San Francisco
San Francisco is always ranked at or near the top of any list of people's favorite American cities to visit. People often remark that it is America's most-European city, and while that may be true, San Francisco has a vibe that is all its own. Being surrounded on three sides by water forces it to be compact and fairly dense, but many of the famous attractions are still a bit spread apart from one another.
What to do
The city is very hilly and it's filled with classic architecture so views can be breathtaking in almost every direction. The downtown is centered around Market Street with handsome Union Square being the epicenter of the shopping experience. Touristy Fisherman's Wharf is a must-see and it's where you can take a short boat ride out to the small island that houses infamous Alcatraz Prison. The neighborhood of Haight-Ashbury still holds onto some of its hippie-movement roots and the area called North Beach is home to some interesting nightlife and many of the city's budget sleeping options along Lombard Street. The city's Chinatown is one of the largest and nicest in the country.
Getting there
When you are ready to book a flight to San Francisco you should be aware that there are three large airports in the area. San Francisco International (SFO) is south of the city and the most common for long-haul flights, but often deals into Oakland Intl. (OAK) across the bay and San Jose Intl. (SJC) about 50 miles south can be cheaper than flying into SFO itself.
Where to stay
There are some very cool San Francisco hostels as well as hotels in all budget ranges. It's useful to stay in the northeast quarter of the city, as you'll be closest to most of the attractions, but there are options in many different neighborhoods.
Getting around
San Francisco has a subway system (the BART), but it runs diagonally through the city on one line that is mainly meant to shuttle downtown workers from their suburban homes to their offices and back. So it's not terribly useful for tourists except for the recently completed section that connects SFO airport with the city center. Buses are plentiful, but the way the city is laid out sometimes makes for complicated trips. The famous Cable Car line can be useful for the small area it covers. Parking is very limited and often expensive so renting a car is probably not worth the hassle until you want to visit places outside the city including the nearby wine country of Napa Valley.
Attractions in San Francisco
Address: Alamo Square, San Francisco, CA
An unusual tourist attraction, Alamo Square is a modest city park and also the name of the neighborhood surrounding the park. There isn’t much inside the six-city block park that would be of interest to visitors, although it’s a well-kept green space. The appeal is that Alamo Square Park sits on top of a hill in a residential neighborhood between the Embarcadero and Golden Gate Park, and on clear days the unobstructed views of the city skyline are unbeatable.
The famous Transamerica Pyramid can be seen towering over the other large buildings in the financial district when the weather cooperates, but San Francisco is not known for endless sunny days so make sure you time your visit right. The traditional architecture of San Francisco is on display in Alamo Square, with the most famous examples being a row of six nearly identical Queen Anne houses painted in complimentary bright colors. These homes directly facing Alamo Square are known as the “painted ladies” and are the subjects of thousands of tourist photos every month, with the downtown buildings in the background.
Hours: Always open, best on clear days and even on clear evenings
Admission: Free
Address: San Francisco, California
Operating in one form or another since 1873, San Francisco’s cable cars are now the last permanently operational manually-operated cable car system in the world. Once a major part of the city’s public transit system, the cable cars are now primarily operated for tourists on three remaining routes. San Francisco’s steep hills do coax some locals on board as well, but the system is expensive to ride and not particularly fast.
Fortunately, the three operating lines are all handy for visitors and do a good job of connecting many of San Francisco’s popular attractions and hotel areas. Two parts of Market Street are connected with Fisherman’s Wharf and North Beach, crossing through Union Square and Nob Hill, near Chinatown.
The turntables where the cars spin 180 degrees before heading in the other direction are popular sights themselves, and the best place to board. Fares have increased repeatedly and are the same for everyone over the age of 4. They are currently $5 for a single ride and the fare can be paid in cash to the conductor.
Tip: You can buy a full-day pass good on all public transportation within San Francisco - including the cable cars – for $11, which is a far better deal unless your only goal is a single cable car ride.
Hours: Daily from 6 a.m. to 1:30 a.m.
Admission: $5 for everyone ages 5 and up; Ages 65+ ride for $1 only before 7 a.m. and after 9 p.m.
Address: 1 Telegraph Hill Blvd San Francisco, CA
Built in 1933 at the top of Telegraph Hill using funds from the estate of Lillie Hitchcock Coit in order to help beautify the city, the 210 foot (60m) concrete Coit Tower is appreciated at least as much for the city views from its base as for the tower itself. Some people claim the tower was designed to look like a fire hose, but the original architects always denied that.
The 360-degree views of the surrounding neighborhoods make visiting the tower a good idea even for those not interested in seeing the inside. On clear days it’s one of the best views of San Francisco. Inside the tower you’ll find murals that depict life for workers in the 1930s. For an extra fee, visitors can ride an elevator to the observation deck on the top of the tower.
There is a small pay parking lot at the tower, but it’s often crowded and the road leading up to it is often backed up so allow extra time to deal with this. There are stairs in place for those interested in walking up to the tower, but this is a long and steep climb. Bus #39 goes to Coit Tower from Washington Square.
Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily
Admission: Free to see most of the murals in the base, but to ride the elevator to the observation deck it’s $3.75 for adults, $2.50 for seniors, and $1.50 for ages 6-12
Address: PIER 39, Beach Street & The Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA 94133
San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf is both a small neighborhood and a wharf on the city’s northern waterfront area. Locals often try to warn visitors away from the area as it is legitimately crammed with shameless tourist attractions and shameless tourists, but the reason it’s the city’s most popular destination is there are so many unique things in one small space that people would be foolish to pass up going at least once.
For the complete tourist experience you can arrive by cable car. The shorefront area stretches from Pier 35 to Pier 41, but the most popular spot is Pier 39, which is a huge shopping and entertainment complex complete with over a dozen restaurants and always crowded with street performers. The boats that cruise over to Alcatraz Island leave from Fisherman’s Wharf, and sea lions are usually on hand to ham it up for passers-by.
Across from the wharf are The Cannery, which is another unique shopping complex with several well-known restaurants, and Ghirardelli Square, which is another small boutique complex based around the locally famous chocolate manufacturer. There are also several dodgy attractions built solely to suck in some of the endless stream of visitors to the area, but even avoiding those there is more than enough to do for half a day even if you don’t visit Alcatraz.
Hours – Always open, but shops keep normal business hours
Admission - Free
Address: San Francisco Bay, San Francisco, California
Easily one of the most famous bridges in the world, and also San Francisco’s best-known landmark and postcard subject, the Golden Gate Bridge is a must as a photo opportunity for any Bay Area visitor. Completed in 1937 as the largest suspension bridge in the world at the time, the bridge isn’t golden at all but rather a special shade of red. Due to the wind and the salty air, the bridge is always being painted by a dedicated team of 38 painters who finish one coat and then immediately start on the next.
The name Golden Gate comes from the name of the straight it crosses that divides the San Francisco Bay from the Pacific Ocean. Obviously cars are able to cross over the bridge all the time, but pedestrians are also allowed (no pets, for safety reasons) on the eastern sidewalk during daylight hours. It’s a popular walk with tourists, but sadly also popular for another reason, as well over 1,000 people have committed suicide by jumping from this sidewalk over the years.
Like so many other notable landmarks, the bridge is actually difficult to get a good view of until you are actually bearing down on the thing. There are two excellent viewing spots set up though, one on each end of the bridge. The one in San Francisco is smaller and charges for parking, but the view is incredible on all but the foggiest days.
Hours: Always open for drivers, daylight hours only for pedestrians
Admission: Free for pedestrians, $5 toll for cars going southbound (into the city) only
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