Eye on LA - After the movie, we hit West Hollywood and stopped at The Abbey. Walking along Santa Monica Boulevard, it's interesting to note how different the gay "scene" in LA is, even from other large gay ghettos. The emphasis on appearance and fashion knocks you out, with the one-two punch where "LA" and "gay" collide. But what's most interesting to me is that even so, the atmosphere is very relaxed, and racially diverse. The bars and restaurants on Santa Monica have wide open courtyards and front patios where people can leisurely hang out. And because the Abbey is both a coffeehouse and a bar, it appeals to a wide range of people, with clientele young and old(er), black, white and Asian. That type of diversity, while visible in the SF Pride parade, is generally not seen on a daily basis in the Castro. However, with relative diversity of race and age, the Abbey was totally lacking in any diversity of body type, as though there was a one-item-of-Prada minimum for each lean A&F-model body.

We did later venture down the road to Silver Lake to hit the Faultline to glimpse a more bear-ish crowd. But even there, the LA influence was definitely visible, even with stockier builds and facial hair, you'd see none of the smelly-big-beer-belly-and-ZZ-Top-beard-types you might find at the Lone Star in San Francisco. Reminded me a bit of the manly-but-buttoned-down crowd I observed at the Green Lantern in DC --comfortable with their masculinity and with a little chest hair, but still needing a professional appearance for their daytime hours working on the Hill or as a wonk. I'm interested to hear additional thoughts and reactions from John on his recent travels.