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  1. #1
    Thailand Expat tomcat's Avatar
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    San Francisco Revisited

    ...Here in SF with SD to celebrate our second honeymoon. The St. Francis Hotel is on Union Square in the heart of the shopping district and, due to the July 4th holiday, crowds of aliens are everywhere. At a nearby coffee shop there must have been 30 dialects of Starbucks English spoken while a favorite neighborhood Italian restaurant has menus in every known Asian language.
    ...the Castro, previously the gayest, most outrageous part of SF in the 70s, has become completely gentrified: the wildest place remaining is Bearbucks, a Starbucks hangout for the heavy and hairy...*sigh*...I remember when it was a leather bar with backroom slings that throbbed with...um...life. We ate at a forgettable Thai restaurant in the area and left for drinks downtown: gone are the days of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Dykes on Bikes and the spirit of outrageous rebellion.
    ...A Peruvian restaurant for cebiche is planned for tomorrow and Thursday's dinner will be at an Iranian pop-up diner: chelow kebab and a sampling of Iranian stews to look forward to...as well as a trip to the San Francisco MOMA and a Degas exhibit at Golden Gate park.
    ...So, shopping, eating, drinking and meeting with old friends in the area: no time for jet lag....
    Majestically enthroned amid the vulgar herd

  2. #2
    Thailand Expat misskit's Avatar
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    Happy Second Honeymoon!

    Lucky you. I'm envious. I love San Francisco though, unfortunately, I've not been there for at least fifteen years.

    The St Francis is a gorgeous hotel in a beautiful city. Hope you post up a few photos for all to see.

    Can't imagine a gentrified Castro. Too, bad. It was such a wild and hardcore place back in it's day.

  3. #3
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  4. #4
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    San Francisco is dead and Seattle is just two steps behind. The tech industry sucked their souls dry.

  5. #5
    Thailand Expat tomcat's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bsnub
    San Francisco is dead
    Disagree: it's just very comfortable in its skin...a few wrinkles here and there, of course, but still vibrant and attractive...there's a reason why all the wealthy techies from Cupertino want to live here...and it's not the drag queens...

  6. #6
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    ^ Ok I will put it a differently. SF is dead to all the middle and working class people that have been forced to leave in the last twenty years.

    The grit is gone and much of the good old places with character are gone.

  7. #7
    Thailand Expat tomcat's Avatar
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    ^fair comment, but still a great place to visit...

  8. #8
    Thailand Expat AntRobertson's Avatar
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    Friend of mine was there recently. Absolutely loved it, raved about the place.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by tomcat
    but still a great place to visit...
    As a tourist yes of course. But for myself the character of the neighborhoods has changed greatly. It's happening here in Seattle as well.

  10. #10
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    hick's Avatar
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    Congrats TC and SD!! All the best to both of you.

    Tom doesn't really "do" pics, so I'll slap a few standard ones up just for the halibut.



  11. #11
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  12. #12
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  13. #13
    Thailand Expat tomcat's Avatar
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    Many thanks, hick!...can you find one of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence?

  14. #14
    Thailand Expat misskit's Avatar
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    The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence® is a leading-edge Order of queer nuns. Since our first appearance in San Francisco on Easter Sunday, 1979, the Sisters have devoted ourselves to community service, ministry and outreach to those on the edges, and to promoting human rights, respect for diversity and spiritual enlightenment. We believe all people have a right to express their unique joy and beauty and we use humor and irreverent wit to expose the forces of bigotry, complacency and guilt that chain the human spirit.

  15. #15
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    Easter Celebration


  16. #16
    Thailand Expat tomcat's Avatar
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    ^and^^Perfect!

  17. #17
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    Dolores Park, San Fran


  18. #18
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    hick's Avatar
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    I really do dig on Frisco. Went there for two weeks once,...stayed for 3 months.

  19. #19
    Thailand Expat tomcat's Avatar
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    ...those were the days...

  20. #20
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    They really were, Tom. Would've been circa 1996, I believe. Good fun.

    Any other pic requests, lemme' know

    Enjoy your time.

  21. #21
    Thailand Expat tomcat's Avatar
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    Thanks!

  22. #22
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    I've always liked SF, although the last time I was there was at least 15 years ago. My then live-in GF (quite successful) had a part time apartment on the corner of Jones & Vallejo- and it was an easy, direct commute from HK.

    Disliked-
    Fishermans Wharf (except for the sea lions).
    Too 'in yer face' gays (we know already boys, why bother). Lesbo's too. Passe', even then.
    PCness gone mad. My GF's flatmate even resented me having a fag on the verandah! And when I called her 'honey'- we were enemies forever.
    Pacific Heights- yuppiedom gone even more sterile. Bleggh.
    Castro- just tried too hard to impress, unimpressively.

    Liked-
    Tenderloin. Rough & ready, full of interesting characters. Actually, not that rough. My favorite bar was there- the sorta place they remember you.
    Chinatown. Downtown too (most SFer's didn't). The Taddich grill was an American institution- sadly passed.
    SOMA- it's taken off since, but I could have told you so at the time.
    The atmosphere. Getting up to a mildly chilly, foggy SF dawn- and listening to the foghorns. Man, I'm getting the horn.
    Nob Hill- old, establishment SF. Check out the Clairmont (you won't be able to get into the nearby club, unless you have contacts).
    Understated wealth. When you walk by the Getty place, for example- you would never know.
    Haight Ashbury- yeh, I admit it. I shouldn't but I do. Lets just call it shabby chic with a dose of history.
    Over the Bridge. There you have some of the greatest communities anywhere- places I could happily live.
    BoA tower, downtown. Just do- kinda iconic. Sure, the Golden Gate too- who doesn't?
    Parks- Golden GaTe, the Presidio. SF people just do their thang- carefree, and no better place to watch than these fine parks.

    Is Union square still full of hobo's & beggars TC? Or has it been gentrified (not that I would miss them).
    Is the Tenderloin still sleazy? It would sadden me if it wasn't- a very short walk from Union Sq.
    Before GF's condo arrangement, stayed at the Hilton on Union.

    Have a great time, and congratulations on your Honeymoon.
    Last edited by sabang; 05-07-2017 at 10:48 AM.

  23. #23
    Thailand Expat misskit's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by sabang
    SOMA- it's taken off since, but I could have told you so at the time.
    The Cadillac Bar and Grill. How wonderful it was. Torn down now.

  24. #24
    Thailand Expat misskit's Avatar
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    Just north of SF, my Sausalito front gate.



    Fat chance I would ever be able to afford to live there now!

  25. #25
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    Wow! Sausalito, baby yehh!!

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