s also not far from the warmer beaches of southern California.

Other Locations

Snowbirds are often attracted to locations in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, and South Carolina. Of course, not all of these locations are known for their welcoming attitudes. You can do your research and learn more about specific locations before you travel there. If you’re in an RV, of course, you can always simply load up and drive somewhere else if you decide you don’t like where you are!

Once you do find the perfect place to escape the cold, you may want to look for a more permanent option than an RV. You’ll find many gay and lesbian real estate professionals are ready to help you purchase a second home or make the move to a warmer climate.

Are you thinking about looking for houses? If you’re ready to buy a home, especially if it’s your first home, the process may appear a little daunting. Fortunately, there are a few different things you can do as an LGBTQ couple to make the process easier.

Decide on How You’ll Apply for a Mortgage

Thanks to the supreme court, same-sex marriage is now legal across the country. If you’re married, it’s natural that you will apply jointly. If you’re not, though, you need to decide if one of you will apply as an individual or if you’ll apply jointly. There are some pros and cons to both. In most cases, it depends on your credit.

If one of you has excellent credit and few debts while the other has a lower credit score and more debt, it may make sense for the person with the better credit to apply as an individual. It is even possible for a married person to apply for a mortgage without their spouse. You’ll want to look at both incomes, credit history, debts, and other factors to determine how you want to apply.

Do You want to Work with a Gay or Lesbian Real Estate Expert?

You may feel more comfortable working with an LGBTQ real estate agent, especially if you’re planning on moving into a gay neighborhood. Even if your agent doesn’t identify as a member of the community, you want to make certain that they treat you fairly. While housing discrimination may not be common, it does occur. Your agent should treat you no differently than any other client, and if you suspect they are, you can file a complaint with their agency.

Whether or not you decide to work with an LGBTQ agent, you do need to find someone you’re comfortable with. You should be able to share with them all of your housing needs and wants. You don’t necessarily have to come out to them, though. Chances are, they will recognize that the two of you are a couple pretty quickly, even if you say nothing.

Get Pre-Approved

Finally, if you’re thinking about buying a home, you should go ahead and get pre-approved for a loan. After you’ve looked at your individual credit histories, sit down with a lender and talk about your options. They can run the numbers and let you know how large of a mortgage you’ll be able to get. With that information, you can then become seriously looking at homes.

A number of large cities across the U.S. and even the world, have gay villages or gayborhoods. These neighborhoods typically have a very high percentage of LGBTQ residents and are often home to community centers and other LGBTQ-owned businesses. Many have names such as Boystown and Lavender Heights, names that suggest that the area is a gay neighborhood without directly stating so.

That’s not the case in Philadelphia. Instead of giving their gay neighborhood a name that could be considered a little misleading, they simply call it the Gayborhood. This area is a part of Washington Square West and is home to many different LGBTQ businesses, restaurants, and bars.

The History of the Gayborhood

The Gayborhood began as the center of the city’s bathhouse culture back in the late 70s and early 80s. While it may have had this somewhat negative association for years, it changed during the 1990s as the bathhouses gave way to more restaurants, boutiques, and other businesses.

In 2007, city officials recognized the Gayborhood as its own unique area by adding rainbow flag symbols to the street signs between Chestnut and Pine and Juniper and 11^th Street. Later, in 2010, more signs were added, expanding the area. Finally, in 2015, the crosswalks at 13^th Street and Locust were painted rainbow colors.

An Attempt at Rebranding

In 2002, a developer came into the area and attempted to rebrand it as the Blocks Below Broad. While this “B3” launch failed, a local merchants association came into the area in 2006 and tried again. While their attempt to call the area Midtown Village was, on paper at least, somewhat successful, many people still call the area the Gayborhood.

The Gayborhood Today

Today, the Gayborhood is home to OutFest, Philadelphia’s annual National Coming Out Day event. Philly Pride also takes place in the area. There are a number of other events that take place in and around the Gayborhood all year round. Many are LGBTQ-related, while some are arts events and markets.

Want to Move to the Gayborhood?

If you’re considering a move to Philadelphia, the Gayborhood may be the perfect location. As a part of Washington Square West, it’s conveniently located next to the downtown area of Philadelphia. This gives you quick and easy access to everything there and is perfect for someone who will be working downtown. There are many gay and lesbian real estate agents in Philadelphia who can help you find the perfect home.

A Home Owner’s Association or HOA is something that many people want to avoid at all costs. These neighborhood overseers have the authority to determine what types of trees you can have in your yard, what animals you can have outdoors, and even what color your house is. While there are some advantages to living in an area with an HOA, many see the disadvantages as being too much. This can be especially true for those who identify as LGBTQ. There have been a number of instances where an HOA has discriminated against LGBTQ homeowners. If you find yourself battling an HOA over something, do you know what your rights are?

HOAs Must Comply with the Fair Housing Act

No HOA may refuse to allow you to move into the neighborhood based on your race, religion, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, or other factors. It doesn’t matter what your orientation or gender identity is, federal law protects you from housing discrimination. A number of states and cities have additional laws that offer more protections.

While the HOA may be able to ban carports or tell you that you can’t paint your home a bright blue, they can’t tell you when your children can play in your yard or when you can come and go from your home. They can’t ban visitors or what you do to the interior of your home, either.

The Senior Exemption

There can be an exemption made for age if a community has been designated a senior retirement community. In this one case, it is legal for the HOA to accept only buyers who are over a specific age. Often, these communities are also allowed to reject buyers or renters who have children, although they cannot prevent anyone with children from visiting. The idea is to create a quiet community for seniors to enjoy.

Can LGBTQ Neighborhood HOAs Discriminate?

Of course not—if someone who identifies as straight wants to move into a gay district that has an HOA, they’re legally allowed to. Many LGBTQ neighborhoods are seen as something of a refuge for those who feel different, whether it’s because they’re a minority religion, from another country, or have an artistic vision that others don’t get. Because of this, many LGBTQ districts are incredibly diverse. This is often one of the most amazing benefits of living in one of these neighborhoods.

Working with a gay or lesbian real estate agent can be very helpful when learning about HOA rules and what you could and could not do as a homeowner. You need to fully understand these rules before you buy a home governed by an HOA.

While many LGBTQ people who move to California are determined to live in either San Francisco or Los Angeles, there are actually a number of other, more affordable gay villages in the state. One of these neighborhoods is Lavender Heights, a part of Sacramento. If you’re looking to live more in the middle or northern part of the state, this may be the place for you.

Lavender Heights is located in the Midtown area of Sacramento. This is one of the historical districts of the city, and the houses here are gorgeous. Many are old Victorian homes that have been kept up over the years. While Midtown is mainly a residential area, it is just east of Sacramento’s downtown, so you’ll be close to everything. Midtown and Lavender Heights have a growing artistic community. The area is also home to the only winery in the Sacramento area. The entire Midtown area has continuous bike lanes and has a terminal for the Sacramento Regional Transit District light rail, making getting around very easy.

Sacramento’s Castro

Lavender Heights has been called the Castro of Sacramento. It’s also been compared to Washington, D.C.’s Dupont Circle. The neighborhood is home to the Lavender Library and the Sacramento LGBT Community Center along with many of the LGBTQ clubs, bars, and other businesses.

Despite being the center of Sacramento’s LGBTQ community for years, Lavender Heights wasn’t actually a designated neighborhood until 2015. It was always simply a part of Midtown, but the city’s first openly LGBTQ councilmember believed that the district needed to be officially recognized as its own area. He created a community collation to raise awareness of the district and its place in the LGBTQ community. With the support of a number of organizations, community leaders, and other groups, Lavender Heights was officially recognized as its own district.

As part of the campaign to become its own district, a rainbow crosswalk was installed in Lavender Heights. This crosswalk was funded by a number of fundraisers organized by the Rainbow Chamber of Commerce and its Rainbow Chamber Foundation. The crosswalk was officially unveiled in October of 2015 and was the subject of news stories across the state.

Living in Lavender Heights

As a historic district, you can expect to find mostly older homes in Lavender Hills. With access to downtown and the rest of the city via light rail plus a number of arts and music festivals, there’s always something to do. If you’re looking to settle somewhere away from the coast, ask a gay or lesbian real estate agent about Lavender Heights. It may not be that well-known, but you may be surprised by how homey it feels.

If you have a family with young children, one of the key factors in deciding on where you’re going to move is likely to be the school zone. If you’re an LGBTQ family, you may even be more concerned than other parents due to the fact that you do have to take into account how your children will be accepted. Changing schools is never easy, but it’s even worse if your kids get picked on for having same-sex parents. Before you make a final decision on where you’re moving, you will want to learn everything you can about the school or schools your children will be attending.

Go Online and Look at the School’s Profile

Most states, counties, or school districts have websites where you can look up the school’s performance review or school report card. These documents will discuss information such as the property valuation per student, the student suspension ratio, the total enrollment, the percentage of students scoring proficient or above in each subject and each grade, and other information. Reading over these profiles and other information you can find online will give you a general idea of how the school ranks compared to others in the school district and the state.

You can always do a search on the school and name LGBTQ students or related search terms. In many cases, schools that have had a major bullying issue have found themselves the subject of local news stories.

Visit the School

Once you find yourself seriously considering a specific home or neighborhood, you can call the school and ask to visit. You can speak to the principal or school superintendent about your concerns and ask about any problems the children from LGBTQ may have had. This is a good time to ask any questions you might have and to discuss any specific special needs your children may have.

Talk to the Neighbors

Once you’ve found the house for you, you can always approach some of your potential neighbors and ask about the school system. There’s a good chance you’ll find at least one family who has school-age children. This will not only give you an idea about the school, but it will also allow you to judge how your neighbors may react to you and your family.

If you find that the school is going to be a good fit for your children, there’s just one thing left to do: call your gay or lesbian real estate agent and make an offer on the house of your dreams!

When you move into a new neighborhood, you’re gaining more than just a new house, new yard, and new location. You’re also gaining a brand new set of neighbors. If you’re not one to really talk to your neighbors, you may not plan to deal with them at all. However, most people at least acknowledge their neighbors and are friendly with them. That means you may have to come out to them, especially if they want to be on quite friendly terms.

Should You?

The first question you may ask yourself is if you even want to come out to your neighbors. If you’re single, it may not be worth it, even if you are currently dating someone. It’s unlikely that your neighbors will realize that the person who is coming over all the time is your significant other unless you’re engaging in any type of display of affection where they can see. On the other hand, there’s no real point in lying about who you are unless you have reason to believe that one of your neighbors may be homophobic. If you truly feel unsafe, you may have to determine whether remaining in the home is even the right decision.

How to Come Out

Coming out to a neighbor isn’t really the same as coming out to friends and family. It doesn’t have to be any sort of announcement. You could simply mention your spouse as either your husband or wife and leave it at that. If you don’t want to go that far, just mention you and your spouse or partner have just moved in. Your neighbors will see the two of you together and work things out themselves. If they ask questions or want to talk more about it, you’re free to be as open as you feel comfortable, but you’re under no obligation to tell your new neighbors your entire life story.

Dealing with Uncomfortable or Rude Neighbors

There’s always the risk that one or more of your neighbors are not accepting of the LGBTQ community. When that occurs, the best thing to do is to simply ignore them as long as they do nothing that threatens you or your property. There’s no reason to cause drama on the street, but you also have to make certain you’re safe and that no damage is done to your new home. If they’re willing to keep their distance and simply give you disapproving looks, you can take the high road and ignore them. If they verbally or physically attack you or damage your property, however, you have every right to contact the police.

Maybe you’ve just graduated from college, or perhaps you’ve decided it’s time for a change. You might be looking at retirement destinations or have just lost your job and have nothing anchoring you to your current location. Regardless of what’s driving your plans to move, you do need to take some time and carefully decide where the next phase of your life will occur. This decision shouldn’t be made on a lark or by throwing a dart at a map. But where can you find information that will help you? Here are a few places where LGBTQ people can learn about their potential new homes.

The HRC

The Human Rights Campaign works to advance LGBTQ rights across the U.S. They offer many different resources, but one of their best is the Municipal Equality Index. This annual report scores many of the country’s largest cities on how well they support the LGBTQ community. It awards points for having city ordinances that protect workers, the city’s history as an employer, whether city officials are supportive, and more. It’s a great way of getting an overall idea of how accepting the city is before you move there.

Go Online

The internet is perhaps the biggest resource out there. If you do a search for the city name plus LGBTQ support, you’re likely to find a number of websites, blogs, and message boards discussing how supportive or unsupportive the city tends to be. This is a good way to hear directly from people who live there now. You can get an idea of how the average person in the city is likely to view LGBTQ individuals and couples.

Your Friends and Family

It’s possible you know people who currently live in the city or have lived there in the past. They can give you insight into what you can expect and may even be able to suggest certain neighborhoods or parts of the city over other areas. Of course, if it’s been a number of years since someone lived there, do keep in mind that the city may have changed since then.

GayRealEstate.com

Finally, this very website can help you learn more about other cities. We offer much more than just a way of finding a great gay or lesbian real estate professional. We’ve published a number of articles that provide useful information about cities across the U.S., including the average housing cost. Be sure to check them out so you can make an informed decision about your future.