The Hole San Diego

About this place The Hole San Diego

The Hole San Diego is the city's cruise and leather bar — positioned geographically and culturally apart from the University Avenue commercial strip of Hillcrest, which suits its function as a venue serving a community that values privacy, self-selection, and the specific social culture of the American cruise bar. The bar is no-frills in the manner of its type: low lighting, a bar, and a social environment built around the cruising dynamic rather than entertainment or spectacle. The clientele is predominantly gay male and the atmosphere is coded in the manner of the cruise bar tradition — visitors who understand and respect the format are welcomed; newcomers who approach with curiosity and respect are accommodated. The Lytton Street location is accessible by car from Hillcrest and downtown. For visitors from the leather and cruising communities, The Hole provides what the Hillcrest strip does not — a dedicated space with the right atmosphere for the community it serves.