Lahoti said persistent discrimination throughout society has always motivated him to create change through his organization. “One of my hairdressers, who was my roommate and a great drag queen, used to shoot pool at the Old Union, and she introduced me to the manager, and one thing led to another and I ended up opening Union Cafe on a total whim.” “If I am going to work that many hours, I want it to be for me,” Lahoti said. Lahoti said he opened Union Cafe spontaneously with some help from a friend after he decided to redirect his long work weeks. I would’ve had to go pick up a golf club and walk a golf course to get where I wanted.” I felt being gay and not being white was hurting me. “I was working 70 hours a week on average, and the people above me are working 45 hours a week and golfing,” Lahoti said. He said his previous workplace - a large banking and insurance firm - failed to properly reward his skill and hard work, so he left the workplace to create a welcoming environment of his own. 1 consultant in Ohio to opening Union Cafe. In 1996, then-25-year-old Lahoti decided to make the switch from being the No. We provide a place you can go and feel connected - whatever you are feeling, we are there for you.” “You can be with your peers and feel welcomed. “People come here and meet people,” Lahoti said. He said his goal for the cafe is to provide a chance for the LGBT community to thrive in a common location without having to worry about a judgmental or unwelcoming environment.
Lahoti, owner and founder of the restaurant, said Union Cafe was one of Columbus’ first LGBT bars and the third LGBT bar in the country with open windows to the street, despite the risk that often came with being an openly gay establishment at the time. Credit: Justin Howard | Lantern ReporterĪfter years of longing for judgment-free workplaces and communities around Columbus, Rajesh Lahoti said he decided to create his own safe space by opening Union Cafe. The campus is made for people-watching (or, more specifically, student-watching) and you can enter many of the buildings unannounced, including the Suzzallo Library and the Hub (student union).Union Cafe’s two gay pride flags represent cafe owner Rajesh Lahoti’s desire to create a welcoming environment. Reserve a sunny day to explore the adjacent UW campus, a veritable arboretum/architectural showcase with a couple of top-notch museums focusing on art and natural history. If you want to head inside, lose yourself in the cavernous University Book Store, which takes up an entire city block. The number of cheap places to eat, especially Indian and southeast Asian cuisines, makes the Ave the best place to find an inexpensive meal. Read fly-posters on lampposts, eavesdrop on conversations in coffee bars and follow the action on the Ave and you'll soon feel 23 again (if you aren't already).
Nearly everyone gets oriented in the U District on "the Ave" (University Way, roughly between 40th and 50th Sts), an atmospheric main drag full of tiny cheap eateries, thrift stores, record stores, secondhand bookstores, tattoo parlors, bars, and coffee shops full of deadline-chasing, laptop-gazing students.
Just like you, most of the people here are visitors – they're merely staying a bit longer (several semesters or more). The U District, named for "U Dub" (what locals call the University of Washington, or UW), feels like its own little college town. Head east off I-5 north of Lake Union and suddenly you'll feel as if you're no longer in Seattle. Get local insight on destinations all over the world with our weekly newsletter delivered to your inbox.Ĭherry blossoms in bloom, University of Washington campus, Seattle, WA. The commercial heart of Ballard stretches out on either side of NW Market St between roughly 14th Ave NW and 32nd Ave NW, which is lined with an expanding selection of eateries, shops, and nightlife, though some local faves like pizza joint Delancy and its sibling bar Essex spill outside those lines. You can find everything from American comfort classics to fresh seafood at The Walrus and the Carpenter to Oaxacan cuisine and Lebanese treats at The Golden Beetle.
The neighborhood has come into its own as one of the city's best locales for exciting restaurants, lively bars and killer shopping. However, that's not to say it's lacking in attractions. The waterfront homes in Ballard feel a little like those lining the canals and fjords of Scandinavia, from which many of Ballard's early residents emigrated © Alamy Stock Photo BallardĪ former seafaring community with Nordic heritage, Ballard still feels like a small town engulfed by a bigger city.