Twin Peaks Tavern   

401 Castro St
San Francisco, CA 94114
415-864-9470
www.twinpeakstavern.com

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Twin Peaks Tavern has lots of nicknames, from innocuous ("gateway to the Castro") to historic ("the first gay bar") to snarky ("the crystal casket," "the last stop," "the glass coffin"). The nicer epithets refer to the bar's prime real estate -- smack on the corner of Castro, Market and 17th, with a great view from the plate-glass windows. Those same windows mark a turning point in GLBT history: Twin Peaks, founded in 1972 by two lesbians, was certainly not the first gay bar; it was, however, the first with huge windows to the outside, so that passers-by -- guys on the scene and cops on the beat alike -- could see the proud crowd inside. The place still has its ferny '70s trappings: wooden bar, fake Tiffany lamps and the fabled picture window. It might also seem (especially on weekend afternoons) that the patrons haven't changed since then: Twin Peaks is known these days for an older crowd, hence the sarcastic nicknames. But a mellow vibe and cheap cocktails draw a mixed group of regulars, tourists and straights at night.