that this would differ from community to community is a good point, and that spaces for teens and adults is important. that’s part of why i brought up cafes, and also because i think they could be a friendly and comfortable environment for people to meet without having the romantic/sexual implications that a bar might.

i think that the introduction of technology and social media has also made it far more difficult than ever for communities or any sort to form in real life, which relates to what you’ve mentioned with the arcades and such closing down as well. there just tends to be less places overall to meet others in your area in general, which i think is also an issue even outside of lesbians or queer spaces specifically.