PortlandShaman

Respectful, Affordable, Fun

A journey to Provincetown can simultaneously feed an outdoor adventures soul, a Broadway veterans heart, and a party boys address book. If that is the experience you seek the John Randall House is easily adopted as your home away from home. Despite their many years in business, owners, Tim and Don have not forgotten the magic of Provincetown. Management strikes a careful balance between affordable, safe, and clean, accommodations while not completely sterilizing the Provincetown experience. In the middle of the July fourth holiday weekend, with no vacancy, my partner and I were never once disturbed while sleeping yet we made friends with most of the guests and even enjoyed late night conversations on the patio. Our room (as some but not all do) shared a bathroom, which was always clean and almost always available. And finally no gay review would be complete without special acknowledgement of the houseboy, who went appropriately above and beyond making our stay memorable and comfortable using only his charm, energy and smile.

A dying breed yet loved.

You will not spend much time at Styxx before you realize it to be much more then a simple drinking establishment to the locals who keep it entertaining. In a city teeming with opportunities for people living alternative lifestyles Styxx survives due to a committed clientele, who often participate in producing their own theme evenings. This bar/danceclub/lounge/clubhouse truly resonates with a younger local crowd finding their first sense of safety in a gay nightlife experience. You need not travel far from the city of Portland to understand the palpable oppression a young gay person in Maine likely experiences. Styxx is a refuge from that reality. The souls who grace the stage, tend the bar, fill the seats and dance on the 2 floors acknowledge bigger clubs, bigger cities and other opportunities, but Portland Maine is their home. Tonight they are going to make the best of their gay bar.

Size Matters

Once a warehouse in Portland's gritty Bayside neighborhood, World gym is now Portland's largest single level, single room, exercise and workout facility. A 2009 update refreshed the sprawling interior and added much needed equipment and clients. The single room and endless mirrors creates an environment perfect for people watching and cruising. Sunday night is your best bet in the steam room if exercise is not the only required element of your workout.