Need suggestions for San Francisco en femme trip

[CDVeronica2]

I am dreaming of making a trip to San Francisco with my wife and finally going out dressed as a woman. I'd appreciate anyone's suggestions about what we should do (or not do).

I'm 6'-0" and 230 pounds, 53 years old, and have quite masculine features. We will probably stay somewhere near Union Square and plan to go shopping in that area. If I get up my courage, I'd like to have my makeup done at the MAC department at Macy's. On past trips we have eaten dinner at nice restaurants such as McCormick and Kuletos at Fisherman's Wharf.

We aren't really into the club scene. In the past we've enjoyed shopping, sightseeing (including "touristy" places like Fisherman's Wharf) and having a very nice dinner.

I'd appreciate any suggestions anyone has about where it might be safe to go and where I might best be able to blend in.

Thanks!!
Veronica

[Marlena Dahlstrom]

The whole city is pretty much t-friendly. Myself and other locals have gone pretty much everywhere and done all sorts of things.

Believe me the locals have seen far stranger things and the tourists...well, you'll just be local color. To be honest, touristy areas like Union Square, or Fisherman's Wharf etc. are actually easier places to blend in, since I've found the tourists usually pretty preoccupied and not paying a lot of attention -- which is one reason the pickpockets also like these areas.

In general, "nicer" places will be more respectful overall. If you like museums, there's several worth visiting -- including the Monet special exhibit at the Legion of Honor art museum.

If you're interested in a makeover, you might also considered the MAC store on Union Street (not the same as Union Square), which is a stand-alone store and a little more private that the MAC at Macy's.

There's also Adam to Eve, which run by MTF (and Eve's a real sweetie).

If you're here on the 2nd or 4th Saturday of the month, and you wife is comfortable with it, you might enjoy the Faux Girls drag show. As their site says, it's more of a cabaret show. Naughty not raunchy. And unlike most drag shows it actually starts on time.

[trannie T]

I just spent a few days in San Francisco and had a great time.
The Castro district is a major gay area with many bars and resturants that don't look twice at a crossdresser, see what's playing at the Castro Theater, get there early to see and hear the organist.
Trannyshack is fun on Tuesday nights.
Asia SF has good food and transgender waitresses.
There are lots of places to go, I can't wait to go back, enjoy your trip!

[Rachel M]

... and no one has mentioned Diva's. hmmmm.

[tekla west]

Well, you will certainly find the Union Square area to be most accepting. Anyone spending that kind of money always finds people accepting. Macy's is great, and the new Bloomingdales in the San Francisco Center is only a few blocks away and will open soon. So the shopping is great.

Try Union Street (which is not Union Square, not even close) and the Haight, both have lots of nice shops. Upper Fillmore (from Geary to the top of the hill) has lots of nice boutiques and a MAC store also.

I love the Wharf, particularly when its not tourist season and we can just slip in for some fresh crab. But I also like the North Beach restaurants, Trattoria Pinnoccio on the corner of Columbus and Vallejo is very good for Italian food. Almost any other place on that block will be fine also. You don't keep a palce open there if its not top shelf.

The Castro has several nice restaurants, and is the most accepting place on earth. The movie theatre there (The Castro Theatre, at Castro and Market, the end of the streetcar line) is a masterpiece, all restored, with a functioning organ, a state-of-the-art screen (99% reflective) and Dolby 5.1 sound engineered by Lucas THX. So its worth a gander. They tend to show new prints of classic movies, and change a few times a week, so check that out.

No trip en-femme to SF is complete without checking out Trannyshack, Tuesday nights at midnight (12:20 drag time) at the Stud, 9th and Harrison. Take a cab, and you can always get one there for the trip home. Its the wildest, most over the top anti-drag, Drag show ever.

There is another drag show, the total opposite, right on Union Square on Sunday Mornings, very classy affair at Harry Denton's Starlight Room.

Stay away from Diva's (its a hooker joint, safe, but yuccky). Its cover is too high, the drinks are expensive and weak, and the trannychasers are gross.

The Lush Lounge across the street however has blueberry martinis to die for and loves Tgrrrls. The entire area around Aunt Charlie is very sketch, good for buying crack, not much else. The place suggested by Marlana is nice too, as is the area around it.

How about a nice stroll? You can walk from Union Square, down to the Bay, stroll the Embarcadaro up past Pier 39, the Wharf, The Cannery and Ghirardelli Square and take the cable car back to Union Square. Along the way you pass lots of restaurants, bars, pubs and the like.

For the record my favorite restaurant on the Wharf is the Fisherman's Grotto #9. I like the 50s style decor, and the fish is most perfect.

[Michelle Ellis]

Have a great time Veronica! making me jelous, I need a vacation like that.

M

[Karren H]

I love SF as does my wife! Downtown, off Market St, the Metreon is a cool Sony theater/entertainment center even has an ice rink (skating enfemme?). And I loved the cable car museum (an engineering thingy ) and the little cafe accross the street!! And got to see the parrots, can't remember the street but its on the hill (aka cliff) opposite the Coit tower! Telegraph Hill!! That's it! Biking the bridge enfemme could be exciting too!! Hehehe.

Ohhh and the Ghost walk over off Van Ness, starting at the Queen Ann Hotel!! Really cool, historic, interesting and scarry.

Hey pick me up some bread at Boudins Bakery!! God that's good stuff!! Have a blast....

Love Karren

[connie rotten]

Oh I miss San Francisco. You both having been there in the past you should know the most unacceptable thing to do in San Francisco is to say "Frisco" to the locals. Have a wonderful time enjoying "the City by the Bay"
Should you run in to Cobbie at the Owel Tree tell him I send my love.

[trannie T]

In my first post I failed to mention public transportation. The Muni is cheap and goes all over town with buses, light rail and trolleys. I ride Muni en femme and have had no problems. Cabs are more expensive but usually abundant in the evenings, the last time I took a cab to Trannyshack the driver told me that she is a faux queen.

[Marlena Dahlstrom]

... and no one has mentioned Diva's. hmmmm.

As Kat said, it's a bit on the sleazy side -- but safe, although I'd be careful outside since it's on the edge of the Tenderloin. Adam to Eve organizes outings there to go dancing, which if you really want to see Diva's is a good way to do so.

If you go to Aunt Charlie's I'd strongly recommend taking a cab to and from there. Not a good area to be walking around late at night no matter how you're dressed.

Martuni's a nice mixed (i.e. straight/gay) bar with karaoke that's t-friendly, as is Octavia's (across the street), which is a restaurant/bar that often has live jazz.

Around Union Square there are all sort of great restaurants -- so don't be like all the over tourists flocking to The Cheesecake Factory. For reviews by locals, check out Yelp.

BTW, regrettably the Blue Muse restaurant (around the corner from Marlena's) will be closing at the end of the month after losing its lease. The Muse was a bit short on atmosphere, but extremely t-friendly and had great food at good prices.

[CDVeronica2]

Thank you so much for all the suggestions! There are so many fun things to do in San Francisco, and the idea of doing them dressed is sooooo thrilling.

Right now I don't have a decent wig, and I don't know if I'll be able to buy one before the trip. I've got a large head, so I'd definitely like to try one on and have some professional help in finding an appropriate style. Are there any places you'd suggest in San Francisco?

Thanks so much!
Veronica

[Jocee]

BTW, regrettably the Blue Muse restaurant (around the corner from Marlena's) will be closing at the end of the month after losing its lease. The Muse was a bit short on atmosphere, but extremely t-friendly and had great food at good prices.

Oh no!!!!!!!!!!! I didn't realize the Muse is closing! This is too bad....

[Marlena Dahlstrom]

Right now I don't have a decent wig, and I don't know if I'll be able to buy one before the trip. I've got a large head, so I'd definitely like to try one on and have some professional help in finding an appropriate style. Are there any places you'd suggest in San Francisco?

I know some folks have mentioned the Wig Factory in the Mission, although I've never been there myself.

(I've bought online from Wig Salon and Wilshire Wigs and had good experiences with both. Incidently, Wig Salon will do returns (minus a restocking fee), which is unusual for wig shops. FYI, I've also got a large head and I've found that I can wear average-sized wigs. The secret is just to take the sizing straps on the sides of the wig and pull them loose from the loops and just tuck them up into the cap.)

[Bridget]

Union Square is a lot of fun. Personally I've shopped at Forever 21, Macys and H&M. Most other places have outrageous prices, but if you can afford to blow the cash, knock yourself out. If you're poor like me and willing to dig through the stacks, Ross and Marshalls aren't bad either. But it's a crapshoot, and most of the times, you won't find anything. The crowd is a mixt of locals traveling around downtown, adolescent girls wasting their parents' hard earned money, domestic tourists, Japanese tourists (since the designer clothes here are cheaper than in Japan), and a few European tourists, along with street performers and the homeless.

The Presidio is the nicest park to visit in San Francisco, and it has attractions like Baker Beach, Crissy Field and Fort Point. Also it's the nicest area to walk near. Some of the richest people om California live in the nearby seacliffe area, and when I was just a little boy/girl, there were rumors that the people handed out money when they ran out of candy on Halloween. It was the big score for trick-or-treaters.

Fisherman's Wharf is only good for the seafood restaurants, and Alcatraz. The aquarium at the wharf is a waste of time and money, as is any so-called museums on the dock, perhaps with the exception of the maritime museum, if you're really into ship history.

Golden Gate Park's DeYoung Museum is open, but lines go around the block to get in because of the tourists. The Japanese Tea Garden is weas bought by Chinese, and as a result, don't expect any authenticity. The Arboretum is okay, but it's a bit run down because of a lack of people working on the grounds. There are a lot of weeds. The rose garden is nice.

I don't have much to say about the Castro, because I never have been a really big clubber or anything. I only go there to visit Flax for paper or art supplies.

That's pretty much all I can think of.

[tekla west]

on the contrary I love the Musee Mechanique at the wharf, its full of mechanical amusments from the time before TV and electricity. A pocketfull of quarters and I can kill hours there. Tell Laughing Sal I said hi.

Hang Ah Tea Room in Chinatown, on Pagota Place, check a guide book
or
Chinatown Tea House - 1411 Powell Street (my choice)

Lovejoy’s English Tea Room - 1351 Church St. (@ Clipper) - very nice, very brit

Bloomindales and the other half of the San Francisco Center opens on Sept. 28, be there.

[Bridget]

on the contrary I love the Musee Mechanique at the wharf, its full of mechanical amusments from the time before TV and electricity. A pocketfull of quarters and I can kill hours there. Tell Laughing Sal I said hi.

Hang Ah Tea Room in Chinatown, on Pagota Place, check a guide book
or
Chinatown Tea House - 1411 Powell Street (my choice)

Lovejoy’s English Tea Room - 1351 Church St. (@ Clipper) - very nice, very brit

Bloomindales and the other half of the San Francisco Center opens on Sept. 28, be there.

I thought that the Musee Mechanique was at the Cliff House.

[tekla west]

It was. They moved it when they did the remodel at the Cliff House and it does not look like it will move back, which is sad in a way, but all the stuff is there at the new location. Alas, when they moved it they retooled the machines for quarters and not nickels, which sucks. As for the Cliff House, the basic rules for food is, the better the view, the worse the food.