07/20/2006   English German
  Edition # 62  
San Francisco, 07-20-2006

San Francisco Views: Castro
Figure [1]: The old street car goes to the Castro.

TODO

Michael We have often reported on our neighboring district, the Castro. Hardly any other district is as typical of San Francisco, and few are as tidy and picturesque. The area, formerly known as "Eureka Valley," became the center of the gay movement in the early 1970s. Harvey Milk, a political activist and later the first openly gay city supervisor of San Francisco, opened a camera shop in the Castro at that time. He was later shot by a homophobe, and the "Harvey Milk Photo Center" still commemorates him today, where Angelika often develops her pictures in the darkroom.

When someone at a party mentions that they live in the Castro, you automatically think to yourself, "Aha! Gay." According to statistics, 41% of people in the Castro identify as gay, while it's only 11% across the entire city. But believe me, being gay or lesbian is completely normal in San Francisco. Sure, tourists are always shocked, and even people from Silicon Valley giggle awkwardly when they come to San Francisco and stumble around the Castro with bright red faces. But let's be honest, in the end, the topic is irrelevant. If you live in San Francisco long enough, you eventually ignore the difference.

Figure [2]: Newly rich, but with style

Figure [3]: Sometimes conservative ...

Interestingly, the Castro is a relatively affluent area where people with almost conservative inclinations live. No one drives just any car; it's almost always the latest Mercedes, BMW, Porsche, or Audi. No one lives in just any house; everything is appealing and lovingly arranged and furnished. The shops offer exquisite wines and stylish clothes, and even the household goods store "Cliff's Variety" only carries items for people with taste who value details. Angelika recently spent twenty dollars there on a simple egg timer! It's crazy!

Figure [4]: The translation of "Bunte Häuser auf der Castro
Street" to English is "Colorful houses on Castro Street.>

Figure [5]: The housewares and hardware store "Cliff's Variety"
on Castro Street>

The rainbow flags are ubiquitous in the Castro, and noticeably many men have short hair. There is a rich selection of excellent restaurants, and people love to stroll through the streets, chatting as if everyone knows everyone. The "Castro Theatre" is one of the oldest cinemas in the city, and it features an excellent selection of alternative, intellectually inclined films. Once a year, the so-called "German Festival" takes place there, showcasing new German films with English subtitles.

Figure [6]: The translation to English is: "Rainbow flag and
houses on Castro Street.>

Figure [7]: The translation of "Frühstück in der Sonne" to
English is "Breakfast in the sun.>

However, the Castro is brutally hilly. Anyone who wants to ride a bike through it should be prepared for quite a challenge, as it has some of the steepest hills in San Francisco, with gradients of 30% and upwards. We residents of Noe Valley often wander around the friendly Castro, as there is a lot to see and you can never have enough top-notch restaurants.

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