San Francisco

[toniinoz]

Hi girls,my wife & I will be visiting San Francisco in Sept this year staying at the Grosvenor Suites in Pine st. We know nothing about SFO and just hope we are not in a bad part of town.What are the must see places to visit bearing in mind we only have three days so I don't expect to see it all.
I see a lot of references to Union Square but I have no idea what it is.
What is the weather like at that time of year,is it still hot?
Looking forward to hearing from you, Toni.

[Sedona]

Hi girls,my wife & I will be visiting San Francisco in Sept this year staying at the Grosvenor Suites in Pine st. We know nothing about SFO and just hope we are not in a bad part of town.What are the must see places to visit bearing in mind we only have three days so I don't expect to see it all.
I see a lot of references to Union Square but I have no idea what it is.
What is the weather like at that time of year,is it still hot?
Looking forward to hearing from you, Toni.


Tony, you've got plenty of time, start hitting the guide books and online resources. Start with sfgate.com (San Francisco Chronicle).

The neighborhood you're in is fine. Not the best and not the worst.

There's so much cool stuff to do, and everyone will have their recommendations.

My recommendations:

1. Walk or rent a bike to go over the golden gate bridge.
2. Go to Chinatown, see the sights and get yourself a really good Chinese meal.
3. Walk down to the touristy area (Pier 39) and see the sights and get some seafood.
4. Go to The Castro district, to explore the gayest part of the gayest city in the U.S.
5. If you get a car (NOT recommended), or are very hardy walkers, hike up to see the view on Twin Peaks.
6. Union Square is about the shopping. Nothing special, IMO.
7. Just get a backpack, grab some food and water and explore. There are great areas to see all over the city.
8. Get great Mexican food in The Mission district, which you may not have had before, being from your part of the world.
9. If you're well heeled, some of the best restaurants/wine in the world can be found in San Francisco. Try Michael Mina.
10. Head to Haight Asbury to see where where many of the 1960s hippies got their start. Great (but pricey!) vintage shops.

If you're "dressed," you'll find San Francisco to be very welcoming, but still there may be gawkers in the touristy zones, like Golden Gate Park, the GG Bridge, and especially Pier 39.

September is normally a great time of year for weather. October is better, but September is nearly as good, especially the later part of the month.

Have fun!

[AllieSF]

You are about 3+ blocks up the hill from Union Square (a small plaza), the center of shopping in San Francisco. There you have Saks, Macy's and Neiman Marcus, plus many other shops and stores. Just down Powell Street from Union Square is the San Francisco Center, an indoor mall anchored by Nordstrom's. Right next to that shopping center anchored by Bloomingdale's. There are also a few theaters close by, restaurants, bars and great walking. September is called our hottest month so expect in SF 70's and above, but always be prepared to put on a sweater or light jacket if the fog comes barreling in with it's cool, sometimes cold air. However, it could be close to 100 F in some areas away from the Bay.

Tons of things to see and do depending on your interests, including Fisherman;s Wharf (tourist area right on the Bay), museums, art galleries, Golden gate park, Walk across the Golden Gate Bridge (I do it every year), the Marin headlands (see it driving) where you can get the best pics of the GG Bridge with SF in the background, Sausalito for a day trip, the Mission district with it's Latin restaurants and small markets, North beach (Italian neighborhood with a lot of restaurants), etc., etc., etc..

You can PM me if you want. You can also do a search here for other threads about people asking questions about where to go and what to do here,and just do an internet search on what to do in SF. You will be swamped with too much information. If you plan on going out dressed en femme, this is the place to do it, wherever you want to go. You may get looks, but that is about it. Good luck and enjoy your trip.

[toniinoz]

Hi Sedona and Allie,thankyou so much for answering and thanks for the information. No,I won't be going dressed,just a great vacation,who knows how much time we have left,

[DeeArel]

Dressed or not, if you are in SF for a Thursday, consider going to lunch at Carla's in San Jose from 11-1.

[Sedona]

Toniinoz,

Good idea about Carla's, if you're so inclined to take the trip. A bit of info: Carla's is an excellent and well respected CDer haven/store/restaurant/studio/support place in San Jose, a decent sized city about an hour's drive south of San Francisco.

Also, make sure you get some sourdough bread, it's impossible to get it anywhere else in the world that has SF's unique taste. Get it from a neighborhood bakery, not mass-market Boudin, which you find everywhere (and isn't as good, IMO). You'll not be there at peak crab season (winter), but see if you can track down some Cioppino, a hearty local stew involving fish and local crab, and often clams, in an Italian-style red sauce.

[Tranny Tee]

For a great meal (lunch) go to Swan's Oyster Depot on Polk near California-take the California Street cable car.
See an evening movie at the Castro Theater the organ music before the film is great one of the last operating theater organs.
The DeYoung and Legion of Honor art museums are incredible.
AT&T park is a great place to watch a ball game.
For a good Italian meal o to North Beach near Chinatown.
City Lights Bookstore in North Beach is historic and has a wonderful selection of books, it is still owned by Lawrence Ferlinghetti.
There are lots of guidebook and you still have a couple months to study have a good trip.

[caguy1989]

Basically what everyone else said. But as a SF native, I think you should definitely visit North Beach. That place has amazing Italian food and is quite a nice area. Also, you should if you have the time, go to Marin. Again, a beautiful place.

-Gina

[christine55]

San Francisco is one of the best walking cities in the U.S. Their public transportation system is one of the best. Just avoid rush hour. I lived there for five years or so. So many places to go. North Beach, Chinatown, walk thru downtown by walking down Market St., from say 7th St all the way to the ferry. Best to do during the day. Lots of foot traffic, only two blocks really down and out but safe during the day. Always have a jacket with you. It can get really cold all of a sudden, even in the middle of July. If you go to the Haight you should either take a bus or taxi. You really dont want to walk through the western addition even during the day, especially being tourists. Easily get out to Ocean beach by taking the N Judah. It runs underground through downtown all the way out to the beach. I would also recommend Aquatic Park, close to Fisherman's Wharf. You can walk far out into the bay on an arced pier where locals can spend a day fishing or you can walk half way to Alcatraz.
Enjoy your trip.

Hugs, Christine

[toniinoz]

To all you girls who answered my request I sincerely thankyou and apologise for taking so long to reply, but I have only just had my computer fixed, my dog had chewed through the keyboard cable and all is now OK. You have given me a lot to look forward to.
PS--- Do Nordstrums have an Autumn shoe sale? Toni

[Renelle]

I've heard good things from friends about the new Museum of Natural History. Alcatraz is interesting and a nice view of the city. No trip to SF is complete without seafood at Fisherman's Wharf. Lunch or dinner, anytime of year, it's allways good.

[Loni]

i am not a fan of mass transit, but you can get most anywhere in the city by using a bus, trolley cable car, bart, even walking. you must ride a very old trolley car in the city. (yes boring but history),
get your legs in shape and rent a bike for the ride across the golden gate bridge (bikes only on the west side of the bridge),
might even get to "carlas" by train to sj then there transit system.

and by law all stores are required to cater to transgendered people.
plan ahead for a couple plays, plenty of little places, even a couple off broadway plays at times.

just watch your purse as crime agenst tourists is big.:eek:

you will have fun.

the city can be cold, wet, mild, windy, even hot at times. keep a eye on the weather. dress for heat, but plan on cold/wet. (fog can come in fast and be damp). also one part of town can be hot and another cold ..

a very famous man once said the coldest winter he ever had was a summer in sf. :eek:


.

[Renelle]

Originally posted by Loni


a very famous man once said the coldest winter he ever had was a summer in sf.

I think that was Mark Twain.

[Monika G]

Try the Nordstrom Rack, it is their clearance outlet. They carry a lot of shoes, and larger sizes also. Very cd friendly.