I will visit San Francisco in May ...

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my hotel will be near Powell/Market Street.
Any areas there to avoid because being unsafe?
I think of heavy jetlag and will go out about 5 am for a walk with my camera - will this be ok in your eyes or should I be aware?
As being there for about 3 days I plan to buy a ticket for busses for this time and will doing typical tourist things ;-)
Fishermen's Wharf, Cable Car, Alamo Square, Haight A., Mission District, etc.
Any tips for SF starting with eating a great breakfast near my hotel (see above)?
Brainstorming ...
Thanks!
 
I think you ll be fine. I was there in december and coming from the east coast kept waking up at 3 am. Was out the door by 4 and walking around market street and down to the wharf. It's very safe as long as you use common sense.
 
I lived in the Bay Area for 30 years. You should be fine. Of course anything can happen anywhere. Stay aware of your surroundings and trust your instincts. Enjoy your trip!
 
Around 16th street tenderloin is a bit sketchy but the most interesting area. Just keep a low profile and be aware of your surroundings and you will be just fine.

Biggest danger is from cops and rent a cob around official buildings :-(


  • Forget about bus tours etc. Use BART and an occasional cab ride.
  • Have lunch / breakfast at Marriot Hotel's top floor restaurant located near Union Square (awesome views!)
  • See the beautiful murals / graffiti at Clarion Alley
  • Walk down have coffee, shop and take pictures while walking down mission street
  • Walk on the beach at Crissy Field
  • Book a tour at the Armory (adults only...) ***
  • Walk across the Golden Gate Bridge
  • Walk along the Embarcadero starting east of the Bay Bridge to Fisherman's Warf (tourist trap...)
  • Sunset dinner at the Cliff house Bistro (not the restaurant!)
  • If you can rent a car drive down Highway 1 (Cabrillo Highway_ towards Santa Cruz. Stop at Maverics beach while driving south stop at Pescadero. Near the church is an very old fashioned grocery store where they make awesome sandwiches in the back. You can sit on the benches behind the store to eat them and have a nice break. Next stop in Pescadero is the Goat farm. Where you must go upstairs to see the party room!!!
  • If you need to develop / print visit Raykophoto.


*** be aware this building is now used as a SM Porn studio. Just be aware that this tour is rather "interesting"

BRING WARM CLOTHES. LAYERS IS THE ANSWER!
  • Wind breaker
  • Warm Scarf
  • Hat
  • Warm vest (thick hoody)
 
See some great photography...
There will be the big Winogrand retrospective at SFMOMA.
Also, Pier 24 (free, but you need to make reservations on line).

For breakfast near Powell & Market...Walk up Powell street 3 blocks to Sears Fine Foods.

Gary
 
Best breakfast in town is at Mama's .
Just have to get used to the fact that American's would have made good Russians. They all stand in line to get into a restaurant... :cool::cool::cool:

Seriously if you want to go out for dinner, call ahead for a reservation!

Unfortunately Mama's as most other breakfast places are first come first serve..
 
Rogier said:
Around 16th street tenderloin is a bit sketchy but the most interesting area. Just keep a low profile and be aware of your surroundings and you will be just fine.

Biggest danger is from cops and rent a cob around official buildings :-(
Click to expand...

Seriuosly? The biggest danger in the Tenderloin and around 16th Street is the gangbangers, crackheads, and tweakers. The cops in the Mission and Tenderloin are too lazy and useless to pose a threat to anyone.
 
cross the GG Bridge away from the city (you can rent a bike or take a bus to the other side). on the right is the usual stop off (i think this is were the bus drops off) with a flat look back on the city and the bridge. on the left is a hill that you can ride a bike up (drive if you end up with a car) or walk. all along the way up you get a great view of the city and bridge. at the very top there is an old cannon turret that opens to the ocean side. you can just walk straight on through. on the back side at sunset is the most amazing view of the pacific and the SF coast line. from the back side you can easily walk up to the very top of the hill as well for a great 360 view.

-Jon
 
bob338 said:
Seriuosly? The biggest danger in the Tenderloin and around 16th Street is the gangbangers, crackheads, and tweakers. The cops in the Mission and Tenderloin are too lazy and useless to pose a threat to anyone.
Click to expand...

I was talking in general.
Have been slammed on the hood of a patrol car and handcuffed just for taking a picture of the street sign of the Veterans hospital from the sidewalk.. :mad::mad::mad:
 
Rogier said:
I was talking in general.
Have been slammed on the hood of a patrol car and handcuffed just for taking a picture of the street sign of the Veterans hospital from the sidewalk.. :mad::mad::mad:
Click to expand...

That sucks. I was used to getting that treatment growing up in Chicago, but I've never had a problem with the cops in San Francisco. I still don't like cops, but they've never harassed me in the 17 years I've lived here.
 
The Tenderloin (roughly Mason to Van Ness and Market to Geary) near your hotel is grungy, overrun by drug dealers and prostitutes, but does not have high rates of violent crime unlike the Western Addition, Bayview-Hunter's Point or the Mission District.

For breakfast, Sears' Fine Foods and Dottie's True Blue Cafe are nearby and OK. I would recommend taking the F line tramway to the Ferry Building, which has a great gourmet food court. Universal Cafe and Mission Beach Cafe have outstanding brunch, but are quite far.
 
You will have a wonderful time there. My wife dragged me to SF for a vacation. I went kicking and screaming "I don't want to go". We walked and trolley'd everywhere. After a week my wife dragged me home kicking and screaming "I want to stay ! "

If you can possibly stay longer, do so. Bring good walking shoes :D
 
majid said:
I would recommend taking the F line tramway to the Ferry Building, which has a great gourmet food court.
Click to expand...

It's an easy and interesting walk down Market Street to the Ferry Building, which being a "terminal vista" at the foot of Market is easy to see as you approach. Once there, check out Boulette's Larder for breakfast or lunch ($$). On Thursday and Saturday mornings, the Ferry Building hosts a renowned farmer's market that's well worth a visit.

For elite dim sum, Yank Sing in nearby Rincon Center on Spear Street is the local standard. Try the Shanghai soup dumplings, and bring $$$.
 
I also recommend Sears just off Union Square for breakfast, good place.

Let us know in the Bay Area forum when your plans are firmed up and maybe we can meet up with you and do a little shooting, drinking and gallery trolling.
 
I agree with most of the info you've been given. Tenderlion is not worth your time or risk. In May 5 am will be fine, most of the undesirables will be passed out if you run across them. I ride my bike at 5 am even when its dark and it's fine. I carry a messenger bag with my camera gear so it's not as obvious. You can walk to all those places by the way except for maybe the GG bridge might be a little far. See lots of interesting things while walking. Have fun in a beautiful city!
 
One more vote for Sears Fine Foods for breakfast. Then, walk from there down Market St all the way to the Ferry Building. Fisherman's Wharf is a bit of a tourist trap, but the food is decent (if you're into fresh seafood).

I love my visits to SF, but mostly meeting with the local RF shooters. They're the salt of the Earth! :) Ken, where are you? And Mike?
 
If you're going to San Francisco, be sure to wear flowers in your hair!

Anyway, get one of these: https://www.clippercard.com/ClipperWeb/index.do
Just put some money on it ($20 should do you for 3 days), you can use it on most of the transit systems in the area.

Definitely get good walking shoes. The tourist areas aren't bad, sometimes tourists are photographically interesting. For example, I have no idea why these tourist ladies were carrying an inflatable sex doll around fisherman's wharf, but they were having fun: http://www.flickr.com/photos/drew_saunders/4711047184/in/set-72157624174923087
 
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