You don’t need to sashay south to keep warm this winter: just hit the bars and dance floors at some of the hotspots in our Top 5 cities for gloriously gay nightlife and things will heat up.

New York
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More than 50 gay bars, outrageously good clubs, and a slew of thrilling social options seven nights a week make New York the undisputed gay party capital of the country. Whatever your style, type, gender, or sound, it’s here. And then some.

Hotspots
New York has an astounding number of places to go out to play. Click here or here for our favorites. Hip spots if you feel like changing things up a bit include the het-homo indie dance parties at mr. Black (Rebel, 251 W. 30th St.) and Brooklyn’s gritty hipster den Sugarland (221 N. Ninth St., Williamsburg; 718-599-4044).

San Francisco
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Few cities in the world offer such a broad range of LGBT nightlife options. Choices change literally on a daily basis.

Hotspots
Formerly the Bar on Castro, The Bar On Church (198 Church St; flavorsyoucrave@aol.com) is now in its new location in the upper Market area. It attracts an upbeat and mixed crowd. Esta Noche (3079 16th St; 415-861-5757) is the undisputed hub of Latino gay life in the city, with an eye-popping array of go-go boys, hunky bartenders and, of course, drag queens.

Los Angeles
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L.A.'s gay social life is eclectic both in scenes and venues. In WeHo, the most visible clubs cater to a young, muscular, and good-looking crowd, making the city a contender for attitude capital of the world, but even here ethnic and age diversity runs the gamut. Silver Lake, meanwhile, now attracts cute, young hipsters looking for an alternative to the WeHo scene.

Hotspots
The Abbey (692 N. Robertson Blvd; 310-289-8410) is a hybrid bar, restaurant and coffeehouse, and it succeeds in each category. Hunky bartenders serve dozens of martinis and mojitos at this West Hollywood icon. The lesbian-centered Normandie Room (8737 Santa Monica Blvd; 310-659-6204) is cruisy for the late-night crowd. Funky Akbar (4356 Sunset Blvd; 323-665-6810) caters to Silver Lake's new bohemians, with Moorish décor and the city's best jukebox. Factory (652 N. LaPeer Drive; 310-659-4551) and its neighbor Ultrasuede (661 N. Robertson Blvd; 310-659-4551; www.factorynightclub.com) form the largest venue in West Hollywood; the design is futuristic and the lighting and sound systems are state-of-the-art.

Part One | Part Two