Gay district in sf
Top tip: Most bars in San Francisco operate on a cash only basis. One thing worth mentioning, despite Beaux being a good choice to close out your night on the dancefloor, due to state law and liquor law sales restrictions, the venue does close at am.
Find the best gay bars, dance clubs, gay-rated hotels, and gay cruise clubs in San Francisco. Check reviews, photos, and more on Gay San Francisco is found as soon as you set foot in the Castro district – San Franciscos gay epicentre. Located in the Eureka Valley, the Castro is a historic neighbourhood, mainly concentrated in the cross-section of Market Street to 19 th Street and Church Street to Eureka Street, with Castro Street running through.
When it comes to gay-friendly cities in the US there are few that can compete with the vibrant and diverse Californian city of San Francisco. Hi Tops is a gay sports bar, known for its loud atmosphere and large crowds, especially on big game days which are shown on one of the bars many flat screen TVs.
Hi Tops also hosts different theme nights too, such as their Tuesday trivia night, and they also serve food. There are of course too many to list here, but the below are some of the most popular gar bars in San Francisco and definitely ones not to miss on your visit.
The building is grand and very elegant, especially in the common spaces, yet the rooms are stylishly decorated with some great modern touches.
Castro District San Francisco : Harvey Milk helped pave the way for the openly gay vibe many have come to love about the city
Included here as one of San Franciscos oldest gay bars, Midnight Sun has been serving the Castro community for over 50 years. We found San Francisco to be the most gay-friendly city we have visited in the US so far — and hopefully our Gay Guide to San Francisco will help you to enjoy your visit as much as we enjoyed ours!
We immediately knew we were welcomed as a gay couple when upon check-in we saw that all the staff name badges featured the rainbow logo — such a small touch but can make all the difference to how guests feel. For most visitors, location is the key deciding factor, and so they may look at choosing a district or area first and then narrow it down to a hotel.
Naturally, many gay travellers will opt to stay in the Castro district, and of course here you will find a number of gay and gay-friendly hotel options, but there are gay and gay-friendly hotels spread across the city.
San Francisco's gay village is mostly concentrated in the business district that is located on Castro Street from Market Street to 19th Street. And for a much wider choice, check out our dedicated post on the top 20 gay-friendly hotels in San Francisco, where we have listed them by district for your ease.
Powerhouse is definitely not a gay bar for the prudish! When it comes to knowing if a hotel is gay-friendly, there is no clearer sign than seeing two ginormous rainbow flags proudly flying above the front door. The gay nightlife scene in San Francisco is big — with a huge variety of different bars and clubs to suit all, regardless of what type of night you are after.
This legendary bar of course has its roots as a leather biker bar, but now is open and welcome to everyone. Beaux is also always the host venue when the queens from RPDR are passing through town — definitely worth keeping an eye on their schedule to see if any Ru queens are starring in their Big Top Sunday drag show!
Even the ones that may accept cash or contactless inside will generally still expect the cover to be paid in cash. It extends down Market Street toward Church Street and on both sides of the Castro neighborhood from Church Street to Eureka Street.
San Francisco Castro Things :
It was after all the district where Harvey Milk lived, and to date you can visit Harvey Milk Plaza as well as his former campaign headquarters. Without a doubt, you will be warmly welcomed as a gay traveller in pretty much any hotel you choose to stay.
Midnight Sun is a gay video bar and lounge, that also hosts various weekly themed nights, such as a drag show on a Monday, karaoke nights, and Ru Pauls Drag Race viewing parties. We loved the little touches here such as tea and coffee served in the lobby each morning, as well as the hosted evening social hour, with complimentary beer and wine again in the lobby and a local DJ.
Hotel Castro is in the heart of the neighbourhood, with everything within walking distance. Powerhouse also hosts various events, but bordering on the slightly cheeky — underwear nights, wet underwear contest, leather events, smelly armpit competitions etc.
The location of this hotel is everything — the hotel is directly situated on Union Square Plaza itself, with many of the rooms offering a view of the entire plaza. One of the newer gay venues to the Castro, Beaux is a cross between bar and nightclub, and so is a perfect choice for those looking for a slightly livelier night with the option to hit the dancefloor.
Expect a mixed crowd in attendance — but definitely a firm favourite with the leather crowd and those into kink.