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stoduk's San Francisco guide
This enclave features live acoustic music on Thursday night and Saturday afternoon. Otherwise, it’s a cheap place to grab a bite. Good coffee, beer on tap, and vegetarian dishes.
A relaxing hangout for people to read, converse and work on their laptops over cappuccino.
The young and cool of Silicon Valley have been flocking to this successful bar/pool hall/restaurant ever since it opened it 1993.
Café, bar, performance space, and, yes, laundromat, it’s got everything the young apartment dwellers who live in this industrial SoMa neighborhood need. Frequented by lesbians, gays, and straights – in short, typical San Franciscans of the edgier sort. There’s also a menu composed of solid international standards, such as a great Greek salad, tofu stir-fry, and chicken quesadilla.
I can’t say enough about Saloon, the oldest bar in San Francisco. They offer live music 7 nights a week (and afternoons on Saturday and Sunday). This place actually crops up in movies due to it’s “hasn’t been messed with décor” and true eclectic mix of tourists, business folks, locals, transients and more. It’s full of life and not to be missed.
San Francisco’s little troopers have endured technological progress, and are now the only system of the kind in the world that still plays a daily role in urban life.
I lived in San Francisco for 6 years, and never visited this museum until last weekend. Big mistake!
Located on Nob Hill in the Washington-Mason line powerhouse and carbarn, this museum is a working piece of history. Amazingly, admission is free!
Your kids can watch the cables running on huge wheels, ring a real cable car bell, and see photos and exhibits of the 1906 earthquake.
There is a particularly poignant video exhibit that tells how the cable cars were saved from "modernization" in the 1940's. It seems funny in retrospect that the cable cars almost fell victim to the lower operational expenses of buses. Tourists don't exactly throng to San Francisco to ride the buses.
The much-loved symbol of the city and of California’s place on the Pacific Rim, the Golden Gate Bridge is the third-largest single span bridge in the world, connecting San Francisco to Marin County.
Dominating Nob Hill with its timeless beauty, San Francisco’s favorite cathedral offers a host of awe-inspiring and historic treasures, including Italian Renaissance masterpieces and stained-glass windows.
Second only to New York City’s Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco’s newest architectural landmark houses 20th-century masterworks of painting, sculpture, and photography, and the edgiest digital installations.
Explore Telegraph Hill on foot looking for the wild parrot flock that roosts there in all their green and red squawking glory. Trust me, if these clownish avians are anywhere nearby, you can’t miss them.
Meander down the pedestrian-only Filbert Steps, just under Coit Tower. If you don’t find them there, try the park at Drumm and Clay (especially at dusk). Unfortunately, it's illegal to feed them anymore, but they're still fun to watch.
A series of hiking trails takes you through this former Redwood forest. The Douglas Firs are jaw-droppingly big enough but it's the boles of the Redwoods which give you some sense of the former glories of this woodland. The Redwood stumps have now thrown up "daughter" trees to give you some sense of their past but it still leaves you aching for a time machine. You'll probably also see the Banana Slug, the World's second biggest slug, just try and avoid treading on them.
An enormous indoor mall comprising 3 buildings (connected by a plaza on one side, and a shop-filled over-the-street bridge on the other). This is a great place to spend an afternoon souvenir shopping.
If your kids like Pokemon and Hello Kitty (among MANY other Japanese cartoon characters), you'll have to pry them out of here with a crowbar.
I especially love Ichiban Kan Different Things, a store patterned after Japan's 100 Yen shops. You can pick up kitchen utensils, beauty products, dry goods, stationary, and bento boxes, for unbelievably low prices. I would still be there if my eye-rolling spouse hadn't dragged me out.
There are lots of tempting places to eat too, and not only Japanese. On the Bridge has pasta and hamburgers, Belly Good Cafe and Crepes has cafe fare, and there are plenty of coffee shops too.
Getting here is easy on the bus (lines 2, 3, and 4 drop you off right in front of the mall). If you get stuck with rainy weather while you're in SF, this is the place to go.
I don't even particularly like baseball, and I love coming here to catch a game.
The park---new in 2000---is in an intimate, waterfront setting (and yes they really do hit balls into the bay sometimes, you can watch the kayakers waiting out there on the JumboTron).
On a sunny day, it's a blast. Check the Giants' schedule for special events (dog costume parades, and toy giveaways for example).
Bring your own picnic to save some money if you want, but you'll wish you hadn't when you see what's on offer. Sit in the bleachers to economize instead...the food's too good to miss.
Although it was a federal prison for just under 30 years, the myth of “The Rock” continues to capture the imagination of visitors. Even if exploring prison life holds no appeal, the ferry ride makes it well worth a visit.
Despite rampant tourism and commercialization, the saltiness and authenticity are still to be found here if you take time to look. The views of the bay are unmatched, and you’ll have an opportunity to sample some great seafood.
So internationally recognized have the wines from this region become that French, Italian, and Spanish winemakers have all established vineyards here. A day trip or a longer stay shouldn’t be missed.
The city boasts one of the largest public parks in the world, with natural beauty and fine museums.
San Mateo Central Park 50 E. 5th Avenue San Mateo, CA 94401
Central Park is San Mateo’s signature park. It has lighted tennis courts, bocce ball courts, a playground and a baseball field.
Japanese Tea Garden The Japanese Tea Garden is one of the finest tea gardens in California and was designed by landscape architect, Nagao Sakurai of the Imperial Palace of Tokyo. It features a granite pagoda, tea house, koi pond and bamboo grove. The Japanese Tea Garden is beautiful throughout the year, but be sure to visit in the late Winter and early Spring when the cherry blossoms are in bloom. The Japanese Garden hours are 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily. Koi fish feeding is twice daily at 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. For more information about the Japanese Tea Garden, call (650) 522-7440.
The exotic feel of one of the world’s largest Chinese communities outside of Asia makes this a magnet for locals and visitors alike.
Set in a really nice neighbourhood on the bay side of town, Chestnut street is a nice place to shop, hang out and people watch. Along side the usual shopping chains, you get some nice boutiques and the odd toy and comic shop (which pleases me!).
Fillmore Street is where the real San Frans hang out. The coolest shops, bars, cafes and restaurants can be found here - plus some very hip people. Everyone has posing pooches and the cafes seem to cater for them, as metal water bowls litter the pavement. There's a cool cinema, and when I was there, I was pleased to see it was showing a film by my favourite French Director - see photo. We spent most evenings hanging out here.
If you can score one of the six 2-bedroom suites here, you're well on your way to San Francisco budget vacation nirvana.
The Columbus Motor Inn is a modest motel, but it's clean, cheap, and has a lot going for it. It's got free covered parking (totally unheard of in SF!). The location is within easy walking distance of North Beach, Chinatown, and Fisherman's Wharf.
Request a small fridge for just $5 a day, and stock up on the basics at either Trader Joe's or Safeway (both 2 block away). There's no on-site restaurant, but you do have in-room coffeemakers and a fruit bowl at reception.
Don't be discouraged by the location on busy Columbus Avenue, the suites are all at the back of the building.
Hotel Tomo offers lots of style and good value in funky Japan Town, just a mile from Union Square (with frequent and cheap bus service), and walking distance from the many shops and restaurants of posh Fillmore Street.
Rooms are inspired by Japanese pop culture, and have eye-popping murals, beanbags, on-demand video gaming, and (important for families) minifridges. Hit one of the nearby grocery stores (Safeway, Mollie Stone, or a smaller Japanese grocery), and use the table and chairs in your room to save on dining. Or don't, there are plenty of restaurants to tempt you too.
Ask nicely for a corner room, the views are amazing! Staying here is just plain fun.
Vaguely English Tudor in style, with a slate roof, the rooms are comfortable and fairly large, and a few have bay windows. The location is convenient to the Marina and Pacific Heights. Free parking, cable TV, and in-room coffee maker. All no-smoking.
The Queen Anne is a luxury boutique B & B hotel full of antique charm and (as B & B suggests) an amazing breakfast. The staff are really friendly and the antique decor is grand, but homely. I love the lift - it reminded me of The Shining (but in a good way).
fantastic hotel, with very friendly staff and the most comfiest beds iv ever had the pleasure of sleeping in, easily accessible to most places within san francisco
Handsome Queen Anne and Tudor Revival homes constitute this charming B&B, restored with impeccable taste. Both overlook the famous square with its even more famous view. A complimentary American breakfast is served in the sunny (fog permitting) conservatory. Smoking is allowed on the back patio only. Free off-street parking.
The nine rooms here are all cozily decorated and have names such as The Cabrillo Room and the Sir Francis Suite. Janis Joplin used to stay in the Joplin Room, which has its own sundeck.
The Argonaut is my favorite hotel in the world---they do everything right. It's located at the edge of Fisherman's Wharf (so you can opt in or opt out of the madness), and is decorated in luxurious fantasy nautical style.
Staff are very attentive to kids, inviting them to choose a toy from a treasure chest on check in, greeting them by name, and plying them with free crab and starfish-shaped cookies with room service.
Our room here (more of a suite, really) was a dream. It had a jacuzzi tub overlooking Alcatraz, comfy couches, a table and chairs, and on-demand video games---kid heaven!
There is a complimentary fireside happy hour every night too, which was very refreshing after a long day of sightseeing.
This old-fashioned hotel has sweeping views of the Bay and of the city. Many rooms benefit from balconies.
This restored Victorian is located in San Francisco’s oldest and most colorful district, fast becoming one of the hippest neighborhoods. Breakfast served in the dining room.
Rooms and suites in this stunning old building are named after Mark Twain, Enrico Caruso, Jack London, and others, to remind guests of San Francisco’s illustrious history in the arts. Rooms are furnished with four-poster beds, fireplaces, bay windows, American Renaissance pieces, and the like.
The rooms at this 1874 Italianate Victorian range from a snug enclave with twin beds to a two-room suite with a patio. The ground floor has two parlors and a dining room decorated with antiques. A large one-bedroom suite in the carriage house offers a fireplace, a Jacuzzi hot tub, marble flooring, and a full kitchen with washer and dryer.
“Opulent” and “palatial” barely begin to describe this grande dame of San Francisco hotels, taking pride of place on Nob Hill. The rooms and service are commensurate with its status.
Nestled on wooded acres on the outskirts of the Russian River, just 90 minutes from the city. Each of the guesthouses has a fireplace, and indoor and outdoor showers.
This Pacific Heights property is one of the Leading Small Hotels of the World, and, although the elegance is perhaps a little too understated, it delivers on service. Details include complimentary breakfast and morning newspaper – and some of the very best vistas in the city.
High-tech and minimalist white marble interiors radiate modernity in this Japanese-style environment. Its cool comfort and tranquil luxury, such as silk wallpaper, soothe the spirit and free the mind. The excellent Anzu restaurant creates the same peaceful atmosphere.
The 15-story lobby has long plants trailing down, a waterfall, and glass elevators. Try the revolving restaurant on the roof for its views.
Located in Haight Ashbury, this Queen Annestyle building dates back to 1890. This cozy hotel has hardwood floors, bay windows, and fireplaces. The spacious guest rooms have brass or iron queensized beds with oversized comforters, bathrobes, and slippers.
This stylish hotel is located in Presidio Heights, and is decorated in a hip mid-century fashion. The 18 bedrooms have kitchenettes and some feature CD players and VCRs. Breakfast is included and there is free parking.
Located on the top 11 floors of Downtown’s third-tallest building, this is one of the classiest hotels in the city. Its East-meets-West decor is magnificent, its restaurant one of the finest, and the rooms, amenities, and service superb.
The Top of the Mark restaurant is a major pull, of course, with its 360-degree panorama, and the service is genuinely caring. The rooms are provided with every amenity and achieve an excellent standard of comfort.
The only hotel built directly on the Bay. The views from guestroom balconies are stunning, and the ambience serene. A wonderful choice, convenient to the city via the Golden Gate Bridge or a ferry ride.
This fine Victorian mansion serves a buffet breakfast in charming double parlors. The garden has a redwood hot tub, and sundeck with a panoramic view of the city.
Perhaps the city’s most original hotel, featuring avant-garde touches – evening tarot card readings, feather boa rentals, and several suites designed by rock celebrities, including Jerry Garcia. It’s all too cool for words; you might run into Cher or Courtney Love, both of whom have stayed here.
Talk about trendy in this town and all conversations will lead to the W hotel. Minimalist with luxury touches throughout. Rooms have cordless phones and CD players. The clientele that come for drinks and general confabulation are modish trendsetters too.
This quaint B&B is like a country inn in the heart of Downtown with bright floral prints and Victorian-style canopied beds. Champagne in the late afternoon and a great English breakfast are complimentary.
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