Boystown (Chicago)

Boystown is the LGBTQ+ district running along North Halsted Street in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood. In 1997, Mayor Richard M. Daley officially recognized it as the city's gay neighborhood and the city installed a series of rainbow pylons along Halsted Street, making it the first LGBTQ+ commercial and cultural area in the country to be formally recognized by a city government. Home to longtime bars, shops, the Center on Halsted, and the outdoor Legacy Walk, it remains a central gathering place. In 2020 the local business association adopted the name Northalsted, and community members continue to debate which name best reflects an inclusive neighborhood.