Gay & Lesbian
Rene Ames checks out the summer scene and finds it just as hot as the temperature outside.
For gays and lesbians stuck in Istanbul in the height of summer the options for finding solace from the weirdness of all-but-empty venues and the decidedly languid pace of the habitués can be grim. You become almost resigned to wilting with the relentless sun, getting back from a forced expedition to ‹stiklal Caddesi, facing the mirror in your steamy apartment and saying: "Why bother?". Indeed, if you come to think about it, there's not much fun to be had when deep down inside you lurks the gnawing feeling that you should have/could have joined the outbound populace in escaping from this bursting metropolis.
Really, though, you shouldn’t be so easily discouraged from continuing your usual round of the bars and clubs, because provided you know where the action is, you certainly won't miss Bodrum or any other southern destination. Right here in the grand scheme of things that is Istanbul there are plenty of places where the partying never slows down - the customers just show off less clothing alongside their questionably-attained tans. Here are some favourites in my own order of preference:
Gabile Bar-Café
Truly an all-encompassing venue for the G&L community, where you’ll find happy integration and a sense of family belongingness for everyone under the rainbow flag (Gabile = gay-bisexual-lesbian).
The atmosphere here is that of an informal party where you can mill and mingle across three floors and a terrace while grooving to an unusual mix of electronic, lounge and Turkish pop music. The great draw here is the unbridled, seemingly spontaneous shows at 1am on Wednesdays and Saturdays with start-up drag artists - who come across like they just hit Istanbul from points east - bringing along harem belly dances, and an erotic dance number which is the piece-de-resistance, consisting, as it does, of two masked and well-endowed boys grinding and gyrating around each other. The choreography is decidedly free-form but full of energy and delight (see photo).
Club 17
‘Packed like sardines’ is an expression that comes to mind during the weekends here, because this is a small and narrow venue with a bar that takes up practically half the space. The good-looking crowd is eclectic, ranging from young men seeking patronage from admirers, through young or youthful-looking gays out on the prowl, to transsexuals on a respite from their nocturnal business haunts. The music is insistently electronic, egging people on to dance in one place while bumping each others' behinds, and in the process a lot of sexual energy is unleashed. Soon a number of people are flinging their arms around each other or interacting with each other in wild abandon - within the realms of acceptable decency, of course.
Club 17 closes at 6am but the crowd spills out into Zambak Sokak to linger some more while trying to hook up with each other.
Déjà Vu
In the recent past, droves of customers abandoned this long-standing Istanbul gay site, turned off by the blatantly commercial dealings among the cute, barely legal-aged boys. Now they are finding their way back for a good reason: the Déjà Vu happens to feature the most progressive electronic and hip-hop music around and the dance floor is defined by creative dancers in various state of contortions. If dancing is your idea of a great weekend activity, this is the place to be. The rent boys are still there, of course, but not as aggressively as before, and everyone goes with the musical flow.
Project Be/Be Club
The latest reincarnation of this peripatetic club that's been all over the map of this stretched-out city of ours since 2001 is lounge-lizard heaven. The main action is on the terrace where well-placed tropical garden furniture dots the space, welcoming one and all to sit among friends, share some light conversation and load up on an excellent array of cocktails that are, rather surprisingly, less expensive than at the city's other terrace-places. Everyone's eyes will be darting about, searching out various presences and newcomers, while also looking out at the Bosphorus view. The feel is of attending a private party for sophisticates on the top floor of one of the most venerable old buildings in Pera - the long-time expat bailiwick and now seat of several four- & five-star hotels, including the one across from the Be Club, the Pera Palas Hotel of Orient Express fame. Entertainment comes in the form of the good-looking staff, consisting of both gay and lesbian waiting staff, who, while serving drinks and canapés, mount a spontaneous dance that sets the party pace. If you feel like it, they actually welcome you to join them, which is convenient when your own posse is a tad not-up-to-it. A designated dance space in the floor below (reached via a staircase) is encased in gauzy curtains.
Summer in the city
Writer: Rene Ames
Rene Ames checks out the summer scene and finds it just as hot as the temperature outside.
For gays and lesbians stuck in Istanbul in the height of summer the options for finding solace from the weirdness of all-but-empty venues and the decidedly languid pace of the habitués can be grim. You become almost resigned to wilting with the relentless sun, getting back from a forced expedition to ‹stiklal Caddesi, facing the mirror in your steamy apartment and saying: "Why bother?". Indeed, if you come to think about it, there's not much fun to be had when deep down inside you lurks the gnawing feeling that you should have/could have joined the outbound populace in escaping from this bursting metropolis.
Really, though, you shouldn’t be so easily discouraged from continuing your usual round of the bars and clubs, because provided you know where the action is, you certainly won't miss Bodrum or any other southern destination. Right here in the grand scheme of things that is Istanbul there are plenty of places where the partying never slows down - the customers just show off less clothing alongside their questionably-attained tans. Here are some favourites in my own order of preference:
Gabile Bar-Café
Truly an all-encompassing venue for the G&L community, where you’ll find happy integration and a sense of family belongingness for everyone under the rainbow flag (Gabile = gay-bisexual-lesbian).
The atmosphere here is that of an informal party where you can mill and mingle across three floors and a terrace while grooving to an unusual mix of electronic, lounge and Turkish pop music. The great draw here is the unbridled, seemingly spontaneous shows at 1am on Wednesdays and Saturdays with start-up drag artists - who come across like they just hit Istanbul from points east - bringing along harem belly dances, and an erotic dance number which is the piece-de-resistance, consisting, as it does, of two masked and well-endowed boys grinding and gyrating around each other. The choreography is decidedly free-form but full of energy and delight (see photo).
Club 17
‘Packed like sardines’ is an expression that comes to mind during the weekends here, because this is a small and narrow venue with a bar that takes up practically half the space. The good-looking crowd is eclectic, ranging from young men seeking patronage from admirers, through young or youthful-looking gays out on the prowl, to transsexuals on a respite from their nocturnal business haunts. The music is insistently electronic, egging people on to dance in one place while bumping each others' behinds, and in the process a lot of sexual energy is unleashed. Soon a number of people are flinging their arms around each other or interacting with each other in wild abandon - within the realms of acceptable decency, of course.
Club 17 closes at 6am but the crowd spills out into Zambak Sokak to linger some more while trying to hook up with each other.
Déjà Vu
In the recent past, droves of customers abandoned this long-standing Istanbul gay site, turned off by the blatantly commercial dealings among the cute, barely legal-aged boys. Now they are finding their way back for a good reason: the Déjà Vu happens to feature the most progressive electronic and hip-hop music around and the dance floor is defined by creative dancers in various state of contortions. If dancing is your idea of a great weekend activity, this is the place to be. The rent boys are still there, of course, but not as aggressively as before, and everyone goes with the musical flow.
Project Be/Be Club
The latest reincarnation of this peripatetic club that's been all over the map of this stretched-out city of ours since 2001 is lounge-lizard heaven. The main action is on the terrace where well-placed tropical garden furniture dots the space, welcoming one and all to sit among friends, share some light conversation and load up on an excellent array of cocktails that are, rather surprisingly, less expensive than at the city's other terrace-places. Everyone's eyes will be darting about, searching out various presences and newcomers, while also looking out at the Bosphorus view. The feel is of attending a private party for sophisticates on the top floor of one of the most venerable old buildings in Pera - the long-time expat bailiwick and now seat of several four- & five-star hotels, including the one across from the Be Club, the Pera Palas Hotel of Orient Express fame. Entertainment comes in the form of the good-looking staff, consisting of both gay and lesbian waiting staff, who, while serving drinks and canapés, mount a spontaneous dance that sets the party pace. If you feel like it, they actually welcome you to join them, which is convenient when your own posse is a tad not-up-to-it. A designated dance space in the floor below (reached via a staircase) is encased in gauzy curtains.