so in sanfran....
- Thread starter tianna
- Start date
Places to see
Chinatown
Fishermans Warf
Golden Gate Park
Ride the Cable Cars (recommend a day pass)
Monteray Aquarium (if you have a car - it is about 1.5 hours south)
Carmel (about 15 minutes from Monteray)
Chinatown
Fishermans Warf
Golden Gate Park
Ride the Cable Cars (recommend a day pass)
Monteray Aquarium (if you have a car - it is about 1.5 hours south)
Carmel (about 15 minutes from Monteray)
There's a pizza place there, I think it's called Sophies. It's an absolute hole in the wall. But there a line that sometimes starts from 50 odd feet outside of the entrance. Pizza is piping hot right of the oven. It's goooooooooooooood. I have no idea where it is though. I'm thinking it's near the downtown core.
How much better could you find than Vancouver.
I have a friend from NY that says our chinese food here is better than anywhere except in the far east.
Chinese restaurants in Chinatown are for the tourists. Food will reflect this, but if you want real Chinese cuisine where the locals go, find your way to Clement St in the Richmond District (West end of city) between about 5th and 10th and there are few bad choices there.
If you must eat in Chinatown walk up and down Stockton St from about California St to Pacific and go into one of the places where you see lots of Chinese crowding around the front counters. Dim Sum is the same there as in a restaurant, but 3-4 pieces for $1.40. Eat it as you walk around to sightsee.
Cable cars and Alcatraz are also good choices (Make your Alcatraz tour reservation at least a day in advance) and if you take the Cable Car from downtown at the Powell turnaround get on the Powell/Hyde line, not the Powell/Mason (just step out of the way in line and let others pass you by). This line ends at Ghiardelli Square, and if you are like most gals I know, you gotta have your chocolate, eh? You will also be at the north-end of fisherman's Wharf.
Of course, shopping is near the top of your list, so make sure you go to Union Square and notice all the high-end joints. It is in the heart of downtown, bounded by Geary, Powell, Post, and Stockton.
Enjoy the fog and plan to have warm clothes especially if you go from now until about August. A famous American gentleman once said: "The coldest winter I ever spent was summer in San Francisco". Trust him.
If you must eat in Chinatown walk up and down Stockton St from about California St to Pacific and go into one of the places where you see lots of Chinese crowding around the front counters. Dim Sum is the same there as in a restaurant, but 3-4 pieces for $1.40. Eat it as you walk around to sightsee.
Cable cars and Alcatraz are also good choices (Make your Alcatraz tour reservation at least a day in advance) and if you take the Cable Car from downtown at the Powell turnaround get on the Powell/Hyde line, not the Powell/Mason (just step out of the way in line and let others pass you by). This line ends at Ghiardelli Square, and if you are like most gals I know, you gotta have your chocolate, eh? You will also be at the north-end of fisherman's Wharf.
Of course, shopping is near the top of your list, so make sure you go to Union Square and notice all the high-end joints. It is in the heart of downtown, bounded by Geary, Powell, Post, and Stockton.
Enjoy the fog and plan to have warm clothes especially if you go from now until about August. A famous American gentleman once said: "The coldest winter I ever spent was summer in San Francisco". Trust him.
San Fran is a nice place to just "explore", although you have to make sure you stick to the right areas!
Hates & Ashberry is interesting to see "once", as there are some hippies there that probably haven't moved more than 10 ft from their toking spot since the 60's... some cool music shops in that area as well.
Pier 49 and the chocolate place is a good bet... get on a city tour if you can, they are half decent.
Cheers!
Hates & Ashberry is interesting to see "once", as there are some hippies there that probably haven't moved more than 10 ft from their toking spot since the 60's... some cool music shops in that area as well.
Pier 49 and the chocolate place is a good bet... get on a city tour if you can, they are half decent.
Cheers!
Take a drive out to Napa and spend the day winery hopping.
Sausalito is also a great place to have an evening meal on the waterfront.
Make sure you go to Carmel and do the 8 mile or 17 mile (cant remember) drive and see Pebble Beach golf course.
Sausalito is also a great place to have an evening meal on the waterfront.
Make sure you go to Carmel and do the 8 mile or 17 mile (cant remember) drive and see Pebble Beach golf course.
I love SF
I've been 4 times in the last few years.
Alcatrez is a must-do, it's award-winning, very impressive.
One of my fav resturants is Pasha: http://www.pasharestaurant.com/
Awesome food and great atmosphere. Live Turkish band and turkish dancers with lots of customer interaction. Check out the virtual tour on the site.
Wanna do something REALLY different: Check out the Power Exchange: http://powerexchange.com/pepnew/ It's a bizarre and kinky place where you can watch people engaging in BDSM, lots of cages and equipment, lots of theme rooms,porn playing on TV's, guys walking around jerking off, people having sex here and there...etc. Go after 11pm and bring an open mind, wear anything you want from tame to wild, you'll fit in. Very mixed crowd.
Check out the Castro. It's like our Davie St but SO much more lively. Lots of gay love, great vibe.
Awesome shopping at Haide Ashbury area for different cloths, vintage, party/stripper/sexy cloths, different stuff. No Gap here. Super fun.
The best places for fetish gear (latex, leather, corsettes, etc) Madame S and Stormy Leather.
Have a blast!
I've been 4 times in the last few years.
Alcatrez is a must-do, it's award-winning, very impressive.
One of my fav resturants is Pasha: http://www.pasharestaurant.com/
Awesome food and great atmosphere. Live Turkish band and turkish dancers with lots of customer interaction. Check out the virtual tour on the site.
Wanna do something REALLY different: Check out the Power Exchange: http://powerexchange.com/pepnew/ It's a bizarre and kinky place where you can watch people engaging in BDSM, lots of cages and equipment, lots of theme rooms,porn playing on TV's, guys walking around jerking off, people having sex here and there...etc. Go after 11pm and bring an open mind, wear anything you want from tame to wild, you'll fit in. Very mixed crowd.
Check out the Castro. It's like our Davie St but SO much more lively. Lots of gay love, great vibe.
Awesome shopping at Haide Ashbury area for different cloths, vintage, party/stripper/sexy cloths, different stuff. No Gap here. Super fun.
The best places for fetish gear (latex, leather, corsettes, etc) Madame S and Stormy Leather.
Have a blast!
Go to to the lounge in the Clift 4 seasons, the redwood walls are amazing. For food, there is a little cafe called '' Original Joes'' OJs is in the theatre area and is packed after shows, go early and and have a meal that puts HYs to shame.
In the "things to check out category" I would suggest O'farrels Mitchel Bros
sex emporium. It's fairly close to the hotel district but you shouldn't walk there. Saw some amazing stripper type performances and duos toy shows etc there a few years ago although I was there last month and felt it had tamed somewhat.
I stayed last time at the Park 55 which is right near the Nordstroms / Union square area and one block away was a Morroccan restaurant which had very unusual cuisine. Marakesh or something similar it was called.
I have also stayed at the Weston St. Francis when I go with the SO. It's quite elegant in a understated way.
As to Chinese food, It's not much different from Vancouver. However there is a Japantown that has real sushi bars run by real Japonese people which is something Vancouver can hardly brag about. Little Italy has fantastic Italian food and some excellent tiramisu. I had a chocolate covered poached pear there last month for my dessert.
Alcatraz was fascinating and as someone said Fisherman's Wharf is a complete tourist trap not unlike GasTown or Whistler.
The cable cars add to the scene but I usually take cabs as they are faster.
Enjoy, you'll be back!
sex emporium. It's fairly close to the hotel district but you shouldn't walk there. Saw some amazing stripper type performances and duos toy shows etc there a few years ago although I was there last month and felt it had tamed somewhat.
I stayed last time at the Park 55 which is right near the Nordstroms / Union square area and one block away was a Morroccan restaurant which had very unusual cuisine. Marakesh or something similar it was called.
I have also stayed at the Weston St. Francis when I go with the SO. It's quite elegant in a understated way.
As to Chinese food, It's not much different from Vancouver. However there is a Japantown that has real sushi bars run by real Japonese people which is something Vancouver can hardly brag about. Little Italy has fantastic Italian food and some excellent tiramisu. I had a chocolate covered poached pear there last month for my dessert.
Alcatraz was fascinating and as someone said Fisherman's Wharf is a complete tourist trap not unlike GasTown or Whistler.
The cable cars add to the scene but I usually take cabs as they are faster.
Enjoy, you'll be back!
The Zeitgeist...
Worlds most intelligent biker bar, complete with artists, poets, hippies, musicians, beatniks and (oh yeah!) bikers... on classic British, Italian and American bikes.
There are even some rooms upstairs if you can't quite ride home!
Try it, you'll like it!
Mookster
... make sure you get a t-shirt! A real classic!
Worlds most intelligent biker bar, complete with artists, poets, hippies, musicians, beatniks and (oh yeah!) bikers... on classic British, Italian and American bikes.
There are even some rooms upstairs if you can't quite ride home!
Try it, you'll like it!
Mookster
... make sure you get a t-shirt! A real classic!
lulu in soma for cal-french
khan toke in the richmond district for thai
india oven in the haight district for indian
ton kiang in the richmond district for dim sum
blowfish downtown for sushi
original joes (basically in the tenderloin) for old school italian
vesuvio's funky bar for a drink in north beach
john lee hooker's boom boom room (corner of geary and fillmore) great place for a drink and some blues
pearl's in north beach for a drink and jazz
but finding a great restaurant in sf is as easy as finding sand on a beach.
khan toke in the richmond district for thai
india oven in the haight district for indian
ton kiang in the richmond district for dim sum
blowfish downtown for sushi
original joes (basically in the tenderloin) for old school italian
vesuvio's funky bar for a drink in north beach
john lee hooker's boom boom room (corner of geary and fillmore) great place for a drink and some blues
pearl's in north beach for a drink and jazz
but finding a great restaurant in sf is as easy as finding sand on a beach.
