San Francisco, California story
A Haven in the Valley
The Castro wasn't always the global symbol of LGBTQ+ pride it is today. Originally known as Eureka Valley, it was a working-class neighborhood that grew after 1887 when the Market…
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The Castro wasn't always the global symbol of LGBTQ+ pride it is today. Originally known as Eureka Valley, it was a working-class neighborhood that grew after 1887 when the Market Street Railway linked it to downtown. But after World War II, the vibe shifted.
Gay men began buying the neighborhood's ornate Victorian houses, transforming the area into a sanctuary. In 1972, Harvey Milk opened Castro Camera, which became an informal headquarters for his political campaigns. When Milk became California's first openly gay elected official in 1977, he helped cement the neighborhood's status as a mecca for the community.
Today, the colorful exteriors and the neon sign of the 1922 Castro Theatre stand as monuments to that resilience.
Updated June 2026