Castro street, a street that is located in the heart of San Francisco City and starts from Waller and Divisadero streets on the north, running down southwards through Noe Valley and the 24th Street up to its intersection with the Glen Park to the farthest end, is a domiciliary name not only in expansive city of San Francisco but virtually in all parts of the world. The young, old, rich and poor all talk about the San Francisco’s street and its sprawling gay communities within the business district for one reason or the other despite it having the same fundamentals as any other street. However, its history affects its unique appearance and its connection to the gay community. It is this popularity that the street enjoys, of being noticed across the world, that has always inspired me to take a tour of it in the event that I am privileged to visit San Francisco.
Last spring break, I luckily had the opportunity to visit my cousin who lives in San Francisco. I took the chance to visit the areas that comprise the largest gay neighborhood in the United States of America, the Castro Street and the adjacent Eureka Valley. My visit was an eye-opener as I found that the Street has the same fundamentals as any other street in the United States of America: the nightlife, the number of tourists, and the amenities. It had the same nightlife as Hollywood in Los Angeles that starts when people go to the bars and the nightclubs in order to drink alcohol, dance, and meet new people and just like the Times Square in New York, the street is always crowded with people, with a big number of tourists coming to visit from all over the world.
The history of Castro Street explicates why the street’s popularity is not only in San Francisco but also to other...
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...ure. It gave me an insight into the cultures and lifestyle of the local residents of San Francisco City. Castro Street is the only place I know of where gays freely express themselves and carry out their practices in the open. Despite the litter, foul smell and the uncomfortable gay culture, it is an amazing place to visit (Shilts 35). I would recommend my classmates to visit the street because it is very historical, beautiful and has no elements of discrimination at all. I am sure they will enjoy the place.
Works Cited
Bing, Alison. Lonely Planet San Francisco. New York; Lonely Planet,2012.
Forrest, Katherine & Buskirk, J.V. Love, Castro Street; reflections of San Franscisco.
New York: Alyson Books, 2007.
Forrest, Kathrine. Love, Castro Street. Chicago; Alyson Publications, 2007.
Shilts,Randy. The Mayor of Castro Street. San Fransisco; Penguin Publishers, 2008.
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