California
Related: About this forumGonna be in SF for 3 days in June.
What should I see? What restaurants are not be missed? What is a nice and interesting area to stay in? TIA.
Mr.Bill
(24,790 posts)check the Giants schedule. Fantastic ball park, great food. Good public transportation to and from the game from most anywhere. In fact, avoid driving if at all possible. Not a car-friendly town. Terrible to drive in and expensive to park.
FSogol
(46,525 posts)Rent a car since it seemed like a hassle. Bus or street car?
Mr.Bill
(24,790 posts)give you any details, but the locals are very helpful. Of course, the cable cars are fun and unique, but limited routes. A good cable car ride is from Union Square to Fisherman's Wharf.
Another thing about San Francisco is the "tourist traps" are really worthwhile seeing, for the most part. Pier 39, (next to the Wharf) Coit Tower, Ferry Building, DeYoung Museum, etc. If you're athletic, consider walking the Golden Gate Bridge. Alcatraz is cool, and of course, a nice boat ride to see it, but make reservations in advance. Chinatown is a bit underwhelming. Ask around, if you want Chinese food, you won't find the best in Chinatown. Souvenirs are cheaper there, like if you are buying a lot of them for kids or something.
Even though it's June, chilly weather is not uncommon, especially at night. Bring a jacket and don't wear shorts. Remember Mark Twain once said the coldest winter he ever spent was summer in San Francisco.
Hope you have a great time.
lapfog_1
(30,158 posts)but only if you haven't done them before...
1. Golden Gate Bridge... I like the north parking area and walk partway.
2. Ghirardelli Square... get some chocolates, visit Fisherman's wharf, buy some sour dough bread (at the end) to take home, take a ferry ride, if you have time, visit Alcatraz (no idea if it is open to the public)
3. Ride a cable car.
4. Shop at Union Square
5. if you are of an age... Haight and Ashbury
6. Golden Gate Park and the Museum of Modern Art (I could spend a day there)
7. Visit Muir Beach and Sausalito.
8. Lombard street (from Van Ness)... do NOT drive this but walk it.
There are about another dozen touristy things to do... but I have already listed more than you will have time to do.
FSogol
(46,525 posts)I liked going to the lobby bar at the St Francis hotel (Union Square). I would meet my Russian model friend there to have coffee or mimosas and a bite... and to see and be seen.
Those were the days.
Bobstandard
(1,661 posts)There are great restaurants at every price point but the Michelin Guide can direct you to the best of the best. The most unique of them is Californios, the finest Mexican influenced food you can get in the US. When you see the prices youll say it couldnt possibly be worth it. If you go, youll want to go again the next day.
Less expensive and a bit easier to get into ( make your reservations now for whatever restaurants youre interested in) is State Bird Provisions. Yet Wah for dim sum. Top of the Mark for a cocktail with a view. Swan Oyster Depot for crab cocktail (the line is worth it).
Dress in layers. The weather varies from neighborhood to neighborhood but on many days there all colder than youd expect
Auggie
(31,802 posts)if you like The Muppets.
Alcatraz, live guided tour or audio tour. Need to buy tickets in advance.
Powell / Hyde Street cable car. Not the Mason / Powell Street.
Someone upthread mentioned the Giants. Its Moms tote bag day on Sunday.
Like pizza? Check out Tommasos or Tony's Pizza Napoletana, both in North Beach.
Random thoughts
On edit: Id try to stay in the Union Square area. Its central to almost everything.
Fiendish Thingy
(18,519 posts)Dont bother with Ghiaradelli square, skip Pier 39, and Fishermans Wharf is only good for a quick stroll and maybe lunch. If youre looking for good California chocolate, find a Sees store- you wont be sorry.
Alcatraz is cool, but will take much of a day getting there, touring the site and getting back- make reservations in advance for both the park and ferry.
Coit Tower (up the hill from Pier 39) offers great views, but more importantly, the inside is decorated with depression era mural by WPA artists.
The cable cars are Ok for a trip up and around the hills of SF, but IMO not a must do activity.
Golden Gate Park often has free activities such as concerts, and has the De Young museum (check to see the What exhibits will be there when you visit), and a Japanese garden.
The Presidio is home to the Walt Disney Family museum with lots of interactive exhibits and personal memorabilia from both Disney films and theme parks. Check their website, reservations required. The well curated museum takes about 2 hours to cover every section.
I havent been to Chinatown in decades- if you have time it might be worth looking up restaurant recommendations, but not a must see IMO.
If you are a music fan/collector, SF is home to one of the best record stores in the world - Amoeba Records in the Haight Asbury district near the panhandle to Golden Gate Park. Lots of live music and nightlife - check local listings.
Theres a park where you can leave your car and walk across the Golden Gate if you want (or halfway there and back).
Good luck and have fun!
NBachers
(18,132 posts)There are 3 more Mexican places right on that strip; any of them are good; but La Taqueria's the one I'd suggest. Their burritos are good because they don't load 'em up with rice. I like the soft tacos spicy with everything- avocado, salsa, and sour cream, but they aren't cheap. They have horchata or juices there, along with beer & soft drinks. I like the pineapple. A few years back, Nate Silver of 538 fame said La Taqueria had the best burrito in the USA - Of course, this can be debated forever, but it's worth trying. I live on 25th Street a block from La Taqueria.
A walk down the Embarcadero from the Ferry Building toward the Bay Bridge, along the San Francisco bayfront, will give you dynamic and photographic views of the Bay Bridge as it stretches across the bay. You can also walk down the Embarcadero the other way, towards Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39. There are a couple of jetties that go way out into the bay, and are certainly worth the walk. The bayfront is open in the Ferry Building neighborhood, so you can stroll right along the waterfront instead of along the streetside.
Between Pier 39 and Fisherman's Wharf, you'll see ways to walk back along the wharves where the picturesque fishing boats dock. Some of them have bay cruises that go out under the Golden Gate Bridge and back. I've seen times when I've bought Clam Chowder in a bread bowl, along with a local Anchor Steam beer, and consumed it all out there by the fishing boats.
Notice I endorsed local Anchor Steam beer.
In the same neighborhood is In 'n' Out burgers, which is kind of a California phenomenon that people like to try. My favorite restaurant, kind of toward the end of the Fisherman's Wharf stroll, is Cioppino's; I took my brother there last week when he came to visit. Best clam chowder I've had along the Wharf. If you keep walking to the right after you leave Cioppino's, you'll come to Aquatic Park; past there is the Municipal Pier; a curved pier that creates a safe harbor. You can walk out on it and see great views of Alcatraz, the Golden Gate Bridge, and all the boat & ship traffic on the Bay.
If you can get to the San Francisco side of the Golden Gate Bridge, there are plenty of exploration opportunities with world-class views of the majestic bridge and the bay. You can walk down under the bridge and come up on the other side, and follow the path past old military fortifications and stunning Golden Gate views. You can also follow a winding trail that will bring you down to Fort Point underneath the bridge and at bay level. You can see where Kim Novak jumped into the bay and Jimmy Stewart rescued her in Vertigo.
You can take a bus out to the end of Geary Street and explore Land's End. There's a National Park building you can go into; there are trails that go all along the edge of the Pacific and the Golden Gate inlet. Depending on how much walking you want to do, you can walk along the bluffs over the water and look across to the Marin Headlands. In the other direction, you can walk down to Ocean Beach and walk as far as you want along the shore of the Pacific. Golden Gate Park ends at this location. The Beach Chalet is a restaurant I'd recommend on the edge of Golden Gate Park and looking out over the Pacific.
As others have said, be prepared for cold weather. It's been sunny but quite windy lately. The hard-learned lesson is, just because it's nice when you walk outside, doesn't mean that it'll be that way all day long. Be prepared. I keep seeing these poor tourists who think they're going into California Beach Boys climate, but end up freezing.
A central downtown or North Beach / Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39 location would probably be best. There are stretches of Mission and Market Street beyond 5th Street that are very sketchy, and you probably want to avoid going in that direction. I've never had trouble there, but tourists sometimes get the wrong kinds of attention. Follow the same rules of awareness and property security that you'd follow in any environment.
LuckyLib
(6,891 posts)You can ride buses, streetcars, etc. and get anywhere using an app on your iPhone to find stops. For restaurants, there are several wonderful spots in neighborhoods for whatever food craving you have. Enjoy!
FSogol
(46,525 posts)lambchopp59
(2,809 posts)I won't take a bay area excursion without a breeze through Japantown. I stay in Dublin/Pleasanton and BART in to Montgomery station. The 38 Balboa/33rd (Geary bus) to Webster Street stop gets you next to Japan town. Last I looked, Kushi Tsuru in Japantown Mall is still in business, along with other excellent restaurants and shops. It gets mixed reviews these days but I've never had a bad experience there.
I'm uncertain how much got shut down in the pandemic, like I said, it's been a while.
It's also one of the few parking garages in the area if you're driving. I don't recommend driving in most of the city because parking is a nightmare.