Tell Me About San Francisco

sigmagrrl · #1 02-09-2003, 02:16 PM

So, I've decided to take a trip to San Francisco by myself! I'm really excited. There are a few things I know I want to do while I'm there: cross the Golden Gate, go to the Palace of Fine Arts, and ride some cable cars. But, what else should I see? Any good places to eat? I'm staying right in the heart of downtown, but I may rent a car for one day to drive either to Napa or the amusement park in Santa Clara (?? Paramount's Something-or-other)...Any other ideas???

GiantsChic · #2 02-09-2003, 06:09 PM

There's many ways to get around san francisco by public transportation, but if you're going to travel out of the city, you might want to rent a car. If you want to go to the amusement park (paramount's Great America), it's a little drive, and you should check to make sure it's open (it's not open all year round, i think opens in march/april- not sure though)...

As for the Palace of Fine Arts, I used to work there- the Palace of Fine Arts is just the name of the area, there is no actual art museum there- the Exploratorium is there (a hands-on science museum thing)... there are a few art museums, but they are more downtown...

I would totally go across the golden gate bridge... just hope for no fog! lol

I would check out the Academy of Sciences (has an aquarium, planetarium, etc...) I would of course check out Pier 39/ Fisherman's Warf Area- lotsa cool shops and good restaurants...

If you have any Q's, just let me know and I'll try to help

chideltjen · #3 02-09-2003, 06:48 PM

Experience BART... the bay area's answer to the subway. That will take you from san fran to either the Dublin area and back.

Union Square has awesome shopping. You can take the trolley to China Town and then to the coastline near the Maritime Museum.

Pier 39 is a definite must. Check out Hard Rock Cafe and Rainforest Cafe. Both are in the general vicinity. Ghirideli (sp?) Square is also a fun place, also lots of shopping.

Be careful with renting a car in SF. Parking is a madhouse! and very expensive. You are better off walking, talking MUNI, or BART.

ladyj39 · #4 02-10-2003, 12:15 AM

Hi Sigmagrrl! Wow! Travelling alone in a big city takes guts girl!

GiantsChic is right about Great America- unfortunately, it's closed now and won't reopen until March. When will you be here?

You should check out Golden Gate Park. There are TONS of things to do there! You can go to the Aquarium, Japanese Tea Garden, botanical gardens, or rent a boat at Stow Lake.

As for food, San Farncisco is known for their diverse and amazing restaurants! You can find something great practically anywhere you go! I will happy to suggest something more specific if you want when you decide which neighborhoods you are most interested in.

If you want to take a short drive, Monterey is a cute little seaside town about an hour and a half south of SF. It's famous for their aquarium and shops. There is also a HUGE shopping center on the way in Gilroy full of outlets.

I work for the Automobile Association, so I give out maps and touring advice everyday. You can PM me if you want. I would be happy to help!

In the meantime, here are three websites that are really cool:

www.sfvisitor.org
www.citysearch7.com
www.sfstation.com

SF is so awesome and I'm so glad you're checking it out!

CutiePie2000 · #5 02-10-2003, 01:14 AM

Do not drive, if you can avoid it. Parking is a nightmare. Public transit is excellent. Wear comfy shoes as San Francisco is very hilly for walking! Go to Alcatraz where you get off on the island and are allowed to walk around - I thought that was pretty interesting. Go to North Beach for great Italian food.
Lombard Street (the crookedest street in the world) has some beautiful houses. The shopping on Market Street is pretty good.

If you like drag shows, go see Beach Blanket Babylon!
It's supposed to be a very impressive show.
http://www.beachblanketbabylon.com/

For a bit further afield:
Take BART and visit Berkeley....or
Take the Cal Train to Palo Alto and see Stanford (there is a shuttle from the Cal Train station to Stanford).

Also, in SF, the weather can change on a dime, so always make sure you have a light sweater with....umbrella is good too.

If you want to avoid sounding like a tourist, don't refer to San Francisco as "San Fran" nor "Frisco". It's either "San Francisco" or "The City". This was all carefully explained to me by my friend who lives in Russian Hill.

Jaggergirl · #6 02-10-2003, 12:14 PM

If you like garlic you should go to Stinking Rose in North Beach.

The Best Music Store in The World is on Haight Street and Parker. It's called Amoeba. Actually, you should check out Haight St. in general. Its a fun district with good bars, restaraunts, shops. Stop by Cha Cha Cha's for Cuban food and sangria.

If you want to see a very typical SF scene, go to the Cat Club on Thursday nights (its in SoMa). They do 80s night and the characters there are great.

Also check out AsiaSF (downtown) for very cool Asian fusion food and waitresses who are "female impersonators." They do shows on the bar at regular intervals. Definitely a good time. Just go in and get a seat at the bar.

Sorry I don't have addresses for you. But a quick search on citysearch should help you out. Have fun!

DeltAlum · #7 02-10-2003, 11:46 PM

One of the world's truly great cities to visit. You'll love it.

If you have time, drive across the Golden Gate Bridge or take a boat from Fisherman's Wharf over to Sausalito for lunch or drinks (hope I spelled that right). It's a fun ride if it's not too cold.

There is a great view of the city (take your camera) from the TV tower site at Mt. Sutro.

XOMichelle · #8 02-11-2003, 02:51 AM

Enrico's in Northbeach is a place I've had a very fine meal at. Also, go to the Haight, it's superfun and has some great clothing stores.
Yeah, don't get a car unless you want to go out of SF (like to Half Moon Bay or Carmel or Napa).

Have fun exploring! It's a cool city.

sigmagrrl · #9 02-11-2003, 10:19 AM

Thank you SOOOOOOOOOO much to everyone for your advice so far. I am only renting a car for one day, and that's the day I'm heading to Great America. It's open until 7pm the days I'll be out there. I did want to take a boat ride of some sort, so big thanks to DeltAlum's Sausalito boat ride idea! I will be looking for other boat rides as well....Is Berkley worth spending time in?? I'm very excited! Also, can someone tell me how far SFO airport is from downtown SF?? THANKS!

Jaggergirl · #10 02-11-2003, 10:27 AM

Depending on traffic, it can take half and hour to 45 minutes from SFO to downtown SF. A cab ride will run you about $40. You can take a Super Shuttle for around $16. If you're on a budget, that's what I'd suggest.

Of course, you should check your hotel to see if they have any free shuttle service.

GiantsChic · #11 02-12-2003, 01:40 AM

Depending on how long you'll be in san francisco, I'd recommend the City Pass... it's one price of like $35 that gets you into the exploratorium, the academy of science, museum of modern art, palace of legion of honor (art museum), a boat ride around Alcatraz, and a 7 day Muni (sf public transit) and cable car pass... it's a good deal, and you can buy it at any of those locations

(it's good for 9 days before it expires, but you can go to more than one thing per day if you want)