Gay bars in the castro san francisco
The Castro neighborhood is famous internationally as the identify where in the promptly 1970s gay life burst out of the closet, hoisted a rainbow flag, and has been celebrating ever since. Thousands of gays and lesbians ring it home, and thousands more visit every year to party at its bars and restaurants, shop at unique boutiques and stores, stroll hand-in-hand, and enjoy the gay-friendly atmosphere.
The Best of the Castro/Upper Market: 10 Unique Diversions
Tour the GLBT History Museum – (4127 18th St. near Castro / 415.621.1107 / www.glbthistory.com) Opened in January 2011, it is the only museum in the U.S. dedicated solely to gay history. It exhibits a variety of interesting LGBT objects, photographs and documents including items and clothing that belonged to activist Harvey Milk.
See a Movie at the Castro Theatre – (429 Castro St. / 415-621-3120 / www.castrotheatre.com) One of the U.S.’s few remaining 1920’s movie palaces in daily operation, the ornate Spanish revival style theatre is the perfect fantasy setting for movies antique and new. It’s vast neon sign is the neighborhood’s symbol. The interior boasts colorful Italianate murals, a huge chandelier,
The Castro
The Castro District, one of the original gay neighborhoods in the nation, is located right in the center of the urban area of San Francisco near The Mission, Decrease Haight, Cole Valley and Noe Valley. A vibrant neighborhood filled with fantastic restaurants, bars, clubs, museums and more, The Castro is one of the most popular tourist areas in the city.
The history of the neighborhood dates back to the late 1800s, about 40 years after the peak of the Gold Rush and 20 years before the 1906 earthquake and fires that devastated the city. It was built in 1887 after a modern railway line was created that would link the area to downtown. The neighborhood went through many changes as the city grew. Several years after the 1906 earthquake, the neighborhood became known as Small Scandinavia, due to the large population of Norwegian, Finnish and Swedish people who settled there. It wasn’t until the late 1960s that the queer population began to grow and The Castro wasn’t the first gay neighborhood in the metropolis. In fact, the Polk Gulch area of San Francisco was the initial gay center of the city starting from the 1940s and then behind declining through the 1960s and 1970s as The Castro started
San Francisco’s fabulous LGBTQIA+ scene is no surprise if you know anything about the city’s history. SF is recognizable for electing Harvey Milk, the first openly gay elected official in the US, and is still known today for its thriving queer community.
At the epicentre of it all is San Francisco’s Castro District, full of performative shows, bars and great restaurants, but there’s plenty more to discover throughout SF (and Oakland) if you comprehend where to gaze. Whether you’re looking for friendly sapphic bars, balls-to-the-wall Latinx dance parties or a very remembered drag show, these are the top gay bars in SF right now.
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This instruction was written by Bay-Area based penner Clara Hogan. At Time Out, all of our journey guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.
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A Gay Guide to the Castro
The Castro is San Francisco’s mythical 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 male lover liberation movement.
Armistead Maupin’s Tales Of The City Novels immortalised male lover 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 luxurious . The rise of Silicon Valley and the tech giants has reshapes San Francisco. House prices in San Francisco almost doubled between 2009 and 2019. That being said, the Castro is still very gay.
The Castro’s male lover history
During WW2, many troops position off to fight in Europe from San Francisco. They also landed in San Francisco on their way home. With so many young 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 gay activity. Imagine all those soldiers in one urban area - there was a lot of action.
By 1980, it was estimated that 17% of San Francisco’s population was gay