I have a friend visiting from the mid-west, and unfortunately we're only going to have four days together. He has never been to California, and I want to show him a crazy weekend in either San Francisco or Los Angeles. He is 25 and I'm 22, and I know LA is probably the younger/hipper of the two, but after living in SF for the past seven months, I know they know how to party here, too. Any suggestions?!
If you only had four days to spend in California, would you rather visit LA or SF?
Thanks!!
Well, i'll leave aside for a minute the conflation between younger & hipper :-) How bout this? Since you live in SF, why not meet in LA and spend a full day and night there, checking out both the weho scene (love the abbey) and silver lake, which is more bohemian and relaxed. Then take a nice drive up the coast to SF. It's only about six hours, and if you drive early on a weekday, the traffic won't be bad. By then you'll be ready to crash at your place and show your buddy around SF. May I suggest a walk from the mission to Castro? You get the very mixed gay/straight hipster scene of Valencia Street the Mission, and then a stop at the "gay beach" in lovely Delores Park, and finally a tour of Castro bars. Make sure not to miss the groovy new Trigger bar and the outdoor patio at the Mix. Dinner at Chow is always fun, and it doesn't get gayer than that! Have fun!
LA
SF
I'd have to agree with Bullseye on this one. I work and live in LA, but my heart is definitely in San Francisco. I recently made the trek up HWY 1 for my birthday, and it was fantastic. I hit up Mickey's in Silverlake with some friends the night before, and left LA in the a.m with stops in Santa Barbara, Cambria and Big Sur (where I stayed the night at the infamous Esalen... check it out, esalen.org and look at personal retreats under reservation info). It's a great half-way point to break up the drive, and skinny dipping in the hot springs really did the trick. I continued up the coast on one of the most scenic drives known to man - lots of cool places to pull off and take in the nature with your friend ;) Once I got to SF I was well-rested and ready to hit the bars and clubs, which I'm sure you're acquainted with being from the city. In short, why choose A or B when you can have all of the above!?
Do both! Whether its a roadtrip or flight, you'll be spending time having fun either way. The cities represent 2 very different styles of gay culture. If I had to choose, I would recommend San Francisco, its the gay mecca and how could you pass that up. The city also provides an immediate sense of welcome, where L.A. can often be a bit more how can I say "L.A." Either way, if your looking book a trip, let me know and I'd be happy to help!
I also agree with Bullseye. Whatever you do decide to do enjoy every day whether LA or SF just have fun and take alot of pictures. Guys have a bLAST!!!!!
Aw, four days is enough to do a whirlwind tour of both cities!!! I've resided in Los Angeles for a long time, and my heart is definitely here, but if I had to make a choice of showing ONLY one city to your friend, I would choose San Francisco. Sorry to all of my wonderful LA friends, but it's really SF that is steeped in cultural significance for the gay community. How could your friend make his first trip to California and not see The Castro? West Hollywood is fun and sexy, but The Castro is our history!
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