Snip from Shopping For Sex At The Supermarket: Marina Safeway: Hot or not?:
In the Market Street Safeway, the cucumbers are really big. I don’t know if that’s because they’re genetically modified with elephant cells or if that’s because it’s the Safeway closest to the Castro. I’m guessing it’s a bit of both.
I was in the Market Street Safeway about 2 the other night, trying to make a salad. I was dressed as I normally am for side-dish preparation: high heels, black satin skirt and top and plenty of lip gloss. I had all the necessary ingredients for a delicious salad in my hand basket: Reddi-wip and extra-large Trojans. OK, maybe it was a slightly more regional dish I was preparing, but I found myself lingering over the cucumbers long enough to draw someone’s attention.
It was my friend Michelle. “Dude, did you score yet?” Conspiratorially, I leaned in while dropping a cuke in my basket. “No,” I whispered. “Let’s make another circuit and meet in the wine section for provisions.”
I figured that if my friend Michelle and I were going to see if there was any truth to the urban legends about San Francisco Safeways being the place for some after-hours amour, then I’d better at least be honest about what I was shopping for. The items in my basket weren’t subtle, even if I thought my cucumber was modest for the Castro. But what would you expect? Trying to communicate a complex personality and desire for deep connection with Hot Pockets, Cheeze Doodles and bourbon just wasn’t going to yield phone numbers, which is what Michelle and I were gaming for. Any gender would do.
Link.
Update, a few choice reader responses:
Shame on you for not mentioning the architectural significance of the
Marina Safeway. It’s one of the only original Safeway buildings left in
California, with its signature round storefront. Kind of like the golden
arches at McDonald’s. And it survived the Loma Prieta earthquake. But
I’ll forgive you because you use condoms and subtly promote STD awareness
and safe sex.
By the way, it’s been a meat market for ages. Armistead Maupin used it as
a backdrop for cruising and hooking up in his “Tales of the City”
series/novel. Go get ’em girl, with your can of instant Reddi-whip
(careful not to get it in your eyes, dear, it’s not real whipped cream and
it will burn like a mo-fo).
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Subject: The Marina Dateway was built over..
Gaslight cove.
A Victorian era bathing spot. So called because the turbine in the Gaslight building (that pretty little brick and iron-work two story behind the Dateway on North Point) was open to the water there. Natural cooling for the turbine, and honest to G-D warmth for the bay waters. It was quite popular in its day, as the story goes… and that’s the psychic source of the sexually charged atmosphere at the Dateway.
Repressed Victorians in their skivvies.
Hot.
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The urban legend, I believe, was spawned by the Tales of the City books.
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Hilarious! Some friends and I were debating this last night. Your
article supported my argument. Market Street Safeway is a meatmarket
for dudes and the produce section at the Marina Safeway is cruising
central!
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