It's one of the oldest gay bars in the United States, having been around since 1953. There's a bar downstairs, and upstairs you'll find a pool table and a balcony that overlooks Bourbon Street. The whole shebang is open 24 hours daily. This is a cruise bar, but it doesn't attract a teenybopper or twinkie crowd. One of the most popular weekly events is the Sunday evening "Trash Disco," when, you guessed it, they play trashy disco music from the '70s and everyone has a lot of fun.

The Scene
It's claim to being first may be questionable, but Lafitte's status as one of the French Quarter's premier gay and lesbian nightspots is beyond dispute. It's also a popular spot for straight locals and the adventurous tourist, as the ceaseless crowds will attest. Legend has it that Tennessee Williams was a patron of this establishment; he followed his friend Tom Caplinger, who opened it after leaving Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop. Lafitte In Exile was the original home of the Bourbon Street Awards, one of the most celebrated Carnival events in the gay community until massive crowds forced the relocation of the ceremony.

The Draw
Both floors feature music and videos, with the main bar situated downstairs. Upstairs, there's a pool table and the club's infamous balcony, where rowdy patrons look out over this particular stretch of the Quarter and can be quite, er, flashy