Tango Bango

Universal Omnisexuality

There is a club in my gayborhood (Hillcrest, San Diego) aptly named Universal that claims to be “omnisexual.”  Their intention is to appeal to everyone and be a haven for anyone regardless of their sexuality.  They have scantily clad men and women dancing up on pedestals, so regardless what you’re attracted to there is something there to drool over.

I’ve been there twice and I’ve found it to be an interesting mix of people.  Straight women seeming to be avoiding being hit on at the straight clubs, a mix of gay and straight couples, many gays and lesbians.  Not too many straight men…but overall a nice mix.

This last time I sat down with a group of gay men and they chatted with me for a couple hours.  Some interesting tidbits:

- They think the reason that Universal is at risk of going under is because they’re omnisexual.  There aren’t enough straight open minded people that would want to spend their Friday and Saturday night at a gay club.  And they gays feel that it’s kind of “invading their turf” and don’t know why they’d go to an omni club when there are so many gay clubs to go to.

- The gay men hate that the straight girls there are always hanging all over them, like they want to keep them in their pocket.

While I think this club is incredibly progressive and such a neat idea, I can’t help but look at the dwindling weekend numbers and wonder if omnisexual clubs are a lucrative business. I think it’s a fun place to go, but it’s unfortunate that stigmas prevent it from being successful.  Well, that, and their drink prices.

I have to say, Luke and I would love to own a club that looks like Universal.  It’s seriously something out of The L Word.

Why Hillcrest is THE BEST place in San Diego

I’m on a mission to prove that Hillcrest is hands down THE VERY BEST place to live in San Diego - one post at a time.

I’ll write more about each of these, but here’s my list SO FAR.  There are many reasons why Hillcrest made the APA’s Top 10 Great Neighborhoods in the US.

1. Alternative artsy culture.  People feel eclectic and awesome.
2. Acceptance - anything goes in Hillcrest.
3. Restaurants - arguably has more of the best restaurants in San Diego per square inch than anywhere else.  It’s not actually all that arguable.  And on Tuesdays, there are discounts.
4. Walkability.  You can walk to just about anywhere and anything you want to do.
5. Weather.  It’s central San Diego and doesn’t get scorching like inland North and East County.
6. Charm - from the rad urban lofts to the cozy craftsman, it’s a beautiful place to live.
7. Proximity - close to the 5 and the 163 and you can easily get anywhere you want to go.  Airport is 5 minutes.
8. Transit - It’s $2.25 to go downtown on the bus, and takes 12 minutes tops.
9. Balboa Park is blocks away.
10. Bike and jogger friendly - there are trails that run all through the area, and the traffic is used to many bikes going through.
11. Healthy.  From the Sunday Farmer’s Market and Trader Joes to Whole Foods and Nature’s Express, it’s an outdoorsy healthy place to live.
12. Clean and safe.  It’s the cleanest and safest place to live in the central city.
13. Events!  From SD Pride to the Earth Fair, to all the events at Balboa Park - to Dining Out For Life, Cityfest, Taste of Hillcrest, Hillcrest Mardi Gras, etc.
14. Local support - Chains don’t do well here, there are so many family owned shops it’s ridiculous.
15. Unique boutiques - they aren’t dead!  Hillcrest has locally-owned and operated boutique type stores for everything from shoes and clothing, to cupcakes, pet supplies, and interior furnishings.
16. Pride!  People who live in Hillcrest are proud to live there.  You feel like a part of a real community of people who love San Diego.
17. Stuff to do.  You never run out of things to do.  From the dog park, to the local theater, the shopping, the nightlife, museums in Balboa Park, it’s all there.
18. Clubs.  Including all-inclusive (not just gay) clubs.
19. Landmark Theater - one of only two or three indie film theaters in the city.  The very best of indie films come here and it’s a great place to have a dinner and a movie.
20. Young, but not too young.  This isn’t Pacific Beach here, this is artsy, intellectual, mature people having fun.  It’s a great place if you’re in your 20’s and 30’s and want to blend in. :)
21. Proximity to other fun neighborhoods.  You’re an easy drive, bike ride or walk from Little Italy, Bankers Hill, Mission Hills, University Heights, and North Park.

Some will say…”North Park has all this too” - and they’re mostly right.  North Park is second best, and is moving towards this direction.  It also depends WHERE in North Park.  It seems that everything is either hit or miss for me.  Up near 30th gives you the best “hillcrest feel” with the walkability to shops and restaurants but a lot of the homes are dingy and crappy.  (although they don’t have as many cute places to go).  The Morley Field area is the nicest (IMO) but is not close to “stuff” to walk to except the park.  Over near City Heights is an utter shithole.  Hillcrest is cleaner and more diverse but you will also pay the price.  It’s the most expensive rental zip code per square foot.  If you can’t afford Hillcrest, move to North Park and walk to Hillcrest. :)