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Better yet, bungee jump naked in the Castro, although you might be mistaken for "The Gimp", small risk for so much fun!
For a small extra fee at Alcatraz, they will lock you up in solitary confinement with a brutal, sex starved convict, for that nth degree of authenticity.
They will also let you sit in the self same spot that Al Capone soiled himself from syphilitic dementia.
"What kind of fucked-up tour is this?!" -- black guy on The Rock movie
Lawrence Hall of Science across the bay has a killer view of the city:
(provided it doesn't get too cloudy!)
Japantown has faded over the decades but still has some interesting stores. Nijiya is the main market (Mitsuwa is better/bigger but they're in the South Bay).
There's a crepe place in the JapanTown mall, last I was there.
It's November now but in the Summer I like going to the original Swensens on Union & Hyde and then walking around Russian hill area with my ice cream.
So many nice houses to ogle and it's under 2 miles to the stairs up Pacific Heights:
Golden Gate Park has so much good stuff.
50 miles down Highway 1 is my favorite beach, Bean Hollow:
Where's that famous picture with that row of Victorian houses with the city in the background?
You know, this one:
http://sfcohort.pbworks.com/w/page/9041983/VICTORIAN%2520HOUSES%2520RESOURCES
It's Alamo Square park. Freak, if you're interested in historic buildings, I can hook you up with a nice tour.
There's basic things I take out of town guess.
Obviously the core touristy stuff like Fishermans Wharf, cable car, golden Gate Bridge, crab salad, sourdough clam chowder. Things you can easily Google. The north side is the most expensive portion of the city. Marina Green/Crissy fields is a great spot to bike and there is an indoor climbing facility. On a nice day, there may be 1000 boats out in the bay.
The best view of the city is in Diamond Heights near twin peaks, the other side of Golden Gate Bridge park and from treasure Island. My dream is to own a Diamond Heights with top/bottom windows overlooking the skyline.
But since you come from New York, you probably want to absorb the culture and visit the Castro, North Beach, chinatown and the mission. Japantown is not really all that japanese.
If you want to visit the culture even more, you may want to do asia SF or dare I say p exchange.
If you grab a car, you should head northeast to Napa/Sonoma for one of a few known wine region of the world. People travel to France for the Chateus like they do for lock bridge and the historic building , if you travel to SFBA, you should hit napa valley. The grape of choice here are Cabernets. Ride the wine train, spa/golf in the resorts, take a hot air balloon ride or just drink and cheese up.
If you really have more days to travel a little further, you should head a little north to see the biggest trees in the world, the giant sequioa and visit the national parks like crane lake. That may not be everyones thing.
Ok, thanks to everyone for the advice!
Acrophobia sucks, so I won't be biking across the bridges or taking any balloon rides. ;-)
I have a rental car, is parking going to be a problem near golden gate park?
Ok, thanks to everyone for the advice!
Acrophobia sucks, so I won't be biking across the bridges or taking any balloon rides. ;-)
I have a rental car, is parking going to be a problem near golden gate park?
On weekends, yes. it took me one hour to find a spot once. I am sure that there's a local trick, but I don't go to sf that often, so I'm basically a tourist there as well.
if you go on a weekday it is probably better. On Sundays some of the roads are closed and used by bicycles. Which would be fun; you could rent a bike and do that.
Ok, thanks to everyone for the advice!
Acrophobia sucks, so I won't be biking across the bridges or taking any balloon rides. ;-)
I have a rental car, is parking going to be a problem near golden gate park?
Hit and miss depending on what's going on but usually not great. You might be able to find street parking in the avenues or Cabrillo street if you hunt around and don't mind walking a few blocks. There's usually room at the De Young garage (entrance at 8th and Fulton) if you can't find street parking.
goto go Nellie's in West Oaktown for Soul Food.
But go foe lunch, when it's daylight.
Last time I was there, I loved the Anchor Brewery tour.
http://www.anchorbrewing.com/brewery/tours
I learned how to get the 3-day muni pass for $22, so I'll just stay in San Bruno & Millbrae and take BART into the city. That way there's no parking issues.
Wow that fog came in hard and fast this afternoon. Is that typical? It wasn't like that yesterday.
RFHTC,
I saw a billboard right on El Camino Real in San Bruno that said, "Stay calm. Buy Real estate." No joke.
RFHTC,
I saw a billboard right on El Camino Real in San Bruno that said, "Stay calm. Buy Real estate." No joke.
photo?
Any Bay Area Patnet members want to meet me for lunch tomorrow? Or maybe that's a bad idea to give up Internet anonymity. Maybe I'll just take a picture of myself in front of a famous landmark, like when Patrick himself visited the Fed in DC.
Put an ad for a Gatling on SF Craigslist, he'll call you right away and arrange a meeting.
Put an ad for a Gatling on SF Craigslist, he'll call you right away and arrange a meeting.
make sure to specify "fully transferable". He's notoriously picky about such things.
Crab season opens tomorrow (see Pier 45):
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Crab-season-opens-under-new-law-limiting-traps-4984040.php#photo-5463462
Going to take the night-time bus tour across the bay bridge since I'm afraid to drive across it myself. Yeah, the acrophobia is *that* bad.
Crab season opens tomorrow (see Pier 45):
It's crab season year round in the Tenderloin.
Go hike around mt tam. Seriously. Besides the views, you're not gonna find anything in sf that's better than ny in terms of food and certainly not night life. Just north of the city though, Marin county offers outstanding hiking and biking.
RFHTC,
I saw a billboard right on El Camino Real in San Bruno that said, "Stay calm. Buy Real estate." No joke.
photo?
Yes. It's true. I grew up about a mile away from that sign and my parents still live there. In fact, I'm typing from their apt.
It's Marshall real estate.
I'm not from New York City. Corning is a long way from New York City, about 3 or 4 hours by car. Corning is pretty much a small town in the middle of nowhere.
I'm not from New York City. Corning is a long way from New York City, about 3 or 4 hours by car.
What I've found funny is that for NYCers, upstate NY begins at Duchess Co, which from my perspective, is still the northern 'burbs of NYC.
And then, upstate, if it's basically, Woodstock-to-Plattsburgh-to-Buffalo, is most of the land in New York State but yet, it's treated like a leper colony of sorts, minus Saratoga Springs.
At least for Bostonians & its ex-burbs, Vermont is kinda revered and seen as beautiful Yankee country with that quaint English gentlemen type of lifestyle.
What I've found funny is that for NYCers, upstate NY begins at Duchess Co, which from my perspective, is still the northern 'burbs of NYC.
Upstate begins at the Bronx-Westchester border.
Where are you staying? In the city itself? The ferry building offers a good selection of restaurants that represent the food scene and have shops that use local, organic ingredients, etc.
Best SF views of the City: Drive to the top Twin Peaks, there is a viewing area.
Check out the different neighborhoods to walk around in:
Trendy- Urban hipster neighborhoods:
1. Hayes Valley- Hayes between Franklin & Octavia streets
2. The Mission - Start at Valencia and 16th and wander south
3. The Haight - Haight and Ashbury (for more Haight-like sub culture go to Lower Haight -- Haight and Fillmore Streets)
More Upscale and trendy Neighborhoods
1. Fillmore/Pacific Heights - Fillmore and California Streets - walking distance from Japan town - upscale shops
2. Union Street - Between Divisadero and Gough - more upscale shops & restaurants
3. Cow Hollow/The Marina - Chestnut Street- shops and baby strollers
4. Potrero Hill - 18th Street - neat back views of the city - Potrero also has the REAL crookedest street
6. Noe Valley - 24th Street - a bit family orientated
Touristy Neighborhoods/Areas but tourists go there for a reason
1. North Beach (yum-- pasta!)
2. Chinatown
3. Fisherman's wharf (get some good seafood on the street!)
4. Cliff House/Ocean beach - amazing views of the Pacific Ocean - Lands End is a beautiful short hike
5. November but you can check out the beaches - Baker beach, Ocean Beach, China Beach
6. Walk across the Golden Gate Bridge
7. Check out Coit Tower - nice views here
8. If you want to drive up a mountain for some killer views and nature hikes, there is Mt. Tam 15 min north which is gorgeous, and if you are willing to go further 1 hour east and higher there is Mt. Diablo near city of Danville which is an amazing day trip and some killer views.
There is much more stuff -- it depends on what you are in to doing.
Lastly, I tell this to everyone: If you really, really want to know what it is like to live in San Francisco, and really want to have an idea of the people, take the muni (not just the trolley, not bart, but the underground or the surface street buses).
San Francisco is pretty cool about these things and why I love it so much. Batkid.
Thanks to all for the advice! Today is my last day, I fly back to Corning/Elmira tomorrow morning.
The weather was perfect today, so I was out taking pictures. I took the Big Bus tour which had to be re-routed due to Batkid! :-)
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I've already ridden a cable car and taken a bridge-to-bridge cruise on the bay. Fantastic city! What else should I do as a tourist?