Tel Aviv top gay city in the world

Tel Aviv trumps New York to be named world's best gay city

• Israeli metropolis beats New York and Toronto in poll naming best urban destinations for gay travellers

By Graham Smith

Last updated at 1:49 PM on 18th January 2012
Tel Aviv has been named the world's number one gay city.
The Israeli metropolis beat out competition from New York to top a survey carried out by American Airlines and GayCities.com to find the most popular destination for gay travellers.
It landed a staggering 43 per cent of the vote, way ahead of runner-up New York's 14 per cent and third-placed Toronto with 7 per cent.

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Proud winner: Tel Aviv has topped a survey to find the most popular city destination for gay travellers

WORLD'S TOP GAY CITIES

The most popular destinations for gay travellers, as voted for by readers of GayCities.com, are:
1.    Tel Aviv - 43 per cent
2.    New York - 14 per cent
3.    Toronto - 7 per cent
4.    Sao Paolo - 6 per cent
5=   London - 5 per cent
       Madrid - 5 per cent
7.    New Orleans - 4 per cent
8.    Mexico City - 4 per cent

Sao Paolo came in at four with 6 per cent, while rounding out the top five with 5 per cent each were London and Madrid.
GayCities described Tel Aviv as 'the gay capital of the Middle East is exotic with a Mediterranean c'est la vie attitude'.
Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai hailed his 'free city' and said he is proud of the survey results.
He wrote on his Facebook page: 'Victory in this competition further highlights the fact that Tel Aviv is a city that respects all people equally, and allows all people to live according to their values and desires.
'This is a free city in which everyone can feel proud, and be proud of who they are.'

 

Users of the GayCities website were asked to submit their votes in a number of categories, including Best City Of 2011. The site did not reveal how many people voted.
New York did, however, win the title of Best Nightlife City with 32 per cent of the vote, followed by London with 14 per cent and Madrid with 12 per cent.

Historic: The Stonewall Inn in New York, where many commentators claim the U.S. fight for gay rights began in 1969. The city was named Best Nightlife City

San Francisco, long regarded as the gay capital of the U.S., may have missed out on a mention in the Best City poll, but was named the Best Pride City with 29 per cent of the vote.
Sao Paolo and Toronto came second and third with 17 per cent and 12 per cent respectively naming the cities as having the best annual gay parades.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Paris was named Best Food City ahead of New Orleans and San Francisco.
GayCities users named New York the Best Dressed City, with London in second place and Rome trailing in third.

TEL AVIV: A HOTSPOT FOR GAY TRAVELLERS

Vibrant: Tel Aviv has a burgeoning gay scene and has hosted annual Gay Pride events since 1998

Gay and lesbian life in Tel Aviv is perhaps the most vibrant in the Middle-East, mainly attributable to the fact the gay community in Israel enjoys political freedom like in no other country in the region.
Every June since 1998, the city has hosted a series of gay-themed events ending with the annual Gay Pride parade.
For year-round areas of interest, website GayTLVGuide.com recommends Rothschild Boulevard, which it describes as a 'buzzing centre of entertainment' with several gay bars and clubs.
The city's most famous gay-orientated area is Shenkin Street, a road that 'seems to stretch out forever'.