Gay Travel Buddy

El Castro

ESTACIONAMIENTO

¡Advertencia! Si tienes la intención de conducir en el Castro, mantiene estas cosas en mente sobre donde puedes estacionarte. Entre semana, un permiso S cubri estacionamiento fuera de los parquimetros en frente de las residencias del Castro, Noe Street, Lower Haight, y el área de Duboce Triangle (Triángulo), tal vez unas calles más. Dependiendo de la calle, puedes estacionarte por 1 ó 2 horas antes de necesitar un permiso. Si te estas quedando en casa de un amigo o incluso un “bed and breakfast” (alojamiento y desayuno) se puede obtener un permiso temporalmente. Pero vas a necesitar una prueba de que te vas a quedar en esta area, de lo contrario no lo vas a pode obtener.

Sólo hay un estacionamiento de pago en el Castro y esta muy bien escondido, la entrada esta en Noe Street justo al norte de Market. Ten en cuenta este garaje se cierra a la medianoche. Si estás buscando por este lugar en cualquier mapa, la dirección se encuentra en Market St. así que puede ser un poco complicado de encontrar.

Los parquimetros se vigilan muy estrictamente! El Castro es la parte más estricta de la ciudad, hay más guardias aqui que en cualquier otra parte de la ciudad. Ve tu parquimetro con cuidado y le las señales con mucho cuidado. Algunos de los lugares de estacionamiento estan solamente reservados para los vehículos comerciales hasta las 4pm y no estoy seguro si los sabados tambien estan reservados para vehículos comerciales o no. Los parquimetros son gratis los domingo, hasta los lugares comerciales tambien. Los lugares reservados para vehículos comerciales estan pintados amarillo. Observa cuidadosamente para parquimetros rojo, en estos no mas se pueden estacionar por media. Si tienes una placa de discapacidad, no se estacione en lugares comerciales cuando entre semana o recibirás una multa. En California, placas comerciales se identifican con una sola letra. Por ejemplo, 1X12345 es comercial, 1XYZ1234 no lo es. Estos parquimetros son muy caros y no conozco a muchas personas que tienen mas de $10 en monedas en su bolsillo. Para ser esto mas conviniente, se venden tarjetas que se pueden utilizar para los parquimetros de la ciudad en la tienda Rossi’s Deli.

Fijate por señales en los parquimetros anunciando eventos o zonas de construcción, esos van a ser enforzados estrictamente. Tambien revisa tus llantas por marcas con gis, si sigues poniendo dinero en el parquimetro más allá del tiempo asignado puedes obtener una multa. La manera fácil de que te estan moderando de encontrar esa marca de gis en las llantas que se da a la calle.

No sé a ciencia cierta, pero me han dicho que una compañia privada fue contratada para encargarse de las multas de estacionamiento. Ya que la multa se haya dado, no hay manera de cancelar, asi que no vale discutir con la gerente o puedes terminar en la cárcel. Esta no es una broma, si se sienten amenazados pueden llegar a lanzarte tras las rejas! Muchos de estos gerente tienen muy mal humor y no toleran mucho. Es en tu mejor interés no molestarlos. Puedes tratar de luchar contra una multa de estacionamiento, pero en mi experiencia, esto es casi una cosa imposible de ganar. Es peor que la lucha contra una multa por velocidad. Si piensas que el gerente se ha equivocado, puedes hacer lo que quieras para justificarte, pero no hay mucho a tu lado.

Ten en cuenta que enfrente del Castro Theater hay 4 o 5 lugares de estacionamiento que en cualquier momento puede cambiar a no ser disponible, solo zonas de carga. Va a ver señales cuando esto pase, asi que fijate. Igual, no intentes discutir, realmente no vale la pena.

Y para tu informacion, estacionamiento con parquimetros adicionales está disponible detrás del teatro, y Sliders está justo en frente. El acceso a este lote es a la derecha de Naia. Hay un segundo lote junto en la calle 18, detrás de Walgreen y a lado de Magnet, la clinica de salud sexual para hombres.
Los parquimetros son caros, $0.25 no te compran más que unos minutos en algunos locales. Puedes comprar una tarjeta de estacionamiento en la página web de MTA, y la estación del MUNI Montgomery los vende durante horas de trabajo regulares.

Tambien puedes comprar tarjetas de estacionamiento en Rossi’s Deli, direccion 426 Castro St. cerca de la tienda Diesel en la interseccion de Market y Castro. El otro lugar donde he comprado tarjetas de estacionamiento es en el la gasolineria Chevron, también en la esquina de Market y Castro, pero ahi no mas venden la tarjeta de $20.

TRANSPORTE PÚBLICO:

Si estás buscando alternativas para llegar al Castro, estás de suerte. San Francisco tiene un gran sistema de transporte público, y hay un montón de opciones. Durante las ferias como Orgullo Gay y la Feria de Castro Street a lo mejor es fácil conseguir un taxi que te lleve al Castro, pero conseguir una de salida puede ser un caos. Olvídate de estacionamiento, tendrás un tiempo muy difícil encontrar un lugar porque estas ferias son muy populares tambien con personas que vienen desde lejos en sus Vehículos. Muchas de las calles se cierran temporalmente o están configuradas para no ser disponibles para estacionar.

Tambien hay un tren de cable que va encima de Market Street llamado la línea F, estos trenes van desde Fisherman’s Wharf al Castro. Por lo general este servicio termina alrededor de las 11 o medianoche. Puedes tomar este servicio desde Union Square, donde se encuentran la mayoría de las grandes tiendas y hoteles. Pero esta es la manera más lenta posible de transportacion en San Francisco, aparte de caminar. Estos trenes son antiguos y por eso muy lentos!

Si vienes desde Union Square, la forma más rápida a llegar al Castro es a través del servicio de tren MUNI, que se encuentra bajo tierra. Para aliviar la confusión, en Union Square se puede entrar a las estaciónes de Montgomery, Powell Street, o en Civic Center (Centro Cívico). Estas estaciones son los más cerca a Union Square, y Powell Street es la calle más céntrica de Union Square. También hay una parada del la linea F y de BART en Powell.

En la plataforma hay dos direcciones, inbound (entrada) y outbound (salida). Trenes que van de entrada se dirigen hacia el Embarcadero o siguen en dirección oeste hacia la bahía. Trenes de salida van hacia el este, y pasan por el Castro. No utilice la linea J, porque se dirige a Church Street, que si está cerca al Castro, pero no es la mejor opción. La línea N se dirige al distrito del Sunset y recorre todo el camino hasta llegar a la playa. Aunque la linea J y la linea N se paran en estación de Church Street, no pasan por el Castro, aunque se puede caminar desde allí. Tanto las líneas J y N salen a veces a la superficie.

Las líneas de salida que te llevarán a la estación del Castro son K, L y M. Durante las horas pico entre semana, hay una linea S o la línea de Castro Express que salta muchas paradas y es muy rápido. Aungque no es muy buena idea esperar por la linea S, a veces el tiempo de espera entre los trenes puede ser muy largo y he esperado un buen tiempo por la linea S desde Powell no mas para encontrarlo tan lleno que no se podía subir.

No se apoye en las puertas de los trenes en movimiento, he escuchado historias de las puertas abriendose repentemente mientras los trenes se están moviendo a toda velocidad. Estoy seguro de que no es divertido salir volando afuera de estos trenes. No trate de subirse en el tren sin un pase válido, no tire este pase después de pasar por la puerta. Estos trenes tienen policía que comprueban las entradas, y te darán una desagradable multa si te encuentran sin un pase. Yo también no tocaria nada en el tren, algunas personas que viajan en los trenes no son muy higiénicos!

Algunas noches cierran los trenes subterraneos temprano y servicio pasa a los autobuses de la calle, que tendrá las mismas letras que los trenes. Durante los fines de semana hay autobuses que funcionan toda la noche por Market St. que no recurren seguido, pero es una alternativa si no tienes dinero para un taxi.

VIDA NOCTURNA Y BARES GAY:

Aunque el Castro tiene una larga lista de bares gay, se pensaria que habria más lugares para elegir, sin embargo hay un límite estricto sobre las licencias de bebidas alcohólicas dentro del Castro por lo que es casi imposible abrir más bares.

Blackbird es un bar que abrio reciente en el Castro, y tiende a tener un público más joven y mezclado. Es unas buenas cuadras desde Market y Castro, pero vale la pena el esfuerzo. Es el bar más cerca a un “lounge” que tenemos y tambien tiene una mesa de billar.

Blush – Un favorito personal, este bar de vinos sofisticados es muy relajante y ubicado en el corazón del Castro, cerca a 18^th St.

2223 es un bar y restaurante, así que puedes cenar y brindar en una sola sesión. Buena comida!

El Café es un bar y club de baile gay muy grande situado en el centro del Castro, con un montón de eventos todas las noches.

Twin Peaks es una barra de buen tamaño en el Castro, que atiende a un público de edad mayor. También se conoce como el “Glass Coffin” (ataúd de cristal0, así que usted puede leer entre líneas.

440 Castro es una barra de buen tamaño, que tiende a satisfacer a los osos y cachorros. También tienen un par de noches que son para chicos más jóvenes y un noches de cerveza barata que son muy popular.

Bar On Chuch (formalmente conocido como Bar On Castro), pero después de perder su contrato de arrendamiento se movió desde el Casto a Church St. El nuevo lugar es muy amplio, y la gente es una mezcla, pero por el lado más joven en general. A unos cortos pasos de Gayway, perdon Safeway.

Trigger es un bar para el público “gay yuppie” (jovenes profesionales), las bebidas son por lo general el doble precio que en cualquier otro lugar. A mi me gustava ester lugar, pero se ha dejado ir en calidad en mi opinión. Incluso page por su “Black Card” (tarjeta negra) el primer año, pero no lo volveré a hacer.

Martuni’s es un bar gay con piano, situado en las afueras del Castro. Aqui hacen sus bebidas y cocteles muy fuertes y diferentes eventos casi todas las noches, es un buen lugar, intimo y elegante.

The Mix es otra barra gay de tamaño medio con una bonita terraza al exterior en la parte trasera. Aqui tienen algunos divertidos eventos y una mesa de billar. Atrae a una gran variedad de público, y en el pasado he conocido a algunos chicos muy agradables aquí.

Moby Dick es un bar pequeño pero divertido con una mesa de billar y un tanque de peces detras de la barra. Un lugar popular para los equipos de deportes gay para brindar despues de un partido.

Harvey’s es un restaurante muy popular y emblemático de la vida gay. Esta situado en el corazón del Castro en la esquina de 18th y Castro, visita obligada para todos los turistas.

The Edge es el bar para osos y cachorros, nunca he estado aquí, pero siempre veo que hay mucha gente por lo general.

Toad Hall es un bar gay muy popular por un patio exterior, la gente es mezclada con una gran cantidad de jóvenes para elegir. Yo lo llamo “Toad Vomit” (vómito de sapo), pero no mas es mi punto de vista.

Badlands es el bar gay más popular en el Castro, gente muy joven, con pantallas LCD en todas las paredes. Esta es la trampa para todos los turístas porque cuando entres no vas a querer salir, los precios de las bebidas son muy razonables y una buena hora orientada a matar a las personas con intoxicación alcolica.

The Mint, técnicamente está fuera del Castro, pero que está cerca de Martuni’s que vale la pena mencionarlo. Este es tu lugar si quieres una noche de karaoke.

TIENDAS

Best in Show – Una boutique de juguetes para tu perrito, tu ser mas querido.

PERSONAS SIN HOGAR:

San Francisco es la capital para personas sin hogar de Norte America. Y los turistas son los principales objetivos. Sé que vas a sentir lástima por ellos y ellos te dirán todo tipo de historias locas sobre todos sus problemas. Si les das dinero, te seguiran preguntando, una vez que observen que le diste a uno, los otros te perseguiran por mas cambia. Tan feo como suena, es mejor no hacer contacto y decir no gracias y seguir caminando. Si les das un cigarro abres las puertas para que empiezen a pedir dinero. La ciudad les ofrece dinero, alimentos y vivienda.También tienen decenas de opciones de educacion, ayuda a conseguir un trabajo y asistencia médica. Ellos o tienen problemas mentales o elegin sequir molestando no mas para arruniar tu dia.

RESTAURANTES:

El Castro tiene una gran selección de restaurantes para elegir, todos muy fáciles de llegar a pie. En el extremo major en terminos de precio, hay Catch, un restaurante de mariscos que es realmente delicioso, está situado en Market St. en el Castro. Igual que Eureka, que se encuentra el la calle 18, tres quartos de cuadra desde Castro St. en dirección hacia “Dolores Park” (Parque Dolores). Una de las mejores novedades es Starbelly, en la esquina de la calle 16 y Market. Puedes hacer reservaciones en “Open Table” (Mesa Abierta) para ambos Catch y Eureka. Starbelly, a menos que haya un grupo muy grande es por orden de llegada, hacie que espera una espera.

Francés

Bisou – Esto es mi restaurante Francés favorito en San Francisco, sin duda alguna! Tienes que probarlo!

Americana – Alimentos para satisfacer a los borrachos

Harvey’s – Debes probarlo, concinan muy bien la comida Americana, tiene tambien una barra grande y el personal es muy amable.

Home Restaurante – Este es el restaurant que debes de ir para probar el almuerzo, asegúrate de conseguir una reservacion y trata los panes hechos en casa.

Cafe Flore - Un café al aire libre, con un bar y un restaurante, agradable en los días soleados.

Orphan Andy’s – clásica cena Américaca, abierto las 24 horas, también tienen una gran seleccion de comida con bajas calorias y carbohidratos para los borrachos en dieta.

China

Brandy Ho’s – Uno de mis favoritos tambien, su estilo es Hunan asi que puede ser picante.

Nirvana – Comida aqui es más fusión asiática. Los fideos valen la pena probar. Y tambien los excelentes cócteles!

Sushi

Osaka Sushi – buena comida, excelente ubicación, por lo general algunas de las opciones de pescado son bastante buenas.

India

Bombay

Kasa – Kasa es un pequeño restaurante y único en como sirven la comida India, he comido aquí decenas de veces y siempre me encanta.

Méxicana – Latina

Luna

Mediterráneo

Café Mystique – Una adicion más reciente en el Castro y un buen cambio de las típicas opciones.

La Mediterranee – no lo he probado, pero otra opción.

Italiano – Pizza

Nizarios – Pizza servida en rebanadas y siempre rico.

The Sausage Factory – Uno de mis restaurantes italianos favoritos en San Francisco, debes probarlo.

Escape From New York Pizza – Un buen lugar para una rebanada o si tienes apetito, toda la pizza entera. Tambien entregan a domicilo.

Marcello’s Castro – Pizza por la rebanada

Mariscos

Anclaje Oyster Bar – Una gran opción para los amantes de ostras!

Catch – Cena de lujo, tambien uno de mis lugares favoritos.

Tailandesa

Thai House Express

Vietnamita

Zadin – Un gran restaurante vietnamita, tambien incluye un menú sin gluten.

Postres – Cafes

Castro Tarts – Un café pequeño, es un poco difícil de encontrar.

Hot Cookie – Una pequeña panadería que hace unas galletas que parecen muy similares en el sistema reproductivo humano, pero mas sabrosos.

The Cove Cafe – Una pequeño café con postres.

Castro Street Fair

Tomorrow is the return of the annual Castro Street Fair, a fair dedicated to businesses and services catered to the Castro.  This is one of the only times of year that access to upper Market is closed for this fair, I would not recommend driving to the festivities.  If you are driving into the city, consider parking in SOMA or at a Muni station beyond the Castro and taking MUNI train in.  Every year traffic around the Castro is nearly at a complete stop, do yourself a favor and avoid this area.  If you are flying in, you can take BART to Van Ness or Powell St and switch to the MUNI train.  You have to walk out of BART’s gate to get into MUNI.  DO NOT TRY AND RIDE MUNI WITHOUT A TICKET, you will get a serious fine.  It’s not worth messing with this, do not throw out your ticket as its likely that the police will be on the trains!

You can read lots of great tips about the Castro on our page dedicated to the Castro.

Folsom Street Fair

San Francisco is well known for its Folsom Street Fair, as you may have guessed its located on Folsom St. which is located in SOMA (South Of Market Area).  This street fair is not just for gay men, this is one of the largest Leather Fettish fairs in the world.  The city of San Francisco shuts down a very large portion of Folsom St and several streets leading up to the fair.  If you are not aware San Francisco is a very difficult place to find parking at any time, day or night.  This fair causes massive traffic problems getting in and out of the city.

If you are flying in to SFO and want the fastest route in during the fair, take BART.  BART is our Bay Area Transit System, trains depart directly from the international terminal at SFO.  Cabs are plentiful, however if you take one be prepaired for a VERY expensive trip.  BTW, if you hate bad drivers stay away from the cabs, NYC cab drivers are tame compared to the lunatics that drive in SF.  When you get to the BART station, which is interconnected via the airport tram.  Just head to the International terminal which also says BART, there are 2 stops, pay attention or you will get off on at the wrong station.  The train fair is about $10, which has doubled due to our lovely Union operated train system which is already poorly maintained.  You would figured at the prices they charged they could at least have a cleaning crew through the day.  Watch where you sit or you could be sitting on gum, or who knows what else?  Although if you are easily grossed out, I would suggest avoiding this fair.

Just a few years back the city health department shut down one of the most disgusting parts of the fair down.  The worlds largest cum rag, I am not joking.  Down one of the side streets, guys would do their thing from the balconies above on a giant cloth.

As a reference, different colored leather or vinyl means different fetishes.  Red, which I didn’t know any better means you like to get fisted!  I will never do that again.  Yellow, you can probably guess means you are into water sports or for the folks who do not know means you like to get urinated on and or urinate on other people.  Trust me, straights are into this as well.  Golden Showers are another commonly used term for this is Golden Showers.  I just got a little queazy writing that.  But wait, Brown means well you either like to receive or give a number 2 or take a dump on someone, otherwise known as SCAT.  I am grasping to not loose my lunch to finish this.  I know there are other colors, however I really just don’t want to know about it.  If you come unprepared and want to dress up, the largest leather store in the city is Mr S leather, located just a few blocks south on 8th St on the left hand side.  They can outfit you with a custom harness, you better not be shy about someone grabbing your privates in order to size it around your loved ones.

For the GLBT community, please patronize the businesses that have spent serious money to put up booths.  NONE of the food is operated by gay companies, many gay owned businesses in SF and around the bay area donate part of their proceeds to very important charities that help disabled people and those who are living with HIV or advanced AIDS.  The pharmaceuticals are getting rich on the medications.  For example one medication called costs about $1,500 a month without insurance.  I have personally paid for several desperate young men’s prescriptions, I was horrified.  Unlike most gay men in San Francisco, I think of others before myself and unless they are Meth addicts I will help them.  Meth addicts will lie and use the money for more Meth and not the drugs that will keep them alive.  Don’t let any of them fool you.  A close personal friend of mine, John McLaughlin an openly recovered meth addict and a gay actor in Hollywood.  He opened my eyes to what the drug does to people, he has a film about his struggles with it and I am SO genuinely proud of him and what he has done for the gay community.  The group GLAAD (Gay and Lesbians Against Anti-Defimation), which I used to donate to on a regular basis until they treated me like SHIT as a volunteer who donated many thousands of dollars to them.  But their management is to blind and full of themselves to see who really makes a difference in our community.

Enough of me bitching about the empowered gay’s and how poorly they work well together.

Folsom has many closed booth’s where they demonstrate different fetishes, including whips and other instruments of pain for pleasure.  I have met many of my straight friends in the fair, their curiosity to what goes on in this fair.  So if you are straight and are interested in seeing whats going on, don’t be affraid.  No one will push you to do anything you don’t want to do.

Most of the gay bars within the confines of the street fair cater to the “Daddy/Leather/Bear” segment of the gay community.  I have attended at least 6 of these street fairs over the years and have always found those bars are packed to the gills.  The whole smelling like a poorly maintained high school locker room is revolting to me, however I will not criticize any part of the community.San Francisco for the most part is safe, but if you have not been here before.  It’s important to know that there are some not so great areas and getting mugged is a possibility especially late at night.  Always watch where you are walking, don’t play with you phone while walking.  Especially if you have an iphone, I have heard countless times from friends that they where mugged and stole their phones.  Just stay aware, I have personally NEVER had a problem that I couldn’t get away from, and have lived in the city many years.  I pay attention, that’s the only difference.

If you are staying in Union Square, you can walk to the fair in 10-15 minutes.  I would suggest walking, taking a cab can be a fruitless effort with all of the traffic.  There is always crazy traffic during the fair.  Just walk down 5th St and you will run right into it, the fair ends at 12th st.  It’s a huge event, many thousands of people will go through it.

Folsom St. between 5th and 12th St.

Gay Spots in SOMA - All links are to Google Maps, the exact location of each Business.

Gay Sex Clubs

The city of San Francisco requires all sex clubs to provide condoms and require their staff to look to make sure you are using them.  There is no private rooms of any sorts, to find that you will need to go over the bridge to Berkeley to Steam Works.

Blow Buddies - 933 Harrison St.  Just a short walk away.

Shops

Mr S. Leather – By far the largest leather & fetish shop in the city, also very close. 385 8th St.

Restaurants

Mars, a good 15 minute walk is worth the walk and has many gay events. Mars has a broad menu, American Fair at high quality, great brunch with outdoor seating  798 Brannan.

Basil Canteen is an amazing Thai Restaurant, if you like Thai food, make sure to try them. 1489 Folsom St.

Custom Burger is an amazing burger with the finest selection of meats and vegetarian options.  121 7th St.

St. Regis San Francisco – Gay Friendly Hotel

This Starwood luxury property is to die for, I have never stayed here myself, however I have been in a few Suites on the top floor for business meetings.  Other than the W in Montreal, I have not seen power blinds in a suite anywhere around Starwood’s properties.  They have a great asian fusion restaurant called Ame, worth trying, amazing service just like the staff.  By far they have the most expensive valet parking in the city, but if you can afford to stay here, you won’t really care.

The St. Regis is very gay friendly, in fact I have attended several black tie gay charity dinners at this hotel.  This hotel is in SOMA, south of market area, just steps away from The W and a short walk to Market St.  Very close to MOMA, the museum of modern art.  Also if you are attending a conference at the Moscone convention center, its just right across the street from the 2 main halls.  SOMA is also home to many gay bars, mostly leather/daddy bars.  You can very easily get to the Castro, the center of gay San Francisco.  either by cab, or you can use the underground trains called MUNI.  Trains K, L and M all go through the Castro, if you are heading towards Blackbird bar, you can take any train that stops at Church St.  Which is only steps away on the North side of the street, exiting the outbound side.

If you are a Starwood point collector or just looking for stays, you must book the St. Regis on the Starwood site.  Below is a direct link to this exact hotel on their site.

Direct link to this St. Regis on Starwood.com

I find that hotels.com has some of the lowest rates, they do not make it easy to find an exact hotel on their site.  The link below will take you to this St. Regis on their site.

Direct link to the St. Regis San Francisco on hotels.com
125 3rd St, San Francisco, CA, 94103

Westin Las Vegas – Gay Friendly Hotel

This is an older Westin, rooms are ok, nothing that special.  But the one unique feature that I really like is the pool hot tub is open till 3am or so, every other resort in Las Vegas shuts down at 7pm and that’s it.  This Westin has a small Casino in the lobby, with table games like Craps, Roulette, Card Games and of course the video games that love to inhale money and a restaurant and a Spa.  It’s slightly off the strip just east, if you are a Starwood point collector this hotel runs point specials all the time.  They have both Valet and self parking.  During the week they have a happy hour where they serve beer wine and food, the food is pretty good.  This is a very popular business hotel, you will find many other business travelers week nights at the bar.  They also have a breakfast buffet that has a large selection, they also have sugar free syrup for the diabetics, a rare thing in Vegas resorts.

The casino is owned by a different company, so don’t bother complaining to the hotel.

For the most part every time I have stayed here has been ok.  The internet access is commonly slow, I can recall a few years ago their AC failed in August and I had to pressure them to move me to Planet Hollywood, which is no longer a Starwood property.  I found it funny how the casino insisted on keeping their slot machines on, that generate so much heat when no one was using them because it was hot as hell.

To get starwood credit you must book on their site, the link below will take you directly to this Westin making it easier to book.
Link to the Las Vegas Westin on Starwood.com

If you don’t care about the points and just want the best rate, I would check out hotels.com.  A link is below to the exact Westin, they do not offer a search that will get you to the hotel quickly.
See hotels.com current rates for the Las Vegas Westin

160 E Flamingo Rd, Las Vegas, NV, 89169

Sheraton Denver – Gay Friendly Hotel

Another great option is the Sheraton Denver, a large full service hotel that is very gay friendly.  They have an outdoor pool, fitness room, valet parking and of course full room service.  You can take a cab and be at most of the gay bars in Denver in 5-10 minutes.  I usually stay at the Westin as the building is much taller and the views are very nice and the Westin in a little more centrally located.  Denver is full of shopping, great parks and of course very close to some of the best ski resorts on the West Coast.  Denver also has more sunny days than any other major city in the US.  I always feel at home in Denver.

To get Starwood credit you must book through the Starwood site.  They guarantee the best rates, but I find that they will not honor it.  Below is a link that will take you directly to the Sheraton Denver page.
Direct link to the Sheraton Denver on Starwood

Hotels.com has great rates, below is a link to the Sheraton on their site.

Direct link to this Sheraton on Hotels.com

1550 Court Place, Denver, CO, 80202

Gay Friendly Cities

I and many of our amazing contributors have been all over the US and over the world.  I am adding this page to try and help you determine if a city is friendly enough to visit.  Some places can be down right dangerous, for example its illegal to be gay in Jamaica, I have heard many horror stories.

But Moving on to my current home to start.

Austin - Is a very gay friendly town, a very large selection of Gay Bars, very gay friendly hotels like the W.  The new W is actually just around the block from Oil Can Harry’s.  Great restaurants as well, Santa Rita, Kerbey Lane Café and South Congress Cafe too name a few.  It’s sorta like San Francisco in a strange way, and a big music town.

Denver – Is an amazing, mostly gay friendly city. This city also has its share of religious nut cases who cause some trouble from time to time. From what I know of, there isn’t a specific gay hotel in Denver. However you have many options
downtown, including the Westin and Sheraton, which are both gay friendly. The mile high city also gets more sunny days than any other major city in the US. The Westin actually has this fairly strange indoor-outdoor pool, its rather unique as well as a gym. The famous Palms steak house is attached and is very good. Personally I prefer to patronize gay owned restaurants, so I wind up at Hamburger Marry’s a very large gay bar/restaurant/drag show.  You can find a good selection of Denver’s Gay Bars.

Las Vegas – This one is really on the fence for a full recommendation. If you have other options, I think you should consider them. Even with such a huge service industry, overall Las Vegas is not all that gay friendly. Promoters like J.Son are
trying to change that; he was able to convince the Luxor to host the only weekly gay pool party throughout the summer season. In the 90’s their spa became a little hot spot for gay men, however the Luxor had security in they’re at all hours throwing them out. This is a big change in direction. On the other hand you have hotels like the Encore who have pages promoted online about being gay friendly. They forgot to tell their staff about that. Even the high priced hookers wouldn’t leave me alone; she couldn’t believe I was gay.

Las Vegas has only 1 all gay hotel that is clothing optional called Blue Moon Resort, located just West of the North end of the strip. On the strip there is one gay nightclub called Krave. It is not open every night, there is always a high priced
cover and the drinks though strong are very expensive. It’s on the south side of Planet Hollywood off Harmon. Just east on Harmon a few blocks and a right turn on Paradise will get you into what’s known as the fruit loop. You have multiple
bar options here, 8 ½ and Piranha are connected, and this is a higher end bar/dance club. As well as Gipsy, which is just next-door. Across the street you will find Buffalo, a mixed crowd with pool tables. Just to the right of Buffalo is an adult video and toy store. Across from The Buffalo is Free Zone, make sure you check out their calendar before going, they host many ladies nights as well.  There are quite a few more gay bars, my personal favorite is Charlies which is located West of the strip off Tropicana and on Arville in what looks like an industrial business building.  Starwood has one hotel just east of the strip on Flamingo, its a Westin, has a small casino as well.

San Diego - My home town, most of the gay activity is centralized in one area called Hillcrest.  You will find a nice selection of gay bars, restaurants of all types, gay gyms like 24 hour fitness, and shopping galore.  However, like San Francisco there are few hotel options.  There are tons of gay friendly hotels in down town San Diego near the Gas Lamp District that has great restaurants, shopping and gay bars.  San Diego offers lots of beach options, however I believe all of the beaches are now alcohol free and the police will check coolers.  San Diego does not have a very user friendly public transportation system, so consider renting a car.

San Francisco - Ok yeah, duh San Francisco is a very gay friendly town.  You might be surprised to know that its not the highest population of Gay people, Dallas I believe is number 1 then Los Angeles and then NYC.  San Francisco is very diverse, although the Castro is the heart of anything Gay, you can find gay establishments all over the city.  The city is broken into many districts, The Castro, The Haight, Lower Haight, Nob Hill, Lower Nob Hill, Union Square, Fisherman’s Wharf is a huge tourist trap, avoid at all cost.  The older gayborhood was on Polk St. so you can find a few bars in that area as well.  I can’t think of any major hotel in the city not being friendly, now some of the smaller cheap “weekly” rate type places.  The largest concentration of Gay Bars is in The Castro, then in SOMA there are some of the more leather, daddy type places.  My current favorite bar in The Castro is Blackbird, a laid back gay bar with an awesome staff.  My other favorite is a wine bar called Blush, amazing wine, food and people!  San Francisco also throws and incredible pride event every year, you just missed it this year but if you have the chance you must see it.  The Castro has very few options when it comes to lodging, I would suggest trying Union Square.  Most of the best shopping is in Union Square.  There are also several options for gay gyms in The Castro, 24 Hour Fitness and Gold’s Gym to name a few.

Seattle – Other than the lack of warm days, Seattle is extremely gay friendly with the majority of activities, including bars and restaurants are located in Capitol Hill. Very close to down town, it’s a bit of a hike if you choose to walk it. The hills are nowhere as steep as San Francisco but if its cold enough you will regret not taking a cab or driving. Be very mindful of the parking signs, they have some of the strangest parking restrictions I have ever seen in the US. They do not color the curbs either, my first visit I wound up getting a nice fine, nowhere near a fire hydrant.

Like Portland, there is a large hipster community, however not as intrusive. Washington State also has the highest taxes on alcohol so when you walk into a dive bar and get charged $10 for something most other places would be $4-5.  Gay Bars and Night Clubs list.

As any big city, Seattle has tons of hotel options. My personal favorites are Starwood properties. The Westin is one of the largest and is not owned by Starwood, it is a franchise. They are undergoing renovations; their new rooms are very nice if you can get one. Some of their older rooms do show their age, ask if you can get a remodeled room.  We have a short list of gay friendly hotels in Seattle.

This article is a work in progress and not close to being done.

US Grant San Diego

Another Starwood option in San Diego is the US Grant, also located in downtown San Diego.  Not far from Hillcrest, where pretty much anything gay in San Diego is to be found.  They do have a gym, I believe its included in the room charge.  This is one of the most beautiful hotels in all of San Diego.  All Starwood properties are gay friendly and this luxury hotel is no exception.  You will be treated well here, if not call Starwood and tell them what happened, I have seen what happens to a hotel GM of Starwood when I have called in complaining about how they treated a gay customer.  I will not say which one, but the problem was corrected very quickly.

If you are planning on visiting for San Diego Gay Pride, you want to book your room early.  It’s a very well attended pride, in July so its really good weather.  This hotel is also not far from the Gas Lamp District either.

If you travel a lot and want the Starwood points or stays towards status, you must book directly with Starwood, they claim to guarantee the best rates.  However they denied my refund from the price on expedia before, so don’t put a lot of faith in it.

Direct link to the US Grant on Starwood.com

I find hotels.com has some of the best rates and great customer service, a direct link to the hotel is below.

US Grant rates on Hotels.com
326 Broadway, San Diego

The Nines Portland – Gay Friendly Hotel

I have so far stayed at this hotel twice now, both experiences where a hair bumpy.  This is a luxury Starwood property.  The staff is very friendly and when I had issues they tried their best to accommodate me.  As a Starwood Platinum member we are supposed to get the best available room, no matter the rate, which includes suites.  I have never been upgraded in this hotel, however after I brought it up, they stepped up and bought me dinner at Departure, their restaurant on the roof.  A wonderful view, good service, however it is not open every day.  If you are Platinum they will give you access to their club lounge, which is the first hotel I have seen to offer fine hours devours and complimentary alcohol.

The Nines is centrally located in downtown Portland.  They have a work out room as well as another restaurant called Urban Farmer, a high end steak house.  Average steak is in the $50 range.

Portland’s Gay Bars are not far, either a very short cab ride or a short walk.  In the winter I would cab it, too cold for my blood.

If you want to book directly with Starwood, in order to earn points and stays towards status.  Below is a direct link to the Nines on their site.

Book the Nines on Starwood

Even though Starwood guarantee’s the lowest rates, there are a lot of “exceptions” to that.  Below is a direct link on Hotels.com, be aware Starwood does not count discount sites as stays or nights stayed.

See the current rates on Hotels.com

525 SW Morrison · Portland 

Gay Brisbane

Brisbane City from Mt Cootha

What can I say about Brisbane (also known as Brissie, Brisvegas or Brisneyland)- warm, friendly, easy going and laid-back.  Brisbane is Australia’s 3^rd largest city with a population of over 1.8 million. This  once “sleepy little town” has really blossomed over the last decade to become a fun and interesting city that boasts great  entertainment , eating and shopping precincts all within close proximity to the City centre. After you have visited Sydney and want to slow the pace down just a little, then this is the place for you… Especially If you like the outdoorsy lifestyle then you‘ll love Brisbane-make sure you pack your shorts and flip flops!

In summer it can be quite warm with the average daytime temperature being between 25-32°C (77-89.6°F) degrees  and around 18°C-20°C (64.4°C-68°F) at night.  During Winter the mercury can get down to around 8°C (46.4°F) at night and around 23°C (73.4°F) during the day -if the weather is sunny.  The sun can get pretty strong in Brisbane (Queensland has one of the highest skin cancer rates on the planet) so it’s recommended to wear the minimum of sunglasses and sunscreen…and a hat, if you’re not too worried about messing up your do!

Click here for a downloadable map of Brisbane city.

Public Transport

Getting around Brisbane is easy.  Busses, trains and ferry’s still accept cash however if you are staying for a few days or more then for true convenience it’s best to pick up a prepaid GO card. These are available from most corner shops, newsagencies and at major train station and bus depots. They cost $20 which includes $15 in travel and a $5 refundable deposit or $30 which includes $25 in travel and a $5 refundable deposit.  If the balance on your card needs to be topped up you can do that at any Go Card Machine. These cards are a simple swipe and go system on all train, bus and ferries across Brisbane. You just need to remember to swipe off as you alight from the vehicle so you are charged the correct amount for your journey.  If you don’t swipe off you will be charged the maximum amount for that journey.  The use of these cards will save you 30% in comparison to paying cash as you go… and saves you having to search through your wallet for the correct change. Go cards are only valid in Brisbane.  To find out timetables for busses, trains and Ferries check out Translink

Driving

There are plenty of car hire companies here if you decide to drive. Be wary that Brisbane drivers can be a little arrogant and not very friendly however in general, driving around the city is easy but you do need to watch out for the one way streets.  Street parking in the city can be a bit difficult. If you do find a space make sure you read the signs very carefully as the city is reasonably compact and our parking inspectors are quite numerous…. Or even worse you don’t want to get towed if your car is left in a clearway during peak hours.  There are quite a few parking garages around the city and they vary in price however for peace of mind are worth the money.

Cycling

City Cycle

City Cycle is a new bicycle hiring system in Brisbane, similar to that of Paris, France.   You will see lines of yellow bikes decorating the streets around the City and surrounding suburbs. To use these you need to sign up at City Cycle Guide. Subscription is $11 per day and trips under 30 minutes are free. City Cycle is about to release weekly subscriptions too. Handy for those staying a little longer.  The bikes do have lights and locks however at this stage the bikes don’t come with a helmet. It is the law to wear a helmet in Queensland so it’s best to bring one with you or purchase one here. The council is working on this little anomaly and will have helmet hire available soon.  Using City Cycle is a really great way to see the city and keep fit at the same time!

Taxi’s

There are 2 major taxi companies in the city- Black and White Cabs (ph 13 32 22), Yellow Cabs (13 19 24). Please be aware that you cannot hail a cab in the city (normally) you must go to a designated taxi rank.

Scene in general

You will find most gays tend to mix and blend in with the straights in Brisbane-Particularly around the Fortitude Valley, New Farm and Teneriffe Areas.  Unfortunately Brisbane is still homophobic and   public displays of affection are not recommended (except at the Wickham, The Beat, Sportsman’s Hotel  and  Fuffy @ Family on a Sunday night)  Use your common sense and you will be fine.

In Brisbane, if you want to party ‘till dawn you can certainly do that. Many clubs and pubs close late in the night and some are open until 6am! However you need to be aware of the 2am Lockout. Any club or pub, gay or straight has this as required by the city. Be aware that if you leave a club and try to get into another after 2am you will not be able to.  Unfortunately around this time it can get a bit scary on the streets with many drunken revellers all trying to catch cabs at the same time.  Drunken idiots and bad manners are rife at this time so be aware.

Fortitude Valley/New Farm

Brisbane doesn’t have a gay district per se however you will find most of the gay bars (The Wickham Hotel and The Beat) in Fortitude valley (with the exception of The Sportsman’s Hotel in Spring Hill). James Street precinct which is only 5 minute walk from Fortitude Valley is also where most of the sophisticated gays hang out in the various bars and restaurants with their straight friends. Ann, Wickham, and James street particularly are home to heaps of boutiques, shops, restaurants, cafés and bars that are all well worth checking out.  If you love Asian food then China Town Mall, just off Brunswick Street Mall is the place for you with plenty of Chinese, Vietnamese and Thai restaurants to choose from. Brunswick Street from Fortitude Valley all the way through to New Farm is worth the walk. Again there are heaps of restaurants, bars and boutiques to check out. At the end of Brusnwick St is New Farm Park. This is a great place for a picnic and perve on the locals. On the edge of the park is the Brisbane Power House.  This is an old power station that has been reborn as a very cool art, food and entertainment complex. On the second and fourth Saturday of every month the Power House also plays host to the Jan Power Farmers Markets from 6am till Midday. These markets have heaps of food and local produce to sample and are certainly well worth the visit.

Queen Street Mall/City

Queen Street Mall and the surrounding streets is a great place to check out with heaps of shopping, restaurants, bars, café’s and cinema’s that will keep you entertained all day and night. At the top of the mall is Treasury Casino Hotel for those of you who like to gamble.  Queen Street Mall has some of Brisbane best shopping and highlights include the Myer Centre, Broadway on the Mall and the recently opened Queens Plaza which hosts some of the world’s best designer boutiques. See the map for more details of the mall. Once you’ve finished checking out Queen Street Mall and you don’t mind a gamble then you may like to check out the Treasury Casino. The Treasury Casino is an enormous building filled with roulette, poker and blackjack tables to name but a few, and has acres upon acres of Pokies (slot) machines.  There is also 6 restaurants in the complex.  The Casino is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!

South Bank/West End

South Bank Entertainment Precinct

Once you’ve checked out the city then why not walk over the bridge and have a look at South Bank and then maybe Boundary street in West End.  Southbank is a large park and entertainment  area  complete with shops, restaurants, markets and it even has a free salt water lake complete with sandy beach… in case you want to have a dip and soak up some rays. There is also a Cinema in the area. Southbank is also home to the Queenland Performing Arts Complex if you want to see a play. The Queensland Museum & Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art are just across the road are great places to visit for a little history or art. The Queensland Museum is free to enter (except special exhibits).  There is limited street parking near Southbank however there a parking garage.

Boundary Street in West End is a little bit of an “alternative” area, however the café’s, and restaurants in this area are well worth the trip. There is a little shopping here and you may find a bargain but this area is more of a place where the locals come for coffe, to eat or have a drink. You can usually find street parking in or around Boundary street in West End.                                              `

Bulimba

Across the river is Oxford Street in Bulimba. This is a great little place to visit for a coffee, a little window shopping at some great boutiques and stores, some dinner or even see a movie. If you are  driving,  there is heaps of free parking on Oxford street and surrounding area.  You can catch the bus to Bulima but the best way to get there is on the City Cat ferry on the Brisbane River. Getting There on the City Cat is also a great way to see the city from a different angle.