If there is a center for nightlife of San Francisco,
then it would have to be North Beach. This
neighborhood has been a hotspot since the Beatnik era.
Writers and poets no longer inhabit the neighborhood,
but you can still find good blues and jazz music
mingling alongside seedy strip joints. North Beach is
full of action and is the place to go for a wild time.
For a quieter night out, San Francisco has many great
dive bars and the best dive bars are in the SOMA (for
South of Market St.) and Mission districts. The
Mission is also the best spot for salsa dancing and
getting burritos at 2 AM.
San Francisco's Castro district is the mecca for gay
culture. It is a fabulous spot for eating and
shopping. Bars and clubs here cater to same-sex
hookups, but most are straight-friendly and can be a
blast to hang out in.
If the wildly liberal lifestyle isn't your bag, then
the Marina district is probably where you want to be.
Bars here have strict dress codes and the clientele
are mostly young professionals. Just up the street
from the Marina is the Fillmore district where the
atmosphere is a little more casual, but still mostly a
young, professional crowd.
When you think San francisco, you think of hippies
dropping out and turning on and although corporations
like The Gap and Ben and Jerry's have moved in, the
Haight district still shows signs of its free loving
past in its pipe shops and retro clothing stores. The
Haight doesn't have much in nightlife, but the dive
bars are full of friendly people and its a great
place to hang out when you're in a mellow mood.
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