Castro/ Noe Valley Castro District Castro Theatre FROM LEFT: Dan Henson / Shutterstock.com; flickr.com/photos/waffleboy Regardless of your sexual orientation, no trip to San Francisco would be complete without a visit to the world-famous Castro District, one of the country’s first gay neighborhoods. Nearby Noe Valley, a village of wooden Victorian houses, has a touch of the Castro’s flair and an easygoing mix of hipsters and families. HOW TO GET HERE Take the historic F-Line streetcar up Market Street until it ends. WHAT TO SEE & DO Start your tour on the Castro’s eponymous main drag and visit the Castro Theatre. Built in 1922, this ornate movie palace has a Mighty Wurlitzer-playing organist who performs before every show. On your way out, take note of the golden plaques that make up the Rainbow Honor Walk, paying tribute to LGBT pioneers. For more history, consider a tour with Wild SF Walking Tours and FOOT! Fun Walking Tours, downloading the Castro tour from the Detour app, or the GLBT History Museum. Don’t miss Cliff’s Variety, a local institution where you’ll find just about anything. WHEN TO VISIT The liveliest time of year is during Gay Pride in June and the Castro Street Fair in October. Noe Valley features a Wine Walk in August, seasonal hayrides and “24 HoliDAYS on 24th Street” in December. MUST SEES CASTRO THEATRE castrotheatre.com WILD SF WALKING TOURS wildsftours.com DETOUR detour.com THE GLBT HISTORY MUSEUM glbthistory.org SAN FRANCISCO PRIDE sfpride.org CLIFF’S VARIETY cliffsvariety.com Stadiu m ssus Parna Cole Valley Parnassus oo sev elt shbury Univer s ity of California Medical Center Mt Sutro on nd R Corona Height s Randall Mu s eu m Market Mi ss ion Dolore s 16th St 17th St BART 16th St So m Art s Cultural Center Frank Squa Guerrero Douglass Castro Church Dolores Valencia Mission S Van Ness Tank Hill Ave. 17th St Market Mi ss ion CASTRO Zuckerbe San Franc General Ho s pital 24th St Cla re Twin Peak s Skyview Market 24th BART 24th St in Pea ks Portol a da on aH d Twin Peak s Woo dsid e Portola Clipper Tw NOE VALLEY Cesar Chavez Bernal Height s Bernal Height s Park a m Di au Sh r O' Te gh ness y on d Neighborhoods . 35
San Francisco Visitors Planning Guide 2017: Page 35
