hotel geres Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption The exterior of this 1971 building has been compared to a gi

( Western Addition This area, too, was once sandy waste, but after World War II the district became populated by Southern African-Americans who came west for work. For a short time, it was famous for jazz and blues clubs, as embodied, until his death in 2001, by John Lee Hooker and his Boom Boom Room. Today, it is still largely African-American in character and rather rundown, although it does comprise architecturally odd St Mary s Cathedral (see p44) and photogenic Alamo Square (see p49). d Map E3

Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption The exterior of this 1971 building has been compared to a giant washing machine; inside is equally odd, with stained glass strips, evoking the four elements, and a sculpture of aluminum rods (see p47). d 1111 Gough St Map F3 (415) 567-2020 Services: 6:45am, 8am, 12:10pm Mon Sat; 7:30am, 9am, 11am Sun Dis. access Free

Sister Boom-Boom One of the original Sisters of Perpetual hotel geres Indulgence, a self- described order of gay male nuns, Sister Boom-Boom took part in street theater with them in the late 1970s and early 1980s. In 1982 he ran for a seat on the Board of Supervisors of San Francisco, winning 23,125 votes. He is also a recognized astrologer and uses New Age science to interpret gay issues for the community.