Question for Stu Dudley or DebitNM
 

Hi Stu and Deb,

My wife and I will be in San Francisco next week for three days and we have read Stu's recommendations for San Francisco and Deb's trip report but still need some help.

After seeing the movie "Milk" we would like to take a self guided tour of the Castro District but cannot find any maps or lists of points of interest. From what we could garher we would start at Castro and Market but don't know where to go from there. Any advice as to routing, points of interest of where we could obtain a map would be appreciated. Thanks

All I did was google "San Francisco Harvey Milk Tour":

http://www.cruisinthecastro.com/

Here's another, self-guided tour:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/htm...ancisco22.html

If you can work it out to do the City Guides tour, we had a great guide, really knew little bits and pieces of info that you would not get from most self-guided tours. He lived in the area for 11 years and was most knowledgable. Of course, if the timing doesn't work, an on your own one would be good.

Deb

Paul Brown was our tour guide.

Here is the web site for the free City Guides tour of the Castro

http://www.sfcityguides.org/desc.html?tour=7

If you want to just wander around, almost all of the Castro is South of Market - centered around Castro. You really don't need a map - but a AAA map would be nice. Start at Castro & Market and walk south on Castro to 19th Street on 1 side of the street & back on the other side. Then head east on 17th street to Sanchez, walk north on Sanchez, then back to Market on 16th st & back to Castro on Market. When you get to Castro, take the walkway around the bank on Market to Diamond. Walk south on Diamond to 18th street, then east on 18th street all the way to Sanchez (lots of cafes on 18th). Then south on Sanchez to 19th & west on 19th to Diamind. Retrace 1 block east on 19th to Collingsworth, then north on Collingsworth to Market & 1 block east back to Castro & market.

Stu Dudley

Stu-as a matter of interest does the City Guide tour give the gay history of the Castro i.e. Twin Peaks first gay bar with windows onto street, Harvey's formerly the Elephant Walk where police stormed in and dragged out patrons on the night of the White riot, etc?

Yes, SAB, all of that was covered. Also, the Pink Triangle Memorial, which I had never heard of and a walk past Harvey Milk Academy, lots of history of the area and the movement that was born in The Castro. It was one of the best tours we've been on!

Each guide puts together their own tour - but follows the same basic subjects. When we took the tour, all the "stuff" you mentioned was presented, along with the "twinkie" defense & White Night.

Stu Dudley

BTW, Harvey Milk was our district supervisor (Noe Valley) - and I think sf7307's too. Don't remember if I voted for him or not - probably not. Definitely did not vote for his sucessor - Harry Brit.

Stu Dudley

<<<Don't remember if I voted for him or not - probably not.>>>

Funny, I don't remember either. But I may not have been in his district at that time -- I lived on Twin Peaks (different from the Twin Peaks bar to which SAB referred above, which is on Castro Street) then. We moved to Noe Valley in '78 or '79, but the election would have been in '77, when we still lived on Greystone Terrace.

We were in the Noe Valley from April 75 till Dec '81.

Stu Dudley

We stayed in Noe Valley until February '86.

I worked on Harvey's campaign as well as the No on 6 campaign. I still have very vivid memories of the candlelight march out of the Castro as well as being at City Hall when the White Night riot started--which is why I wondered what was being told to visitors on tours.

I might add that the Castro Walk is one of the most well-attended walks that City Guides offers. It is offered twice a week - which is an "agressive" schedule. When we went on the walk, Harvey Milk was really the main focus. There were lots of out-of-state people on the walk who were interested in the Milk history.

My wife worked with the Castro tour group when coordinating the Victorian Alliance House tour of the Castro/Eureka Valley this past October. Special Castro walks were added the day of the Victorian Alliance tour. My wife said that the Castro City Guides people are a very enthusiastic group.

SAB - I suggest that you go on the one of the tours. On Feb 21, Karen Lester is leading the tour. She is actually the group leader & was the main person my wife worked with. They are always looking for new information, and I'm sure you can provide some insight. Most of the guides that we have met (about 5) are under 40, and really were not around when Harvey Milk was supervisor.

Stu Dudley