Choosing San Jose/Sacramento over San Francisco...?

[JoeyBryant]

I am considering including a visit to the bay area in my trip to Calif next month (not where the Bucs play but where the 49ers play . However I'm looking over hotels in the area along with the fact that I'll be driving while I'm out there. I'm aware that there's limited parking in SF, so I've considered instead some of the surrounding areas. I'm also concerned about the availability of hotels in the city center as well. Taking Seattle as an example, there was nothing to be found near Cap Hill for less than $160 (even with PL/HW), and the airport seemed to be where the better deals were but it was some ways out. And looking at SF, seems like the airport is also a ways from town.

 

So considering that, it seems as if SJ and Sacramento would be easier getting around. But I also wouldn't want to miss immersing myself in the SF scene either. I also don't know how conservative the surrounding areas would be (typically the neighboring cities tend to be so, and not productive e.g. St. Paul MN, Colorado Springs) or what the scene would be like in comparison. Regardless I still would like to take a look at each anyway.

 

So if someone is driving around the Bay area, which of those would be a better choice? And too, would I still get the same experience just visiting SJ and Sacramento?

[+ azdr0710]

very much my own opinion, but I'd get a place at the airport (SFO), park your car, and don't look at it again until you leave the Bay Area!....take BART into the city (very easy) from the station at the airport after taking a hotel shuttle to get over there....see about the all-day pass at the Powell station visitor center for unlimited bus and cable-car trips in the city (not good on BART, tho)....driving and parking in the city is somewhat difficult unless you're used to that context.....if you're seeing clients, SFO is in a central location to balance city residents with other Peninsula residents...there is also a popular train that runs up and down the Peninsula....I think my point is that it's not at all necessary to drive into and stay in the city itself to enjoy its attractions....others may not agree

 

Sacramento is not an option at all for Bay Area activities.....

[JoeyBryant]

OK looking at google maps I do see the line that runs from the airport. Sounds like that would be a better idea then. Looking at it again doesn't seem terribly isolated. I'm looking at all of those neighborhoods to the south of the airport as well. There's just so many of them, it's hard to tell if one is going to be out of the way or not. I have to factor in rush hour traffic and stuff and whether someone would be okay with making the drive, etc. If I can avoid staying right in the middle of everything I would...I tend to prefer something a bit more out if I'm driving.

 

Another thing, is the Castro the only ideal part of town to be? As far as being convenient for this kind of thing? Like I know it's the epicenter, but what other places in the city would there be a decent crowd?

[nate_sf]

Hi Joey,

 

I could go on and on about all of this, but to avoid boring you and everybody else I'll try to keep it just to the fundamentals....

 

- You don't need a car at all in SF unless you need it for some other reason other than escort work. You can take BART directly in from the airport, and MUNI can get you all around the city once you're there. Lots of people that live here do not have cars, and clients rarely expect you to travel to them. If you are staying in a hotel in town most likely they will travel to you. You could deduct the cost you expect to pay for your car and gas and instead apply that to your hotel cost.

 

- The airport hotels charge for parking, often at prices almost as high as the hotels in town. However, as azdr says the location is convenient for clients to come visit.

 

- I don't get much business in San Jose. I don't think it is a very strong market for male escorts, though it seems to have a market for backpage-priced massage. It's close enough to SF that I think guys wanting to meet an escort expect to travel to San Francisco. On very rare occasions I'll get a travel request to come to San Jose, but it's not common. Sacramento is a different matter... a bit further away, and whenever I've posted an ad there I've done fairly well. I think guys there appreciate some new choices and are less likely to travel to SF. Rates may need to be slightly lower in Sacramento however.

 

- Gay guys are all over SF, and all over the Bay Area, so the Castro is more of a cultural center for gays than a demographic center. Having said that, there are still probably more gay guys in the Castro than anywhere else, but it's not like other cities where it seems like all the gay people live in one place.

 

Hope that helps. This is based on my experience living here; others who have worked here as traveling escorts may have a different perspective. Feel free to PM me if you want more info.

[Guest]

If you're coming with a car, and need to park it, you will, indeed, save a lot of money by staying at a hotel near the airport. Try to get one within walking distance of a BART station (San Bruno, SSF, or Milbrae), and that will save you from having to take the hotel shuttle to the station in the airport. Most, but not all, hotels near the airport do not charge for parking. I agree that if you're not driving in, you'll do just as well without a car.