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Wild Side West

From Wikipedia - Reading time: 5 min
Wild Side West
Wild Side West sign (2006)
Map
Restaurant information
Established1962; 62 years ago (1962)
Street address424 Cortland Avenue
CitySan Francisco
StateCalifornia
CountryUnited States
Coordinates37°44′21″N 122°25′02″W / 37.739186°N 122.417194°W / 37.739186; -122.417194
Wild Side West door (2006)

Wild Side West is a historic lesbian bar, founded in 1962 and located in the Bernal Heights neighborhood in San Francisco, California.[1] As of 2021, Wild Side West is San Francisco's last remaining lesbian bar,[1] although the bar currently serves a more diverse Queer crowd much like the nearby El Rio bar.[2][3][4]

History

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Founded in 1962 by Pat Ramseyer and Nancy White, from 1962 until 1968, the bar was located in Oakland, California.[1][4] Wild Side West was named after the film Walk on the Wild Side (1962) featuring Barbara Stanwyck.[1] In 1962, it was still illegal for women to be bartenders in California, so the bar existed in rebellion, with women serving the drinks.[1]

From 1968 until 1976, the bar existed in the North Beach neighborhood.[1] During the North Beach-era, the bar was also a refugee for local strippers.[4][5] In the 1970s, it became known for advancing the careers of female musicians and singers who performed there included Cris Williamson, Ronee Blakley, and the all- women R+B band Sweet Chariot. Ramseyer was also a percussionist who played in the band BeBe K'Roach,and sometimes jammed with fellow musicians in the bar, while Nancy White sang Broadway Show Tunes.[6][7] The bar also hosted poetry readings by noted poets Kay Boyle, Ruth Weiss, Robert Duncan, and Nanos Valoiritis.[8][9]

In 1977, Ramseyer and White moved the bar to 424 Cortland Avenue in Bernal Heights and they purchased the 1890s Italianate-style building.[1][3][5] Behind the house is a multi-level garden for outdoor meetings, nicknamed Pat's Magical Garden.[3][5] The garden has many toilets used as planters, these were collected after they were thrown through the bar’s windows in the early years after the move to Cortland Avenue.[10] Notable people that have frequented the bar include Janis Joplin,[1] Joan Baez,[4] Bob Dylan,[4] Madeline Gleason,[4] and others.

Wild Side West has been active in the community and is a venue for community fundraising such as for an annual breast cancer fund Benefit for the Boob, the Bernal Library Art Project, the St. James Infirmary Clinic, and Lyon Martin Health Services.[4]

It has frequently been cited as one of San Francisco's remaining 'historic' bars. In 2013, it was recognized by San Francisco Architectural Heritage Organization on its original list of 25 Legacy bars that have, "intangible significance" that reflect the spirit of the city.[11][12][13][14][15][16]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "The History and the Mystery of San Francisco's Wild Side West". San Francisco Bay Times. 2017-08-24. Retrieved 2021-06-29.
  2. ^ "The State of the Lesbian Bar: San Francisco Toasts To The End Of An Era". Autostraddle. 2014-11-11. Retrieved 2021-06-29.
  3. ^ a b c Downing, Shane (2020-05-21). "Bay Area Dive Bars Say They're Hanging in There — but Only by a Thread". Eater SF. Retrieved 2021-06-30.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g "Wild Side West's Wild Life". The Bay Area Reporter / B.A.R. Inc. Retrieved 2021-06-30.
  5. ^ a b c "Taking a walk in SF's Wild Side West bar". The San Francisco Examiner. 2014-04-20. Retrieved 2021-06-30.
  6. ^ "Nancy Jane White Obituary". San Francisco Chronicle. December 6, 2008. Retrieved Nov 26, 2021.
  7. ^ Stein, Ruthe (March 6, 1975). "Women Who Are Banding Together". San Francisco Chronicle.
  8. ^ Grace, Nancy Mccambell (2004). Breaking the Rule of Cool. University Press of Mississippi. p. 75. ISBN 1578066549.
  9. ^ "Semester's Music Finale at SF State". San Francisco Chronicle. May 17, 1970. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  10. ^ Bicchieri, Paolo (2018-03-28). "20 Essential LGBTQ Bars in San Francisco and the East Bay". Eater SF. Retrieved 2023-06-25.
  11. ^ "San Francisco's Oldest Bars". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
  12. ^ Planet, Off Track (2015). Off Track Planet's Travel Guide for the Young, Sexy and Broke. Running Press. p. 34. ISBN 9780762457113. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
  13. ^ Nolte, Carl (March 31, 2013). "San Francisco's Legacy Bars: A Toast". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
  14. ^ Dineen, JK (30 October 2015). High Spirits: San Francisco's Legacy Bars. Heyday, 2015. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
  15. ^ "Nine Historic Bars in San Francisco". www.neighborhoods.com. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
  16. ^ Boulware, Jack (2000). San Francisco Bizarro. New York: St. Martin's Press. p. 62. ISBN 0312206712. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
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