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Castro District, San Francisco

Floating through Castro en route to Twin Peaks - San Francisco
Floating through Castro en route to Twin Peaks
by lisa_lise
Castro District tips and photos posted by real travelers and San Francisco locals.

Castro and Market Streets
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Castro District: Madness in the Castro District
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    • atufft
  • Updated By atufft on June 5, 2007
  • San Francisco Page by atufft
    • Homes Above the Castro Street San Francisco - San Francisco
    Homes Above the Castro Street
    San Francisco
    by atufft, 4 more photos
    Whether you are gay or straight, the Castro is a great neighborhood to visit in San Francisco. Take either the old restored antique trolleys to the end of the line along Market, or if in a hurry, take the underground Muni train (you can also get a Muni transfer and take each in either direction from downtown if your trip to the Castro is only two hours). The Castro district is named for the developer in the 19th century who built many of the fine Victorian homes that cling to the hillsides above the central business district. In any case, the Castro is filled with disco bars with high self-expressive people, and there are a number of excellent restaurants here. The Castro Theater stocks amusing cross-dress productions of interest to the gay and lesbian audience, but will entertain straights as well. The Castro is active all year, but obviously a good time to go is during Gay Pride Day, at the end of the parade. The Castro has evolved quite a bit from the late 70's when I first visited it regularly. During the 80's the neighborhood was quite depressed over the AIDS epidemic, but those days are gone. Now, boutique stores, coffee shops, restaurants, bars, and discoes keep the action going long into the night. The micro-climate of the Castro District is sunny and warm, relative to Fisherman's Wharf and Union Square, and so this is a good place to find a well-kept B&B. For those with healthy legs, a stroll through the Castro District can be followed by a hike downhill to the venerable Mission Dolores and the Latino Neighborhood of the MIssion District. Head to 16th and Mission to catch BART back to downtown. It's also possible to grab a bus between the two neighborhoods, of course.

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    Castro District: LGBT Capital of the World!
  • Tip Rating:
    • machomikemd
  • Updated By machomikemd on October 19, 2007
  • San Francisco Page by machomikemd
    • Gay art and Iconic Bagdad Cafe! - San Francisco
    Gay art and Iconic Bagdad
    Cafe!
    by machomikemd, 4 more photos
    The Castro District, the old Irish working-class neighborhood that in the 1970s became an internationally famous gay enclave. As gays won increasing social acceptance and began moving out to the suburbs in search of lawns and detached homes, the Castro’s reputation for good shopping, easygoing ways and cultural amenities made it a magnet for straight singles and families. Though the neighborhood still has a large gay presence, it’s on its way to becoming a quintessentially mixed San Francisco neighborhood.

    The Castro is bustling all day long, but at night it really comes alive, as the bars from the Mint to the Midnight Sun fill up and the Castro Theatre's neon marquee lights up the main drag. Though the Castro's nightlife doesn't have as much to offer women as many dykes would like, it remains a fairly safe neighborhood after hours, and there are plenty of places where women, queer or not, can feel at home.

  • Directions: Castro and Market Streets, San Francisco, CA 94114; Take the F Muni Streetcar to Castro.
  • Website: www.castroonline.com/
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    Castro District: THE CASTRO DISTRICT
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    • Sandi-2004
  • Updated By Sandi-2004 on December 3, 2004
  • San Francisco Page by Sandi-2004
    • Castro District - San Francisco
    by Sandi-2004
    The Castro is home to a large gay population. Castro Street has many creative shops, restaurants, cafes, and the wonderful Castro Theater. Built in 1922 the Castro Theater, 429 Castro Street, survives as one of the last grand movie palaces, featuring revivals and pre-film concerts on the mighty Wurlitzer. One Christmas, friends and I attended the Gay Men's Chorus performance at the theater. It was excellent. At Halloween the streets are blocked off and a huge costume party takes place at Castro and Market. Thousands of people from all over the city attend, as well as tourists. You can see some amazing and fun costumes.

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    Castro District: Castro District
  • Tip Rating:
    • smschley
  • Updated By smschley on March 14, 2005
  • San Francisco Page by smschley
    • Castro Theatre - San Francisco
    Castro Theatre
    by smschley
    SF has a large gay community and its center is still the Castro District, known worldwide as the "gay Mecca." A neighborhood of gift stores, boutiques, restaurants, bars, clubs, queer churches and community centers, services, street fairs and colorful characters.

    After WWII, many gay men moved to the area. In the midst of the social activism of the 1960s and '70s, and the opening of Twin Peaks bar (the first openly gay bar) a community started and the Castro as we know it was born. The Castro Theater is the main landmark for the Castro area. Built in 1922 the huge art deco style theater and its grand old Wurlitzer organ offer a rare experience for movie goers. People come to the Castro Theater from all over, it's a special place for all movie fans, but it's particularly important to the gay community.

    There are three big events in the Castro every year. In June, the night before Sunday's Pride Parade the Castro celebrates “Pink Saturday”. The boys strut their stuff while girls who've just completed the Dyke March holler and hoot. Then in October, the district goes wild, first at the Castro Street Fair and then the world's biggest Halloween party, which brings thousands to watch outrageously costumed men and women in leather.

    The neighborhood is friendly to all and you have as much chance of finding Yuppies, Locals or Tourist as you do gay men, or lesbians pushing baby strollers. A half block down Castro Street from the theatre is Cliff's Variety, more than just a hardware store, its’ nickname is the Gay Home Depot. On 18th Street at Noe Street is Moby Dick's (no comment) one of the most popular gay bars, if you continue on down 18th to Dolores Street the female lesbian area begins. On the other side of 18th and back toward Castro Street is a restaurant called Harvey's. Inside you will see a heart, this means you are in the heart of the Castro, the food is pretty good and their specialty is breakfast.

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    Castro District: Gay Pride
  • Tip Rating:
    • bluebug
  • By bluebug on July 1, 2005
  • San Francisco Page by bluebug
    • Castro District - San Francisco
    by bluebug
    If you're in town at the end of June you need to go to Pride. It's the staple event of this city. People of all walks of life will come out and support or celebrate gay pride. It just feels good to have this kind of unity in our city. On the Sat. night before the Gay Parade there is another big event called, 'The Dyke March' which is followed by a huge street party called'Pink Saturday" . Everyone is so friendly and it's lots of fun with lots of random open house parties you can pop into during the march on your way to the big party at the end

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    Castro District: Mision San Francisco de Asis (Mission Dolores)
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    • karenincalifornia
  • Updated By karenincalifornia on March 13, 2004
  • San Francisco Page by karenincalifornia
    • Mission Dolores, San Francisco, CA - San Francisco
    Mission Dolores, San
    Francisco, CA
    by karenincalifornia
    It is said that this is where San Francisco began. Mission Doloroes was established by Father Junipero Serra in 1776 and the building was completed in 1791.

    In this picture, the original mission is the smaller mission-style building on the left. To the right is the Basilica, which replaced a parish church destroyed in the 1906 earthquake. The Basilica was completed in 1918.

    The inside of the chapel is beautiful and ornate. The ceilings replicate the original Ohlone Indian designs.

    This is a peaceful place to reflect, regardless of your religious persuasion.

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  • Phone: (415) 621-8203
  • Directions: In the Castro District
  • Website: http://missiondolores.citysearch.com/
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    Castro District: The Castro Theatre
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    • madamx
  • Updated By madamx on August 17, 2005
  • San Francisco Page by madamx
    • Castro District - San Francisco
    by madamx
    It's really hard for me to believe that recently, city officials were going to close down The Castro Theatre to make way for a Cineplex, and was only saved by extensive lobbying and petitions.

    You will understand why when you see this stunning theatre, originally built for silent pictures in the 1920's. The interior is complete with grecian columns, twin opera boxes, and painted frescoes on the walls. I'll let you in a little secret -- the gorgeous bronze ceiling is actually made out of cardboard. The original box office remains intact outside the theatre, when many other vintage box offices at other theatres have been dismantled due to theft and vandalism.

    Though the theatre is located in the Castro District, and is home to gay and lesbian cinema, they also show classic movies and foreign films.

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  • Directions: The easist and most fun way to get here is to take a vintage Market St. streetcar, which stops right at Castro St. (end of the line)
  • Website: www.thecastrotheatre.com
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    Castro District: Castro
  • Tip Rating:
    • Andraf
  • Updated By Andraf on January 19, 2005
  • San Francisco Page by Andraf
    • Castro Theater, San Francisco - San Francisco
    Castro Theater, San Francisco
    by Andraf
    The Castro district is the center of the San Francisco's gay community. I live nearby and often come here to eat, there are many good restaurants in this area. The neighborhood centers around the intersections of Castro and 18th streets. It's a lovely neighborhood, alive at all times of day. Castro started emerging as a gay district in the early 1970, when gay San Franciscans began buying properties in this area and gay bars started opening here. The side streets are also worth exploring, lined as they are with rows of beautiful Victorian houses. You'll notice many of the windows displaying the rainbow flag. One of the area's highlights is the Castro Theater, a beautiful building where you can catch some interesting films (let's just say that you won't find the latest Hollywood blockbuster here). On Halloween the streets are closed to car traffic and a big costumes party takes place here.

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    Castro District: Gay Pride : 27 June 2004
  • Tip Rating:
    • GUYON
  • Updated By GUYON on August 24, 2006
  • San Francisco Page by GUYON
    • These flowers for who ? - San Francisco
    These flowers for who ?
    by GUYON, 4 more photos
    The SF Gay Pride is definitively the largest in the world. No comparison with the Paris one.
    The parade on Market Street begins at 10AM and lasts between 3 and 4 hours.
    Bring your sit or rent one. Mind the sun : I got a sunburn there
    All the societies and groups are represented. The politicians are also present.
    The main topics of 2004 are :
    - the homosexual weddings
    - the presidential election
    - the imprisonment of Gwen (but who is Gwen ?)

    More pictures on the Travelogue : Gay Pride 2004

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    Castro District: Visit and Walk the Castro at night
  • Tip Rating:
    • davequ
  • Updated By davequ on February 10, 2005
  • San Francisco Page by davequ
    • Castro Theatre - San Francisco
    Castro Theatre
    by davequ
    After a dinner @Delfina by Mission Delores, I always walk a few streets west to Castro, one of my favorite SF neighborhoods.

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  • Directions: Take underground muni from Market & Drumm by embarcadero / Hyatt Regency to Castro, or take the F muni streetcars same route.
  • Website: http://www.thecastrotheatre.com/
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