The Castro & Noe Valley

Neighborhoods of San Francisco

[[]]

Guardian Wu: [[]]

Kindred Residents: 13

Wall Rating: 8 during the day, 7 at night

Reserve #3

At the bottom of Market Street is the Castro, the world’s foremost Mecca for gays and lesbians over the last twenty- five years. Consequently, when the Kuei-jin broke the city into M-T Sectors, they made sure the Kindred received that neighborhood. The Kuei-jin’s deeply traditional nature includes many homophobic attitudes, so in their eyes, giving the Camarilla the Castro is a subtle slight.

The Camarilla, however, is delighted. The enormous influx of gay and lesbian tourists who visit each month to buy rainbow flags and witty T-shirts earns the Castro the nickname “the cash flow;” any financial advantage the Kuei-jin extends to the Camarilla, for whatever reasons, is welcome. The district also has some of the liveliest nightlife in the city, allowing Kindred to operate more freely and with fewer difficulties in feeding.

The Castro actually comprises the neighborhoods of Noe Valley, Eureka Valley and most of the Mission District. Bounded to the north by Duboce Street, to the south by 26th street, to the east by Douglas and to the west by Potrero, this is by far the largest Munificent Transitioning Sector. It contains four parks including Buena Vista Park (a popular cruising ground more commonly known as Boner Vista), giving Kindred access to a wide array of feeding locations.

Of the five M-T Sectors, the Castro is firmly in the middle of social rankings and by far the most heavily populated with Kindred. While assignment here is the Quincunx’ s attempt at a slight, this is where most Kindred actually want a haven. Nobody places any political expectations on them here, nor is it particularly punitive. So long as they comport themselves appropriately, stay in their M-T and don’ t foment rebellion, this sector’s Kindred enjoy relative autonomy for no other reason than the Quincunx’s associated stigma with the neighborhood and the Kuei-jin’ s discomfort when visiting. The havens available in the Castro are modest compared to those in SoMa, but the streets (and frequently alleys) teem with prey at all hours of the night.

The Castro’s social environment is the loosest of the five Munificent Transitioning Sectors. Burdened neither by the Byzantine nature of the more privileged sectors nor the hazards of the two more punitive Empties, the Kindred assigned here exist much as they did before, albeit with less freedom of movement and supposedly curtailed feeding options.

The Toreador are particularly comfortable here, thanks to abundant arts patrons and freewheeling decadents. The Tremere remain well represented in the Castro and relocated their chantry to this district.

---

---