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San Francisco City Guide
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Perched on the end of a peninsula that straddles the San
Andreas Fault and surrounded on three sides by water,
San Francisco has always been hanging off the edge
of the world. Built up by the Gold Rush in the late 1840's
and then devastated by a massive earthquake in 1906, the city
has always reinvented itself which still defines modern San
Franciscans today as some of the most innovative and independent
people in the USA. The city's best assets are its distinct
neighbourhoods many of whom command magnificent Bay and Pacific
views. With parking so difficult and the city so compact,
these places are best visited on foot or by Cable Car.
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San Francisco city skyline
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While the city nowadays has been taken over in large part
by wealthy suburbanites in search of the urban life, San Francisco
still retains a lot of its charm and independent spirit and
for many visitors to America San Francisco is their favorite
city.
Highlights:
- Have an authentic Chinese meal in Chinatown or grab
an Italian expresso in North Beach.
- Brave the tourist hordes in Fishermans Wharf and
find out what convict life was really like on Alcatraz.
- Enjoy the vibrant street life of the Castro and enjoy
some delicious Mexican food in the Mission.
- Shop for hippie souvenirs in Haight Ashbury and go
clubbing in SOMA.
- Head across the Bay to vitis the radical 60's headquarters
that was Berkeley.
- Walk among giants in the magnificently serene Muir Woods.
- Brave the cold Pacific and surf Pacifica's waves.
- If you time your visit right walk the Bay to Breakers or
take a walk on the wild side during Leather Pride Week's
Folsom Street Fair. Or just take part in the growing worldwide
phenomenon that is Critical Mass
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Getting Around
San Francisco is totally different from LA where cars and
freeways completely define the lifestyle. While parking and
traffic in recent years have become serious problems throughout
the city, San Francisco is still very much a walking town
and has such a good public transport system that many residents
don't even have cars (Something people from LA will never
understand!)
By Car
If you've got a rental car you really won't want to use it
as finding a parking space will waste time and raise your
blood pressure; also drivers in the city (unlike most other
Californians) take a more 'New York' approach to driving that
means a higher chance of an accident and confirming the city's
reputation as 'Manhattan West'. It's a good idea if you are
not travelling onwards to use the car to see sights around
the city and then drop it off before tackling the city itself.
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Justine Shapiro heads off on her bike to explore S.F.
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By Taxi
Taxis are everywhere and though they are expensive
for single travellers they are perfect for groups of three
or more. They are very difficult to find in outer suburbs
so don't plan on one picking you up to get to the airport
in time for your flight!
By Cable Car
The 2nd most famous sight in San Francisco besides the Golden
Gate Bridge, the city's Cable Cars operate from 2 downtown
locations: the intersection of Market and Powell,
and the base of California street, also at Market street.
They don't cover a whole lot of the city though they will
get you to Fishermans Wharf, Union Square, North Beach
and Chinatown though with such a compact downtown
walking is faster as the lines can be incredibly long. Expect
a two hour wait for some peak hour rides during the August
crush.
By Bus or Tram
MUNI
covers all buses and trams in the city. The buses leave much
to be desired but do get to remote areas though smoother trams
also often make the same journey. The best way to get to Fishermans
Wharf or the Castro is one of the historic trams that come
from all over the world and make the journey colorful and
lively. The journey costs a $1 and transfers are issued by
the driver upon request.
BART (not the cartoon character) is the Bay Area's 'subway'
and although it does not go to the western suburbs it is extremely
convenient to get down to the Mission from downtown;
up to the Embarcadero and the business district; or
across the Bay to Berkeley and even the Oakland
(where a free shuttle operates to the Oakland airport). Bicycles
are allowed on the trains during certain hours and although
it can be crowded at rush hour, it's by far the easiest way
to get around. Tickets are bought from machines and with so
many of them out of change, and the staff refusing to give
you change, its best to carry lots of quarters and dimes for
the fares that start at $1.10.
An extension to the San Francisco International Airport
is finally being completed and will be finished in 2003.
Website: Bay
Area Rapid Transit (BART)
By Caltrain
This service is primarily for commuters between San Francisco,
San Jose and Gilroy. Most trains leave at least
once an hour (though there are more at rush hour and can get
very crowded) and are good ways to get to peninsula cities
like Atherton and Palo Alto (for Stanford University).
It's a cheap alternative way to get to the San Francisco
Airport where a free shuttle operates to all domestic
and international terminals. As the train runs all the way
to San Jose there is also a stop near the airport in
Santa Clara.
Website: Caltrain
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Top Sights
Golden Gate Bridge
By far the most famous sight in San Francisco, the Golden
Gate Bridge has in fact become a world renowned icon, instantly
recognizable in films and photos. The bridge's color is in
fact not entirely 'golden,' and many a visitor has exclamined,
"Its not golden, its brown!" Still the bridge attrracts
thousands of people who pose for photos at both ends; you
can walk across the bridge though don't attempt this in the
foggy summer months when the chilly air blasts through the
narrow channel that the bridge spans; its best done in October
or May when the weather is more stable. As the most popular
suicide spot in San Francisco some people have actually survived
the fall off the bridge to tell the tale; however the swirling
currents and large numbers of Great White sharks that cruise
underneath make that a lucky escape.
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The Bay Bridge
The ugly stepsister to the Golden Gate Bridge, the Bay Bridge
is a more working class version that is a vital link to the
East Bay cities of Berkeley and Oakland. Famously damaged
in the 1989 earthquake, where images of the collapsed structure
were beamed around the world, the current fate of the bridge
is unknown; its been deemed structutally unsound to survive
an 8.0 earthquake and current plans are underway to replace
it with a new bridge that will cost several billions of dollars.
Chinatown
The largest Chinese community outside China call this small
area home. Wedged between Union Square and North Beach, Chinatown
is perhaps the busiest part of San Francisco and offers an
authentic slice of Chinese life. Packed with local restaurants
and dim sum shops, it's a great place to get a cheap and fresh
ethnic meal while walking this fascinating neighbourhood.
With its own newspapers, schools and temples, Chinatown is
very self contained and has often paid the price for this
isolation by being overlooked by the city's politicians. But
visitors who penetrate this warren of back streets and alleys
will find a wealth of things to see. A smile goes a long way
here and knowing a bit of Chinese doesn't hurt.
North Beach
The heart of the city's Italian neighborhood, North Beach
is known for the Beat Generation writers who gathered here
like Jack Kerouc. Its also one of the 'foodiest' places
in this very foodie city and some great Italian food can be
had in the bistros and trattories that line Colombus Avenue.
Coffee houses abound and you can get some terrific Italian
pastries to go with it.
Union Square
The most serious shopping district in SF surrounds Union Square,
a park that is used by office workers on lunch breaks and
as a crash pad for the city's homeless. Shops like Gucci,
Macy's and Cartier face the square and the area
is home to the 'flagship' stores to Nike, Eddie Bauer,
and FAO Schwartz. Sutter Street is a particularly
rich trove of stores for those looking for expensive retailers
like Prada. Theres not much to do aside from shop although
the nearby Theatre District puts on top shows currently
on tour.
Mission District
Located in the southern part of the city, the Mission District
is the heart of Latin San Francisco. The Spanish Mission that
was built here by missionaries is where the neighbourhood
gets its name and in recent years its become the hottest place
to live for inner city trendies, particularly dot com employees
and computer programmers.
The areas around 16th Street and Mission Street
is where 20 somethings party the night away in alternative
bars and clubs. The area around 24th Street and Mission Street
is more authenticly Latin, and has some excellent Mexican
eateries where a delicious taco can be had for about $2.
Soma
The epicenter of the Dot Com craze that swept the city in
the late 1990's, SOMA (South Of MArket) is a quiet almost
residential area near the highrises of downtown. Clubs, internet
companies, furniture stores and abandoned warehouses line
the streets here. It's the place to head on the weekends when
the clubs are rocking though take a cab because the streets
are sometimes unlit, dark and can be dangerous.
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Haight Ashbury
Also known as 'The Haight,' Haight Ashbury will forever be
associated with the Flower Power movement and the anti-Vietnam
demonstrations of the 1960's. Though the hippies are gone
and the place has almost completely gentrified, with the power
of marketing The Haight still exudes this anti establishment
feel mainly through Peace T-shirts and other 60's trinkets
sold here. It's a good place to pick up some vintage clothes
and the numerous shoe stores that line the area offer lots
of alternative styles.
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Shopping for retro clothes in the Haight
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Fishermans Wharf
One of the most avoided neighbourhoods in the city by locals,
Fishermans Wharf is San Francisco's tourist wasteland of "I
left My Heart in San Francisco' t-shirts and shops offering
tacky 'Earthquake Sales.' The whole area is a tourist trap,
what with the Ripley's Believe it or Not museum here
and the overpriced clam chowder served in sourdough bowls,
but Fishermans Wharf has a fantastic view of the Golden
Gate Bridge and it's home to a colony of sea lions
displaced after the 1989 earthquake that are now an attraction
in themselves. If you can't hear the seals, then just follow
the smell. If you're looking for some of the cheapest accomodation
in the city, rooms can be found here for around $75 dollars
a night; and with the cable car terminating here its an convenient
way to get to downtown. As the best jumping off point for
Alcatraz, Fishermans Wharf is the place to come to
get tickets.
The Castro
In the late 1960's the Castro was a strong Irish Catholic
neighborhood, but in 1972 the opening of the first gay bar
began the exodus that would eventually transform the area
into the 'gayest four corners on earth.' Stretching from the
intersection of 18th Street and Castro along Market street
restaurants, bars, bookstores, gyms and clubs are humming
day and night. Much of the surrounding streets have been gentrified
by the many same sex couples that call it home. The Castro
Theatre puts on interesting films and documentaries mostly
with a gay theme. Sunday's are a great time to stroll around
window shopping and drinking in the scene.
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TOP SIGHTS OUTSIDE OF THE CITY:
Pacifica
A bedroom community overlooking the Pacific Ocean south of
San Francisco, Pacifica is a great place to learn to surf.
Yes, the water is freezing, there are Great White Sharks,
and the currents can be treacherous, but locals have been
surfing the waves for years and with an experienced instructor
you can learn to stand during your first lesson.
Berkeley
Across the Bay Bridge is Berkeley, also known as 'Bezerkely'
for its crazy and alternative inhabitants. Its definitely
a place leftover from the 60's where even by California standards
you'll see a higher concentration of Volvos and Birkenstocks.
Home to one of the world's most famous universities, Berkeley
is a university town and a good place to look for cheaper
accomodation if you don't mind commuting to San Francisco
by subway.
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Taking your first surf lesson in Shark infested Pacifica
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Muir Woods
One hundred years ago Giant Redwoods covered much
of the landscape around San Francisco, and much of the wood
logged here went into the famous Victorian mansions of the
cities wealthy elite. Today, Muir Woods is one of the few
places around the Bay Area where you can get a glimpse of
these awesome trees in their pristine state. Names after John
Muir, an avid conservationist, the woods are a short drive
over the Golden Gate Bridge towards Stinson Beach on
Highway 1.
Silicon Valley
Thousands of acres of orange groves and apple orchards in
the 1970's made way for the world's densest concentration
of high tech industries to become what is known as Silicon
Valley. The place is not an easy one to navigate as its really
a loosely connected group of business parks housing tech giants
like IBM, Dell and Sun Microsystems, though
many headquarters have sprung up all over the Bay Area diluting
Silicon Valley's dominiance of the chip industry.
It was here where the Dot Com fever began and quickly spread
to San Francisco and across the USA. While the 'gold rush'
is now a faded memory practically every computer and program
is developed here and Silicon Valley's status as the premier
technology center will not go away any time soon.
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