Neighborhood
Soho
in London, United Kingdom
Historic, central gay nightlife area with many bars.
Where it is
Soho is a central district in London's West End, east of Regent Street and north of the theatre zone around Shaftesbury Avenue; its gay heart is Old Compton Street.
Address: Soho, City of Westminster
What it is
Old Compton Street and the surrounding lanes pack in bars, cafés, clubs and drag venues, and remain the centre of gay life in London. By day the area invites strolling between espresso bars and record shops; by night it hosts one of the city's liveliest going-out scenes.
History
Soho has been linked to queer life for centuries, from the 18th-century 'molly houses' to the café culture of Oscar Wilde's era. The visible gay scene of today emerged in the 1970s and 1980s, when Old Compton Street became openly gay, and consolidated in the 1990s.