The Castro, San Francis Gay District - Where to stay, what to do

Contents:

• SAN FRANCIS GAY SHOPS
• THE CASTRO, SAN FRANCIS GAY DISTRICT
• 5 QUEER-OWNED BS TO SHOP (AND SUPPORT) THE BAY AREAGO GRAB A FEW LGBTQI+ BOOKS AND SOME H KSASHA WEILBAKER·FOLLOWPUBLISHED THE BOLD ITALIC·5 M READ·MAY 7, 2021--LISTENSHAREBY MAX TEMPLETON ON UNSPLASHLONG KNOWN AS THE “GAY PAL OF THE WORLD,” SAN FRANCIS — AND THE GREATER BAY AREA — IS HOME TO A NEARLY UNTLS AMOUNT OF QUEER-OWNED BS, WHETHER BE THE SURANCE PANY DOWN THE STREET OR YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD GAY BAR.SUPPORT THE 5 LOL NONPROFS HELPG TO PRERVE THE BAY AREA — AND PLAGIVE YOUR GREEN TO MOTHER NATURE’S WH SAN FRANCIS NOW THE STATE’S “YELLOW TIER” OF COVID-19 RTRICTNS, NIZENS OF THE CY ARE NOW CREASGLY FORTABLE GOG OUT AND ABOUT. AND WH THAT NEWFOUND NFINCE (AND ACCSIBILY) TO EXPLORE THE REGN’S SHORG-UP BS LANDSPE, THERE’S ALSO NOW A GROWG OPPORTUNY TO PUT YOUR DOLLAR WHERE YOUR ETHICS ARE.SHOP LOL. SHOP QUEER. SHOP STAABLE.HERE’S A LIST OF FIVE QUEER-OWNED BS THE BAY AREA TO GIVE YOUR HARD-EARNED SH TO EXCHANGE FOR GOODS OR SERVIC — BEE, FISLLY SPEAKG, THE BAY AREA’S SMALL BS, PECIALLY S QUEER ON, ARE FAR OM OUT OF THE WOODS, YET.LN DANCE CAFEPHOTO: BY CHRISTY WANG FOR LN DANCE CAFE, VIA INSTAGRAMI FIRST ENUNTERED LN DANCE CAFE AFTER MEETG A IEND BY LAKE MERRT OAKLAND ON A SATURDAY EVENG, AFTER PRE-ORRG OUR MEALS ONLE EARLIER THE WEEK. THE FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY AND REVIEWS WERE PROMISG, BUT I STILL WASN’T SURE WHAT TO EXPECT. NEEDLS TO SAY, LN DANCE CAFE SURPASSED ALL EXPECTATNS OF WHAT A CLASSIC EVENG OF “TAKEOUT-BY-THE-LAKE” ULD BE.OWNED BY BREAKOUT CULARY STAR C.Y. MARIE CHIA — WHOSE FE NOT ONLY WAS VOTED AS TBI’S BT NEW EATERY THE EAST BAY FOR 2020 BUT WHO, HERSELF, WAS ALSO EMED THE BREAKOUT LOL CHEF BY OUR REARS LAST YEAR—LN DANCE CAFE IS A PLANT-BASED SGAPOREAN RTRANT DOWNTOWN OAKLAND THAT OPENED 2020. PREVLY, C.Y. MARIE CHIA AND HER PARTNER, SHANE STANBRIDGE FOUND S + M VEGAN, A POP-UP OAKLAND.SCE S OPENG, LN DANCE CAFE HAS CULTIVATED RAVE REVIEWS OM LOLS THAT KEEP G BACK FOR MORE.LOTED AT 380 17TH STREET OAKLAND, LN DANCE CAFE IS OPEN FOR WALKUP ORRS ON WEDNDAY OM 5–8 P.M. AND PREORR ONLY ON FRIDAYS AND SATURDAYS OM 5–8 P.M., MORE TAILS.CASTRO TATTOOPHOTO: CASTRO TATTOOS VIA INSTAGRAMNTLED SAN FRANCIS’S THE CASTRO DISTRICT, CASTRO TATTOO IS A LBIAN-OWNED TATTOO SHOP THAT PRIS SELF ON BEG “TOURIST, LGBTQ, AND POC IENDLY.” THE SHOP IS OWNED BY LONG-TIME TATTOO ARTIST, HALEY ADAMS, AND EMPLOYS FIVE OTHER ARTISTS, EACH WH THEIR OWN UNIQUE STYLE.UNLIKE OTHER TATTOO SHOPS, WHICH TAKE BETWEEN FORTY AND FIFTY PERCENT OF THE ARTISTS’ EARNGS, CASTRO TATTOO IS ONE OF ONLY TWO SAN FRANCIS TATTOO SHOPS THAT CHARGE A MONTHLY RENTAL BOOTH FEE (WHICH IS A PREFERABLE BS MOL FOR ARTISTS).LOTED AT 3991 17TH STREET SAN FRANCIS, THE TATTOO SHOP IS OPEN OM 12 P.M. TO 8 P.M., SEVEN DAYS A WEEK; WALKUP AND APPOTMENTS ARE BOTH TAKEN. MORE .BOLERIUM BOOKS“SAN FRANCIS, MAY-2016” BY MALTMAN23 IS LICENSED UNR CC BY-SA 2.0A SAN FRANCIS STUTN, BOLERIUM BOOKS WAS FOUND 1981 BY JOHN DURHAM AND HAS BEEN RRYG THE MOST RADIL OF TL SCE; BOLERIUM SCRIB SELF AS “PURVEYORS OF RARE AND OUT-OF-PRT BOOKS, POSTERS, AND EPHEMERA ON SOCIAL MOVEMENTS.”THE STORE, TOO, IS KNOWN TO SELL A REFULLY CURATED SELECTN OF BOTH NEW AND ED BOOKS FOR THOSE LOOKG TO EXPAND THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF GAY AND LBIAN STUDI, ASIAN-AMERIN ACTIVISM, AMERIN AND INTERNATNAL SOCIAL MOVEMENTS, AND MUCH MORE, ALL A VARIETY OF LANGUAG.LOTED AT 2141 MISSN SREET #300 SAN FRANCIS, BOLERIUM BOOKS IS OPEN ON A ROTATN SCHLE OUT OF ABUNDANT UTN DURG THE PANMIC — SO CHECK THEIR FACEBOOK PAGE FOR THE MOST UP-TO-DATE HOURS. MORE .BROWN SUGAR BOTANILSPHOTO: BROWN SUGAR BOTANILS VIA INSTAGRAMCHRIS WAKEFIELD AND KALIMA AAK STARTED BROWN SUGAR BOTANILS (BSB)— A PANY THAT SELLS A VARIETY OF HEMP-BASED PRODUCTS — AS A WAY TO “BLEND TRADNAL HERBAL APPLITNS WH HIGH-QUALY HEMP” WHILE CREATG A BS THAT VALU SUPPLY CHA CLIVY OVER ALL ELSE. (THE OAKLAND-BASED ONLE-ONLY PANY CURRENTLY SELLS TCTUR, SALV, AND PRE-ROLLED CBD AND LAVENR PRODUCTS, WH FULL TRANSPARENCY AS TO THE GREDIENTS ED EACH PRODUCT AND WHERE EACH GREDIENT OM.)BROWN SUGAR BOTANILS SCRIB SELF AS A “SOCIAL ENTERPRISE FIRST,” MEANG THAT WILL NOT SACRIFICE ETHICS FOR PROF AND AIMS TO SUPPORT THE MUNY OF OAKLAND AS BT AS POSSIBLE.BSB, WHICH CURRENTLY EXISTS AS AN E-MERCE BS, OFFERS LIVERI EVERY FRIDAY AND SATURDAY TO THE SAN FRANCIS BAY AREA; SHOULD YOU BE OUTSI THE BAY AREA, CHECK THE PANY’S ORR FAQS TO SEE IF YOU’RE WH THEIR RANGE OF SHIPPG. MORE .FEELMORE ADULT
• GAY LEATHER GEAR
• THE CASTRO, SAN FRANCIS GAY DISTRICT

SAN FRANCIS GAY SHOPS

As expected, San Francis has an abundance of gay stor sellg everythg om high fashn to ass-ls chaps. Fashn is dandy, but thk endurance as you set off to make a ontal asslt on the cy’s gay shoppg scene where you n moreAs expected, San Francis has an abundance of gay stor sellg everythg om high fashn to ass-ls chaps. Fashn is dandy, but thk endurance as you set off to make a ontal asslt on the cy’s gay shoppg scene where you n fet leavg your heart San Francis, as long as you leave behd some classics.

Gay-owned and gay-proud, Daddy’s Barbershop offers one-of-a-kd stylg for your vatn clip. Also, kill some time strollg the Safeway supermarket on Market and Church, dubbed "the Gayt Grocery Store on Earth".

Cozy apartments, private rooms and amazg hom: be weled by the gay muny over 200 untri. Apartments, rooms, hom: be weled by the gay muny.

THE CASTRO, SAN FRANCIS GAY DISTRICT

San Francis has bee synonymo wh gay culture. The Castro, which has been the cy's center of LGBTQ activism and culture, the heart of the gay muny arguably one of the Francis has bee synonymo wh gay culture. The Castro, which has been the cy's center of LGBTQ activism and culture, the heart of the gay muny arguably one of the iendlit ci the USA, is an unual, yet unmissable experience.

At the entry to this gay area fli a huge rabow flag on Harvey Milk Plaza. As you will walk through the neighborhood, you will notice bronze siwalk plaqu: this walk of fame lled the Rabow Honor Walk honors Lbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgenr, and Queer dividuals who have ma a signifint difference to society. Walkg around the Castro, you'll enunter many lorful characters, and get a real feel for the special ambiance San Francis's gay area offers.

5 QUEER-OWNED BS TO SHOP (AND SUPPORT) THE BAY AREAGO GRAB A FEW LGBTQI+ BOOKS AND SOME H KSASHA WEILBAKER·FOLLOWPUBLISHED THE BOLD ITALIC·5 M READ·MAY 7, 2021--LISTENSHAREBY MAX TEMPLETON ON UNSPLASHLONG KNOWN AS THE “GAY PAL OF THE WORLD,” SAN FRANCIS — AND THE GREATER BAY AREA — IS HOME TO A NEARLY UNTLS AMOUNT OF QUEER-OWNED BS, WHETHER BE THE SURANCE PANY DOWN THE STREET OR YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD GAY BAR.SUPPORT THE 5 LOL NONPROFS HELPG TO PRERVE THE BAY AREA — AND PLAGIVE YOUR GREEN TO MOTHER NATURE’S WH SAN FRANCIS NOW THE STATE’S “YELLOW TIER” OF COVID-19 RTRICTNS, NIZENS OF THE CY ARE NOW CREASGLY FORTABLE GOG OUT AND ABOUT. AND WH THAT NEWFOUND NFINCE (AND ACCSIBILY) TO EXPLORE THE REGN’S SHORG-UP BS LANDSPE, THERE’S ALSO NOW A GROWG OPPORTUNY TO PUT YOUR DOLLAR WHERE YOUR ETHICS ARE.SHOP LOL. SHOP QUEER. SHOP STAABLE.HERE’S A LIST OF FIVE QUEER-OWNED BS THE BAY AREA TO GIVE YOUR HARD-EARNED SH TO EXCHANGE FOR GOODS OR SERVIC — BEE, FISLLY SPEAKG, THE BAY AREA’S SMALL BS, PECIALLY S QUEER ON, ARE FAR OM OUT OF THE WOODS, YET.LN DANCE CAFEPHOTO: BY CHRISTY WANG FOR LN DANCE CAFE, VIA INSTAGRAMI FIRST ENUNTERED LN DANCE CAFE AFTER MEETG A IEND BY LAKE MERRT OAKLAND ON A SATURDAY EVENG, AFTER PRE-ORRG OUR MEALS ONLE EARLIER THE WEEK. THE FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY AND REVIEWS WERE PROMISG, BUT I STILL WASN’T SURE WHAT TO EXPECT. NEEDLS TO SAY, LN DANCE CAFE SURPASSED ALL EXPECTATNS OF WHAT A CLASSIC EVENG OF “TAKEOUT-BY-THE-LAKE” ULD BE.OWNED BY BREAKOUT CULARY STAR C.Y. MARIE CHIA — WHOSE FE NOT ONLY WAS VOTED AS TBI’S BT NEW EATERY THE EAST BAY FOR 2020 BUT WHO, HERSELF, WAS ALSO EMED THE BREAKOUT LOL CHEF BY OUR REARS LAST YEAR—LN DANCE CAFE IS A PLANT-BASED SGAPOREAN RTRANT DOWNTOWN OAKLAND THAT OPENED 2020. PREVLY, C.Y. MARIE CHIA AND HER PARTNER, SHANE STANBRIDGE FOUND S + M VEGAN, A POP-UP OAKLAND.SCE S OPENG, LN DANCE CAFE HAS CULTIVATED RAVE REVIEWS OM LOLS THAT KEEP G BACK FOR MORE.LOTED AT 380 17TH STREET OAKLAND, LN DANCE CAFE IS OPEN FOR WALKUP ORRS ON WEDNDAY OM 5–8 P.M. AND PREORR ONLY ON FRIDAYS AND SATURDAYS OM 5–8 P.M., MORE TAILS.CASTRO TATTOOPHOTO: CASTRO TATTOOS VIA INSTAGRAMNTLED SAN FRANCIS’S THE CASTRO DISTRICT, CASTRO TATTOO IS A LBIAN-OWNED TATTOO SHOP THAT PRIS SELF ON BEG “TOURIST, LGBTQ, AND POC IENDLY.” THE SHOP IS OWNED BY LONG-TIME TATTOO ARTIST, HALEY ADAMS, AND EMPLOYS FIVE OTHER ARTISTS, EACH WH THEIR OWN UNIQUE STYLE.UNLIKE OTHER TATTOO SHOPS, WHICH TAKE BETWEEN FORTY AND FIFTY PERCENT OF THE ARTISTS’ EARNGS, CASTRO TATTOO IS ONE OF ONLY TWO SAN FRANCIS TATTOO SHOPS THAT CHARGE A MONTHLY RENTAL BOOTH FEE (WHICH IS A PREFERABLE BS MOL FOR ARTISTS).LOTED AT 3991 17TH STREET SAN FRANCIS, THE TATTOO SHOP IS OPEN OM 12 P.M. TO 8 P.M., SEVEN DAYS A WEEK; WALKUP AND APPOTMENTS ARE BOTH TAKEN. MORE .BOLERIUM BOOKS“SAN FRANCIS, MAY-2016” BY MALTMAN23 IS LICENSED UNR CC BY-SA 2.0A SAN FRANCIS STUTN, BOLERIUM BOOKS WAS FOUND 1981 BY JOHN DURHAM AND HAS BEEN RRYG THE MOST RADIL OF TL SCE; BOLERIUM SCRIB SELF AS “PURVEYORS OF RARE AND OUT-OF-PRT BOOKS, POSTERS, AND EPHEMERA ON SOCIAL MOVEMENTS.”THE STORE, TOO, IS KNOWN TO SELL A REFULLY CURATED SELECTN OF BOTH NEW AND ED BOOKS FOR THOSE LOOKG TO EXPAND THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF GAY AND LBIAN STUDI, ASIAN-AMERIN ACTIVISM, AMERIN AND INTERNATNAL SOCIAL MOVEMENTS, AND MUCH MORE, ALL A VARIETY OF LANGUAG.LOTED AT 2141 MISSN SREET #300 SAN FRANCIS, BOLERIUM BOOKS IS OPEN ON A ROTATN SCHLE OUT OF ABUNDANT UTN DURG THE PANMIC — SO CHECK THEIR FACEBOOK PAGE FOR THE MOST UP-TO-DATE HOURS. MORE .BROWN SUGAR BOTANILSPHOTO: BROWN SUGAR BOTANILS VIA INSTAGRAMCHRIS WAKEFIELD AND KALIMA AAK STARTED BROWN SUGAR BOTANILS (BSB)— A PANY THAT SELLS A VARIETY OF HEMP-BASED PRODUCTS — AS A WAY TO “BLEND TRADNAL HERBAL APPLITNS WH HIGH-QUALY HEMP” WHILE CREATG A BS THAT VALU SUPPLY CHA CLIVY OVER ALL ELSE. (THE OAKLAND-BASED ONLE-ONLY PANY CURRENTLY SELLS TCTUR, SALV, AND PRE-ROLLED CBD AND LAVENR PRODUCTS, WH FULL TRANSPARENCY AS TO THE GREDIENTS ED EACH PRODUCT AND WHERE EACH GREDIENT OM.)BROWN SUGAR BOTANILS SCRIB SELF AS A “SOCIAL ENTERPRISE FIRST,” MEANG THAT WILL NOT SACRIFICE ETHICS FOR PROF AND AIMS TO SUPPORT THE MUNY OF OAKLAND AS BT AS POSSIBLE.BSB, WHICH CURRENTLY EXISTS AS AN E-MERCE BS, OFFERS LIVERI EVERY FRIDAY AND SATURDAY TO THE SAN FRANCIS BAY AREA; SHOULD YOU BE OUTSI THE BAY AREA, CHECK THE PANY’S ORR FAQS TO SEE IF YOU’RE WH THEIR RANGE OF SHIPPG. MORE .FEELMORE ADULT

Beg San Francis's gay district, The Castro is full of exclively gay shops, such as Do Your Mother Know (4141 18th Street), and lots of queer clothg stor. Once you’ve regaed your strength, make way to some of the bt gay bars and clubs San Francis, where there's somethg for everyone. Fally, make your way to Dolor Park, where gays, hippi, and tourists enjoy the breathtakg view of San Francis.

GAY LEATHER GEAR

We have a huge variety of gay eroti and all-male vios, but we also ter to straight men, women, and upl. Auto Eroti isn't jt a handy place to pick up a dildo or some lube, 's a gay porn history lson, wh a treasure trove of vtage magaz and VHS tap (kids, ask your parents) that are sure to take you down a rabow-paved memory lane.

Should e as a shock that the adult-toy market SF is pretty well domated by the gays and centered largely the Castro?

They've got all kds of fancy glass and steel toys, butt plugs obscenely advanced mols, lube, handcuffs, whips, and expensive electronic ntraptns and stimulators of all kds — terg to both gay and straight clients alike. Sure, Folsom Gulch has a pretty cent selectn of the ual vibrators, ckrgs, etc, but 's also proud to be one of the cy's "bt cisg spots" for gentlemen seekg same, offerg all-day pass to their possibly sticky gay vio ar slash hookup jot. S for the uniated is a wdow to a world of sexual variety you likely did not know existed, and 's a pilgrimage many gay San Francisns make the weeks before Folsom Street Fair.

THE CASTRO, SAN FRANCIS GAY DISTRICT

As the name would suggt, this place is pretty gay-oriented and loted the heart of the Castro.

Go grab a few LGBTQI+ books and some h kLong known as the “gay pal of the world, ” San Francis — and the greater Bay Area — is home to a nearly untls amount of queer-owned bs, whether be the surance pany down the street or your neighborhood gay San Francis now the state’s “Yellow Tier” of Covid-19 rtrictns, nizens of the cy are now creasgly fortable gog out and about.