Patrick and I are planning a trip to San Francisco for 2004 Pride (along with two friends) and I’m actively soliciting advice and recommendations about hotel options in town.
To be perfectly honest, I don’t know San Francisco geography from Baghdad. New York is my second home, not the Bay Area. I’m in the process of researching online about different neighborhoods, but a heads-up about where we’d most enjoy our stay would be much appreciated (SOMA? Union Square? Help!).
All four of us are gay men around the same age, and though we may try to see the typical tourist attractions at some point, mingling with mid-western families on Fisherman’s Wharf is not what this trip is about. We’re coming for Pride, for dancing, drinking, and a little shopping. Yeah, like I said, we’re four gay men. Oh, and of course we’re also coming to do a little lustful boy-watching—the other two in our group are single.
In short, we just want to have a damn good time. Fortunately, our idea of “good time” is pretty easy to meet; we’re used to Utah, after all.
Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer. Feel free to email, or just leave a comment.
March 19, 2004 at 4:52 pm
Probably get better advice from an actual San Franciscan…but everything worked out fine staying in the Union Square area - catch cable cars or BART nearby, walk to Chinatown, lots of shopping/food in that area, and doesn’t look that far away from the Pride festivities. Granted our trip was more “touristy”…so definitely just factor this in w/ some other advice! Great city though, can’t wait to get back there some day.
March 24, 2004 at 3:56 pm
Check out the black sands beach, somewhere near there. Most people go nude there. When I was there, we went. It was nice.
March 26, 2004 at 4:01 pm
Union Square. Most hotels are there, and it’s central to Castro, Haight, Mission, North Beach and Chinatown (the best neighborhoods to see for a real take on the city). If you want gay folk, the neigborhoods you should hang in are Castro and Polk Street/Russian Hill. Do not go to Fisherman’s Wharf under any circumstances, but the Pacific Coast at Seal Rock is essential, as is Twin Peaks.