"I've interviewed a lot of booze proprietors and given that many of the bars in this town are in old buildings, at some point I usually inquire if the place is haunted. But this is the first time that anyone has brought it up without me asking. In fact, Billie did so only 3 minutes and 24 seconds into our chat."
"It's decorated like the most ideal queer dive bar of your dreams. SF Giants and 49ers paraphernalia share wall space with a collection of abandoned women's shoes and a signed portrait of Liberace. Empty pony kegs speckle the floor, rainbow pinwheels dangle from the ceiling, and paintings of ladies - clothed and otherwise - abound. There's a pool table, some multicolor rope lighting, an out of tune piano, and of course, a luscious pair of legs made out of beer bottle caps."
Billie Hayes owns Wild Side West, San Francisco's oldest continuously operating lesbian bar. The building dates back decades and carries stories of occasional ghostly sightings, including reported figures peering from the basement staircase and unexplained sounds felt when the bar is dark and quiet. The interior combines classic dive-bar elements and queer memorabilia: SF Giants and 49ers items, abandoned women's shoes, a signed Liberace portrait, empty pony kegs, rainbow pinwheels, paintings of women, a pool table, multicolor rope lighting, an out-of-tune piano, and a pair of legs made from beer bottle caps. The bar originally opened in 1962 in Oakland as the Wild Side.
Read at SFGATE
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