Provincetown Advice for the "Hicks from the Sticks"

1. 
   radmantx
   

   My partner, myself and our best friend are going to Provincetown, arriving July 4th. This is our second year to go. Last year we were there for Rosie Family Week, and so it was probably tamed down from usual. Being from a small town in south Texas with NO gay culture, we are looking to experience as much "culture" as possible. Any one with Ptown experience or knowledge want to share any must see or inside tips for the hicks from the sticks? Nights to visit which clubs, days and times to hit the beach, how to make friends, etc. would all be appreciated.

   Posted 4 months ago #
2. 
   Scott
   

   Well, July 4th is the busiest there - expect to find all the places packed with people and (sadly) the clubs charging huge covers for the special DJs. David Flower (http://www.davidflower.com/) puts on special events for the weekend. The pier dance is fun and usually filled with hot boys (kinda a mini-circuit party sort of thing).

   The Boatslip T-Dance is not to be missed. there's basically a schedule to follow: Boatslip for drinks, then (maybe) Pied Bar after tea, dinner somewhere with friends, nap, A-House and then Crown & Anchor. Kinda like sheep, we all follow.

   The A-House is always my favorite for its patio, a much easier place to meet people - as is the patio bar behind the Crown & Anchor before it gets too dance-y. I assume you've been to the beach - that's always fun - if not, ask people for directions. It's easiest to bike out to the entry and then wade through the tide pools to get there. The beach is rocky, but nice and sunny. It's a fun day trip.

   My favorites to eat include Cafe Edwige, the cafe at Crown & Anchor is actually pretty good and Spiritus Pizza - the pizza is actually quite good there. Spiritus is also where people gather after the clubs close. It's kinda the last stop meat market.

   We did an interview with Andy Towle last year about Ptown, you should read it too.

   It's late and I know I'm missing stuff, so hopefully other people will fill in more details...

   Posted 4 months ago #
3. 
   Reason
   

   Stay in a gay B&B (there are a ton of them) and ask the locals for advice. Also, the B&B's hire a lot of houseboys who are young guys who just want a summer job to pay for their vacation in P-town. They seem to be the most plugged into the party scene, and can tell you where to go and when.

   It's been a few years since we were in Provincetown, but my memory was that one end of the main street was much more gay than the other. So keep walking until you find the rainbow flags and gym bunnies.

   Posted 4 months ago #
4. 
   radmantx
   

   Thanks for the reply guys. We are really looking forward to the trip. We are staying at the B&B we stayed at last year. The tip about asking the houseboys is a great idea. I just hope we can squeeze beach, T-dance, dinner, show, and club all into one day! I guess after 7 days of that schedule we will be pretty much have our fill of gay culture. Hope to see some of you guys there.

   Posted 4 months ago #
5. 
   radmantx
   

   Well we are back from Ptown and trying to once again readjust to the real world.
   I have compiled a list of clubs and nights to hit them as well as a review on some restaurants. I will attempt to place them in reviews. I hope they are a help.

   Posted 4 months ago #
6. 
   radmantx
   

   Well I could go through each of the clubs and post a separtate review, so to be concise and give some one a guide of clubs and places to hit in Ptown on each night of the week, I shall list them here.

   Friday (July 4th)- We hit the pier dance and party at Paramount at the Crown and Anchor. This was our first circuit party and though it was fun we will instead opt for the usual tea dance and "A House" on any subsequent visits. The music will be more to our liking and the covers will be MUCH cheaper.

   Saturday- Underwear party at Club Purgatory. I know many of you are saying "there is no way that I will be caught at that." I do have to say however that everyone I spoke with after making that statement, and there were many, ended up saying, "I wish every night was underwear night". The drinks at Purgatory are the best in town for the price and the crowd was a lot of fun. When you walk in they hand you a bag to place your belongings and give you a numbered bracelet to claim your things when done. It was very secure and worked like a coat check system.

   Sunday- Leather night at Club Purgatory. The drinks from the night before drew us back and honestly of all the leather bars this one seemed to be the best attended all week. I would say maybe 40 percent of the people had some leather. The music was very "circuit party" and we went to the A house which was crowded and had more recognizable music.

   Monday- Showgirls! If you want a seat get in line very early. We arrived at 9:10 and ended up standing in the back for nearly three hours. (The show starts at 10:00) Granted standing was a blessing in disguise since the a/c was out and the doors were open in back and we got the only breeze in the packed house. If you do not know what Showgirls is, google or youtube it. It is an experience to see at least once in a lifetime.

   Tuesday- Kind of quiet night. "A house" was crowded by 11:30 and the music was good. It seems the A house is pretty consistent as far as a good party on just about any night.

   Wednesday- Winning Wednesday at Purgatory. You get a ticket and they have drawings every 15 minutes. Not well attended and two of the three of us won prizes which are very decent. (Gift certs, shirts, etc.) Most of the crowd on this night seemed to center around the Porch Bar upstairs. The "A house" was also fairly crowded.

   Thursday- Karaoke at Purgatory. This was hosted by a fun drag queen and was well attended.

   Also: Tea dance has 90's music on Mondays and Solid Gold Thursdays with 70's and 80's music. If you want "YMCA" and "It's Raining Men" this is the day to hit the tea dance.

   As Scott suggested the schedule is pretty much as follows: Breakfast, Beach or Pool at Boatslip or Crown and Anchor, Late Lunch, Tea Dance, Dinner, Nap, Club. It was a crazy schedule that we only were able to keep for a few days. A few things got deleted from the schedule as our lack of sleep would allow.

   A quick word on Provincetown: In our own experience and in speaking with friends we made from Europe, there is NO other place like Provincetown in the world. It is truely a remarkable place and as one of our new friends said, "It is probably one of the few if not only places in the world that as a gay person you know what it feels like to be treated and you can truely act like any other person in the world."

   Posted 4 months ago #
7. 
   chrisholden09
   

   As you say, there is no other place like Provincetown, especially in the summer. That's wonderful you had such a terrific time. Thanks for the detailed review. Fun reliving the place!

   Posted 3 months ago #
8. 
   SFTodd
   

   If you are looking for gay culture, you should visit either West Hollywood or Palm Springs. West Hollywood if you are under 40 years old and Palm Springs at any age. My first visit to West Hollywood was a real pleasant shocker. Palm Spring is very heavily gay and is very friendly to visitors of every age. I have enjoyed Provincetown also -- but you never know when it may snow! I was there in July and it was too cold to go into the water.

   Posted 3 months ago #

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