TripOut Gay Travel:
San Francisco

There is a certain reverence for San Francisco as a kind of “Gay Mecca” and rightfully so. The city of San Francisco is rampant with the best kinds of diversity and deviance. The flaming star around which most of the queer world revolves here is the Castro, an area easily identified by the preponderance of enormous rainbow flags, outrageously attractive pedestrians and perhaps most obviously, by the presence of a neon sign, which is roughly 15 feet tall, bearing the neighborhood’s famous name. Any snapshot taken from the top of Castro Street will look very much like a typical San Francisco postcard so ready the digi-cam!

Visitors will spend more time finding parking than getting finding the perfect outfit to wear out on the town. It is next to impossible to find a place to park—especially in the Castro. You can bus it from just about anywhere in the city and the ride is likely to be entertaining and bizarre. Bus fare is a dollar fifty, and buys unlimited rides for at least an hour and a half. The drivers are pleasant and accommodating and all MUNI vehicles are handicapped and wheelchair accessible. Cable cars are a decidedly more adorable option for transportation and as such are slightly more expensive. Regardless of the zero emissions chariot you choose, you will be endlessly entertained and easily transported to anywhere you’d like to go without enduring the difficulties of parking.

One of the most remarkable aspects of the San Francisco experience is that while the pulse of gay life originates in the Castro, the acceptance and goodwill toward self-expression and originality extends itself to the majority of the city and its residents. There are few things that can provoke surprise or annoyance on the part of the locals. This is not the suburb from whence you came! As eccentric or unique the traveler may be–odds are very strong that someone here is even more peculiar. The wayfaring stranger asking for directions often walks away with a new friend—so have fun and be friendly—it’s the San Francisco way!

Need recommendations on hotels, restaurants, and other points of interest?

See All San Francisco Recommendations

• Video: San Francisco Travel Recommendations From Season 2 of Bump!: San Francisco, one of the most...
• Food, Films & Four Neighborhoods in San Francisco While in town for San Francisco's big gay film fest Frameline, Marc Leonard forages for food, cool shops and fun sights in four great SF neighborhoods!
• The Most Historic LGBT Places in the U.S. Following in the historic spirit of the big National Equality March and Rally in D.C., here's a look at gay landmarks all around the U.S. of A.