any Bay Area haps around San Francisco this weekend ?

[ashlee chiffon]

going to the city this weekend and wondering if the Bay Area gals know of any events related to our cd interests going on? i know the City fairly well, so directions aren't necessary...
thanks Luvs!

[tekla west]

Its not strictly CD, but there will be a few there at BOOTIE Saturday DNA Lounge in the SOMA.

[Lisa Maren]

Hi there

Please be careful in the SOMA in SF if you're going to be there at night. Some parts of it are dangerous enough that pizza parlors won't deliver there after dark. (Along the top half of 6th street and probably for a good block or two on either side).

I also know someone who served on a jury case involving a robbery during which one of the assailants punched the 20-something GG victim in the face when she didn't immediately give up her purse. This was at New Montgomery Street and... Tacoma Alley, I think it was. The GG and her GG friend were walking from one club to another when that happened.

General rule of thumb is the further away from the Tenderloin district the safer you'll be (as long as you stay away from the projects near the 22nd Street CalTrain station as well).

One last thing: The 3rd Street light rail line is going to be active soon (evidently the stations are complete and they're about to begin test runs) and that goes all the way to Hunter's Point, which is the worst district in the entire city. So, once that gets started, I'm not sure what to expect in terms of personal safety, but I'd be very careful until you're well enough versed to know how/if the safety of the SOMA has changed. I suspect that some of the bad guys down in Hunter's Point might have some interest in expanding their territory to include the Tenderloin and the surrounding area (as the locals know, the Tenderloin borders on Market Street, the northern boundary of the SOMA) and this might possibly mean less safety in parts of SOMA. It might or might not turn out to be a problem, but better to keep these things in mind and therefore keep your guard up (at least while en femme) than to dismiss the possibility and let your guard down.

Hugs,
Lisa

[tekla west]

I am in SOMA all the time, and all I can say is that I've never had a problem, but I'm a big city girl too. DNA is way up at 11th or so. When in doubt, take a taxi. 6th and Mission is hell, but even then, I've walked through there without threat. The light rail is not going to be a problem, the bio tech stuff is inbetween, and little by little - and more once its done - the people who have been there can no long afford to remain, Daly City, Oakland, Hayward have much worse gang problems than SF largely because gangbangers can't afford to live in SF anymore. Public Housing projects suck no matter where they are. And there is no reason for anyone to be out by 22nd street at all. Nothing there. The Hunters Point crew have not, and will not bother the Tenderloin, it is its own kind of rough, its skid row, nothing there for gangs, they sell crack, and if you don't use it, its not a deal. I work at Turk&Taylor, and it is rough, but why would anyone go there anyway?

[Marlena Dahlstrom]

There's the Faux Girls (http://www.fauxgirls.com)show at Marlena's in Hayes Valley this Saturday night. Starts at 10 and unlike most drag shows it actually starts on time.

Not strictly CD-related, but there's also Writers With Drinks (http://www.writerswithdrinks.com/) hosted by trans author Charlie Anders on Saturday night.