Castro St, Castro District

Oh, the Castro! The Castro! How can I capture what Castro Street is? Castro is where I go when I want to be invisible. At night when the boys come out, I feel like a ghost or an alien watching the mating rituals of another culture. If I go with my metro guy friend, boys will literally elbow by me to hit on him. He swears he has no bisexual or homosexual tendencies but he takes inordinate enjoyment in the attention. (My little circle of friends has a little bet on when he will come out finally—no heterosexual guy spends an hour and half trying to find the perfect T to match his khaki shorts). But to get back to the point.

Castro Street at Market. The pink flag. The monument to Harvey Milk. The Castro Theater with it perpetual rotation of film festivals.

The joy and the energy of the place! The bars with names like Moby Dick—I bet you didn’t know the gays love Melville. Or, the Best in Show Pet Boutique offering the latest in designer poodle wear. Or, if you want something more direct, try Booty Call Wednesdays—no double meaning there as far as I can tell, although it is open all week not just on hump day (ohhhhh, I get it now…)

And then there is Harvey’s on the corner of 18th just down the street from the theater. You can find a great photo homage to Harvey Milk there and good food as well. Lot’s of the pictures really capture Milk’s vibrancy. You can see how human he was and how he could inspire people.

But of course, Castro street is about the beautiful boys—some playing it up with their high squealing voices; others playing it cool, leaning against the side of the buildings checking everything out. Of the older men, who been around these blocks more than once and are just heading out with lovers of twenty years, as stable and married as any couple in Walnut Creek. And of course there are the first timers, who just got off the bus or crossed the Bay and feel for the first time like they are truly home.

I visited here just about a year ago, so forgive me if this is not entirely accurate or I do not remember names of bars..but I definitely enjoyed it here. Historically, this is known as the queer nightlife area of San Francisco, but as a straight female, I had an excellent time. I spent several hours wandering around the area myself and found a few great internet cafes, and then went out to the primary bar (I forgot what it is called...The Castro, perhaps?) Either way, I had a great time.

I do remember parking being a bit of a hassle (this is San Francisco, after all!) However, I felt completely safe and welcome the entire time I was there.

I just love coming to Castro Street and just being in this area. This area is known for having all the great gay clubs and showing off the Gay Pride which I just love to be around. I am so happy to walk around here with my gay friends and get to all the clubs. Everything is so close by and there are so many places to go and get something to eat! I have not run into rude people anywhere is the Castro Street area. It is my preference to come here whenever I visit San Francisco.

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.

This is the epicenter of gay activity in san francisco, at 17th st. & castro st. its the famous rainbow flag. theres the usualy S.F. drudge no parking and to many cars on the street, buts its not as bad as some streets. tourists will want to check out the castro theatre but check the homophobic feelings before at the door because you will be bombarded by homosexual imagery and openly gay men all over the street. theres also lots of shops and many great places to eat, i would recomend this street to any open minded person be they hetro or homosexual.

Castro street is famously known for its gay community. This street is very entertaining and never dull. There are plenty of fun stores and small restaurants. It is right of of market and is usually crowded. The houses in this area are beautiful! There is also two schools and a recreation center located a block away, parallel to Castro street. At night Castro can sometimes be a little crazy. Halloween on Castro is crazy and many stabbings have occured. Despite these incidents, Castro street is located in a nice and safe area. It is an interesting adventure visiting this street. I would recommend this street to couples and single but not to families with children or retirees who want a calm place to live.

Castro St. is one of the most historical and interesting streets in San Francisco. It is renowned for its tolerance for homosexuality! Castro Street stretches from the upper Noe Valley to central Market St. (3-4 miles). The areas where Castro St. crosses Noe Valley, is filled with spacious expensive homes with lovely views of San Francisco. This area of Castro St. relatively has a fine reputation for raising families. The areas where Castro St. crosses with 19th St. all the way to Market St. is filled with cute diversities of restaurants, local businesses and shops-it always seems to be sunny in this area of town. This area is also a tourist attraction- close to market and Dolores Park. This area of the Castro is also interesting, especially because of its history and shops. Some of the public bus lines and transportation systems that run near and on the Castro are the 24, F and the underground street car system. The Castro always has interesting night life with its Castro Theater and the nearby shops, restaurants and Dolores Park-perfect for singles and couples.

When you enter the street you will find largest rainbow colored flag flying over San Francisco at the foot of the Castro Street. I have been told that this flag represents gay pride. There is a majority of gay population living in this area. The main sight of attraction for the Castro area is the Castro Theater.

Castro street is infamous for being a haven for the gays. This street is particularly for gay men and is not really that interesting or appealing to lesbians. This st is as gay as you can get and it is often a tourist trap. Walking down castro st is really like having a 24 hour gay pride parade. It can be overwhelming and surprisingly very mainstream as far as gay streets go.

Castro Street can be great. It can also get really old really fast. There is, no doubt, a lot of personality to Castro Street. There are some fun, wacky stores and posh clothing boutiques. But there is also a lot of superficiality going on there. It's basically the gay man's playground. Like I said, this can be a lot of fun...mostly if you're a gay man! But a few trips to the Castro and the thrill of it wears off. I spent a lot of time here in college, mostly because it was a place to go where the bars didn't card (shhhh!), but Castro street, as a whole, is basically just a crowded, overrated hot spot.

What can I say about Castro Street in merely a few paragraphs? There is so much going on in San Francisco’s famous street that it would be really hard to keep from writing pages! Castro Street is known as the world’s gay capital. Homosexuals aren’t the only ones that populate the street. Even I, as a heterosexual must admit that Castro Street is one of my favorites.

Castro Street is populated bars and restaurants! You will know you have stepped foot on Castro as the first thing you notice is rainbow flags symbolizing gay pride hanging on every light post! Castro Street pretty much has it all, bars, gyms, restaurants, grocery stores, and small specialty shops!

Castro Street runs very long and there is a very calm part of Castro street that gets much less attention than the heart of the Castro. Depending on who you are, you might like living in the heart of the Castro, or in the tranquil areas of Castro Street which has very nice housing.

There is plenty of public transportation from Muni trains to buses. Cabs are guaranteed to be running up and down Castro.