In 2008, Scott Gatz was scrolling through hotel reviews when something clicked. He noticed a post from a woman expressing her surprise at the number of men at the inn. “I realized what she was saying,”他说. 它是一个同性恋B&B.盖茨记得当时这样问自己, “How come there's not a place where the LGBTQ+ community can share what 他们 think are the best places to stay, see, eat all over the world?”
一个长期 旧金山 resident who migrated to the city during the dot-com boom, Gatz decided to leave his tech job to create that website that didn’t yet exist. LGBTQ的旅游资源， 同性恋城市出生. “It grew over the years, we acquired more websites,Gatz说. 他的公司现在被称为 Q.数字,还拥有 留言板, ”国家, 成.
“旧金山 has always been a place where people come with no safety net to do something big and audacious,Gatz说. “Starting my company here only made sense. This is where new things get started.”
旧金山’s innovative spirit is just one of the many things Gatz loves about th是一个dopted home city: “It’s got a real energy to it, 还有艺术和文化, 但它是友好的, 容易, ,非常适于步行的.” When exploring 旧金山, Gatz recommends travelers start out on foot. “Pick a neighborhood and just walk, explore street art, restaurants, shops,”他说. “You’ll always end up in an interesting spot.” For an elevated experience, seek out the 具有历史意义的公共楼梯 整个城市. “It’s so fun to go around finding the staircases and exploring them,Gatz说.
Gatz currently lives with his husband and son 在 卡斯特罗区, the city’s famous LGBTQ+ neighborhood. “这是一个真正的家庭社区, but it brings people in from all over the world for nightlife as well,”他说. Get a sense of the neighborhood with Cruisin的卡斯特罗, “a fun walking tour,” or catch a show at 绿洲, “an incredibly special place owned by a local drag queen.”
When it comes to restaurants, “it can be high-end or a dollar taco 在 任务, it’s still some of the best stuff around,” Gatz says. 状态 格瓦拉Fico 和意大利 Delfina 这两个地方是他最喜欢的吗. If you want to roll up your sleeves with kiddos in tow, grab a booth at 超级汉堡. And Gatz says if you only have time for one meal 在 city, make it 斜门, the iconic Vietnamese restaurant 在 渡口.
After living in 旧金山 for 23 years, Gatz says he has no plans to leave. “这是一个非常适合居住的地方. It’s a beautiful city with gorgeous Victorians, an hour or two in every direction you have snow, 葡萄酒的国家, 和更多的. 这是一个特别的地方.”
五个最喜欢的
作为一个旅游网站的创始人, it’s no surprise that Gatz has a few more recommendations when visiting 旧金山.
牡蛎和海鲜: “锚牡蛎酒吧 是一个 卡斯特罗 institution that’s been here for at least 40 years, 有很棒的牡蛎, 虾, cioppino, Dungeness crab when the season’s on. It’s small—maybe six tables—so go early, put your name on the whiteboard out front, hope for a seat to open up quickly. If it gets cold, 他们’ll give you some soup while you wait. I shouldn’t tell anybody about this because I really don’t want it to get more crowded. It’s one of my favorite places to go.”
异想天开的礼物: “瓦伦西亚826号，任务, there 是一个 writers collective that needed a place to gather but due to city rules their space could only be used for retail. So the writers decided to open up a 海盗用品店. 里面有鱼缸, 他们 sell tons of pirate paraphernalia—anything nautical, 航海, 或“啊!’ Pull on the rope when you get inside and you might be in for a surprise.”
美丽的提高: “有一个 的轨迹 in Crissy Field that are a bit hidden so 他们’re never busy. You almost feel like you have it to yourself, walking among the trees. Every corner you turn,你有 the most amazing view of the 金门大桥. Each turn is really like the best picture of the Golden Gate you’ve ever seen in your life. The hike reminds me of how special it is to live in this city.”
喝鸡尾酒的最佳地点: “黑鸟酒吧 on Market has an amazing craft cocktail menu. It’s a mixed bar with a healthy amount of queer folks as well as people from all over. You can stand and be loud if you want, there are also lots of little places to relax with friends. They make different flavored liquors steeped with all sorts of things. All the cocktails have funky names, so I never remember what to order. 我只是说:‘我要一个... 那些!'”
家庭娱乐活动: “There are two amazing mini-golf places 在 city. In 使命湾,你有 Stagecoach绿色 with quirky holes that tell the story of 旧金山 from the Gold Rush all the way up to the tech boom. 城市推杆 在 任务 是一个ll indoors and designed in a steampunk style. It’s great for kids during the day and adults at night, because 他们 have a bar and serve food.”
