Boystown, Chicago is situated within the formal neighborhood of Lakeview, it was the first officially recognized gay village in the United States, as well as the cultural center of one of the largest lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgender communities in the USA. Boystown has grown into a cultural haven for the nearly 300,000 LGBT residents estimated to live within the Chicago metropolitan area today.

The sector's informal boundaries are generally considered to be Addison Street on the north, Lake Shore Drive on the east, Belmont Avenue on the south, and Clark Street on the west. These streets correspond to the Chicago grid between blocks 3200 and 3600 North and to the east of 1100 West, which places Boystown approximately 6 km (4 miles) north-northwest of the Chicago Loop.

North Halsted Street, also known as "Northalsted", is the central hub of this bustling district. It sports Chicago's highest concentration of LGBT-friendly establishments - an eclectic mix of bars, coffeehouses, and restaurants in accord with the equally eclectic population of local hipsters and open-minded progressives. City planners have designated Northalsted an official pedestrian and bike route following a 1998 community project that resulted in the erection of 11 pairs of rainbow-colored abstract Art Deco pylons along the strip. Coupled with the ever-present rainbow flag that is posted upon nearly every entrance encountered on the Northalsted strip, these pillars also denote the many respectable gay-owned and operated venues that have become hotspots for weekenders throughout the city as well as residents of Boystown.

May 1st. 2012 - Gay Travel Expo - Center on Halsted.
May 25th to 28th. 2012 - International Mr. Leather - Web site
August 11th/12th. 2012 - Northalsted Market Days - Web site
Chicago Gay Pride - Web site
Center on Halsted - Chicago's LGBT Community Center - Web site
AIDS Foundation of Chicago - Web site