If you want the classic Midtown gay-bar experience, this is the easy answer. Bulldogs tells you something about Black gay Atlanta. MSR tells you something about lesbian Atlanta. Blake's tells you where you are. You're in Midtown. Blake's On The Park has been part of Atlanta's LGBTQ+ nightlife since 1988. It sits on 10th Street near Piedmont Park, right in the part of Midtown most closely associated with Atlanta's gayborhood.

This is the one we'd recommend to somebody visiting Atlanta for the first time who says: “I just want to go to a gay bar.” Okay. Go to Blake's. Earlier in the evening it can function more like a neighborhood bar. As the night moves along, DJs, dancing, drag and a much busier crowd can change the energy considerably. That's part of what makes it useful for travelers.

You don't necessarily need an elaborate plan. If you're already staying in Midtown, visiting Piedmont Park or around 10th and Piedmont, you're basically standing in one of the centers of LGBTQ+ Atlanta anyway. Go see what's happening. The location also makes Blake's useful as part of a night, rather than necessarily the entire night. Start here. Have a drink. Meet somebody. Then decide where Atlanta is taking you next.