Insider Guide: NYC and Toronto Pride Festivals

Two hot celebrations make the East Coast proud this June. Reputed to be North America's top two Prides, New York's and Toronto's celebratory LGBT festivals have to be experienced to be believed. Pride Toronto runs June 19-28, while New York Pride, June 20-28, takes to the streets where it all began.

Hot tickets

NEW YORK - Don't miss Rapture on the River (Pier 54, 13th Street at Hudson River Park), Pridefest (Hudson Street between Abingdon Square and West 14th Street) or the NYC Pride March (Fifth Avenue and 52nd Street to Christopher Street and Greenwich Street). There is no other club event quite like Dance on the Pier (Pier 54, 13th St at the West Side Highway) featuring the music of DJs Phillip Kimball, Jack Reina, and Corey Craig.

TORONTO - Pride Toronto's hot bookings include Saturday and Sunday's much loved Street Fair (Church Street and Wellesley Street East) and the vast, flamboyant Parade on June 28). Canada¹s most innovative and exciting DJs hit the Central Stage with dance diva Vernessa Mitchell and DJ Jonathan Peters.

Insider tips

NEW YORK In addition to the Mother of all Prides in Manhattan, if you're bursting with Pride, check out the other four boroughs; Brooklyn Pride (www.brooklynpride.org), Long Island Pride (www.liprideparade.com), Queens Pride (www.queenspride.com) and Staten Island Pride.

TORONTO Tear yourself away from the gay goings-on in the Village and go west. West Queen Street West, or Queer West, as it's known, offers a grittier, funkier LGBT scene between Bathurst and Roncesvales.

Stay close to the action

NEW YORK - With its fabulous location in the heart of Greenwich Village, the Washington Square Hotel (103 Waverly Place at Washington Square North; 212-777-9515; www.wshotel.com) is a solid choice and a great deal, offering 165 small and basic but clean and comfortable rooms. The property is extremely well-managed and has the vibe of a European hotel. The Maritime (363 W. 16th St. at Ninth Ave.; 212-242-4300; www.themaritimehotel.com) is still a hot, hip choice and without a doubt the best and coolest in Chelsea. This striking building, once the National Maritime Union headquarters, offers great views of the Hudson River; downstairs, Hiro hosts a trendy gay club Sunday nights. Oozing as much cool as it did nearly 10 years ago, when it burst onto the scene, Hotel (The Mercer) (147 Mercer at Prince streets; 212-966-6060; www.mercerhotel.com) is still the only downtown choice for a host of celebs and other bicoastal moneyed gadabouts (this is where Russell Crowe famously hurled a phone at an unwitting concierge in 2005; Calvin Klein lives here, too). The Christian Liaigre décor is elegant and trendy, but also comfortable, functional and inviting.

TORONTO - The ideal Village address, Cawthra Square and Gloucester Square Bed and Breakfast Inns (512-514 Jarvis St and 10 Cawthra Square; 416-966-3074; www.cawthrasquare.com) are composed of three separate nearby buildings offering a total of 32 upscale guest rooms and suites, most with private baths. For a quintessential boutique hotel stay, visit the Entertainment District's Soho Metropolitan Hotel (318 Wellington Street West; 416-599-8800; www.soho.metropolitan.com). The oversize rooms and suites feature Frette linens, marble baths with heated floors, and remote-controlled lighting. An original Chihuly glass sculpture hovers above the hotel entrance and its bar has been known to entice stylish gay boys and girls away from the Village.

Eat out

NEW YORK - Owned and run by top lesbian chef Gabrielle Hamilton, Prune (54 E. First St. between First and Second avenues; 212-677-6221; www.prunerestaurant.com) is upscale East Village bohemia at its finest: fantastic food, understated art-hipster clientele and enough Bloody Mary variations to turn the already-magical weekend brunch into a serious party. For more than 20 years and counting, Restaurant Florent (69 Gansevoort St., between Greenwich and Washington streets; 212-989-5779; www.restaurantflorent.com) has served as a priceless slice of what's great about New York City -- extremely diverse humans coming together in total harmony. Maybe it's the excellent French-leaning comfort food. Maybe it's the shockingly cheap prices. Maybe it's the cool vibe instilled by owner and neighborhood champion Florent Morellet. Whatever it is, it works, and it does so 24 hours a day.

TORONTO - The chic Byzantium (499 Church St; 416-922-3859; www.byz.ca) gets raves for its martinis and mixed reviews for the food, which includes the most impractically designed Caesar salad ever to grace a plate. Slap bang in the heart of the Village, Zelda's (542 Church St; 416-922-2526; www.zeldas.ca) is always festive. The casual cuisine and cocktails have names like "Zeldarama Lunch Pad Thai Supreme" and "Jose Can You Believe Our Chicken Burrito?"

Out and proud

NEW YORK - The Hangar (115 Christopher St. between Hudson and Bleecker streets; 212-627-2044; www.myspace.com/hangarnyc) is one of Christopher Street's sunnier bars, with sidewalk windows and a younger, hunkier and more diverse clientele. The Monster (80 Grove St. at Sheridan Square; 212-924-3558; www.manhattan-monster.com) is a Village classic, wearing its years proudly and well. It has DJ dancing downstairs and a piano bar upstairs. The West Village's Henrietta Hudson (438 Hudson at Morton streets; 212-924-3347; www.henriettahudson.com) is on every NYC gal's night-out itinerary.

TORONTO - Woody's (465-467 Church St; 416-972-0887; www.woodystoronto.com) is a labyrinthine complex of five bars that appeared in Showtime's "Queer As Folk." It attracts the after-work crowd and has nightly events like the "Best Chest Contest." Slack's (562 Church St; 416-928-2151; www.slacks.ca) is a combo restaurant/bar popular with the lesbian crowd. The "upscale pub fare" includes the DLT sandwich with duck confit, grilled chicken and smoked bacon. It also has dancing and live entertainment.

Written by GT McCallan

Photos: Getty Images