Excelsior, Brooklyn, New York

Park Slope is the center of Brooklyn's albeit limited gay nightlife scene, and one of the better little queer bars in the neighborhood is Excelsior (390 5th Ave., 718-832-1599), a small and generally low-keyed locals' hangout drawing a mix of Outer Borough hipsters, longtime nesting Slope-ians, and the occasional tourist out for a gay Brooklyn booze cruise. The bar is along busy 5th Avenue, near a number of other gay-popular cafes, restaurants, and cocktail bars. Another fun LGBT bar just down the street is Ginger's, which is somewhat more popular with the lesbian set but also mixed-gender. N.B. - when the weather's nice, sip your cocktail on Excelsior's small back deck.