OT: San Francisco members...

[Kyle]

I'll be heading up to San Francisco from Southern California on Friday. A few friends and I will be going to the anti-war protest and I plan on photographing it. We'll be staying at the Adelaide Hostel which is near Union Square where the start of the march will be. I have a couple questions:

1) Is this a good area? That is, would you feel comfortable leaving valuables in your room (we have a private room, not shared dorms).
2) What is the weather like up there right now? If its anything like Southern California right now, I should pack some warm clothes, right?
3) Any other tips about the city? This is my second visit to San Francisco, but the first time was a short stay and the other person I went with knew nothing about the city, as he had never been there either. We wound up wandering around for half a day, decided we were bored, and left.

 

[kaiyen]

The weather for Friday and the weekend is predicted to be about 60 with showers. Should be clearing up during the weekend. But it's been very unpredictable lately. Dress warmly, preferably with something waterproof.

The city is very...varied. So it's up to you what you want to do. I'll actually be at the Farmer's Market at the Ferry building on Saturday - I like stuff like that. The protest will be interesting, of course. North Beach is a nice place to go to at night - lots of activity. And SOMA is cool to wander around during the day.

allan

 

[jcline]

The mission is also a great place for photos, lots of people and murals. If you like south american food, there is a spot a little far out of the way can mi lindo peru that I have a hard time avoiding when I make my way to sf. Moma is always interesting, they frown on people taking photos. Late night food (always important while in a far away place), the castro has a couple of good cafe places, and the mission is full of tortilla joints. I can't remember how late, but tommy's joint is open pretty late, good variety of drinks, and decent food.

Union square is a nice area, the tender loin at night is kinda scary and not that far away though.

 

[MelanieC]

Near Union Square is upscale and fine. Actually, I find the "bad" parts of town here only laughable in terms of scare factor. I moved here from Philadelphia last August and in comparison this entire city is... well... wussy. I have not seen a part of this city yet that I would be afraid to walk around in after dark (and that includes the Tenderloin -- it has nothing on West Philly) but people keep telling me that such places exist. Union Square isn't one of them. If you're really worried about valuables I am sure the hotel has a safe.

[Of course, a bunch of people were just shot over in the Mission tonight so maybe this city has some scary parts after all.]

The weather is the California version of "cold," which means that it's hovering around 50 and rains on and off. Since moving here I have become wussified. What would have been lightweight jacket weather back east has me wearing layers, hat, and gloves. Pathetic. You will need rain gear for sure. A waterproof hooded jacket and a fleece under it would suffice.

This city is very European in feel for an American city (actual Europeans may disagree). For me it is not so much about seeing sights as just wandering around, so if you're not into that you will probably be bored again. I remember having a hard time coming up with things that my mother would enjoy doing when we visited here together last summer, because she is into seeing sights and I am more into wandering.

 

[RayPA]

"Wandering" about can be tough, because some of the steepest hills you'll ever find yourself confronting are in SF, but Melanie is right, it is a city for wandering (and cabs). The neighborhoods are pretty distinct and that's the real charm, once you get into a neighborhood (like North Beach, Chinatown, the Mission, the Castro, etc.) the best thing to do is just wander. You can get some nice views and activity if you get down to the Embarcadero and follow it northward toward Fisherman's Wharf. It's an easy walk, and is one way to walk around the hills.

Melanie I've been in the same predicament that you were in with your mother, many times. In fact, a friend of mine wrote a guidebook for SF residents who have family and friends visiting the city, and who suddenly find themselves designated 'tour guide.' I'll have to find my copy and pass the title along.


🙂

 

[sychan]

As Melanie said, the Tenderloin is kind of a joke when it comes to a sense of danger, unless you consider cross-dressing prostitutes and the occasional drug dealer to be scary (only scary if you buy the product!). There's actually a few tasty Thai restaurants in the tenderloin ( Osha Thai Noodle, Sai Jai Thai). There are lots of poor, homeless people in the tenderloin and some of them are not right mentally/emotionally, but generally harmless. And several places that simply reek, but aren't unsafe. All these places may seem kind of scary to people from sanitized suburban areas - but they are not particularly scrary. I think Bay View Hunter's Point is more of a genuine ghetto where you might fear for your safety.

From Union Square it is a short walk to tourist traps like Fisherman's Wharf and Chinatown. As much as I like Chinese food, I'd walk a little further into North Beach and get fed there at the Italian places. If you want a tasty, kind of yuppie food court, wander over to the Ferry Building along the Embarcadero - its kind of like the Grand Central Station feeding zone in NYC, except it isn't grand, and it isn't central.
If you are a walking type and have the stamina for a ~20 mile walk (or you have a bike), you could try going to the Embarcadero and walking north along the water/coast through Fisherman's Wharf, Fort Mason, to the Golden Gate, through the GGNRA along the coast until you get to the ocean side and then down to the Cliffhouse, then back through Golden Gate Park across the city, then through the downtown/civic center area and back to your hostel.
You may be a little tired at the end of the it though 🙂

The night time scene seems to be in 3 general areas, south of market, North Beach and the Mission. Most of the tourist traps have been mentioned to you - you can also check out
Coit Tower
Twin peaks
Grace Cathedral
St. Mary's Cathedral
The Castro
The DeYoung Museum in Golden Gate Park
City Hall (the only thing prettier than city hall, seems to be the mayor)

But as others have pointed out, San Francisco is a cool city to just wander around. You're never far from someplace with good food and good coffee, and the city has charm (if not any edginess).

 

[Warren T.]

Hello,

SF is a great place for walking, and wandering, and loaded with photo opps along the way.

From your hotel at Union Square, you can walk through the Stockton Street Tunnel to Chinatown, and onward from there through North Beach (old Italian district), Telegraph Hill (Coit Tower) then to Pier 39 (SF's biggest tourist attraction), Fisherman's Wharf, Aquatic Park. If you're still good to go, you can walk from there (shortcut through Aquatic Park) through the Presidio to Crissy Field, which has recently been landscaped into a lovely walking park with a beach. You'll see a great view of the Golden Gate Bridge, and you can even walk up to it, and over it if your still have any energy left.

After all that, you can find public transit back to the downtown area.

A note about Chinatown. I don't know if this interests you, but Saturday mornings (and most of the weekend) in Chinatown are filled, wall to wall (shoulder to shoulder), with locals doing their weekly shopping on Stockton street markets. Grant Avenue has been relegated to predominantly tourist traps (souvenir shops, etc.). All the local (real) shops are now on Stockton Street and a few side streets. It feels like you're in a different country. I can easily spend a few hours just wandering those few blocks taking pictures.

Let us know if you need some recommendations for cheap/good eats.

--Warren

 

[Warren T.]

So Kyle, how did your photo shoots go in SF? Do you have any photos to show us?

Just curious.

--Warren