San Francisco: Best area to stay in??

[Jamie123]

I used to be a tourist, and now live here. I think Tim-n hits it right on the head when he points out your interests will help define the best area.

My first trips were all in the Union Square area and Financial District, but the neighborhoods are much more diverse in a number of ways.

San Francisco is really two cities in one -- a cosmopolitan city overlaid on a set of small villages, really.

I would avoid Fisherman's Wharf, Pier 39, etc if you want a sense of the living, breathing San Francisco.

On the other hand, I also agree that transport in the city gives you quick access to a lot of areas.

If, like Tim N and me, you like to mingle with real folk, or have special activities that define your tourist perspective, let us know and people can be helpful in pointing out what gets you best access.

What sets San Francisco apart from a lot of cities is our diversity -- in terms of population, food, and neighborhoods.

We are at the center of a food revolution that lets you eat fresh and interesting food at prices my European visitors find incredibly low, we have an explosion of food trucks and street food, we have a cults around differences in coffee, and baristas have rock star followings, we are experiencing a flowering of interesting, unusual, and downright peculiar artinasal ice cream. But you can reach those from anywhere in the city -- the question is taking a bit of time to decide what you care about and then checking up where they are and how to get there.

Also unusual is the diversity of Asian cuisines -- not just Chinese, but regional Chinese, and Vietnamese, Cambodian, Thai, etc.

You can spend all your meals seeing how these different cuisines treat fish.

But maybe food isn't your main travel attraction. What is?

I love food so good restaurants are always high on the list. As I said in my reply to Tim, I'll really not have the time to get even a remote sense of living in the city during my short stay so I won't even try. I probably won't do the ultra touristy stuff like Alcatraz (no time) but I'll definitely go to GG bridge and probably also Fisherman's Wharf. I've actually been to SF before with my family when I was 14 and I do remember how touristy Fisherman's Wharf is but my girlfriend hasn't been so we'll probably go there to have a look.

While I'm generally not much into doing touristy stuff in general I also don't think I'm too cool for it. In this particular case SF will 'only' be the final destination of a California road trip along the shore so I'll have had lots of chances to mingle with all sorts of Californians during this time.

 

[ferider]

Jamie,

IMO, much of what attracts Northern Californians to SF is the feeling of a European city, food, coffee shops, etc. You got plenty of that where you come from, I would prefer a coffee at Cafe Central / ZH anytime over one served by a "rock-star barrista" in SF. Little Italy in SF is nothing compared to "Big Italy", etc. Lots of expensive clichees, really, whenever referring to either Europe or the 50s or 60s (like on Columbus or Haight).

Of course, the different, and in particular Asian cultures mixed in SF are unique. And great museums (like the MOMA, Asian Art, etc) and private galleries are plenty. The GG bridge is a bit like the Eiffel tower, similarly built for an international exhibition, that, btw, also used Treasure Island, easy to reach by car via the Bay Bridge and great for photos of the city's sky line.

Lots of what has made Northern California is the Bay Area, the cities between SF and San Jose, including Palo Alto and Sunnyvale. San Jose itself is 2-3 times larger than SF. 2 days is very short of course. But maybe a trip to Palo Alto is attractive, too ? And if only to visit one of the largest Leica collections in the world (Keeble & Shuchat)

The Nikko is a great hotel, BTW. Whenever I have to stay over night, that's what I pick.

A couple of fun restaurants:

http://www.sfcanteen.com

http://www.anfamily.com

http://www.forbesisland.com

http://www.fleurdelyssf.com

http://www.lafolie.com

The first two are really quite unique. Let me know if you want more And, BTW, if you like Sushi, Northern Cal. is where you should enjoy it.

Whatever you do, enjoy and share some photos ....

Roland.

 

[pagpow]

In that case, jaime123, I think the advice you've been given already about places to stay is pretty good.

I would add the Sheraton Palace Hotel on Market -- you walk out the door and have immediate access to BART (Regional Rail transport), Muni (buses), Muni Metro (city underground light rail), cabs, and sidewalks.

You can walk to the museum area at Yerba Buena, to Union Square, Chinatown, and North Beach, and the Ferry Bldg -- and get anywhere you want.

Union Square is a bit more crowded and shopping focused, but has a large range of hotels around it -- from mall to large, reasonable to expensive.

North Beach, around Washington Square Park, has great weather, lots of restaurants, not quite as convenient to multiple means of transport, but many great walks.

Good luck and enjoy yourself.

 

[wayneb]

Don't stay anywhere near Fisherman's Wharf or the cluster of hotels on Lombard st near the Presidio, as they are isolated from the rest of town. North Beach is great to walk around (walk up to Coit Tower), but transit from all these places is bus, which is slow.

The hotels around SFMOMA are just as convenient as Union Sq and that area is perfectly safe.

Places I'd avoid:
Fisherman's Wharf - Much of it is chains and the "local" places are not at all representative of San Francisco. Deer in the headlights Las Vegas tourist crowd.

Upper Haight - There's no trace of anything that made San Francisco the center of the cultural moment this place is famous for. The massive record store, Amoeba records, is worth it if you really like buying CDs.

Piers XX - the Embarcadero is nice for a jog, but it's not really that interesting to walk up and down, especially if you are tight on time. (with the exception of the Ferry Building, which is worth visiting)

Metreon - a failed mall, only worth going if there if you want to see a movie with teenagers.

 

[35mmdelux]

A very nice day trip is driving along Highway 1 to Half Moon Bay. Windswept trees and a few little towns. Beautiful view along the coast. About an hour drive. Lunch in Half Moon Bay, back for dinner in the City.

 

[ampguy]

This is true

This is true

for me at least. Growing up in Mtn. View in the '60s and '70s - going to SF was a big thing, and often centered around food, or some event with food.

I recall many meals at a "real Italian" restaurant, ironically not in North Beach, but in Noe Valley, called "Little Italy" where the Chianti flowed endlessly for us kids back then, like the bread sticks do these days for our kids at the Olive Garden (a cheezy Italian chain in the US, with even cheezier commercials). Oh, and we sweat out garlic for the next few days after eating there

In the '70s, we would hang out up there for no [good] reason, and I'm sure I had my first espresso, puff on a clove cigarette, and maybe french, ahh never mind...

Anyways, have a great trip Jessie, I'm sure you and your friend will enjoy SF wherever you end up. I enjoy traveling to new places and doing most touristy things, at least once.

Jamie,

IMO, much of what attracts Northern Californians to SF is the feeling of a European city, food, coffee shops, etc. You got plenty of that where you come from, I would prefer a coffee at Cafe Central / ZH anytime over one served by a "rock-star barrista" in SF. Little Italy in SF is nothing compared to "Big Italy", etc. Lots of expensive clichees, really, whenever referring to either Europe or the 50s or 60s (like on Columbus or Haight).

Of course, the different, and in particular Asian cultures mixed in SF are unique. And great museums (like the MOMA, Asian Art, etc) and private galleries are plenty. The GG bridge is a bit like the Eiffel tower, similarly built for an international exhibition, that, btw, also used Treasure Island, easy to reach by car via the Bay Bridge and great for photos of the city's sky line.

Lots of what has made Northern California is the Bay Area, the cities between SF and San Jose, including Palo Alto and Sunnyvale. San Jose itself is 2-3 times larger than SF. 2 days is very short of course. But maybe a trip to Palo Alto is attractive, too ? And if only to visit one of the largest Leica collections in the world (Keeble & Shuchat)

The Nikko is a great hotel, BTW. Whenever I have to stay over night, that's what I pick.

A couple of fun restaurants:

http://www.sfcanteen.com

http://www.anfamily.com

http://www.forbesisland.com

http://www.fleurdelyssf.com

http://www.lafolie.com

The first two are really quite unique. Let me know if you want more And, BTW, if you like Sushi, Northern Cal. is where you should enjoy it.

Whatever you do, enjoy and share some photos ....

Roland.

 

[vdonovan]

My pick would be the Dolores/Valencia street area, or Cole Valley, but I'm a local.

If you are in the SFMOMA/Yerba Buena area, don't forget to stop in at the Rayko Photography Center at 3rd and Harrison. Always good shows in the gallery and interesting used cameras on display.

 

[agi]

Don't understand the hate of the Wharf, heck it has our only In & Out Burger. Also the Musee de Mecanique is wonderful and is one of only 2 places in the City where you can still take an authentic photo booth souvenir with you (with the other one being Rayko as Vince mentioned and should be a must visit really). That alone is worth the trip .

As for food you should hit the Mission for one as there's a high concentration of restaurants there. Highly recommend Beretta (http://www.berettasf.com/) as I haven't had a bad meal there - love the squid ink risotto. Coffee is huge here and you'll find a few good places in the Mission...just follow the smell of coffee. For a real Mission experience hit 24th Street before it gets gentrified even more. Much much more recommendations if you'd like.

 

[ampguy]

yeah

yeah

What's up with this 'hatin on the wharf? I swear that I've seen LiLo and her pal there buying up t-shirts and post cards.

Haven't been here, but have heard it is fun for the kids, and they may be very friendly to Glaucoma patients ..., and have some live music sometimes:

http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-revolution-cafe-san-francisco

appears to be a quick walk from Bart Misssion/16th stop.

Don't understand the hate of the Wharf, heck it has our only In & Out Burger. Also the Musee de Mecanique is wonderful and is one of only 2 places in the City where you can still take an authentic photo booth souvenir with you (with the other one being Rayko as Vince mentioned and should be a must visit really). That alone is worth the trip .

As for food you should hit the Mission for one as there's a high concentration of restaurants there. Highly recommend Beretta (http://www.berettasf.com/) as I haven't had a bad meal there - love the squid ink risotto. Coffee is huge here and you'll find a few good places in the Mission...just follow the smell of coffee. For a real Mission experience hit 24th Street before it gets gentrified even more. Much much more recommendations if you'd like.

 

[gerkshinobi]

id say embarcadero or union square. i would NOT suggest north beach unless you like passing by a ton of strip clubs on the way back to your hotel... but if that's your thing, then north beach would be perfect haha

 

[wgerrard]

Just in case, bear in mind that North Beach is not a beach. It's a hill.

The Wharf gets a lot of grief, but it does sit right on the bay and provides great people watching. Is it tacky? Sure.

Instead of Alcatraz, consider taking a ferry over to Sausalito or Tiburon. Both are good for a walk, looking at the water, and a meal.

Ferries are available at the Wharf and at the Ferry Building. The extra attraction of the Ferry Building is that it's full of foodie shops and good places to grab a bite or a snack.

 

[ampguy]

coffee

coffee

it's so hit or miss, I'd just go with sbux and peets for consistency.

I'm very picky about my espresso, and take my own machine, coffee, and barista with me when I travel. Many restaurants and coffee places all over sf and the bay area won't grind fresh beans and tamp/pump out at exactly the right pressures for a good cup, but just dump out what's in the doser which will could be hours old, resulting in a bad tasting pour, then charging more than a chain place.

Don't understand the hate of the Wharf, heck it has our only In & Out Burger. Also the Musee de Mecanique is wonderful and is one of only 2 places in the City where you can still take an authentic photo booth souvenir with you (with the other one being Rayko as Vince mentioned and should be a must visit really). That alone is worth the trip .

As for food you should hit the Mission for one as there's a high concentration of restaurants there. Highly recommend Beretta (http://www.berettasf.com/) as I haven't had a bad meal there - love the squid ink risotto. Coffee is huge here and you'll find a few good places in the Mission...just follow the smell of coffee. For a real Mission experience hit 24th Street before it gets gentrified even more. Much much more recommendations if you'd like.

 

[tim_n]

it's so hit or miss, I'd just go with sbux and peets for consistency.

I'm very picky about my espresso, and take my own machine, coffee, and barista with me when I travel. Many restaurants and coffee places all over sf and the bay area won't grind fresh beans and tamp/pump out at exactly the right pressures for a good cup, but just dump out what's in the doser which will could be hours old, resulting in a bad tasting pour, then charging more than a chain place.

You'd be crazy to settle for SB espresso in SF. SF has some of best espresso in the world, made to highest standards. Definitely consult this site for excellent espresso in any SF neighborhood:
http://www.coffeeratings.com
Choose places with ratings above 7.5 and you will always be happy. Some of the Peet's shops are rated highly, others not. Forget SB altogether. You will not find stale doser coffee or poor preparation at any of the highly rated places on this site.

 

[ampguy]

Thanks Tim

Thanks Tim

Yeah, I've seen that site before.

For me, it's more about cleanliness and knowing the water is filtered, etc. though I'm sure the taste of the espresso from many of these places is just "awesome"

You should talk to my Barista for the full details.

You'd be crazy to settle for SB espresso in SF. SF has some of best espresso in the world, made to highest standards. Definitely consult this site for excellent espresso in any SF neighborhood:
http://www.coffeeratings.com
Choose places with ratings above 7.5 and you will always be happy. Some of the Peet's shops are rated highly, others not. Forget SB altogether. You will not find stale doser coffee or poor preparation at any of the highly rated places on this site.

 

[wayneb]

Agree with Tim. San Francisco, and the Northwest cities, now have better espresso than Rome. Why? These places roast beans in smaller batches than the giant Illys that most Rome/European places use. The baristas train and compete against each other and care about each coffee they make.

Here's the breakdown:
Blue Bottle (Mint Plaza or roof of SFMoma)
Four Barrel on Valencia has a single origin espresso bar which is great
Ritual on Valencia
Sightglass or Vega in soma

Regarding hating on The Wharf: I stand by it. There are many spots by the bay that are scenic and have people watching (Such as: Crissy Field, Fort Mason area, Fort Point, Ferry Building). I enjoy a good vortex of tourism like the next person (and photographer), and can handle tacky. The Wharf just has nothing. (Musee de Mecanique should have stayed at Cliff House)

 

[ampguy]

ok

ok

so what is the TDS of the water these 4 places use? How often do they clean the utensils?

When were their beans picked? And from where? And by whom?

Agree with Tim. San Francisco, and the Northwest cities, now have better espresso than Rome. Why? These places roast beans in smaller batches than the giant Illys that most Rome/European places use. The baristas train and compete against each other and care about each coffee they make.

Here's the breakdown:
Blue Bottle (Mint Plaza or roof of SFMoma)
Four Barrel on Valencia has a single origin espresso bar which is great
Ritual on Valencia
Sightglass or Vega in soma

Regarding hating on The Wharf: I stand by it. There are many spots by the bay that are scenic and have people watching (Such as: Crissy Field, Fort Mason area, Fort Point, Ferry Building). I enjoy a good vortex of tourism like the next person (and photographer), and can handle tacky. The Wharf just has nothing. (Musee de Mecanique should have stayed at Cliff House)

 

[PMCC]

It's a matter of taste.

It's a matter of taste.

Don't understand the hate of the Wharf, heck it has our only In & Out Burger.

The statement provides its own response.

 

[pagpow]

Agree with Tim. San Francisco, and the Northwest cities, now have better espresso than Rome. Why? These places roast beans in smaller batches than the giant Illys that most Rome/European places use. The baristas train and compete against each other and care about each coffee they make.

Here's the breakdown:
Blue Bottle (Mint Plaza or roof of SFMoma)
Four Barrel on Valencia has a single origin espresso bar which is great
Ritual on Valencia
Sightglass or Vega in soma

Regarding hating on The Wharf: I stand by it. There are many spots by the bay that are scenic and have people watching (Such as: Crissy Field, Fort Mason area, Fort Point, Ferry Building). I enjoy a good vortex of tourism like the next person (and photographer), and can handle tacky. The Wharf just has nothing. (Musee de Mecanique should have stayed at Cliff House)

+1 on comparison to coffee in Rome, and I'm Italian

+2 on wharf

 

[wayneb]

You can go to the back of Four Barrel or Ritual and you will see their roaster and various bags of beans, clearly labelled, as to where they were picked and often by which collective.

Are you really asking these questions after suggesting people go to Starbucks? I like coffee, but I drink water when my only choice is Starbucks.

When were their beans picked? And from where? And by whom?

 

[ampguy]

most of the content of a coffee drink is water

most of the content of a coffee drink is water

Get your Hipster 'spresso facts straight.

You can go to the back of Four Barrel or Ritual and you will see their roaster and various bags of beans, clearly labelled, as to where they were picked and often by which collective.

Are you really asking these questions after suggesting people go to Starbucks? I like coffee, but I drink water when my only choice is Starbucks.