Castro Still Going Strong

Your weekend in the City by the Bay

BY BILL MALCOLM

You can’t help leaving your heart in San Francisco. The Castro neighborhood and San Francisco itself were once the mecca for the LGBTQ+ community, and still have a draw today. Whether it be the first lesbian organization in the U.S., the Daughters of Bilitis, the first gay community center in the U.S. by the Society for Individual Rights, the first rainbow ag, the first Gay Games, the influential Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin, or the tragedies of the twin assassinations of gay Supervisor Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone, or AIDS crisis, the City by the Bay is steeped in LGBTQ+ history. And the bars are as popular as they ever were. In a word, the City continues to be a magnet.

What To Do

Enjoy a hike on the new Presidio Tunnel Tops (presidiotunneltops.org) with stunning overlooks including the Marin Headlands and the Golden Gate Bridge. The Presidio is now an official National Park. A free shuttle provides service from the Embarcadero BART station downtown.

Take a hike with a LGBTQ hiking club. The San Francisco Hiking Club (which I founded) and the Rainbow Sierrans do mainly weekend hikes at the many parks throughout the region. From February through April, the hills are ablaze with native wild flowers including California poppies.

Other things to do:

• Get a day pass and work out at SF Fitness at Market and Noe Streets.

• Catch a show at the historic Castro Theater.

• Enjoy Golden Gate Park which includes the DeYoung Museum. Don’t miss Ramses the Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs.

• Visit the LGBTQ History Museum on 18th Street.

Where To Eat

• The Santeria. Great food and Margaritas.

• Alice’s. Great Chinese food in the Noe Valley.

• Starbelly. Comfort food, cocktails and brunch.

• La Mediterrannee at 288 Noe is very good.

• Orphan Andy’s. A mainstay in the Castro with great breakfast and dinner.

Nightlife

The Castro features many of the bars. My favorites include the Midnight Sun which has great (strong) drink specials and more. They feature Boogie Wonderland, a disco dance club party and beer bust every Sunday.

But that’s far from the only bar where you can dance. Toad Hall nearby has Karaoke while Harvey’s had drag queens performing the night I was there. Beaux (beauxsf.com) had Latin Night on Wednesday and a DJ and the Beaux-torious GoGo Beasts on Friday.

Other great bars in Castro include:

BILL MALCOLM lived in the Castro in San Francisco for 12 years and graduated from UC Santa Cruz. He founded the San Francisco Hiking Club which is still offering weekend hikes today. Special thanks to San Francisco native (and San Francisco architectural historian) Richard Brandi for his edits.

• The Twin Peaks tavern. Famous for being the rst openly gay bar in San Francisco, the Twin Peaks tavern was a hit because it was one of the few that had big windows, and those on the street could see who was inside—scandalous at the time! Now an official San Francisco Landmark, it’s still a great place to scope out the Castro scene.

• The Lookout. Another bar with a large balcony where you can peruse the crowds.

• Moby Dick. Very popular thanks in part to its huge aquarium. You will find it on 18th Street.

• The 4440 Castro. The bar had $3 beer the night I was there and was packed.

• High Tops. A gay sports bar which also serves food. It’s a fun crowd.

Where To Stay

I always stay in the Castro at the Beck’s Motor Lodge (2222 Market Street), owned and managed by Brittany Beck. The family-run motel has been around for 50 years and includes free parking (although you will not need a car.) The Peets Coffee is across the Street as is the High Tops bar. Nearby Rosenburg Deli (276 Noe) has everything you need including an It’s It (a San Francis- co treat which is ice cream covered by 2 graham crackers and smothered in chocolate).

Travel Tips

• Grab a Clipper Card. It’s easy, one-tap admission to all the transit in the Bay Area, including the historic streetcars, the Muni Metro (an intown subway), BART, cable cars, Caltrain, and more.

• Read the papers. The Bay Area Reporter (aka The BAR) reports on weekly local events and news. The SF Bay Times is the monthly LGBTQ periodical and also features a calendar. Gloss Magazine is also a good source of nightlife information.

• Don’t be deterred by what you’ve heard. Yes, San Francisco has too many homeless, the streets are dirty, and property crime has skyrocketed (don’t leave anything in your car). That doesn’t change how great Castro neighborhood and San Francisco itself are to visit. They’re so walkable, and the mild climate (with lush green hills in the spring after the winter rains) cannot be beaten.

And don’t forget your heart on the way home.