San Francisco: Gay city by the bay

View from Alamo Square

The "City by the Bay" is one of the world's most panoramic, open and vibrant, attracting millions of tourists each year. Gay San Francisco is absolutely integral to that well-deserved reputation, integrated into every aspect of the city's life, from nightlife to politics to fashion to construction. And gay life is hardly limited geographically to the Castro; you'll find gay people everywhere. Gay bars, restaurants and business are sprinkled through many of the city's neighborhoods.

The bar/club scene here is incredibly diverse in age, race and interests. Whereas once the Castro was dominated by middle-class white men, today it is ever bit as latin, asian and even African-American. The transgender community has a special place here, and difference is honored as perhaps nowhere and no time else. There's a large leather & "bear" community, a number of places for the younger club/party boys & girls to dance, and a variety of neighborhood and video bars where crowds mix liberally. It's the special kind of place where a queer Silicon Valley billionaire and a recent gay immigrant with little more than a job might socialize in the same bar and think nothing of the difference. Truly San Francisco earns its reputation as the cool, gray city of love.

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