Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
18
town from Union Square. To the immediate east of the Mission, Potrero Hill is a
post-industrial area where design shops and Whole Foods Markets have moved
into old warehouses.
THE HAIGHT
Best for:
Shops that dress you like you're still 19
What you won't find:
Attractions
The Haight, also known as Haight-Ashbury after one of its intersections, used to
be a place where cultural trends were called. Today, though, it's living as a shadow
of its former self. You'll see far fewer groovy oddballs from the hippie area than
you might expect. Even the collectors' art shops that sold concert posters from
that long-ago era have moved on—but some of the old bohemianism remains in
the form of a line of head shops and consignment stores. There are no real attrac-
tions to speak of here, save Golden Gate Park at its west, yet many tourists still
come here, mostly on the back of the district's reputation from 1967. You're more
likely to meet slumming rich kids from the suburbs who have discreetly parked
their Beemers a few blocks away than you are to meet any actual hippies, who,
sadly, burned themselves out chasing their psychedelic dreams years ago.
THE CASTRO
Best for:
Gay bars and pubs, classic movie screenings
What you won't find:
Big-ticket shopping
Although it's known as the gay part of town, it's actually one of several—but the
Castro is, indeed, representative of a typical San Francisco neighborhood, full of
local cafes, bars, and businesses that have been going for generations. When you're
here, it's easy to imagine how nice life would be if you lived here, too—why is it
that so many gay neighborhoods capture this lightning in a bottle? This area
started as a typical working-class 'hood, but in the late 1960s and early 1970s, gay
folks who were squeezed out of the Haight settled here, where it served as a flash
point for the early gay rights movement. Again, there are not many attractions to
speak of here, but that doesn't mean a stroll can't be rewarding (see the walking
tour on p. 172). The biggest reason to come is probably the spectacular Castro
Theatre, a popular revival film house and a glorious architectural specimen from
the golden age of movies.
CIVIC CENTER & HAYES VALLEY
Best for:
Giant attractions, expensive boutiques
What you won't find:
Affordable shopping
The few blocks around City Hall are known as the Civic Center area. Its center-
piece is the City Hall building, a grandiose governmental palace worthy of an
entire nation. Ringing City Hall is a fringe of monumental museums, perform-
ance halls, and libraries, making this district a magnet for the high arts. The streets
are a little plain, and the hotels and restaurants a little nondescript, but the area
morphs quickly into Hayes Valley to the west, where upscale restaurants and bou-
tiques attract the cool kids.
