intezn
Post Master Jr
Registered: 11/27/01
Posts: 1880
Loc: Nor Cal
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stolen from another forum.
TRAVEL OPTIONS
If you are staying downtown, you really don't need a car. The city is dense and most things are fairly easy to get to on foot, via bus, BART, taxi, etc. Parking downtown is very difficult and expensive.
Get yourself an SF Bay City Guide (found for free at most hotels) and there is a handy center section with the downtown street maps, bus routes, BART, etc. This is all you really need to get around. If you've ever taken public trans, it is pretty easy to follow.
If you are not staying in the downtown area, then you should have a car, but be forewarned that any parking in the city is outrageous and you will have to deal with somewhat daunting one-way streets, buses, trolleys and pedestrians.
SIGHTS TO SEE
Union Square shopping, Chinatown, North Beach, Washington Square Park. These areas are close together and completely walkable. I start in Union Square, check out the shops and then I walk up Stockton or Grant street through the Chinatown gates. The shops are your usual novelty fare, but also some authentic culture mixed in, very historic. Then if you keep going you'll hit Columbus Ave. where North Beach (Little Italy) begins. Lots of sights to see, great places to eat, people watching. Then I keep going up Columbus Ave until I get to Union St. where Washington Square Park is and the church. It's not awe inspiring, but a good place to plop down on the grass and take a breather, watch the dogs play, etc. Nightlife wise, downtown and North Beach have plenty of venues.
Pier 39 and Fisherman's Wharf. These are very touristy and the Pier is very commercial, but worth a look and can be fun for first timers. Again you can walk from North Beach here if you keep going on Stockton, or just take a bus. If you go to the wharf, you can get a good bowl of clam chowder, check out the Musee Mechanique (old arcade museum with fortune telling machines, old movie clips, moving sets, etc.) - it's free and is unique. At the Pier, I would recommend the Bay Cruise (the one that goes under the Golden Gate Bridge). I wouldn't do the Alcatraz one. It's kind of depressing and takes a lot of time. When you take this cruise, from the coast to the jail is a good, long hike and when you get in they give you these headsets and you pretty much roam around on your own until it's time to go. If you're an Alcatraz enthusiast, then you'll love it. I prefer the Bay Cruise, again on a clear day, breathtaking. You can see Alcatraz from the Pier and from anywhere near the bay and it's still awesome. I usually hang out a while at the Wharf/pier then I take the old historic trolley on The Embacadero and take it back to Powell (downtown) where your hotel probably is. Really convenient.
Golden Gate Bridge. You have to see this. There's a bus that goes right to it, I think bus 29. Great photo opps. I also recommend Golden Gate Park if you are into that. There's a lovely botanical garden and Japanese Tea Garden, also horseback riding. There is a bus that goes there too or take a taxi and you'll get there a little easier. I tend to get lost somehow going there via public trans.
Ocean Beach and Sutro Bath Ruins. A pretty cool view of the ocean and some cool ruins down below that you can walk down too. Used to be a grand bath house. There are pics of what it used to look like at the local shops.
Twin Peaks. One of the greatest views of everything on a clear day. A bus will take you close, but there is a hike up. Might be better to take a bus as close as you can and then call a cab from there and have him wait for you. I used to go there from Haight Ashbury (which is really not magical at all. Just a bunch of bong shops and not very interesting).
IF YOU HAVE A CAR
Sausalito is a quaint seaside town and you get an across-the-bay view of San Francisco.
Muir Woods and Muir Beach are great to see. Pelican Inn at Muir Beach is a quaint English restaurant and inn that has been there a long time. Fish and chips are delciious there.
In San Fran, Lombard Street is pretty wild to see once, the crookedest street in the US supposedly.
THINGS YOU CAN SKIP AND SEE NEXT TIME
Postcard Row (of Victorian Style homes) ala Full House. Kind of interesting, but out of the way.
Japantown - it's an indoor mall and has some interesting Japanese shops, but no big whoop.
Coit Tower - you can take a bus up there and it's a pretty good view but nothing like Twin Peaks.
Haight Street - not very intersting anymore, other than its historical significance.
Ghiradelli Square - just a shopping square and not very interesting either. Union Square has enough shops to satisfy the shopping enthusiast.
OK, hope all that info helps! Have a great trip!
Edited by intezn (04/07/08 06:39 PM)
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