The Castro

Basking in the warm sun on the eastern side of Twin Peaks, lies the Castro. Rainbow flags wave from Victorian windows and above quaint shops in celebration of all people, regardless of race, gender or sexual orientation. Over the past 25 years, the Castro has become the center of San Francisco's gay community. But the area is quite convivial for all - heterosexual couples with children live peacefully with gays and lesbians in this middle-class neighborhood.

The neighborhood's main commercial crossroads is the corner of Castro and Market Streets. Harvey Milk Plaza, on the southwest corner, is named for San Francisco's first openly gay supervisor. Milk was assassinated, along with Mayor George Moscone, by a disgruntled fellow supervisor, Dan White, on November 28, 1978.

The bars, greeting-card shops, restaurants, hair salons, bookstores, cafes, clothing boutiques and scores of other shops cater to a predominantly gay clientele. And you will find just about everything you need in the Castro:

• Cliff's Variety (479 Castro Street. Phone: 415-431-5365), a one-stop hardware store carrying a large assortment of kitchenware, small appliances, garden supplies and dishes, has been serving the community since 1936.

• A Different Light Bookstore (489 Castro Street. Phone: 415-431-0891) boasts one of the City's most extensive selection of gay and lesbian literature.

• The cozy RoCocoa's Faerie Queene (415 Castro Street. Phone: 415-252-5814) tantalizes passersby with scrumptious chocolates with catchy names such as John Lemon (lemon covered in dark and white chocolate), Bee My Honey (milk chocolate-covered honeycomb) and Spoutnik (dark orange creme fraiche with almond paste and orange butter cream).

• You'll find risqué greeting cards and phallic-shaped pasta at DYMK (Does Your Mother Know...4079 18th Street. Phone: 415-864-3160) and sister store DYFK (Does Your Father Know...548 Castro Street. Phone: 415-241-9865) around the corner.

The Castro's cafes, juice bars and restaurants provide a plethora of gastronomical choices:

• Hot 'N' Hunky (4039 18th Street. Phone: 415-621-6365) doesn't just describe the clientele, but also the juicy hamburgers served up at this chrome-and-tile burger joint.

• The Patio (531 Castro Street. Phone: 415-621-4640) serves up a variety of sandwiches and pasta dishes on its tree-shaded patio in back.

• Bad Man Jose's (4077 18th Street. Phone: 415-861-1706) features interesting burritos made of whole-wheat tortillas, black beans, brown rice and grilled chicken, steak or shark meat.

• Khun Phoa (4068 18th Street. Phone: 415- 863-0679) boasts authentic Thai cuisine.

• Ultimate Yogurt and More (495 Castro) rounds out the choices for a quick snack or drink along Castro Street.

You can catch a flick at the vintage movie palace, the Castro Theatre (429 Castro Street. Phone: 415-621-6120). The ornate theater offers pre-movie musical entertainment by the Wurlitzer pipe organ. The theater's big screen has shown such great flicks as "Citizen Kane," "The Godfather" and "Lawrence of Arabia," as well as played host to the San Francisco International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival and the Jewish Film Festival.

The Castro has traditionally been the scene of a huge Halloween bash which brought out partying ghouls and goblins into the blocked-off streets. A stage set up on Market Street featured live entertainment, including the irreverent Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence (a group of habit-wearing female impersonators). But in 2002, the party got so out of hand (with dozens of arrests for public drunkenness, five stabbing, and a crowd so chaotic that an ambulance couldn't make it through to rescue one of the wounded men), that the whole thing was revamped. Calling for "good music, good times, and good behavior," city officials instituted a variety of changes including security gates where party-goers are checked for alcohol and weapons. While many complain about how the event has been "sanitized," Halloween in the Castro still drew an estimated crowd of 250,000 on October 31, 2005. So go ahead: join the assortment of trannies, nuns, and priests (the most popular costume choices throughout the years). Just adhere to this year's mantra and remember that events are planned to be: "Earlier. Safer. Saner."

By Sherri Eng