Reviews San Francisco

Arrived on a Monday night (actually 1 am Tuesday morning). Naked themed party. Ring to enter the club. Friendly enough guy on reception. Given a key to a locker to store clothes. Made aware it was naked night - except for shoes. All but one guy obeyed the rule and actually rather glad he kept his underwear on! Soda machine but no bar. Smoking area, showers and toilets at the back of the facility. Not huge but didn't need to be. I arrived late so I am not sure if it was busier early in the evening. That said a guy arrived at 0230 as I left. Most of the time seemed on average 5-10 guys whilst I was there. Condoms available but BB clearly happening. Slings, soft couches, bunk beds, video playing porn. Internet stations. Got what I came for so can't complain. Age range 25-65. Although no private areas for sex, people respected whether you wanted them involved or not.

Arrived around 11pm on a Thursday evening. Underwear party. Not mandatory but a large proportion of guys did clothes check their pants and shirts and enjoyed the evening in their boxers/jockstraps. Some bar boy go-gos , and a wet underwear competition at midnight (which I missed as I was busy out in the small backyard enjoying a smoke and a new friend :-) Busy when I arrived and slowly started to empty around 1245AM. Decent looking crowd. - mainly 30-45 yo. Entry $5 and small charge to check clothes. Friendly - a place where you could flirt and talk before making your move. Real nice place. Will be back. But bring lube/condoms.

Went to Blow Buddies for naked night (first wednesday of the month) around 9pm. Cute guy on the door signed me up. You're handed a small basket to place your clothes in (or if you have a padlock you can use a locker) and then you strip to your shoes and hand the basket back. You're given a number to reclaim your clothes later. No bar but some free coffee available. Lots of glory holes and some comfy leather chairs. A couple of guys in their late 20s or early 30s but the majority seemed to be 40-60 yo. Lots of sucking and wanking, and not much fucking. Not sure there was any danger that the place would be full but a slow trickle of guys arriving throughout the evening. Nice smoking area outdoors.

sono curioso di venire nel vostro club so che mi piacerà e di passare momenti di sesso felice Nino

The best of the San Francisco cruise bars, and it's still going strong after many years. Fun, friendly, partying crowd. Lots of hot guys. Great music. Always end up here when I visit San Francisco, and always have a blast.

Went to Blow Buddies on a Saturday night. $25 entrance if you're not a member. Dark with lots of corridors. A couple of slings. No bar. All sorts of different guys there. Most of the action is around a glory hole area. Not much fucking and what there was was done done privately. Most of the guys were dressed, some in underwear, no one naked. About 50 guys in total at peak.

ElRio is where the freaks and the normal people feel equally at home. Fags, Dykes, Tattoed Missionites lounge around with hard core regulars. Lots of bands and cheap drinks. I like it that they have all those benefits for queer groups too. ElRio is a great place!

I agree that the Folsom Street Fair has become too commercialized. Dore Alley Street Fair is way better. There's hardly any "spectators". If you like leather, rubber, etc., you can't miss that.

The Folsom Street fair is the main event during a full weekend of activities. The fair takes place on -- you guessed it -- Folsom Street in "South of Market Street" (SOMA) area of San Francisco. The fair is actually from about 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, but there are plenty of parties to attend from Thursday through Monday following the fair.

Booths: The major adult studios have booths set up every few meters to take pictures with the actors selling DVDs, signing autographs, or distributors selling s*x devices of all kinds or other GLBT community information. There was "Naked Twister" and a few other demonstrations such as how to paddle and/or whip, use a harness and that sort of thing. The booths are in the middle of the street and visitors walk up and down VERY crowded streets on both sides. There are places to buy beer ($7) or mixed drinks ($10) and some food. There can be long lines for the mobile bathrooms and bars along the route only allow patrons to use the facilities, so be prepared.

Music: There is music along a couple of side streets. In fact, there is pretty much an outdoor circuit party on one of the main cross streets. Unfortunately, the music was a bad mix of 90's trance and awful techno. The DJ didn't know what he was doing and sadly I don't think the crowd cared one bit.

The main parties on Friday and Saturday before the fair are Magnitude on Saturday and Real Bad on Sunday, nearby after the fair. The tickets to Real Bad are annoyingly difficult to get: you have to go online a certain number of days ahead of time; one of the party's "sponsors" must reserve a ticket for you; after a short period of a week or so, you can only get a ticket from retailers (such as the leather store in the Folsom Street area and a few others). It just seems like a big hassle but the party is worth it. Plan ahead or you will be stuck outside hours before the party waiting for the very few tickets sold at the door. I hope they change the method so that it becomes a first come first serve process like most other parties of this nature. The tickets are expensive too. Plan to spend $60-$80 per ticket, more at the door.

Before the parties you can get pumped at the local Gold's Gym nearby [there is also a Gold's in the Castro]. Many of the adult stars who attend the fair and night events workout there. $15-$20 daily guest pass.

Magnitude is a bit simpler to get into, although the $80 ticket price is not cheap. The party itself is fun and similar to other mega-club parties you have been to -- just that most of the party-goers are in leather gear (chaps, jocks, harnesses, or less). This year was at a new location. There was an entire darkroom area on the lower level that has just as large as the main floor. Plenty of hideaways and corners to get close. There was even a sling or two to keep the party going. Oddly, the sling was used more by women there than men. But it was still fun. The crowd dwindles about 5 or 6 a.m.

San Francisco, being one of the gayest cities in America, has plenty of bars and clubs to visit while there. The End Up (which has seen better days and used to host the Raging Stallion party) is a nearby option, as well as Blow Buddies, which is essentially a large darkroom. There are plenty of bars and restaurants along Folsom Street to enjoy as well. That part of town is up-and-coming (parts are run down while many blocks are fantastic) but it is NOT the Castro as many people would assume. It is near downtown, so if you are visiting JUST for Folsom, a downtown hotel may be a better option than one in or near The Castro. Walking to the fair in your leather harness and assless chaps may get a look or two but no one harrasses you.

Unfortunately, the fair has gotten quite commercial in that many (way too many) of the spectators are just there out of curiosity, not as part of the leather/levi/bear community. A lot of straight girls poking and giggling. It can be a bore.

I think the straight gawkers far out-numbered the participants who dressed for the occasion and were truly interested beyond the novelty of the leather community. The music street had more of a die-hard gay/leather group, although since it was less crowded, many people stood and chatted to get away from the massive crowds.

Folsom Street Fair is a must for serious leather/daddy types and those who love them. Be prepared to mix with often annoying straight onlookers. Plan ahead for the parties that are well worth it.