Gay area of san francisco

Even the ones that may accept cash or contactless inside will generally still expect the cover to be paid in cash.

Hi Tops – The Castro         

Hi Tops are a chain of gay sports bars, with other locations in prominent LGBTQ+ hotspots such as West Hollywood, Los Angeles.

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.

However, the bar becomes much more mixed come the weekend, with go-go dancers, shot boys and more of a ‘party’ vibe.

Hi Tops also hosts different theme nights too, such as their Tuesday trivia night, and they also serve food.

Address: 2247 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94114, United States

440 Castro – The Castro

Formerly called ‘Daddy’s,’ the name is quite accurate when it comes to describing the crowd, as 440 Castro is a popular choice amongst the older, leather daddy and bear crowd.

440 is a popular bar in the Castro district, and whilst naturally is busiest on a weekend when the crowd becomes more mixed, they also host various events throughout the week, including their very popular Underwear Night each Monday where you can party in your briefs alongside topless go-go boys.

Address: 440 Castro St, San Francisco, CA 94114, United States

Beaux – The Castro

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.

Beaux hosts various themed nights and events, such as the Latin night on a Wednesday, and Thursday being focused on playing Top 40 pop remixes from the 90’s and 00’s (definitely my kind of bar!)

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!

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 02:00am.

Address: 2344 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94114, United States

Midnight Sun – The Castro

Included here as one of San Franciscos oldest gay bars, Midnight Sun has been serving the Castro community for over 50 years.

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.

Midnight Sun has also been voted as having the best ‘Happy Hour in SF’ – with two-for-one everything until 9pm every day!

Address: 4067 18th St #2535, San Francisco, CA 94114, United States

Powerhouse – Soma

Powerhouse is definitely not a gay bar for the prudish!

There are also double and triple features that play often on the weekends.

Seward Street Slides

In the 1960s, there were plans to develop this plot of land, but the locals convinced city officials to make it into a park. Nostalgic games and a quaint outdoor patio add to the vibe of this top-rated bar.

You probably won’t be able to visit all three in a day, but that will give you more time and things to do while staying in the city.

If you’re a sports fan, you have the opportunity to watch the Giants play.

Check out what neighbourhood you’re staying in to be sure. The gay bathhouses may return one day. Folsom), private beaches and some public beaches – and Baker Beach is one of those.

When entering Baker Beach from the parking lot to the left is the ‘family-friendly’ section of the beach, but to the right you will find the nudist section.

Baker Beach is a popular choice for locals and tourists alike, both because it is a nude beach, because you can walk to the Golden Gate Bridge from here, but also because it was the location of the very first Burning Man ever – when back in 1986 the founders took a small wooden figure down to the beach to burn on the Summer Solstice.

The Golden Gate Bridge

Is it fair to say that the Golden Gate Bridge is possibly the most famous beach in the world?

Heat and wind pose a minor risk, whereas wildfires are a moderate risk. San Francisco is home to some of the most legendary party venues in the US, and these will all be taken over during the Pride weekend for some special pride editions of the cities usual circuit parties, such as Electrolux, BRUT and XOXO.

And if you are more of a bar hopper than a circuit partier, the nightlife scene in the Castro will be exceptionally busy during the Pride weekend, with most bars and clubs playing host to different events.

Castro Street Fair

The Castro Street Fair is one of San Franciscos biggest LGBTQ+ events outside of Pride.

As a city built up of multiple culturally diverse neighbourhoods, each neighbourhood tends to host their own unique annual street fair – and the Castro Street Fair is the oldest and longest-running of them all!

The first Castro Street Fair took place in 1974, and was founded by Harvey Milk himself to showcase, support and celebrate gay-owned businesses in response to discrimination towards them by the Merchants Association at that time.

You don’t have to travel far to find a good gay bar either – as whilst the biggest concentration of gay bars is found in the Castro, there are gay bars dotted around the city.

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.

Top tip: Most bars in San Francisco operate on a cash only basis.

In addition to visiting the pubs and bars and being present for San Francisco Pride Month, there are also live music venues to see, as well as comedy shows.

For some, it is one of the best gay areas in San Francisco. You can visit Dalva or ABV on 16th Street. 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 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.

The building is grand and very elegant, especially in the common spaces, yet the rooms are stylishly decorated with some great modern touches.

Check rates and book!

Address: 335 Powell St, San Francisco, CA 94102, United States

Kimpton Alton Hotel – Fisherman’s Wharf

I am a big fan of the Kimpton brand thanks to their continuous support of the LGBTQ+ community so this was a natural choice for my 2-night stay in the Fisherman’s Wharf area.

I immediately knew I was welcome as a gay traveller 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.

Again, location here was key – the hotel is just a few minutes’ walk to the waterfront, and Pier 39 is also accessible by foot.

I 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.

Check rates and book!

Address: 2700 Jones St, San Francisco, CA 94133, United States

Hotel Castro – The Castro

Naturally for my final night in the city I had to spend it in the Castro district!

Hotel Castro is in the heart of the neighbourhood, with everything within walking distance.

The standard starting fee is $3.50 and it is raised by set increments - the taxis are regulated across the city.

Is San Francsico Safe?

San Francisco is a pretty safe city. At the height of the HIV pandemic, San Francisco closed its gay bathhouses. Naturally, San Fran has a great selection of hotels.

It’s in a great location and it’s very chic. Whilst you can purchase passes for multiple rides, the best way being either a Clipper card or MuniMobile, most tourists opt for a one-way ticket for a single ride, which can be bought at various sales locations throughout the city – you can use this map here to find your nearest location.

Once tickets are purchased, the cable car can be boarded at any of the three terminals, depending on the route you want to take, found at Powell & Market, Bay & Taylor and Hyde & Beach Streets from 8 a.m.

You can’t really do it justice in a single trip but there are some definite highlights you should check out. Blueground welcomes a spectrum of tenants around the world from business travelers to same-sex couples, from university students to young families.