It's award season. All over America groups and organizations are busy nominatinv, feting, and in general blowing there own horns about who and what they love. Not to be left out of this glammy, glammy Hollywood lifestyle that Oscar and all the Tony's enjoy, Grindr, the ubiquitous, Queer boy, 'dating' site app has introduced it's first ever, 'End of the Year Awards' for 2012.
The awards, whose winners were picked by actual Grindr members, are from the top ten cities where the app is most popular cover a myriad of
categories. Under the all inclusive, National, selection banner these coveted slots are devoted to what Grindr media crunchers determined to be 'hot' universal topics. Examples: Gay Icon of the Year, Best Straight Ally (Male/Female) or Athlete of the Year to name a few.
Always ahead of the learning curve the Grindr team also requested users vote for their own favored, Local spots, in a variety of category's deemed worthy as well. Patrons filled out ballots in areas like Best Bartender, Local Hero and Best Place to Have Brunch were some of the weighty category's offered up for consideration.
For the full ballot list, which US urban epicenters participated and-most importantly-who won in each of the ten capitols of Men Who Use Grindr follow the link
here. Below is the list of local Castro winners. Congrats to all who were chosen in the neighborhood and San Francisco who're deservedly deemed by their peers and patrons as, 'The Best'!
Best Place to Take a First Date:
The Castro. Well, we blush with excitement that Grindr boys of all shapes, ages and sizes agree that if you want a zone that's most conducive to love and romance it's our sweet little village, the Castro. After all that back and forth texting it's good to know that Grindr users in SF feel the neighborhood that the world over call the cornerstone of the LGBT movement of the last three decades is the best spot to come to for that all important first kiss.
Favorite Gay Bar/Nightclub:
Badlands Video Dance Club. Located in the heart of the Castro at 4181 18th St., Badlands has been a homo hangout mainstay since it first opened. It's gone through a lot of transitions over the decades. Known in the 70's as a Levi/Leather, Castro Clone, lean and preen bar it's been revamped for the 21st century use into a popular destination for the City's young crowd of nightlife adventurers who want to mingle, dance and perhaps find romance.
Best Funday/Sunday Event:
Jock at the Lookout, Nestled at 1600 16th St. We've been singing the praises of the Jock event for quite some time and it seems the Grindr boys agree. This weekly benefit for San Francisco LGBT sports teams was picked for it's easy going atmosphere, fun times, cheep drinks and great staff. January 2013 benefactors will include the softball teams, Xtreme and Eclipse, pool team SF Hustlers and the ALC Riding crew joking named, Unpopular Team.
Best San Francisco DJ: Haute Toddy. You can find this handsome winner, Haute Toddy-an immigrant to our fair City from the Pacific Northwest-spinning his unique beats that drive the dance floors in a variety of SF's wildest, hot spots. His specific gig in the Castro he calls home is Hard, at the popular
QBar, located at 456 Castro St., every Friday night.
Best Bartender: Mike from the
Lookout. The Lookout raked in the lion's share of local awards in this years first Best Of 2012 contest. The winner of the Grindrs? Grindy's? Stiffies? for all around Barman is Lookout mixologist, Mike, touted as King of Cocktails by SF voters. In a hotbed of City bartenders this is quite an honor. We guess next year will see the competition get even more fierce for this title as word spreads about the new award. We searched Lookouts archives for a picture of Mike, but, none was identified. If someone could send us a shot we'd sure appreciate it. Link it in the comment section and we'll make sure it gets it's proper due.
Local Hero/Community Advocate of the Year: District Eight
Supervisor Scott Wiener. Thought Mr. Wiener has been at the center of many ongoing controversies swirling around the City and Castro neighborhood Grindr voters deemed him most inspirational local hero and advocate. FYI: The Supe is still single-quite tall for those with that sort of fetish-and likes to grab a drink at 440 or Pilsner on occasion. How cool would it be to see his Grindr award hung on his City Hall office wall along side all his citations and certificates of merit?
Other notables who made the grade for SF are all available for perusing on the Grindr blog Follow the link we provided above. Let us know what you think. Are these selections made by your fellows indicative of most of your tastes and choices in the offered categories?
We look forward to seeing what next years, 'Best Of', 2013, Grindr awards list looks like. The possibilities are endless as trends, tastes and attitudes shift so quickly in this ever expanding, and mutating, digital age.
