Gay bars san francisco castro
A Gay Guide to the Castro
The Castro is San Francisco’s legendary gay district. It became America’s first and most iconic gaybourhood. In the 70s, following the Stonewall Uprising and the first Pride march, the Castro was the headquarters of the gay liberation movement.
Armistead Maupin’s Tales Of The City Novels immortalised gay San Francisco, especially the Castro district. San Francisco became a magnet for gay Americans. Things own changed in recent years. The Castro is still very gay, but it’s prohibitively expensive. The rise of Silicon Valley and the tech giants has reshapes San Francisco. House prices in San Francisco almost doubled between and That being said, the Castro is still very gay.
The Castro’s gay history
During WW2, many troops set off to fight in Europe from San Francisco. They also landed in San Francisco on their way home. With so many young men risking their lives, it was an intense time to be alive. Quite a lot of these men had relationships with each other. San Francisco was a hub of gay activity. Imagine all those soldiers in one city - there was a
San Francisco’s fabulous LGBTQIA+ scene is no surprise if you know anything about the city’s history. SF is known for electing Harvey Milk, the first openly gay elected official in the US, and is still known today for its thriving queer community.
At the epicentre of it all is San Francisco’s Castro District, full of drag shows, bars and great restaurants, but there’s plenty more to discover throughout SF (and Oakland) if you realize where to peek. Whether you’re looking for friendly lesbian bars, balls-to-the-wall Latinx dance parties or a very adj drag show, these are the leading gay bars in SF right now.
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This guide was written by Bay-Area based writer Clara Hogan. At Time Out, all of our move guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.
Been there, done that? Think a
Midnight Sun
Est.
Servicing the Castro over 50 years
Midnight Sun began its journey in the vibrant s at Castro Street, most recently dwelling to the now-closed Body Shop. In , we moved to our current location around the corner at 18th Street.
Originally a windowless plumbing warehouse, the new venue transformed into a lively social hub, pioneering the concept of a video bar at the adj time as the rise of MTV. Our screens showcased music videos, interspersed with clips from popular shows enjoy Queer as Folk and Sex in the City.
While Twin Peaks Tavern made history in as the first gay bar in San Francisco to install plate glass windows, Midnight Sun bookended this history in by becoming the last gay bar in the Castro to add windows, embracing openness and visibility, and contributing to the opulent tapestry of San Francisco’s LGBTQIA+ history.
RSVP
THU – FRI | 2pm – 2am
SAT | pm – 2am
SUN | 1pm – 12am
MON – WED | 2pm – 12am
18th Street
San Francisco, CA
Castro’s newest gay bar
The name is a nod to the city’s 49 square miles and also an exclusive lineup of over 49 beer and wine options, and 10 beers on draft.
Buy eGift Card
Take a few moments to customize your Bar 49 eGift card. There is no delivery fee and cards are delivered within minutes.
Buy eGift Card
Monday- Friday until 6pm
$3 off tapped beers
$3 off property wines
$10 Frose, spritz and frozen margaritas