Gay cruise spot

‍

Where did cruising come from?

‍

Cruising has a long history in the queer community. However, there can sometimes be other safety risks – see our final section for more on these.

‍

Discretion

Cruising is anonymous and often silent (after all, talking could attract attention). Better yet, just turn on a social networking app like Scruff, during your stroll, and watch the parade come to you.

Been there, done that?

Think again, my friend.

By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions.

🙌
Awesome, you're subscribed!

Thanks for subscribing! Gay cruising is the art of hooking up in public.

It’s done by using non-verbal cues to show you’re both interested – think of it like a secret, horny code. Take your pick and make your match.

Located in the very nerve center of Los Angeles gay life, steps away from the busiest watering holes in Boys Town, it really only stands to reason that the local Pavilions would be a notorious meeting place for the boys of West Hollywood.

They are tightly monitored and have often been targets for police harassment, most famously with the Toronto bathhouse raids in 1981. The venue is located in the same building as BOOK OFF (that has an exclusive entrance). However, if you are checked in at Vaseline Alley on Foursquare or spotted knocking on the window of a parked car in the shadows, your deniability will suffer a significant loss of plausibility.

Try taking a friend or arranging a time to check in with someone afterwards.

‍

Be discreet

Cruising for sex carries a risk – for some people, that makes it hot. At this popular West Hollywood outpost, all of the above are on the menu. Admittance to men 40+ is subject to management approval. Check the comments for any recent updates or safety information.

‍

Know your surroundings

No hookup is worth your safety, so look around to make an exit plan.

Facilities include lockers, showers, toilets, cruising areas and private rooms. The action then follows in the theaters…or so I’ve been told because I’ve never admitted to having ever been inside the theater.

Crunch’s arrival in WeHo was a game-changer. These can all be turn-ons for some people.

‍

Is cruising legal?

‍

Cruising for sex in licensed sex venues is legal.

However this is also the all-important leg that can create the perfect opening to chat with the hottie in line next to you or exchange furtive glances with the Clark Kent type in the glasses across the room who just happens to have an open seat with your name on it right next to him. Conveniently located behind the Gold Cost Bar—a local watering hole with innumerable nicknames like “The Old Coast,” “The Troll Coast” and “The Mold Coast” due primarily to its aging clientele—Vaseline Alley is one of those slyly cruisy spots that offers a degree of denial plausibility.