Best gay bars in castro san francisco
A Gay Guide to the Castro
The Castro is San Francisco’s epic gay district. It became America’s first and most iconic gaybourhood. In the 70s, following the Stonewall Uprising and the first Pride march, the Castro was the headquarters of the same-sex attracted liberation movement.
Armistead Maupin’s Tales Of The City Novels immortalised queer San Francisco, especially the Castro district. San Francisco became a magnet for gay Americans. Things have changed in recent years. The Castro is still very gay, but it’s prohibitively overpriced. The rise of Silicon Valley and the tech giants has reshapes San Francisco. House prices in San Francisco almost doubled between and That being said, the Castro is still very gay.
The Castro’s gay history
During WW2, many troops set off to fight in Europe from San Francisco. They also landed in San Francisco on their way home. With so many juvenile men risking their lives, it was an intense time to be alive. Quite a lot of these men had relationships with each other. San Francisco was a hub of lgbtq+ activity. Imagine all those soldiers in one city - there was a
Midnight Sun
Est.
Servicing the Castro over 50 years
Midnight Star began its journey in the vibrant s at Castro Street, most recently home to the now-closed Body Shop. In , we moved to our current location around the corner at 18th Street.
Originally a windowless plumbing warehouse, the new venue transformed into a lively social hub, pioneering the framework of a video lock at the same period as the rise of MTV. Our screens showcased music videos, interspersed with clips from popular shows like Queer as Folk and Sex in the City.
While Twin Peaks Tavern made history in as the first gay block in San Francisco to install plate glass windows, Midnight Sun bookended this history in by becoming the last gay prevent in the Castro to add windows, embracing openness and visibility, and contributing to the rich tapestry of San Francisco’s LGBTQIA+ history.
RSVP
THU – FRI | 2pm – 2am
SAT | pm – 2am
SUN | 1pm – 12am
MON – WED | 2pm – 12am
18th Street
San Francisco, CA
San Francisco Castro: Highest Things to Perform & See In this Famous, LGBT District
The San Francisco Castro district is an internationally known neighborhood that supports the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans person and queer) collective.
This progressive and accepting neighborhood was also home to one of the most significant same-sex attracted rights activists of the s, Harvey Milk.
In my exposure of visiting this district often, there are plenty of fun things to do here during the day and at night.
I love walking around this lively and colorful neighborhood. While this SF district is established for its back of the LGBTQ community, you will find that many families also dial this neighborhood home.
Is the Castro safe? Absolutely. In truth, due to its strong sense of community, it's one of the safest in San Francisco.
During your visit, you will immediately view the fun world of the society all the way down to the names of some of the bars, restaurants and shops. My two favorites are "Does
San Francisco’s fabulous LGBTQIA+ scene is no surprise if you know anything about the city’s history. SF is known for electing Harvey Milk, the first openly gay elected official in the US, and is still known today for its thriving gay community.
At the epicentre of it all is San Francisco’s Castro District, entire of drag shows, bars and great restaurants, but there’s plenty more to discover throughout SF (and Oakland) if you understand where to look. Whether you’re looking for kind lesbian bars, balls-to-the-wall Latinx dance parties or a very memorable drag display, these are the leading gay bars in SF right now.
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This guide was written by Bay-Area based writer Clara Hogan. At Time Out, all of our journey guides are written by local writers who grasp their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.
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