Castro (blog1)

As I was riding the Metro Muni to Castro a couple thoughts popped in my mind: Will I see hundreds of rainbow flags? Will there be drag queens on every street corner? Are people in that neighborhood incredibly rude and will I find a good place to eat?

When I exited the Muni station the first thing I noticed was the rainbow flags blowing against the tall buildings. I was caught off guard when this strange man wearing a camouflaged print shirt, a torn black jacket, and dirty red converse tapped my shoulder and asked if I wanted to buy some weed. As he got closer my nose scrunched up, the dealer reeked of alcohol and some other smell I couldn’t quite make out. The only thing I could do was ignore him and walk away.

Walking along Castro street to Market inside a couple of novelty stores, restaurants bakeries including Cliff’s Variety, Phantom, and Thorough Bread & Pastries. I was amazed at how polite and helpful everyone was which inspired me to stay a little longer then expected.

Walking passed the shopping area I began scanning down some of the houses in neighborhood. Expecting to see paint chipping off, dry dead plants, and maybe a couple of broken windows, I was pleasantly surprised by how well-maintained the houses were. There was no chipped paint or dead flowers.

My thoughts were interrupted when I heard a man shouting uncontrollably across the street. Curiosity getting the better of me, I immediately turned around to see who that hostile voice belonged to. He was apparently having an argument with someone on his cell phone in front of a playground. I began to cringe when I heard him drop the ‘F bomb’ several times. The children occupying the playground jaws completely dropped and their eyes widened as they heard the first curse word to come out of his mouth. I quickly turned my heels back to the shopping area.

I stopped when I caught a glimpse of a couple nice hand bags hanging in front of a store called, “Does Your Mother Know”. I walked into the store to see if they were having a sale on book bags. It took me several boxes of edible underwear and sex toys later to realize the store was actually a sex shop. Fortunately, the manager gave me a great deal on one of the bags I saw on display (50 percent off). He then told me that I should come back next week for their sales on vibrators. I nodded politely then quickly turned around so that the manager didn’t notice the red tint on my cheeks.

Although I had experienced some quirky moments during my first day at Castro, the workers and residents made feel incredibly welcomed. I also enjoyed most of the stores, eateries Castro had to offer. Like every other neighborhood, Castro had its weak and strong points.