|
Welcome to the 2008 Best of Gay South Florida awards. After weeks of voting and thousands of entries, we have compiled the list of winners in four categories. “Day Life” is the most general category, as it includes personal endeavors like shopping and spas and such, as well as community organizations and charities. “Night Life” centers mainly on bars and clubs, as well as the people who make the South Florida scene extra-special. “Sex Life” highlights our voters’ favorite naughty pursuits, awarding the places where it feels so good to be bad. And then “Food” should be self-explanatory, with awards going to favorite restaurants.
These awards are based off votes that were compiled on our web site, www.southfloridablade.com. Of course, the businesses, organizations, and people receiving awards are not necessarily “gay” themselves; their recognition merely reflects their popularity within the GLBT community.
We split many of the categories into “North” and “South,” reflecting the localized preferences of the Miami and Broward communities; but in other categories, there were clear winners, regardless of where the voters happened to live.
Congratulations to the winners, and thanks to all for supporting the South Florida GLBT community.
Best community supporter of South Florida
Georgie’s Alibi
2266 Wilton Dr.
Wilton Manors
(954) 565-2526
Almost every organization in South Florida has held an event at Georgie’s Alibi at some point. Voter registration? Sign up at the front door. Fundraiser for a sports team to compete in a tournament? You’ll see the players selling Jell-0 shots. Even the parking lot is converted into a “pet wash” to raise money for The Pet Project. The Georgie’s name appeared repeatedly throughout the list, thanks to their endless support of the South Florida GLBT community. For that, we honor Jackson Padgett, Mark Negrete and George Kessinger and their staff for celebrating what “community” is all about.
Best place to adopt a pet
Broward County Humane Society
2070 Griffin Rd.
Fort Lauderdale
(954) 989-3977
This Broward County animal shelter is the 3rd largest Humane Society in the U.S., taking in approximately 20,000 pets each year. They get everything: thanks to constant busts of illegal puppy mills, their kennels are filled with purebred pooches—Shar Peis, Chihuahuas, Great Danes, you name it—worth hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars. And those purebreds are stashed right alongside mutts, each equally deserving of a loving home. The shelter is 100% privately funded, too, with no government assistance.
BCHS answered the call of duty this year when a puppy mill in Tennessee was raided, and authorities removed almost 700 dogs from kennels. Most of the animals were confined in cages (the owner was subsequently arrested and charged with animal cruelty). BCHS sent trucks to the puppy mill, and brought back over 100 of the dogs to adopt out to South Florida.
Best place to have your pet groomed
Ruby Clippers
880 E. Oakland Park Blvd.
Oakland Park
(954) 564-2770
Gay people are famous for spoiling their pets, and the most discerning South Florida pet owners have found a home at Ruby Clippers. Whether they’re fluffing a Bichon Frise or combing an Afghan hound to silky splendor, Ruby Clippers is famous for pampering pets luxuriously, treating each four-legged client to individualized TLC—no assembly-line operations here. And do we need to say that a pet grooming shop named “Ruby Clippers” is owned by gay men?
Best place for a haircut
North: Dennis J’s Barbershop
South: The Hair Cuttery
Dennis J’s Barbershop
4346 North Federal Hwy.
Fort Lauderdale
(954) 938-1526
The Hair Cuttery
1527 Alton Rd.
Miami Beach
(305) 604-8841
It is an odd law of nature that gay men will spend $200 on a pair of jeans they only occasionally, yet they won’t spend more than $20 to cut their own hair. These two little barbershops—Dennis J’s and The Hair Cuttery—received more votes than all the other “hair salons” combined. Luckily for gay heads in Broward, Dennis J’s seems to have a certain knack with the clippers, where they churn out cuts that are as cute as they are quick. As for The Hair Cuttery, yes it is a chain—in a mini-mall—but it’s a refreshing alternative to the overly-abundant, outrageously-priced salons of South Beach. The cost at both places? $15, plus tip.
PS, To the responder who said, “Shave head—saves money,” shaved heads can be ...
 |
 |
| The
following comments were posted by our readers and were
not edited by floridablade.com. We ask that you
treat others with respect; any post deemed offensive will
be removed. |
|
|
