San Francisco's Castro

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A Cruise Through the Castro

by Wilson Fang

"This is San Francisco. You assume everyone's gay until proven otherwise."--Heard in a Castro district bar

Mention "The Castro" to a gay man anywhere, and you will almost certainly get at least a flicker of recognition passing through his eyes. For the Castro is arguably the gayest district in the gayest city in the world, ground zero for a gay revolution that in the face of discrimination, disease, or, more recently, dot-com mania, shows no sign of…heh…petering out.

While it may seem to all and sundry that the Castro has been Homo Heaven since the days of Adam and Steve, the area's transformation from a family values-type neighborhood to Queer Central has been relatively recent. Up until the 1960s the district was better known as Eureka Valley, and was populated mainly by families of Irish and Italian descent. Then when the long-haired, tie-dyed bohemians of the Swinging Sixties took over the nearby Haight Ashbury, Castro residents who feared a similar influx decamped for suburbs in the Peninsula and the East Bay, leaving many of the old Victorians vacant. Soon, young gay men moved in, drawn by the area's charm and cheap rents (Yes, there was a time when rents in the Castro were actually inexpensive…) Within a few years, gay-owned and -operated restaurants, bars, and shops had opened, catering initially to locals, but soon discovered by the rest of the city.

The 1970s and early 1980s were for many the Castro's salad days. Increasing tolerance of alternative lifestyles brought a new spirit of exuberant openness. New establishments were opening left and right, catering to the flood of gay men and women who felt welcome here in a way they'd never been anywhere else. Crowds thronged the sidewalks day and night, and the Castro's fame as the center of the gay universe slowly spread. Gay Pride celebrations and the Castro Street Fair both had their start during this heady period.

Within just a few short years, though, the party came to a crashing halt. By the mid-1980s, AIDS had taken its toll on many area residents. People who had spent much of their time throwing parties were all of a sudden organizing funerals for friends and loved ones. The Castro came to be seen not just as party central for the gay community but as a symbol of survival in the face of adversity.

By the time the 1990s rolled around, the Castro started to bounce back. A new generation of self-proclaimed young, loud, and proud gay men and women arrived to inject a new vitality into the area. The funereal atmosphere that had pervaded the area for quite some time began to lift, and the Castro once more became known as a hip, hopping place to be. Too hip and hopping, in fact, for some. Rents began to climb, chain stores threatened to enter, and conflict started to arise between those who felt the Castro was becoming too crowded and commercialized, and those who welcomed the entry of new faces, and the new influences (and finances) they brought.

Cut to 2001. Rents are still stratospheric. A chain store or two has popped up. And from time to time straight people (gasp!) actually come and enjoy the charms of the Castro. But the gay ole feel of the establishments, the diversity of the populace, and the general sense of community is something the neighborhood retains in generous quantities. So no matter what changes time has wrought, the Castro manages to maintain its unique, fixed place in the hearts and minds of queer folk in San Francisco, and 'most everywhere else.

Absolutely Fabulous Attractions

No visit to the Castro is complete without calling on the Castro Theatre, on Castro, near Market. Whether it's to simply admire its fabulous pink pastel exterior, or actually to catch a movie in its awe-inspiring, Art-Deco-themed interior, a stop at the Castro is a bona-fide experience. Once you watch a film here, complete with the Wurlitzer pipe organ playing before the screening, you will find it hard to go back to your average cineplex.

Right on Dolores Street, dividing the Castro from the Mission is Dolores Park, a sloping swath of green that at its highest point offers a great view of downtown. During sunny days, it also offers other types of great views. The park is otherwise known as Queen's Beach, due to the large number of sunbathing gay men that can be found lying about in skimpy outfits when the sun is shining. And should your feelings of gay pride swell more from symbolism than sexy men in bikinis, a look at big rainbow flag flying at the corner of Market and Castro, at the aptly-named Harvey Milk Plaza, should do the trick.

Born to Shop

Whether it's biological or environmental is still up for debate, but whatever the reason, most gay men are tireless shoppers. Which probably accounts for the surfeit of stores in the Castro, selling everything from cards to cock rings. If your tastes run more toward the former than the latter, two sister stores, Does Your Mother Know, on 18th Street, and Does Your Father Know, on Castro Street, as well as Wild Card, on 17th Street, carry wide, witty selections of naughty (and nice) stationery and other novelties. If you happen to be shopping for both, you can try out Jaguar Books or Auto Erotica, on 18th Street, or Rock Hard, on Castro Street. All three offer a wide selection of, er, "adult products," ranging from X-rated videos to vibrators. Be sure to check out the three-foot tall sculpture of an erect penis at Jaguar Books for kicks (or more…). And if all the erotica you see inspires you to make your own, then the intriguingly-appellated Manasex, on Market Street, the biggest art supply store in the neighborhood, may have just what you need to help you express yourself.

The clothes make the man, so the old saying goes. And for the man on the make who needs some clothes, well, the Castro definitely has more than a big enough selection of stores for one to choose from. If esoteric, designer-label outfits are what you're looking for, the various Rolo stores (there's one on Market, and two on Castro), as well as Citizen and Body Wear, both on Castro Street, should have something that fits your bill. All-American Boy and High Gear, located on opposite ends of Castro Street, meanwhile, have more "boy-next-door" type gear, like baseball caps and flannel shirts. And if you want your t-shirts as expressive as your acid tongue, then Don't Panic and InJeanIous, two stores also on Castro Street, should have something just for you.

For those in need of music to listen to while they change into all their newly-bought clothes, the Castro also offers a few record outlets wherein you can find almost anything from disco to techno. For those looking for used music, or more obscure releases, nothing beats Streetlight Records on Market Street. Be sure to head upstairs and scour through the bargain bins for some incredible buys on used CDs. Mainstream music types will no doubt find happiness in the large selection offered by the Castro district outpost of the Tower Records chain. For those looking for that rare slab of vinyl for your record player, Record Finder may just have the platter for you. And for those whose proclivities run more toward printed rather than heard material, A Different Light Bookstore, on Castro Street, and Books Inc., on Market Street, are independent bookstores that offer a wealth of selections.

Café Society

Should you need a place to cool your heels after charging your way (in all senses of the phrase) through the Castro's stores, one of the local cafes should fit the bill. Often called the epicenter of the Castro, Café Flore is a neighborhood institution. And after spending a few minutes within its high-ceilinged, weathered-wood interior, you'll know why. Nearly everyone who goes to the area passes through here from time to time. The beverages and desserts are quite good, the food is not bad, and the people-watching is peerless. If you'd rather have a hot Net connection to go with your hot caffe latte, then Chat Café, at the corner of 18th and Sanchez, is your ticket. They offer free high-speed Internet connections, available to anyone who orders a beverage from their menu. And should a quiet little oasis farther from the hubbub of Castro Street be what you're hankering for, the wittily-named Castro Tarts, on Castro between 18th and 19th, should be perfect for you. They offer sandwiches, desserts, and a nice, quiet place to sit and read a book (or have a romantic tryst with a secret lover…).

Bar None

Should your thirsts hanker more after drinks of the alcoholic sort, the Castro, like just about any gay district in the world, will offer plenty. Granddaddy (literally) of them all is the Twin Peaks saloon, on the corner of the 17th and Castro Streets. Twin Peaks was the first gay bar to have floor-to-ceiling windows, quite a radical notion when it first opened back in the 1960s. And the clientele who first started patronizing the place way back when seems to have been so impressed by this innovation that they never left. For a different, but no less meaningful take on gay history, Harvey's, at the corner of 18th and Castro, is a queer version of the Hard Rock Cafes and Planet Hollywoods of this world, with all manner of gay memorabilia lining its walls. And for those wanting to make history in more licentious ways, the Detour, on Market Street, is famed as the area's cruisiest bar. If you can't get lucky somewhere in the bar area, rumor has it the troughs in the men's bathroom should offer some solace…

Those into the S&M (Stand and Model) scene will no doubt gravitate toward The Bar on Castro, on, naturally, Castro Street, as well as the Midnight Sun, a popular video bar on 18th. And for those whose feet are just itching to hit the dance floor, the rather nondescriptly nomenclatured Café on Market Street, near the corner of 17th, as well as the quite recently refurbished Badlands, on 18th Street, both play good music for very good-looking crowds. As for the many who prefer to belt out the tunes rather than dance to them, the Metro at Noe and Market Streets has regular karaoke nights. Which will explain the rather eerie sound of someone singing a falsetto "Rainbow Connection" that can sometimes be heard in the vicinity.

The Dish

The Castro offers cuisine to sate almost any gustatory craving. For those with more "exotic" tastes, Tita's Hale Aina on 17th Street is (to this editor's knowledge) the City's only Hawaiian-themed restaurant, while the aptly-named Nirvana, on Castro Street, offers some of the best noodle dishes this side of the Pacific Ocean. All-Season Sushi, on the other hand, serves up some of the best Japanese food in the City, at really reasonable prices.

For those romantic dates, Ma Tante Sumi, on 18th Street, and Luna Piena, on Castro Street, are two places that offer upscale, atmosphere-laden dining at prices that won't break the bank. Of the duo, Ma Tante Sumi has a little more amorous feel, owing to its smaller size and more out of the way location. But both share a great menu, a good wine list, and pretty decent service, so you can't go wrong with either.

If all you need is a quick bite to eat, Sliders and Escape from New York Pizza, both on Castro Street, and Firewood, on 18th Street, are great choices. Sliders offers meaty burgers whose quality belies the cheap price. Escape from New York Pizza is the Castro outpost of the nationwide chain, serving up large, piping-hot slices of decent pizza to the faithful. Firewood, meanwhile, offers yummy Italian-inspired cooking at prices low enough that you may actually save enough to go to Italy and try the real thing.

Should your stomach start to grumble late at night, you have two choices--Orphan Andy's, on 17th, and Baghdad Café, on Market and Noe. Both are open 24 hours, offering filling, if not entirely groundbreaking, cuisine to hungry Castro denizens. Be forewarned, there is often a line out the door of both places after the bars close at 2 AM, so if you find yourself wanting a bite to eat from these places, go before the after-hours crowd hits.

Lastly, should your wallet (or date) be up for a more upscale dining experience, Tin Pan and 2223 Market Street, both on Market, should be up to snuff. Tin Pan offers variations on the popular Asian Fusion style of cooking, while 2223 is more traditionally American. Both are often packed, though, so try to reserve a table in advance if you can.

Wilson F. Fang, San Francisco City Page editor

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