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Thread: San Francisco

  1. #1
    Silver Member trannie T's Avatar
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    San Francisco

    I will be spending a few days in San Francisco at the end of the month. On Tuesday I'm going to TrannyShack. I'm going to wander through the Castro. Where else should I go in drag?
    It takes a real man to wear a dress.

  2. #2
    Member Jocee's Avatar
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    Martuni's on Market is fun. It's a martini place with piano bar in the back. Mixed crowd, but very accepting.

    Enjoy!

  3. #3
    Member RikkiOfLA's Avatar
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    I'm going to make a point about vocabulary, your word choice of "drag." I'm not doing it to criticize you for the word you chose, but to make a point about San Francisco. I've been to The City many times, en femme and not, and gone to just about every part of town.

    There is a San Francisco "look." If you get the look, you can go anywhere in town en femme. Market Street, Fisherman's Wharf, Chinatown, even church! I've done it without comment. (And in my humble opinion, those four areas might be the hardest places in The City to crossdress, because they are full of tourists who have heard about San Francisco by reputation, and can't wait to see "one of them.") So, thanks to the ubiquitous tourists, if you can't get the look right, you're probably wiser to only go en femme to Trannyshack and "friendly" places of that ilk.

    "Drag" connotes an exaggerated parody of womanhood and transgenderedness. Drag queens do shows in bars, exaggerating everything about GGs and us, to amuse tourists, to tittilate horny drunks, and to get a laugh by letting even the clueless in on the joke. It's what they do, and they have every right to do it, as much as we do. And some of them are uncanny good at it.

    The San Francisco "look" is the opposite of drag--sophisticated, understated, and feminist. You can wear a skirt to dinner at Alioto's, to a service at Grace Cathedral, or to drinks and dancing at The Top of the Mark. But even at those places, in a skirt, you'll probably be in the minority. Plan to wear pants in dark colors in the daytime every day, unless the weather is hot and it's Saturday--on those few days, dress for Los Angeles in a short flowery skirt and you'll be fine. Avoid heels over 1 1/2 inches unless you're going dancing--with all those hills, The City is definitely a flats kind of town. And tone the makeup down--set your makeup for a natural look and you'll do just fine.

    So to put it very simply, you can crossdress anywhere and any time in San Francisco--but avoid drag!

    Hope this helps.

    Rikki

  4. #4
    A California Girl Rachel Morley's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by RikkiOfLA
    So to put it very simply, you can crossdress anywhere and any time in San Francisco--but avoid drag!
    Not quite. Are you going next weekend?....it's the SF GLBT Pride weekend. There will be Drag Queens everywhere! San Francisco is an awesome city. I've been there many times dressed in various ways and I've always felt safe and accepted. So as to where should you go?....pretty much anywhere really. Although I personally found the Castro district a bit of a disappointment.
    Last edited by Rachel Morley; 06-17-2006 at 02:39 PM.
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  5. #5
    Action crossdresser Marlena Dahlstrom's Avatar
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    I have to second what Angel has said. I'm a local and there are lots of looks in SF. Go to the Financial District on a weekday or Davies Hall before a performance and you'll see a number of women in skirts and dresses. And what's "appropriate" varies by neighborhood. I've had dinner with a drag queen, but in Hayes Valley that's not quite the sight it would be compared to doing so in Potero Hill.

    That said, going out in hooker-wear or in full Priscilla-Queen-of-the-Desert drag will result in more attention just like anywhere else -- even during the Pride Parade or the Folsom Street Fair. But the locals have seen far stranger, and to the tourists you're just local color. However, Rikki is correct that wearing a skirt will typically cause you to standout, mainly because GWs mostly wear pants due to the cool and often windy weather.

    And I'd actually say, the tourist destinations are a lot easier to blend in -- the tourists are so busy gawking that they're not paying a lot of attention to what's going on around them (which is why the pickpockets love these areas).

    Anyway, as far as stuff to do...

    If you're there on a second or fourth Saturday, the Faux Girls drag show at Marlena's is worth checking out. More of a cabaret-style show (and naughty, not nasty). (FYI, Trannyshack starts very late -- midnight on a weeknight, if it's on time, which it usually isn't.) The rest of the time, Marlena's is a nice, friendly neighborhood bar where you can show up crossdressed and no one will bat an eye. The Blue Muse restaurant around the corner is lacking in atmosphere, but has great food and is one of the best values in the now-gentrified Hayes Valley -- and they're totally t-friendly.

    As mentioned Martuni's is a nice upscale, mixed (gay/straight) bar with karaoke and Octavio's across the street, which often has jazz, is a nice restaurant.

    Adam to Eve, a transformation service, also organizes Friday outings to Diva's nightclub, which is a bit on the sleazy side with lots of nominally off-duty tranny hookers and hordes of admirers. OTOH, if you go with Eve, usually there's a number of CDs who take over a corner of the dance floor.

    And TGSF usually has social events twice a month.

    Other than that, most areas of SF are fine to go en femme. (The Tenderloin, and parts of Market Street and the Mission are dicey after dark, but that's true regardless of how you're dressed -- and just remember to use the same safety consciousness that a GW would use.) I've been shopping, been to various tourists locales, to movies, to restaurants and to all the museums, taken cabs and stayed at various hotels en femme without a problem. (Although for the record, I do dress "realistically" and sometimes that does mean I wear pants.)

    BTW, if you like Impressionism, the Legion of Honor art museum has a big Monet exhibit that just opened this weekend.

    Incidentally, it's not worth trying to drive in the parts of the city that tourists usually visit. Parking is notoriously impossible (and hotel parking fees can be expensive), so walk, take public transportation or a cab. That said, it is handy to have a car to reach outlying parts of the city, like Twin Peaks and the Golden Gate Bridge, as well as to do a day trip up to Marin, so you might consider renting one for a day.
    Lena

    A dream? What is a dream, but a blueprint for courageous action.

    http://www.adahlshouse.com

  6. #6
    Semi Sane innocent angel
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    Asia SF
    201 9th St. at Howard St.

    http://www.asiasf.com/


    Divas
    1081 Post St
    San Francisco, Ca
    http://www.divassf.com/

    The Endup
    401 6th Street
    San Francisco
    CA 94103
    http://www.theendup.com/


    Marlena's
    488 Hayes St
    San Francisco, CA 94102




    Martuni's
    4 Valencia St
    San Francisco, CA 94103

    Octavia Lounge
    1772 Market St
    San Francisco, CA 94102
    Last edited by Sharon; 06-19-2006 at 11:19 AM. Reason: removed phone numbers

  7. #7
    Semi Sane innocent angel
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    Long as you dress like women do its fin e. No hooker shoes, 6 inch heels, short skirt or dress you will be fine. Now there are plcase I wont go to as a guy in SF. If some tells you to go to aunt charlies , its cab ride in, cab ride out. Cool place but they nieghborhood is scary even during day light

  8. #8
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    Open your Golden Gate

    Diva's is a PRO bar, and the guys in there are looking for sex workers. So be advised. It is however "A Spot" and can be fun to check out. Much better is the Lush Lounge across the street. Totally cool spot, used to trannys, and the blueberry martinis - look out.

    If someone suggests Aunt Charlie, tell 'em to suggest something else. I work at a theatre around the corner from there and its mean streets, and at night its big city scary if your are not used to it. Not suggested at all. Its kind of sad too. If your going out, might as well go someplace nice after all.

    Asia SF is cool, if pricey, might want to cab it there if your not a big city girl.

    Trannyshack is fun, packed, but fun. Remember though its "the anti-drag" show, and I have known girls who do not appreciate the joke at all. Others love it. Get there early if you want to dance, the place is packed by 11:30 almost a full hour before the 12:00 show starts at 12:25 (drag time warp). Anything goes her. Dress code absolutely not tolerated.

    Bondage A Go-Go is Wednesday nights, and if you are into the all black deal, goth, fetish, its a blast even if the DJs play only industrial music.

    Castro is open and all, and this Saturday is PINK Saturday, and will be a huge party, so no problem. Go anywhere, its all boys anyway. The other places, like Marlene's and Martuni are nice, Marlene's in particular.

    But SF is very gender neutral, and with the same caution that anyone would exercise in a Big City as a GIRL you can go just about anywhere and meet with the kind of semi-bored, 'sure, whatever' that your uber-hip wait person is bound to employ. Be sure to shop. Macy's rules SF. The Goodwill at Mission and Van Ness is to die for. Very TG friendly that place too.

  9. #9
    Pleasure activist Rikkicn's Avatar
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    A Flower in Your Hair

    Quote Originally Posted by Marlena Dahlstrom

    (The Tenderloin, and parts of Market Street and the Mission are dicey after dark,
    Well harumph! I actualy live in the mission district and love it here. I'm rebuilding my life here. I go to restuarants, shops, drug stores, grocery stores and events. I wear everything, jeans, skirts, dresses. I dress lots of different ways, Funky, sexy and mundane.
    My hair is long and I don't wear make up but I'm always dressed in fun
    colors and wear lots of jewelry and dangling ear rings.
    I have never had one problem! Not one!

    Every city has areas that are unsafe and there are areas of the The Mission where I would not go at night. However, The Mission, as a whole, is a vibrant, multi-cultural, multi-class community that epitomizes diversity. Everyone is welcome and respected here. In a Friday or Saturday evening walk down Valencia Street, in the Mission, you see wonderful little shops and co-op galleries. We have some of the best food in the city at all prices.
    Students, artists, those living in alternative ways, gender queer, gender variatant, straight, young, goth and yes, New dot.comer's, even poor and homeless too.
    I can walk down the street and on any givin day and see two or there trans people. Living in the Mission has made it possible for me to transition with some ease and comfort. It is place where I continue to feel comfortable exploring and getting confortable in how I dress and present my self. I'm finding this is a very important part of transitioning.
    If your not convinced then I invite you to come to San Francisco for a day or two I'll put a flower in your hair and share my urban oasis with you.

    Love,
    Rikki
    "Every desire of your body is holy. Did you hear what I said? Every desire of your body is holy"
    Hafiz "The Gift" Translations by Daniel Ladinsky

  10. #10
    Action crossdresser Marlena Dahlstrom's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rikkicn
    Well harumph! I actualy live in the mission district and love it here.
    Poor wording on my part, I meant parts of Market Street and parts of the Mission.
    Lena

    A dream? What is a dream, but a blueprint for courageous action.

    http://www.adahlshouse.com

  11. #11
    pretty pretty princess
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    be sure to

    don't forget :"if you're going to san fran cis co ,be sure to wearrrrrr a flow er in your hair".
    let me know how it goes.i'm very eager to visit all those places.it sounds like heaven.



    michelle19845

  12. #12
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    Walking along in the Mission in the rain

    hey, I didn't say anything about the Mission. I love the Mission. I didn't mention North Beach either and I live there. I just said the cornor of Turk and Taylor is kind of rough. (and it has been for a very long time now, I can't remember when it was ok - but I can remember it being much worse.)

    I mean we could fill her up with places, and special nights. We could send her to the El Rio, or to one of the super-gay disco dances that are going to be going on 24/3 next weekend. And the resturants. yum. Havent said a word about them either. But when I'm dressed nice (SF nice at least) I get treated very well.

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