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[hairypeckpeck]

my girlfriend and i will be going to san francisco in a few weeks for a few days and wanted to know what are some must see spots/hidden gems.

we were thinking about renting a car but since we'll be staying in the tenderloin, we figured we can just walk/uber our way.

so far on our list, we have:

speakeasy ales & lagers
anchor brewing
michael mina

japantown
chinatown
alcatraz
inspiration point
coit tower

mount sutro
twin peaks

it'll be my first time in SF so i'm not entirely sure what to expect or where to even go beyond that list.

we love craft beer, hiking, and small "hole in the wall" restaurants.

 

[DietRob]

First time I was in San Fran the only thing I could think about was the dire homelessness problem. Such a bummer.

Sorry I can't give much in the way of advice but maybe expect that?

 

[n3ss]

Here's a few:

Smugglers Cove (if you like tiki bars)
Maruya (go for their omakase)
Coi (amazing food)
Monk's Kettle (amazing selection of beer)
The Alembic (great cocktails and food)
Rickhouse or Localedition (if you're into whiskey)
Trickdog ( go for the cocktails)
Citybeer Store (nice selection of beers on tap and they get Pliny on Wednesday's)
Mr. Pollo (hole in the wall restaurant)

 

[Osorio]

El Farolito for burritos
Zante's for Indian pizza

 

[FlyinJ]

I grew up in San Francisco and I've never heard of "Inspiration Point". What is that?

 

[hairypeckpeck]

I grew up in San Francisco and I've never heard of "Inspiration Point". What is that?

http://www.yelp.com/biz/inspiration-point-san-francisco

it's in the presidio apparently...

You're staying in the Tenderloin? That's an...interesting life choice.

San Francisco is a great place to just walk around and absorb, if you can stand the hills. Okay, it's a terrible place to walk around, but I often find that people watching and running into random street performances or whatever are the most interesting thing about my visits. Interesting architecture, interesting people. Be prepared for driving (and parking) to be a shitty and terrifying experience, though.

As for places to visit, Musée Mécanique is a must. It's an operating interactive museum-slash-arcade with tons of well cared for cabinets new and old. It's the only place on Fisherman's Wharf that I'd bother with if I were you.

we'll be staying at the opal. i paid for the flight, she paid for the hotel.

looking up the tenderloin on wikipedia, i found this

The Tenderloin is a high-crime neighborhood, particularly violent street crime such as robbery and aggravated assault.

shit LOL

 

[DrGonzo615]

Yep Tenderloin is not a good place to be walking around.

back to the topic, you should check out Golden Gate Park and Crissy Field.

 

[Cat Party]

Tenderloin is fine during the day. Do not walk around at night, at all. Take a cab back to the hotel.

One place I loved when I lived in SF was Hunan Home's in Chinatown.

 

[Skellig Gra]

Second on El Farolito. Tenderloin? Yikes.

 

[xxracerxx]

Well just make sure to be in your room after sundown. Jesus, why the hell did you not do research on where you are staying?

Edit: also make sure to check for bed bugs.

 

[FlyinJ]

http://www.yelp.com/biz/inspiration-point-san-francisco

it's in the presidio apparently...

Oh, it's in the Presidio. It was an active military base when I was growing up, so that was off-limits.

 

[eternalthree]

if you want to see the bridge, I highly recommend number 1 on this link, as long as it's a clear day/night.

http://www.theworldandthensome.com/best-places-to-view-the-golden-gate-bridge-san-francisco/

but yea, be prepared for the homeless.

I second that el farolito joint for burritos.

coit tower has an early closing time, you might want to check up on that.

Mission Chinese is excellent for Chinese fusion, it's a little hard to find.

obligatory, be careful in the TL,......... be very careful..........

 

[MarzipaNMOS]

if you like dumplings, i recommend kingdom of dumpling. if you like chicken, i recommend SO (yeah thats the name, yelp it i guess)

 

[hairypeckpeck]

how's the financial district?

the hotel is much more pricey, but if it's in a less ghetto area, i dont mind paying

 

[Skellig Gra]

how's the financial district?

the hotel is much more pricey, but if it's in a less ghetto area, i dont mind paying

It's fine, if a little boring. Pretty much everywhere in the city is nicer than the Tenderloin. It's not really a walkable city so you'll have to take cabs or public transit everywhere.

 

[xxracerxx]

It's fine, if a little boring. Pretty much everywhere in the city is nicer than the Tenderloin. It's not really a walkable city so you'll have to take cabs or public transit everywhere.

Uber Pool is only $7 flat in certain parts of the city, and the best part is you will meet some interesting people.

 

[M52B28]

Not really a walkable city? I walk SF all of the time and always see interesting stuff. The best neighborhoods are best walked through.

The financial district would be fine. Don't worry about getting the best of the best for hotels, many things are in waking distance.

San Francisco is a very small city, treat it like that.

 

[Lambtron]

how's the financial district?

the hotel is much more pricey, but if it's in a less ghetto area, i dont mind paying

See if you can get a room here. The rates are pretty reasonable, you get free breakfast every day, and you're a half a block from the cable car line. Rooms are kinda small, but it is full of character, and the breakfast was honestly awesome.

My wife and I were talking about our time in San Francisco last night actually. We got MUNI passports and took transit and walked everywhere we went. I really, really enjoyed soaking up the city in this way. I mean, except for the afternoon where we walked through the Tenderloin! Haha.

 

[kcp12304]

I visited the city for the first time a few months ago. Only there for few days.

Fsherman's warf has the seals so maybe check that out but it's mostly a touristy place.
Fierry building has some solid food / shopping.
Alkatraz is really good. Great Audio Tour.
Coit Tower and Twin Peaks have a great view
Had a nice walk going toward Fort Point from the park nearby.
Also walked along the GG bridge from the other side. Recommend that.
Went to a SF Gaints game. Got cheap standing room tickets
to just check the place out.
Got some fortune cookies from the fortune cookie factory in Chinatown.

There are lots of smaller and lesser known things that I never got to see. Great food practically everywhere.

 

[Skellig Gra]

Not really a walkable city? I walk SF all of the time and always see interesting stuff. The best neighborhoods are best walked through.

The individual neighborhoods are walkable sure. But it's a huge city with enormous hills everywhere. You aren't going to walk from the mission district to the Golden Gate Bridge.

My point is that your individual location doesn't matter, outside of being in a crime ridden area because you are going to need to use public transit or cabs/uber to see the whole city.

 

[verdures]

See if you can get a room here. The rates are pretty reasonable, you get free breakfast every day, and you're a half a block from the cable car line. Rooms are kinda small, but it is full of character, and the breakfast was honestly awesome.

Seconded. My wife and I stayed there a couple of weeks ago and it was a great experience. Full of character and that breakfast is no joke. Also not too far from a BART station.

 

[hairypeckpeck]

See if you can get a room here. The rates are pretty reasonable, you get free breakfast every day, and you're a half a block from the cable car line. Rooms are kinda small, but it is full of character, and the breakfast was honestly awesome.

My wife and I were talking about our time in San Francisco last night actually. We got MUNI passports and took transit and walked everywhere we went. I really, really enjoyed soaking up the city in this way. I mean, except for the afternoon where we walked through the Tenderloin! Haha.

told my girlfriend about the tenderloin and she cancelled the hotel.

we'll be staying at union square instead.

i tried suggesting that place you mentioned above but she already sent me the confirmation of new hotel. thanks anyways.

 

[Stabbing Robot]

I visited earlier this year and stayed on the edge of the tenderloin near Union Square. You'll be fine. I didn't think it was that bad at all after reading all the same things you probably have. Check out Soda Popinski's.

 

[Parmadillo Marshmallow]

how's the financial district?

the hotel is much more pricey, but if it's in a less ghetto area, i dont mind paying

Financial district is pretty nice and right downtown, but kinda boring. It's on the Embarcadero, which is a good spot to walk around and bar hop for a bit. Personally, I prefer to stay in Union Square or down in SOMA or Portrero Hill. It's funny because Tenderloin is right between those, but it's just like this weird little pit in the city that you are sure to be murdered in if you walk there after dark.

I always go to the city for specific events, never to just tour around randomly. Ex: Carnival, Outside Lands, Giants games, raves, etc. So I generally try to stay in a place near my event. Have you looked into Airbnb? Tons of stuff available there, and you can usually get something bigger than a hotel room for the same or less money.

I think the best part of the city is Golden Gate Park. It's huge, beautiful, and lots to do and see there.

Nightlife is easy, so many bars, clubs, restaurants, etc. Kinda depends on your taste really.

 

[MogCakes]

Dim sum. San Fran's dim sum is incredible. Granted you need to find the right place. There was one I always go to...I forget the name. It's near/in Chinatown.

 

[Skellig Gra]

told my girlfriend about the tenderloin and she cancelled the hotel.

we'll be staying at union square instead.

i tried suggesting that place you mentioned above but she already sent me the confirmation of new hotel. thanks anyways.

Not a bad choice, you are right near a lot of stuff there and lots of public transit options.

 

[i3allistic]

Folsom Street Foundry

 

[Stabbing Robot]

Yeah the hotel you were going to stay at wasn't really in the tenderloin it was on the edge of it on Geary. Your new one will probably be the same but at least it's closer to the Square with the cable cars and BART station.

 

[olympia]

my girlfriend and i will be going to san francisco in a few weeks for a few days and wanted to know what are some must see spots/hidden gems.

we were thinking about renting a car but since we'll be staying in the tenderloin, we figured we can just walk/uber our way.

so far on our list, we have:

speakeasy ales & lagers
anchor brewing
michael mina

japantown
chinatown
alcatraz
inspiration point
coit tower

mount sutro
twin peaks

it'll be my first time in SF so i'm not entirely sure what to expect or where to even go beyond that list.

we love craft beer, hiking, and small "hole in the wall" restaurants.

food:

if you're staying in the tenderloin, please please please check out Brenda's on polk street! There's also a sweet-ass aryz mural near there

e: eh if you're staying in union square brenda's is still close. that place is amazing, definitely check it out

if you like craft beer you have to check out mikkeller bar!

a trip to the mission is a must, it's been a little crowded lately though. there's boba guys, sugar and spun, gestalt, ken ken ramen, etc.

hiking:

if you like hiking check out land's end. also check out muir woods across the golden gate bridge if want more hiking. it's beautiful

etc:

the best (closest) view of the golden gate bridge is at chrissy field, its a really awesome view of the north side of the bay. it's windy af though.

while you're over in that neck of the woods you should also check out the legion of honor. also in that general direction is off the grid sf at the presidio with is food trucks, live music. it's on thursdays at 7pm and saturdays 1-4pm. the walt disney museum is there too.

tbh i'd rent a smart car if you can. it makes getting around easier. also remember to curb your tire on hills because they could ticket you for it. sfmta sucks

 

[Linkhero1]

If you're driving, park smart. Almost got my car smashed into at Twin Peaks, but I caught the fuckers before they could do anything and they left.

The area Folsom Street Foundry is located in is known for car burglaries. Be careful.

 

[eternalthree]

dim sum:

diamond heights: All Season Restaurant
Richmond: hong kong lounge I or II
Chinatown: ....... I'm not a huge fan of it in chinatown..... lol.

 

[Liquidsnake]

Spent $200 bucks for 48 hours worth of Star line buses that took us everywhere its a hop on hop off system. It also included a trip to alcartraz.

Union Square, China Town (My god the food), The pier all awesome.

We were told to not go to Tenderloin, but we went anyways to smoke hookah 3 nights in a row. But yeah it was a rough neighborhood.

And yes Ive never seen a homeless problem as bad as SF ever, (and I live in Santa Monica)
Like the one on SF.

USE UBER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Kambing]

Find the golden fire hydrant on mission, then go eat el falarito (order beef tongue burrito)
Go to Gary Danko over Michael Mina imo, better food and cheaper too. If you can increase budget coi or quince is amazing
Please please visit House of Prime Rib if you like beef or prime rib... This is my favorite place. Come at 5pm, bar seating okay, pair the prime rib with the duckhorn
If you will be near or visit Castro, go to Saru Sushi for the best sushi in city, open for lunch (located in noe valley)
Do night alcatruz tour
Into beer? Monks kettle
Blue bottle is real famous coffee here

You pretty much covered all the locales

 

[olympia]

Blue bottle is real famous coffee here

blue bottle also has a great brunch. it gets a little busy, but the line moves relatively quick

adding to coffee:

trouble coffee is great (even though its wayyyy in the outer sunset)
ritual is great
sightglass is bomb
philz is not a bad choice
front is good
four barrel is great too

 

[Yaboosh]

For beer, I recommend City Beer for esoteric beers, Cellarmaker for an actual brewery, and Toronado for cheap Pliny.

 

[bodyboarder]

Mr Holmes bakery. Cruffin. Though don't bother going on a weekend as the line is nuts.

 

[hairypeckpeck]

Folsom Street Foundry

apparently tuesday and thursdays are good nights to go on.

guess i know what i'm doing next thursday LOL

Yeah the hotel you were going to stay at wasn't really in the tenderloin it was on the edge of it on Geary. Your new one will probably be the same but at least it's closer to the Square with the cable cars and BART station.

i figured, but i'd like to be (relatively) comfortable when we're walking back to our room at night lo.

food:

if you're staying in the tenderloin, please please please check out Brenda's on polk street! There's also a sweet-ass aryz mural near there

e: eh if you're staying in union square brenda's is still close. that place is amazing, definitely check it out

if you like craft beer you have to check out mikkeller bar!

a trip to the mission is a must, it's been a little crowded lately though. there's boba guys, sugar and spun, gestalt, ken ken ramen, etc.

hiking:

if you like hiking check out land's end. also check out muir woods across the golden gate bridge if want more hiking. it's beautiful

etc:

the best (closest) view of the golden gate bridge is at chrissy field, its a really awesome view of the north side of the bay. it's windy af though.

while you're over in that neck of the woods you should also check out the legion of honor. also in that general direction is off the grid sf at the presidio with is food trucks, live music. it's on thursdays at 7pm and saturdays 1-4pm. the walt disney museum is there too.

tbh i'd rent a smart car if you can. it makes getting around easier. also remember to curb your tire on hills because they could ticket you for it. sfmta sucks

didnt land's end recently get vandalized to the point where they wont even bother restoring the rock formation?

i remember reading an article about it a couple days ago...

If you're driving, park smart. Almost got my car smashed into at Twin Peaks, but I caught the fuckers before they could do anything and they left.

The area Folsom Street Foundry is located in is known for car burglaries. Be careful.

we'll be ubering our way around town, thanks for the heads up though.

Spent $200 bucks for 48 hours worth of Star line buses that took us everywhere its a hop on hop off system. It also included a trip to alcartraz.

Union Square, China Town (My god the food), The pier all awesome.

We were told to not go to Tenderloin, but we went anyways to smoke hookah 3 nights in a row. But yeah it was a rough neighborhood.

And yes Ive never seen a homeless problem as bad as SF ever, (and I live in Santa Monica)
Like the one on SF.

USE UBER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i'm from san diego so i dont typically see homeless people unless i'm downtown; i'm sure it'll be an experience.

and yes, we will be relying heavily on public transportation.

blue bottle also has a great brunch. it gets a little busy, but the line moves relatively quick

adding to coffee:

trouble coffee is great (even though its wayyyy in the outer sunset)
ritual is great
sightglass is bomb
philz is not a bad choice
front is good
four barrel is great too

the reviews for blue bottle on yelp are ridiculously high, i'll be going there for sure lol

For beer, I recommend City Beer for esoteric beers, Cellarmaker for an actual brewery, and Toronado for cheap Pliny.

i love going to breweries, i'll definitely stop by those two places for a quick flight.

 

[olympia]

didnt land's end recently get vandalized to the point where they wont even bother restoring the rock formation?

i remember reading an article about it a couple days ago...

yeah, it sucks, but it still a perfectly good trail.

 

[Liquidsnake]

One more thing,

Try to walk the length of the bridge, and back. It is a marvel. I did it in the rain, and I will remember that day. It was awesome.

 

[woahitsreeo]

Garaje was definitely my little hidden gem when living in the bay area. Go for their sangria, zapatos, and fusion tacos.

 

[woahitsreeo]

Here's the SF OT for reference.

 

[PassiveObserver]

The difference between Union Square and the hotel you had in the TL is negligible. The Opal is on the very edge of the TL, away from the real gudda stuff on Eddy and thereabouts. If you stay on using Sutter as your thoroughfare towards Union Sq, you'll be actually walking through the "Tenderknob" which is the area between TL and Nob Hill with plenty of galleries and art students along the way.

Visit the Mission to really get a vibe of what SF is like nowadays. You have the old Mexican neighborhood culture right next to the of trendy expensive food and boutiques, and plenty of good coffee scattered throughout. I'd recommend Yamo (the ultimate hole-in-the-wall) for no-frills Burmese and Duc Loi for their bomb $5 banh mi sandwiches, and check out that alley with all the murals.

 

[The Llama]

I went out to SF for a week about 3 years ago and honestly was really disappointed by the city itself. Loved the countryside and areas outside the city though (Muir woods and Napa Valley, specifically). Would highly recommend though. Alcatraz was ok too.

First time I was in San Fran the only thing I could think about was the dire homelessness problem. Such a bummer.

Sorry I can't give much in the way of advice but maybe expect that?

Also this, it was shocking (worse than I've seen in the northeast, definitely).

 

[i3allistic]

rent a bike or scooter

 

[11redder]

looking up the tenderloin on wikipedia, i found this



shit LOL

I stayed in San Francisco way back in the summer of 97 on a J1 visa. At the orientation, they emphasised one thing repeatedly, stay the fuck away from the tenderloin.

I ended up walking through it a few times at unearthly hours of the morning and it wasn't as bad as claimed or maybe I just got lucky.

Its a great city, just get out and walk around. I don't know what its like now, but Haight-Ashbury was pretty cool back in the day. Stay away from the Piers, thronged with tourists, although you should go to Alcatraz - there's a really cool tour, including extensive info on the native American occupation. The Golden Gate Park is really cool as well.

Probably, one of the nicest cities I've ever been to, certainly in the US. Oh, as others have said, the homelessness situation is disturbing, but they're generally really cool, if you take the time to talk to talk to them, as well as extraordinarily polite. Its heartbreaking to witness though, certainly opened my eyes to the reality of the supposed American dream.

Stay away from the financial district, full of rich assholes that bum cigarettes from broke, J1 visa students on internships from Ireland. Also, don't stand on balconies

If you get the time wander down the coast to the towns neighbouring San Fran, some really interesting places.

 

[jerry113]

Also this, it was shocking (worse than I've seen in the northeast, definitely).

Really now? Surprised.

 

[HP_Wuvcraft]

Has anyone mentioned Sweep Maple yet? The bacon is literally fucking God.

The Walt Disney Museum is the Presidio, as well. I'd suggest trying to get a tour of Lucasarts, but.... you know.

 

[butzopower]

Tip: Any bar that doesn't serve food you are allowed to bring your own, though I haven't tried this anywhere nice.

Hot Sauce and Panko: http://hotsauceandpanko.com/ - Really fucking good chicken wings. You can bring them to the bar next door, but I'd say get them to go and bring them to Golden Gate Park with some 22oz beers and just hang out.

Free Gold Watch: http://freegoldwatch.com/ - Pretty cool screen printing shop that also has like 25 pinball machines. Owner is a real cool dude. You can get some coffee down the street at Flywheel coffee, and check out Haight-Ashbury two blocks away if you want to tourist. Real good sandwiches at Haight Street Market.

The Sycamore: http://thesycamoresf.com/ - My personal favorite bar in the city, though might be biased because they have a nice outdoor patio you can smoke in. They've got usually 8 (good/craft/cali) beers on tap and rotate after every keg, so it's pretty much different every day. Food is a bit pricey but decent, though if you want some delicious Burmese food, Yamo a block away is killer and really cheap, though be wary there's not much seating.

 

[Erevador]

GAF may have saved OP's life...

 

[HP_Wuvcraft]

And he'll never know it.