So, what do I *have* to see when I am in San Francisco?
 

Stopping for a couple days on my way to The Pheonix Forum. I have wanted to go since I was a child, and I have some friends there to crash at so I figured I deserved a treat. Now, apart from the normal Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, etc..what is a must see? I will be staying in Alameda which I am assured is an easy journey into San Francisco by ferrry, etc. *stoked*

I always make it a point to dine at Bobby Rubinos...

get a table near the windows of the boardwalk on the wharf...

There you will find an old black man.. he will be holding oleander branches
and will just loom on the sidewalks edge acting as if he is hiding behind the branches... untill he finds some unsuspecting tourist that is not really paying attention to him... where he lunges from behind the branches and hollars

BOOOO !!

during your meal you can see him scare the s_*$#_)*$# out of at least 20 people... its so funny your sides will ache...

Big B

PS.. try the calimari and the short ribs at bobby rubino's .... hmmmmm

Here's a quick list
Golden Gate Park - huge park with museums, japanese tea garden and an aquarium. also located near the hate-ashbury
Presideo - old military base now a park near the base of GG bridge
Exploritorium - hands on science museum - a must see if you're at all geeky.
Angel Island park - The west coasts Ellis Island where chiniese and japanese imigrents came through. Rent a bike and take the ferry but it's an all day thing.
China town and Japan town.

http://www.bondage-a-go-go.com/ - long running fetish party

Also Museam of Modern Art http://www.sfmoma.org/index.html

Take a quick spin down Lombard St.

OMG I can't believe your staying in Alameda LOL.. that is where I grew up for 20 years :) Such a cute little town..

Lombard St.
Cliff House Restraunt in SF has a great view of the water, and there is old bathhouse ruins right there, along with a cave type dealio through the rocks with a great look out there.
John Muir Woods is always good but it's kind of a drive but it's close to the CliffHouse.

Everything else mentioned here is a must see too, there is so much to do there! I tried to mention different stuff then what was already said

SFMOMA is great!

I love the Bay Area...

Yup, i figured that was on the 'must see' list...though I think I should get in training now for the hills.

Three things I'd mention.....
1) Coit tower. Great views of the city.
2) Near where you take the tour for Alcatrax is an area where fishermen sell fresh fish sandwhiches right there on the water. Get one of their bread bowls with soup in it. For four bucks it's a deal.
3) Want a killer view of the Golden Gate Bridge and the city itself? Drive out of the city going over the Golden Gate Bridge. The first exit is the park; Take the second exit. You can only head in one direction on this exit, and it takes you under the freeway and up the hill overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge. This is where they take all of those killer picures of the bridge.

If your into strip clubs and such, be sure to visit Mitchell Brothers O'Farrell Theatre on O'Farrell Street. Large place with lots to do.

Glad to hear that..I don't know what at all to expect of Alameda but I figured my friends wouldn't live anywhere too bad :)

What's there to do in SF? Umm, buy me dinner! LOL. :thumbsup

The only time i travvelled
 

The only time I travelled abroad it was to San Francisco, USA. The things I liked the most:

- Height st - or Haight cannot remember exactly- : lots of rare cd stores, clothes, etc do not forget to stop for a good Chai Tea at any coffee place.
- SFMOMA
- Wharf - there is a huge store where they display very unusual music instruments. Stop and get a clam chowder there!
- China Town: Huge, beautiful and cheap :)
- Ask people for directions to vintage clothes stores, there are some huge ones with the most beautiful things you will find around, can get nice deals there too.
- Go for some chocolate blast to Ghirardelli's yummi!
:thumbsup

Nik

I already told my friends that being what I do for a living that has to be atleast seen from the outside.

obviously, being who I am I need to go to the Castro..just to have been there once

Post Street.

All the entertainment you can handle.

Definitely hook up with the NakedSword team, they will show u a great time :)

for siteseeing, I like the Observatory and surrounding park area.
don't forget the shopping!
Go into Salsalito if u get a chance.

Make sure to stop by to see the "Full House" house.

Uncle Jesse is waiting for you.

A few more things.

If you're driving, take 1 South along the coast towards Santa Cruz. Stop in Half Moon Bay and visit the downtown area.
North Beach has some great resturants.
Visit Fort Mason at the base of the Golden Gate Bridge.

lol...have to say, it did cross my mind.....so did the nice plumper lesbians

Not sure how old you are and if this of interest, but when we visited SF I wanted to visit the Haight Ashbury district. Of course that's lots of shops which were really of little interest, but I went to see the old Jefferson Airplane house and the house the Dead lived in. These aren't marked, so you'll have to know what you're looking for because the houses are just houses with people living in them but my trip wouldn't have been the same without seeking them out. There's also some really nice hole in the wall bars to check out along the route too.

i was going to tell you to be sure not to ignore the east bay, but you're staying in alameda so of course you won't! as for sf - there's a lot there, different strokes for different folks - so it depends on what you're into. i love the ocean so i go to ocean beach a lot, but i also dig the funky vibe up on haight street.

the theatre district is nice if you want to play dress up and see a nice performance, the serious only-for-rich-people shopping district is right around the corner. you'll have fun no matter what! :2 cents:

Sarah you should for sure hook up with the NakedSword team email me and I will put you in touch with the San Fran office :)

[email protected]

You must pay a visit to the ex King of San Fransisco's grave.

I love SF its awesome

I am 28....so the age to be a child of hippies but my folks were chess club and bible study members instead. I am going to of course check out the area..i'm a music nut so anything music related interests me plus the area is just too famous not to see anyway.

So, I have been told. I have long been afraid to visit that I would not want to leave. I've done that before, you know ;)

Alameda is kind of trendy. Nice little "island". As for getting into The City, I'd take BART if I were you. Faster. The Ferrys are OK, if the weather is nice. I would just explore. The problem with trying to hit a list of "must-sees" in SF is that unless you know your way around town, you'll waste a lot of time getting around. Start there along the Embarcadero and just wander. Grab a cab if you must, but have a map and use the Muni. SF is a great place to explore.

#1: Alcatraz
#2: Fishermans Wharf
#3: Take a ride on a Trolly
#4: Lombard Street

There is the biggest Old Navy store in San Francisco, it's 3 stories high. That keeps me going there all the time. Check it out, it's great.

Marin Headlands. Awesome park, breathtaking views. :thumbsup

Yeah, he said that BART was very close to their place. I figure if I can do the tube in London I will be able to figure it out. I'm looking at weekly passes, etc.

710 Ashbury

Hi Sarah,

Golden Gate Park is going through some renovations of the museums so the aquarium is out for now. The surrounding area is full of cool places.

The Inner Sunset has Marnee Thai. The chef won an award from Thailand's prime minister/president for his Pad Thai. Also Arizmendia Bakery is on 9th between Irving and Judah. Great coop bakery with killer cheese rolls and fresh pizza.

Cole Valley has some nice cafes & restaurants including Kezar and Cafe Reverie.

Haight Ashbury is accessible at the foot of the park near the panhandle. You have another Kezar Pub (Best place to catch a soccer match/Red Sox game), Cha Cha Cha, Zona Rosa Burritos, Amoeba Records, Ben and Jerry's.

For a great view of the ocean at sunset you can visit Beach Chalet Restaurant and Brewery. Hot view and good beers, plus live music.Beach Chalet Restaurant and Brewery

Map of GGP

Local weekly newspapers like the SF Weekly and Bay Guardian are good sources of other events. The best source though is Craigslist.

Have fun, SF

I've lived in the area for 21 years & everyone knows the best part of SF is the food!

Chinese: House of Nan King on Kearny/Columbus
Burgers: Reds Java House on Embarcadero
Mexican: Almost any place in the mission, get a super burrito... from LA to Vegas I haven't found anyone that makes them like they make in SF
Sandwiches: (yeah, I said it) Little Luca's in San Bruno on El Camino (bout 10 minutes outside of SF) holy fuck these rock

Some others I can't remember the names of, but if you had to pick one of the places above get the chinese food... its right by broadway/chinatown & i'm sure if you're sightseeing you'll be in the area!

Tical,

Reds is a great place to get burgers and an Anchor Steam. I'm not sure how long you've been gone, but on Giants game nights they setup the bar in the back with the LCD screens and have drink specials including Long Island Ice Tea pitchers.

We missed the first 2 innings of a Giants-Dodgers game picking ourselves up from 3-4 pitchers.

When you go to San Francisco, be sure to wear flowers in your hair
 

So nice to hear the many wonderful things people are saying about the Bay Area. This truly is a great place to live (except for the occasional earthquake, lol). It's not just the location, but the people as well (most of them anyway).

It's kind of a tourista thing, but I always enjoy taking out-of-towners on a Bay Cruise. You catch these large boats (Blue and Gold Fleet, etc) down at Pier 39 (the commercial part of Fisherman's Wharf, near the Hard Rock Cafe), and they take you under both bridges and past Alcatraz. You get to hear some history along the way. Great vistas to see. Lots of photo ops. Dress warm.

Of course check out the Golden Gate Bridge (don't jump...j/k), but to see the cool area with the view back on the City (locals refer to San Francisco as "The City", and never "Frisco"), then you will need to have someone drive you in a car. Most people enjoy taking tourists around the City, since that is usually the only time they hit the tourista spots themselves. Tell your friends, that if they were really your friends...(guilt tripping usually works, hehe).

Golden Gate Bridge Flashing

We also have a nice secluded nude beach with great views of the bridge, although you'll probably freeze your nips off this time of year.

Nude Beach (Baker Beach) View of Golden Gate Bridge

If you are down in the Marina district (close to the Golden Gate Bridge), then stop by the Palace of Fine Arts. There is a small lake and a beautiful park with structures leftover from the SF World's Fair which is fairly reminscent of Roman architecture. There's also an Exploratorium there. It's just off from the flat part of Lombard Street (opposite direction from the winding road).

Palace of Fine Arts
Palace of Fine Arts (Flashing)

I saw a lot of people mention the Haight, however I think locals prefer Union Street for a more upscale trip down a funky old San Francisco neighborhood street. Less tourists trying to spot hippies, and re-live the 60's, and a great selection of boutiques and antiques shops.

San Francisco has an excellent selection of restaurants, representing practically any cuisine your heart could desire (I'm starting to sound like the friggin' Chamber of Commerce).

Among my favorites are:

Farallon Restaurant
Located close by Union Square in the theater district, this award-winning seafood restaurant is superb.

Asia SF
Good Asian fusion food, and an entertaining dinner show put on by the "gender illusionist" wait staff (hey, this is San Francisco)

Yes, definitely visit SFMOMA (the Museum of Modern Art). That whole Yerba Buena area is pretty cool too (Jillian's is fun to hang and play billiards at). The Sony Metreon is the place to go (walking distance from MOMA) if you are into electronic gadgets,etc.

The Castro is lots of fun too.

Some ideas to fuel your imagination

For nightlife, there are few cities that match San Francisco. Lots of live music venues, and clubs of every kind (I mean EVERY kind). If you just want to get a general feel for clubbing in the City, I recommend:

Ruby Skye
My personal favorite

or,

1015 Folsom
Their web site is crappy...here is a better view of inside 1015:
That's What I'm Talking About...SF Party People!!!

If you want to get down and dirty, there are lots of sex clubs too (Power Exchange, Lush, etc). Since you are apparently into the girlies, there are lots of fun clubs your sisters can tell you about (San Francisco is a city where the men are beautiful and the women are strong).

Well, I hope you've enjoyed this little slice of life featuring the city referred to as "Baghdad By The Bay". There is so much to see and do here that you'll probably want to move here, but just in case you have roots elsewhere, bring a camera.

Cheers and have fun,

ADG Webmaster

yeah..between San Francisco and stopping home first in Philadelpia I need to go on a starvation diet before this trip.

wow, thank you so much....if I looked like that I would flash too ..heck if it was just me and the photographer I still might but I doubt it..lol

there is nothing interestting, drive back home

Here are two more suggestions not yet offered:

a) Cross the GGate and visit Sausalito. Its an artist community type place with tons of cool arts/craft/handmade jewelry etc shops. The city is based with a large marina and the houses are built up into the hills. Its especially cool to sit at the streetside restaurants and see San Francisco getting invaded by a slow moving wall of fog.

b) Leave SF and take a day trip to Berkeley. Its best to visit when school is in. Park at the student union by Sproul Plaza and walk around the plaza. Its great people watching as the University student body and alumni are quite an ecelectic group. When I was there it seemed even the panhandlers would surprise you by being able to speak 5 languages or argue politics. Take a walk down telegraph avenue which is loaded with cool shops, bookstores and restaurants. Telegraph avenue has street vendors all up and down the road selling all kinds of clothing, jewelry etc.

Oh yeah. I wish I could remember what street it's on, but you'll be there, ask around. It's a little place called "Fairy Chocolates" and it beats the hell out of Ghiardelli's. Right across the street is a little place called "A Taste of Home" which is run by gay guys. The food is delicious and not very expensive at all.

Two little SF native knows. My moms in law took My husband and Me there and I'd love to go back one day. :)