Sidewinders gay club, which reopened after a hiatus in fall 2011

Drive east along Central from Nob Hill for a couple of miles and you'll reach one of New Mexico's longest-running gay bars, the friendly and eclectic Sidewinders (formerly known as The Ranch) (8900 Central Ave SE, 505-554-2078), which was opened by the former owner of the Sidewinders in Cathedral City, California, near Palm Springs. This festive, down-home club, which had been temporarily closed for sometime, reopened in fall 2011, much to the excitement of the local community. The club has country-western music and dancing on Thursdays (and early on Fridays), a fun "beer blast" on Sunday afternoons, and karaoke on many weekdays, and the latest DJs on weekends. The crowd comes in all flavors - women and men, younger and older, bears and jocks, clean-cut and edgy. It's a nice option if you're heading out with a varied bunch of friends, and attitude is minimal here.