Jacksonville fl gay clubs

Gay clubs in Jacksonville history

The former Club Jacksonville gay bathhouse at 1939 Hendricks Avenue in San Marco, now the offices of Community 4 Design.

Jacksonville has been home to bars, clubs and other venues catering to the LGBTQ community since at least the 1950s. At a hour when being out came with colossal social stigma and often personal hazard, these spaces served as safe havens for LGBTQ Jaxsons to meet, locate a date or simply be themselves in public. While online dating and broadening acceptance of LGBTQ people in the wider collective has led to a decline in the number of gay bars and nightclubs, their role in Jacksonville’s LGBTQ history can’t be overstated.

By 1960, Jacksonville was home to at least three gay bars. In 1964, Roverta “Bo” Boen opened what became Duval County’s longest running homosexual bar, Bo’s Coral Reef. Originally located on Beach Boulevard in Jacksonville Beach, Boen later moved it to Philips Highway. In 1980, Bo’s returned to Jacksonville Beach in a building on 2nd Street. For nearly 40 years, it was a favorite hangout for LGBTQ people from across the First Coast and a popular spot in the Jax Beaches bar scene. Bo’s Coral Reef survived Boen’s death in 20

Jacksonville's oldest gay exclude set to near after 55 years

First Coast News | Florida Times-Union

Duval County's first gay bar, Bo's Coral Reef, is closing its doors after 55 years.

The owner of the Jacksonville Beach exclude announced on Instagram Tuesday night that they are selling the bar and closing the doors for the concluding time next Tuesday, Jan. 22.

The owner closed the caption by saying, "The Bo's Family will forever be grateful for the gratitude and love shown by every person that has walked through our doors, we could contain never achieved the level of victory we have without your support."

From the Times-Union archives:Roverta Boen, owner of Bo’s Coral Reef, dies

The owner says they are moving on to the next adventure in life.

Bo's was opened in 1964 by Roverta "Bo" Boen. It was the first gay bar opened in Duval County.

Owner of the Metro, the now-closed gay bar, remembers busier days at the Jacksonville 'safe haven'

The Metro nightclub had closed several weeks earlier, but co-owner Jerry Rosenberg kept finding himself going back to the old place, dealing with all the things that go into leaving a 17,000-square-foot club, including trying to find homes for the furnishings and artwork and odd items left behind.

He didn't want to walk away and just abandon it all there. Surely, he said, somebody could find a home for them.

So on a recent Friday — which he said would absolutely be the last day he'd be there — he watched as a couple of workers from Habitat for Humanity loaded some chairs into their truck, salvaging some of what was left of the Metro Entertainment Complex.

"Well, you're my last day here," he told them. "This is my last fine deed, giving these things to y'all. Then I'm out of here. This is it."

He'd had the power turned off already, so he used the flashlight on his cellphone to navigate around the sprawling building that's right against the railroad tracks that divide Riverside and Murray Hill. Long a gathering spot for the gay community in Jacksonvil

Ultimate Guide To The Leading Gay Bars In Jacksonville

Sunny Jacksonville is one of the largest cities in Florida, known for its picturesque beaches, local art, and some of the best dining options in the region. While there’s no “official” gayborhood in Jacksonville, it’s quickly emerging as a gay-friendly destination.

If you’re looking for places where you can be yourself and party with other LGBTQ locals, verify out our guide to the best gay bars in Jacksonville. Whether you’re looking for a insane night on the boogie floor or an intimate conversation over happy hour specials, this post has some amazing options that’ll be perfect for any vibe.

Explore These Amazing Queer Bars In Jacksonville

Jacksonville’s sunny climate makes it the perfect place to adore a beach vacation, but the number of same-sex attracted bars in the metropolis has been drastically chop down since the pandemic. That said, there are still plenty of fabulous finds in the city.

Thinking of grabbing a slurp or dancing the evening away with the local LGBTQ community? Check out some of the leading gay bars in Jacksonville, Florida.

Park Place Lounge

931 King St.

A mainstay among Jacksonville gay bars is Park Place Lounge, which has been