Hey there — this is #ILoveGay, and today we’re checking into one of the most exciting queer stays to open in the South in years. Picture this: palm trees swaying over a saltwater pool, mid-century cabanas straight out of a 1950s motor lodge, the rumble of a passing freight train fifteen feet away, and all around you, laughter — the real, unguarded kind that only happens when people finally feel safe enough to relax into their own skin. Welcome to The Railyard NOLA.
Tucked into the Bywater at 701 Poland Ave., The Railyard is a queer-owned, trans-forward bed-and-breakfast with a clothing-optional pool that is, quite honestly, unlike anything else in New Orleans — or anywhere. Owners Oslo DiRosaria and Cyrus Giroir didn’t set out to build the next hot spot. They set out to build a home for the rest of us. And in barely a year, they’ve done exactly that.
From Junkyard to Oasis
The Railyard’s origin story is pure New Orleans grit. After losing their home and art studio to Hurricane Ida in 2021, DiRosaria and Giroir — the creative team also behind Boxcar Gallery and Twelfth House Furniture Co. — needed to do something big, and do it fast. They found a dilapidated building across from the old Naval base, its lawn “literally a junkyard” wrapped in a falling-down barbed-wire fence. On closing day in the spring of 2023, with no plumbing and no electricity to speak of, Oslo joked in the car: “If we get this off the ground, I’m calling it The Railyard.” The active rail line running right behind the property made the name stick. It turned out to be perfect.
What followed was a gauntlet — zoning delays, shifting short-term-rental rules, and pointed backlash from critics online and in the neighborhood. “Our dream very quickly became a nightmare,” DiRosaria has said. But here’s the thing about this community: adversity is fuel. “The backlash gave us the fuel that we needed to see it through,” they added. “We started to really realize, ‘Hey, this is actually far more needed and important than we ever thought it was.'” Final permit approval landed last October — with just 72 hours to spare before The Railyard hosted its very first wedding.
A Mid-Century Dream, Reimagined for Us
Step inside and you’re transported. Oslo has been collecting mid-century furniture for two decades, and The Railyard is the payoff — vintage 1950s decor paired with genuinely luxurious modern comforts, all wrapped in that atomic, motel-era aesthetic New Orleans almost never gets. The rooms lean all the way into the theme, with names like The Locomotive Suite, The Caboose Suite, The Passenger Car, and The Couchette Car. There are private cabanas, an outdoor bar, a hot tub, fire tables for year-round lounging, and a palm-lined saltwater pool that is, frankly, the star of the show.
But the design is doing something deeper than looking cute for the grid. As the owners put it in one of our favorite lines: “All of the nostalgia, none of the bigotry.” The 1950s gets romanticized constantly for its style — while conveniently forgetting it was a nightmare for women, for people of color, for queer and trans folks. The Railyard flips that script. “It’s almost like an alternate reality where maybe all of this was always normal,” Oslo explains. It’s the past we deserved, rebuilt in the present, for everyone who was locked out the first time around.
Clothing-Optional, Fully Affirming
Yes, the pool is clothing-optional — and no, it’s not what you might assume. Drawing on European clothing-optional spa culture, The Railyard invites people of every shape, size, and gender to simply exist, free from sexualization. This is a noncruising space, deliberately calm, with a zero-tolerance house policy against misgendering, staring, unwanted photos, fat-shaming, or making passes at guests. Break the rules and you’re out. That vigilance is exactly what keeps the “creep vibe” away and the good vibes flowing.
And when the guardrails are that solid, something beautiful happens. “When you spend your life living in a body that is politicized, being able to be your absolute authentic self and in your skin and not have it be a political statement is liberating,” DiRosaria says. Ask Oslo about the most rewarding part of all this, and the answer isn’t the revenue or the press — it’s the sound of guests giggling. People arrive unsure whether they belong, ease into the water, let their guard down, and start to laugh. “That’s important right now in our times,” Oslo says. “To just love and to live and to be yourself.”
Community First, 24/7, 365
Here’s the part that should make you fall in love. The Railyard is membership-based — vetted, capped, and intentional — precisely so it never becomes an anything-goes party spot where the most privileged voices take over. Memberships have grown to roughly 300, with monthly options starting around $60 for one person and $100 for a pair. Not local? Members from across the country and around the world keep their memberships year-round, both for access when they visit and to keep this rare space alive. Day passes and even $15 Sunset Passes make it accessible, too.
And this crew gives back — big. In its very first year, The Railyard funneled more than $42,000 directly into the community through mutual aid, nonprofit support, direct cash donations, and free space for others to hold their own fundraisers. They’re on track to nearly double that. Community Care days bring in partners offering free, private STI testing and resources. This is what it looks like when a business refuses to give up its ideals to turn a profit.
Weddings, Events & Your Next Escape
Dreaming of poolside queer nuptials? The Railyard hosts weddings and events with in-house facilitators, lighting, and a diverse crew that can build a set for just about anything — think summer-camp-themed weekends with line dancing and sleepover parties. New Orleans is a wedding town, but nobody else is offering this.
So consider this your invitation. Whether you’re planning a full Bywater getaway, a Southern Decadence basecamp, or just a slow, sun-soaked afternoon by the water, The Railyard is ready for you. Book a suite, apply for a membership, grab a day pass, or follow the fun on Instagram at @therailyardnola — and start planning at therailyardnola.com.
As Oslo and Cyrus like to say when they’re standing on the edge of something big and a little scary: “Just jump.” Come as you are. They’ve been waiting for you. 🏳️🌈🌴🏳️⚧️
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