LOS ANGELES/LONG BEACH
The weather is Southern California is hot, and so are the Leathermen!
Hot-spot neighborhoods: East Hollywood, North Hollywood, Silver Lake, (City of) West Hollywood
Drink Fuck Shake Buy Crash Eat Pump Trim Ink Hang See Plan More
LA’s legendary leather retailer 665 has closed its shop on Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood. But you can still order from them online and get their high-quality gear shipped to you anywhere in the world. CLICK HERE to start shopping. (By clicking that link, you can get some great gear and support LEATHERMEN TRAVEL at the same time because a portion of what you spend comes back to the site.)
WHERE TO DRINK (AND CRUISE)
The Bullet Bar (10522 Burbank Blvd, North Hollywood) The Valley’s classic leather bar. link
Eagle LA (4219 Santa Monica Blvd, Silver Lake) The Eagle has been serving them up at this watering hole since 2006. But this location has been a hangout for Leathermen for decades. link
Falcon North (2020 E Artesia Blvd, North Long Beach) The place for Leathermen in Long Beach, in the former home of Pistons and Eagle 562. link
Precinct (357 S Broadway, Downtown) A bar for the manly men of Downtown LA. link
WHERE TO FUCK
Flex Los Angeles (4424 Melrose Ave, East Hollywood) The local outpost of the national Flex chain, with an outdoor swimming pool, located between West Hollywood and Silver Lake. link
Midtowne Spa (615 Kohler St, Downtown) A getaway spot for downtown daddies. link
North Hollywood Spa (5636 Vineland Ave, North Hollywood) Formerly the legendary Compound, it’s sex central in the Valley. link
Slammer (3688 Beverly Blvd, Koreatown) LA’s long-standing sex club. Weekly fetish night, but leather is always welcome. link
The Zone (1037 N Sycamore Ave, Hollywood) Hollywood’s favorite sex club. link
WHERE TO SHAKE YOUR ASS (AND CRUISE)
Brüt Dance parties for guys in gear. link
Den LA Can’t decide if you want to dance or fuck? Why choose when you can do both at one event! link
Man Upp Dance parties for DILFs. link
WHERE TO BUY GEAR
Ben Orson Leather (1720 Evergreen St, Duarte) SoCal’s newest purveyors of custom leather. Make an appointment for an in-person or online consultation. link
Chi Chi LaRue’s (8861 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood) Adult shopping in WeHo from gay porn legend, Chi Chi LaRue. link
Gearworxxx (10522 Burbank Blvd at the Bullet Bar, North Hollywood) Leather by appointment or at the Bullet Bar in the Valley. link
Rough Trade Gear (3915 Sunset Blvd, Silver Lake) Your place for gear in Silver Lake. link
Schott (101 S La Brea Ave, Fairfax) If it was good enough for Marlon Brando… link
The Stockroom (1769 Glendale Blvd, Silver Lake) Your place for toys in Silver Lake. link
WHERE TO CRASH (AND MAYBE FUCK SOME MORE)
The Holloway Motel (8465 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood) Sleepin’ cheap in West Hollywood. link
Ramada WeHo (8585 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood) Very ’80s hotel near the bars and gyms in WeHo. link
The Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites, Los Angeles (404 S Figueroa St, Downtown) Downtown LA’s landmark hotel is the West Coast home of CLAW. link
WHERE TO EAT (AND CRUISE)
Casita del Campo (1920 Hyperion Ave, Silver Lake) A Mexican spot popular with Leathermen, known more for the scene than the cuisine. link
Hamburger Mary’s (8288 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood) WeHo outpost of the campy burger chain. link
Hamburger Mary’s (330 Pine Ave, Downtown Long Beach) The Queen Mary is not the only Mary in Long Beach–and far from the only queen! link
Palermo Italian Restaurant (1858 N Vermont Ave, Los Feliz) Gear up for LA’s best pizza! link
WHERE TO PUMP IRON (AND CRUISE)
24 Hour Fitness (8612 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood) Gym bunny central in WeHo. link
Gold’s Gym (1016 Cole Ave, Hollywood) Gold’s Hollywood is a little grittier than the WeHo gyms. (But there’s still plenty of spandex to be found.) link
WHERE TO GET A BUZZ CUT AND BEARD TRIM
The Hair Barber Shop (7604 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood) Basic cuts and easy-on-the-wallet prices. link
WHERE TO GET INKED
The Honorable Society (8424 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood) A place to get hot tattoos from hot tattoo artists. (Insider tip: Ask for Monty.) link
Marginalized Tattoo (4226 Melrose Ave, East Hollywood) Highly regarded shop with very talented artists. link
WHO TO HANG WITH
Avatar Club Los Angeles A Leather and BDSM club for men. link
BLUF SoCal For men into full dress leather uniform. link
California Boots & Breeches Corps Guys into spiffy police gear. link
LA Band of Brothers Meet LA’s vaunted leather titleholders. link
Los Angeles Leather Coalition The LALC supports groups and members of the local Leather Community. link
Masters And slaves Together: North Hollywood Local branch of the organization for those who live the lifestyle. link
Oedipus Motorcycle Club of Los Angeles Gay bikers of LA. link
ONYX Southwest A club for Leathermen of color. link
P.I.G.S Perverted interracial guys. Promoting brotherhood between the races. link
The Regiment of the Black & Tans A club for catering to uniform men for over 40 years. link
The Satyrs Motorcycle Club of Los Angeles The world’s first and oldest club for gay bikers. link
Southern California Bondage Club Men’s bondage club with monthly play parties. link
WHAT TO SEE WHILE YOU’RE IN TOWN
Las Memorias AIDS Monument (3600 N Mission Rd, Lincoln Heights) A memorial in a park setting memorializing Latinos and others lost to AIDS. link
The Mattachine Steps (Cove Ave between Glendale Blvd & Silver Lake Blvd, Silver Lake) A staircase in Silver Lake honoring early gay-rights group the Mattachine Society and its founder, gay-rights legend Harry Hay. Celebrate history and get a good cardio workout too! link
Matthew Shepard Human Rights Triangle (Crescent Heights Blvd & Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood) A small park located in a traffic island, honoring the Wyoming college student brutally slain in 1998. link
ONE Gallery (626 N Robertson Blvd, West Hollywood) The offsite exhibition space of ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives at USC, the world’s largest repository of LGBTQ materials. link
Tom of Finland Foundation (1421 Laveta Ter, Echo Park) Where to learn all about Tom of Finland (without having to go to Finland!) link
West Hollywood Memorial Walk (Santa Monica Blvd between N Fairfax Ave & N Doheny Drive, West Hollywood) Take a stroll along Santa Monica Boulevard from Fairfax to Doheny and take a look at the plaques along with way with names of those who passed away and were HIV-positive. link
WHAT TO PLAN FOR
March
Mr. LA Leather Contest/Los Angeles Leather Pride A week of events climaxes with the selection of LA’s hottest Leatherman. link
May
Long Beach Lesbian & Gay Pride Lots of Leathermen flock to celebrate pride at the beach. (Happening in July in 2022.) link
June
LA Pride Festival & Parade After a few years of controversy, LA Pride is trying to get back to its roots. Within the festival, make your way to Erotic City, a celebration of Leather and BDSM! link
Off Sunset Festival Leather out in the streets of Silver Lake. link
Orange County LGBT Pride Even behind the Orange Curtain, you can find the Leather Demo Tent at Pride! link
November
LA Leather Getaway The West Coast offshoot of Cleveland’s CLAW is the hottest place to be every Thanksgiving weekend. link
MORE PLACES
[Suggestions? Corrections? Contact me!]