WEEK 8:

We are truly blessed with amazing weather during each of our field trips. Just as every other week has been, the sun shown down on us as we took a walk through the Lower Haight to the Castro. Though this walk was quite long and exhausting, it opened my eyes to fascinating sites. The atmosphere of the areas where we walked felt very safe and laid back. 

During the walk through the Lower Haight and down through the Castro, there was a change in the culture. The Lower Haight, often lost in the identity of the Upper Haight, the psychedelic, hippie area, is a very unique beautiful district. The Lower Haight is much more low-key and though it has a much smaller number of retail businesses, there are a few cute cafes, restaurants, and many beautiful houses. This area is noted for its efficient bicycle routing, stemming from the Mission District towards Golden Gate Park. This route is known as The Wiggle. Unlike the Upper Haight, there is not as much signage in the Lower Haight. Signs are mostly directed towards the residents of the area, directing them towards restaurants, the few clubs, and towards other destinations. 

We continued the walk, where we stopped at the Harvey Milk Center for Recreational Arts. Harvey Milk was the first openly gay man to be elected to public office, which is represented in the movie Milk. He was a very big activist that made a huge change in the Castro. Without his activism, the area wouldn’t be what it is today. He is now an icon in the community, all around San Francisco and the world, for his famous and significant political career. Below this Recreational Center, is Duboce Park. This small urban park is a popular site for residents in the area and for dog walkers. Previously the park was referred to as “Dog Shit Park,” as it was very dirty and people didn’t clean up after their animals. Most of the signs, either located on lamp posts or spray painted on the ground, read “keep dog’s on leash” or “no dogs allowed.”

Finally we reached the destination I was most excited to visit, the Castro. This destination is located in a neighborhood called Eureka. This neighborhood is the United State’s first, largest and best-known gay community. All around you see waving rainbow flags, a representation of the LGBT community. The district is very vibrant, it has it’s own atmosphere compared to the hustle and bustle of downtown. This area became very populated during the Summer of Love in the Haight- Ashbury district. We saw many historical places within this district, such as the Castro theater. The signage in this area is most definitely directed towards the LGBT community. In the Castro anything goes. This includes the naked people I saw and the signs for porn and sex shops. The signage is definitely directed towards the community members that live within the area, and the gay community, but it is also directed towards the many visitors that come to experience the very welcoming area. 

The last spot on our trip was Dolores Park, another recreational park that seemed to attract just about everyone playing hooky from work on the warm day. With a view of the city, it is a beautiful place to soak up the sun or have a picnic. We sat there to meet up with the class and enjoyed a delicious, fruity popsicle. Though the walk from school, through the Lower Haight, the Castro and finally Dolores Park, was long and exhausting, the sites were well worth it. I went back to the Castro only a few days later to take some of my friends to explore the area and eat some delicious food. I’m happy to have explored such a distinct area of my city.