Castro Street, between Market and 18th streets, is the center of the city’s gay community as well as a lovely neighborhood teeming with shops, restaurants, bars, and other institutions that cater to the area’s colorful residents. Among the landmarks are Harvey Milk Plaza and the Castro Theatre, a 1930s movie palace with a Wurlitzer. The gay community began to move here in the late 1960s and early 1970s from a neighborhood called Polk Gulch, which still has a number of gay-oriented bars and stores. Castro is one of the liveliest streets in the city and the perfect place to shop for gifts and revel in free-spiritedness. Check www.castroonline.com for more info.

Don’t miss the renowned Bay Area architect Timothy Pflueger’s beautiful Castro Theatre (www.castrotheatre.com), built in 1922 and listed as a City of San Francisco registered landmark. The Theatre is known for its screenings of classics and for its Wurlitzer organ, which is played before each evening show. A different film is featured almost nightly, and more often than not it’s a double feature. They also play host to a number of festivals throughout the year. Bargain matinees are usually offered on Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday, and holidays.

Right at the intersection of Castro, 17th, and Market streets is one of the Castro’s most famous (at 35 years old) gay hangouts. Twin Peaks Tavern caters to an older crowd but often has a mixture of patrons and claims to be the first gay bar in America. Because of its relatively small size and desirable location, the place becomes fairly crowded and convivial by 8pm, earlier than many neighboring bars. Another Castro district night-spot, The Café (www.cafesf.com), first opened as the only predominantly lesbian dance club on Saturday nights in the city. Once the guys found out how much fun the girls were having, they joined the party. Today, it’s a hugely popular mixed gay and lesbian scene with three bars; two pool tables; a steamy, free-spirited dance floor; and a small, heated patio and balcony where smoking and schmoozing are allowed. A perk: They open at 4pm weekdays and 3pm weekends (2pm on Sunday).