"We pay good money to live in the gayborhood" was something I overheard at work sometime a few weeks ago and I couldn't help but chuckle a little. It's true, I work and live in the most prominent gay neighborhood in all of Denver. Now that's not saying much since Denver is quite small town and the gays only have so far to go before they will reach the border, aka the suburbs.
Capitol Hill is known in Denver as the gay neighborhood and it only takes one five minute trip to the King Soopers on Downing and 9th Ave. to understand why it's aptly called Queen Soopers; queens abound at this grocery store. Oh girl, it's so gay! Just a few blocks from the Queen Soopers and one will arrive at Cheeseman Park, the gayest park in all the land. After seeing three or four very fit couples walking the cutest little dogs and wearing very fashionable work out gear, it doesn't take long to realize that the neighborhood has quite the population of gay men. Capitol Hill also boasts a number of lesbians, but from the back(and sometimes the front)they look like men, so it can be confusing. Needless to say, the gayborhood boasts quite a unique energy, and a lot of very well groomed, fresh smelling men.
Speaking of well groomed men, my barbershop is just on the edge of the gayberhood and we have a high percentage of gay clientele, men and women. Plus, we all know that the majority of male hair stylists are gay. So though I work with about ten men, it's mostly like working with all women. They are FABULOUS! I have noticed that I am starting to pick up the mannerisms of all the wonderful gay men I work with like shrieking for no reason, overly dramatic hand movements when talking about what color eye shadow someone is wearing or gushing over gorgeous hair and trendy clothes, not to mention checking out all the hot men that come into the shop. We even have code that we use to point out a hot customer in the shop. It's too fun and I realize how much I missed being around so many enthusiastic gay men.
Capitol Hill, aka the gayborhood, has always been my favorite neighborhood to live in Denver. I feel really blessed to be working so close to home and get to enjoy the fun, upbeat energy that gay men bring to nearly any atmosphere. Sure they can be divas, but who am I to talk? They help bring out my feminine side and for that I am grateful. Sometimes I feel like I learn more about being a woman from gay men than I do some of my girlfriends. You'll be hard pressed to find a gay man that won't just tell it like it is. That kind of honesty is hard to find these days and if you need real perspective don't hesitate to stop by the Queen Soopers, wait out front for five minutes and you'll know by the looks you get what the answer to your question is.
I leave you tonight with a quote from one of my gay best friends who has a taste for straight men: "Straight? So is spaghetti until you get it hot".
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That last line (hilarious as it was) made me think long and hard about all of the nice gay men that tried their hands at hitting on me in Seattle's own "Capitol Hill." I swear, by your description, the two "Capitol Hill"s of either city could have quite a battle for greatest Gayborhood not called The Castro. "So is spaghetti until you get it hot" must be some sort of highly respected motto in the world of gaydom.
ReplyDeleteEither way though, the gay population was absolutely one of my favorite things about Cap Hill in Seatown, and there's no doubt that it makes the hill what it still is today. One of my roommates for over a year was gay & had his jolliest friends over as often as they could stand it. I came to love those evenings as they got ready to hit the town... There truly is nothing better than the humor of a gaggle of gay boys, all excitedly getting set to take on the town that evening. They were always cheery, friendly to a T, and I always wound up feeling decidedly more upbeat (not to mention more handsome for the compliments) on the days they were at our apartment.
Here's to all the Gayborhoods of the world, and all the perfectly chiseled, charming and witty fearies that make them go.
Oh yeah, and nice job with the stuff lately Sarah!
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