The Golden Age of Hustlers

[TownsendPLocke]

new video from co-directors Silas Howard and Erin Greenwell reflecting the Polk Street in the 1970's

I was very much a part of this scene. Someday I will tell all about my experiences of this era. I am not ashamed of what I did during this time of my life rather it is not something everyone might fully understand, It was both the best of times and a time of personal destruction that would snowball into a very dark period of my life,

I will say that I miss the Polk street scene very much. Not just the incredibly hot guys that could be had for a very low price compared to what working fellas ask for today- but the fun bars we had back then.Nothing like that scene exist today and a whole generation of Gay men have no idea of what life was like back in those days.I wish the directors had talked to some folks such as myself that were part of the scene. The video makes it look like nothing but Trannies worked Polk when in fact that scene was on Post st. and Larkin st. while Polk was for the fellas.

[TownsendPLocke]

I posted this link awhile ago. Look at all of the bars listed in the "Polk Gulch" area (roughly from Turk st. to Sacramento st. and Van Ness Blvd. to Hyde St.

Very gay bars remain in this area now- maybe three?

https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=204308129084127659047.0004ae197e7ef9d21644a&hl=en&ie=UTF8&t=h&ll=37.758844,-122.42642&spn=0.094288,0.052295&source=embed&dg=feature

[paulsf]

I moved to San Francisco in 1980. I was living 1 block off Polk Street. The early 80's it was still going strong. I could probably match you story for story Townsend. I met my first boyfriend on Polk St. We stayed together for 5 years, but are still best friends till this day.

I came from a small town and was really amazed that A Polk St. existed. But for all the fun that was to be had, there are a lot of sad stories to be told.

[Guest CharliePS]

Don't wait till someday--start writing it down now! I went to a rather small liberal arts college in rural Pennsylvania, and last year when I inquired if they were willing to archive my personal papers in return for a bequest, they asked what sort of papers they were. When I mentioned they included a memoir about my activities in the gay rights movement in the 1960s and 70s, they were very excited, because they said that they now have students who major in topics like Gender and Sexuality Studies--!!!--who would appreciate using my papers as research sources. I was contacted almost immediately by a professor there, who was mentoring a student whose senior project was on the Stonewall riot, and they were eager to read anything I could provide from personal experience. So, start preparing those reminiscences for the historians right now, and you may see yourself footnoted in the academic journals.