|
San Francisco is a compact, walkable city (if you can manage the hills), a peninsula surrounded by the Pacific Ocean on the west and the deep San Francisco Bay on its north and east sides.
The city has a delineated Downtown, with Market and California streets being the main east-west strips and Montgomery Street being the main north-south strip, the latter traversing the bustling Financial District. The nearby shopping streets of Union Square compete for the title of most heavily trafficked area of the city.
But large parts of the business of this city, along with many of the top tourist attractions, go on in the city’s distinctive neighborhoods, separated by hills; these neighborhoods are one of San Francisco’s top draws. Whether it’s the fashionable addresses on Nob Hill, the funky shops in the Fillmore, the cable cars leading from Fisherman’s Wharf, the trendy restaurants south of Market Street (SoMa), or the bars and stores catering to the singles scene of the Marina district, San Francisco’s neighborhoods have it all.
In a matter of minutes, you can walk from the most expensive stores in Union Square to some of the cheapest vegetable markets in Chinatown to offbeat poster stores and coffeehouses in North Beach, but each neighborhood has its own distinct flavor, aided in part by its own delicious aromas.
North Beach, in the northeast corner of the city, is San Francisco’s Italian quarter. The cylindrical Coit Tower, one of the best vantage points in the city, overlooks the neighborhood (not to mention the entire city) from atop Telegraph Hill.
The Filbert Street Steps leading up the hill are as challenging as any Stairmaster, but the reward is even greater: not only the great cityscape, but also a series of colorful murals entitled “Life in California, 1934.” The murals attempt to portray America during the Great Depression. They were commissioned by Franklin Roosevelt during the New Deal and were painted by artists who drew their inspiration from the famed Mexican muralist Diego Rivera.
But the excitement of North Beach is generated by its offbeat stores, coffeehouses and restaurants that have people crowding its streets from daybreak until long after midnight. Some of the most intriguing stores don’t even open until after the work day is over.
Beat poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s City Lights Bookstore (261 Columbus Avenue; 415/362-8193) is a literary landmark. Ferlinghetti published Allen Ginsberg’s controversial poem “Howl” in 1956, resulting in a widely publicized obscenity trial that paved the way for the publication of other provocative works. The store continues to publish a few works every year, and is noted for its collection of art, poetry and political paperbacks.
Next door is Vesuvio (255 Columbus Avenue; 415/362-3370), one of North Beach’s most famous bars. The building’s tin walls and ceilings date to 1913, and have hosted Beat poets like Jack Kerouac among others.
A few blocks north is Caffe Trieste (601 Vallejo Street; 415/392-6739), another Beat hangout and one of North Beach’s legendary coffeehouses. It boasts opera songs on the jukebox, with live performances on Saturday afternoons.
Most of North Beach’s most popular sites are located on Columbus Avenue, the diagonal that forms the neighborhood’s western border as it begins at the Transamerica Pyramid and winds up at Fisherman’s Wharf. While a great time can be had without ever leaving this main drag, the fun of North Beach is in exploring the smaller alleyways and side streets where stores and restaurants often cater to a more eclectic clientele.
Especially interesting is Grant Avenue. Not every store or restaurant is ultimately successful, but you never know what you’ll find. To the east side of Columbus Avenue is Chinatown, which makes for a fascinating walking tour of another culture.
San Francisco is also famous for its impossibly steep hills. These days, any car except maybe a Yugo can ascend the highest hill, but in the days before automobiles, the Nob and Russian hill areas were all but inaccessible by horse-drawn carriage; thus, the cable cars, which are now primarily a tourist attraction, were originally a transportation necessity.
The first cars were built in 1869, powered by a steel cable buried under the street in a center rail. They were largely obsolete by 1955, but a plan to remove them met with so much opposition that their continued existence was written into the city’s charter. The Powell-Mason Line starts at Powell and Market streets in Union Square and runs over Nob Hill before reaching its terminus at Fisherman’s Wharf. The Powell-Hyde Line starts at the same spot, then zigzags over Nob and Russian hills before ending at Aquatic Park.
Sit on a bench in the park to take in the amazing view of the Golden Gate Bridge. Then head across the street to the Buena Vista Cafe for their famous Irish coffee and some lively conversation.
Neither cable car line traverses the famous, serpentine block of Lombard Street, (between Hyde and Leavenworth streets), though the Powell-Hyde Line passes right by it. The pitch of this street is so steep that traffic must be directed over a winding series of switchbacks, giving it the name “Crookedest Street in the World.” The view toward Telegraph Hill and Downtown is great from here.
Nob Hill (often derisively called Snob Hill) and Russian Hill are two of San Francisco’s wealthier neighborhoods, where luxury apartments mingle with the city’s higher-priced hotels. Nob Hill’s famed Top of the Mark bar (in the Mark Hopkins Inter-Continental, 999 California Street; 415/392-3434), was where thousands of World War II servicemen had their last drink before shipping off. At $7.00 or $8.00 a shot, drinks here are now a bit pricey for most enlisted personnel, but the stunning view makes it worth at least a brief visit. On the next block is the famed Fairmont Hotel; stop in for a peek at its grand lobby.
Union Square is the shopper’s hub of San Francisco. Most of the big department stores have branches here, as do many upper-end boutiques. Post, Sutter, Stockton and Geary streets are the main shopping strips in this area.
Maiden Lane is a small, pedestrian-only stretch with chic boutiques and eateries.
Perhaps the trendiest area of San Francisco these days is SoMa, the part of the city directly South of Market Street. This area was once little more than industrial plants and gloomy warehouses. But as high rents throughout the city forced small businesses to find space elsewhere, the neighborhood on the more desolate side of Market Street became more and more popular.
The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) has its new digs here (151 Third Street; 415/357-4000). Also here are the Moscone Convention Center and the Yerba Buena Gardens (Third Street between Mission and Howard streets), the city’s center for the performing arts.
Some of the city's toniest restaurants are now located in SoMa, including LuLu, visited by President Clinton on his trip to San Francisco this year (816 Folsom, 415/495-5775), Boulevard (1 Mission Street; 415/543-6084 ), and Hawthorne Lane (22 Hawthorne, 415/777-9779).
Along Folsom, Howard, Mission, Harrison, Townsend and King streets are some of the hippest nightclubs in town, many located in what used to be huge warehouses. It is a good idea to call on the night you want to head out, as many of SoMa’s clubs cater to a different clientele each night, from straight to gay, from house to heavy metal, from a younger crowd to those a bit more advanced in years. Wherever you head, a good time will be had.
Fisherman’s Wharf is still the most popular part of town among tourists. It’s by far the most visited site in San Francisco and, by some accounts, one of the most frequented spots on the planet. Most of the sea cruises leave from here, and the legions of T-shirt shops and chowder houses are perpetually filled with visitors from out-of-town.
Pier 39, a four-acre complex of shops, restaurants, and other attractions, is the centerpiece of the Fisherman’s Wharf area. Underwater World, which is part aquarium, part people-mover, is a recent addition to the goings-on here. Ghirardelli Square, former home of the chocolate makers, is a few blocks west, along the waterfront.
Fisherman’s Wharf is also the launching point for trips to Alcatraz Island (Pier 41, Fisherman’s Wharf, 415/705-1045 or 415/546-2700). The $10 admission fee includes the ferry trip back and forth to “The Rock,” as well as an exceptionally organized tour. Park rangers lead the outdoor parts of the tour. Indoor sites are explained on an audio tour, which allows visitors to proceed at their own pace, and also provides for an eerie quiet inside the cell blocks. Al Capone and Machine Gun Kelly slept here, as did Robert Stroud, the so-called “Birdman of Alcatraz.”
The frigid waters and fierce currents surrounding Alcatraz, not sharks, as popular myth would have it, made escape nearly impossible. Three men attempted a jailbreak in 1963, but their bodies were never found. The federal prison closed its doors shortly thereafter, not because of the escape attempt, but because the cost of shipping all supplies to the island, including water, grew too high.
It is now part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which stretches along the oceanfront in the western part of San Francisco up into the beautiful Marin Headlands across the Golden Gate Bridge.
There is another reason to make the visit to Alcatraz, and that is the view it affords looking back at the San Francisco skyline—just one of the myriad of incredible vistas in America’s most scenic city.
When to Go
Mark Twain once said "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco," a little tidbit repeated by many locals in response to t-shirt-clad tourists complaining about the brisk weather. With the trademark fog blanketing the city most mornings, temperatures are significantly cooler than in inland suburbs, even those to the north (bring a jacket and a sweater). The upside is that winter temperatures barely dip below 50ºF. Enjoy the outdoors with an umbrella from November to March. The sunniest parts of the city are the Mission District and Bernal Heights; the windiest are Ocean Beach and the Golden Gate Bridge.
Search hotels in San Francisco
Top 25 Reasons to Visit SF
25. San Francisco Public Library Free Walking Tours Volunteer tour guides do it for love of SF! See the neighborhoods and sights of the city through their eyes.
24. The Sea Lions at Pier 39 They bark, roll over, nap in the sun, and dive into the deep less than five feet from the pier.
23. Vaillancourt Fountain and Justin Herman Plaza On those roasting (but rare) hot days, cool off in the mists of a 1970s architectural oddity. On weekends, take in a protest during lunch.
22. The San Francisco Art Institute Among the many artist hot shots to have studied and taught at this gorgeous hilltop hideaway, Diego Rivera left his mark in 1931 with a fresco depicting the city.
21. California Academy of Sciences Slither past the great boas and orange toads near the entrance and head for the dolphin and seal tank. Underwater microphones let you listen in as you watch them dip and dive.
20. Stern Grove Amphitheater Bathe your ears in the amazing acoustics of a eucalyptus soundboard. Check out the free summer concert series on Sundays.
19. The Haight Though most of the flower children have packed up their guitars and moved on, you can still see the places where a lot of history (and love) was made, including the homes of Janis Joplin and the Grateful Dead.
18. Palace of Fine Arts Built for the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition (and often serving as the backdrop for weddings), this beautiful domed rotunda makes for one of the prettiest picnic spots in the city.
17. Coit Tower Commissioned by firefighter fan Lillie Hitchcock Coit and designed to look like a fireman's um, nozzle, 180 ft. Coit Tower commands spectacular views of the city and the Bay, and vibrant WPA-sponsored murals adorn the interior.
16. Burritos in the Mission So delicious! And so cheap! Without a doubt, the best bite for your buck, and maybe just the best bite, period.
15. Cable Cars Not only are the cars themselves a classic SF icon, but they will also take you up to some of the best views in the city and back down. Get there early and hang on!
14. City Lights Bookstore (cue bongos) City Lights (ba-bum). Nifty books (ba-bum). Winding staircase (ba-bum). Cozy nooks (ba-bum). Beat culture (ba-bum). The beat goes on (applause).
13. Ross Alley Your conception of Chinatown is probably based on all of those Kung Fu movies shot in Ross Alley. It really brims with hanging lanterns, fruit stands, and scrumptious scents, just as you imagined.
12. Fort Point The Spaniards chose this as a military outpost because it's the best spot to survey the entrance to the Bay. It's still got one of the best views of the Bridge and the water.
11. Mission Murals This urban street art brilliantly combines artistic excellence, technical perfection, and community politics. Standouts include Balmy Alley and a three-building tribute to guitar god Carlos Santana.
10. The Crookedest Street in the World (Lombard Street) The famous curves of Lombard St. were installed in the 1920s so that horse-drawn carriages could negotiate the extremely steep hill. Bright, beautiful flowers adorn each level, and cute, crazy in-line skaters sometimes whiz past them.
9. Castro Street on Friday and Saturday Nights Before they duck into bars or head to SoMa for the clubs, San Francisco's pretty gay boys and girls stroll Castro St. Don't come expecting a freak show; this is high-class and happy.
8. Dim Sum in Chinatown Sample delectable and absolutely authentic Chinese brunch delights. Be brave and try chicken feet, or stick to savory shrimp dumplings. Just about any restaurant in Chinatown will suffice.
7. Twin Peaks Perfect 360° views. At night, glittering lights below meet glimmering stars above for the most romantic spot around.
6. The Exploratorium Hands-on science at this museum will captivate kids as well as kids-at-heart. The huge space is crammed with cool contraptions to climb through and play with.
5. Alcatraz Maybe the five men who escaped and were never found are still out there. First a military detention hall and then the original high security civilian prison, "The Rock" has enough ghost stories to keep you up for days. Squeeze into a cell for kicks (or chills).
4. Golden Gate Park Central what? New York's got nothing on San Fran when it comes to beautiful parks. Lush gardens, green meadows, and scenic lakes invite visitors to bask in (layered clothing and) sunshine all weekend long.
3. Muir Woods Experience the mysterious, magical stillness of these centuries-old redwoods that loom above you in silence. George Lucas was so impressed that he filmed Return of the Jedi here.
2. A Giants Game at Pacific Bell Park Not only do you get to cheer on the Giants (and maybe see a right-field homer make a splash), but the bleacher seats come with fabulous views of the game, the city, and the Bay.
1. Golden Gate Bridge Yeah, yeah, we know. The Golden Gate is totally cliché; so cliché it's on the cover of this book, and yet so absolutely astounding it has to be. You can see the bridge from around the city (and on two out of three postcards), but to truly know its immense beauty, you have to be there. Bring a windbreaker and check it out.
THE west coast states of North America offer some of the most exciting entertainment facilities, the most diverse cultural experiences, the most serene rural attractions and the most beautiful scenery in the world.
Frantic Los Angeles will most probably be your first stop and it is easy to lose a week or more just exploring the most famous regions of this exciting metropolis.
Beverley Hills and Hollywood will intrigue and delight, even if you’re not into tours of the movie stars houses or all night strip clubs and pick up bars.
The region close to Downtown, bordered by Peco and Willshire Boulevards — the main link between the Central Business District and Beverley Hills — and between Third and Seventh Avenues is an almost self contained Spanish region.
There are street markets, drug dealers at corner street lights, taco stands and roaming gangs of youths. Even the ice cream vans have bars on their windows in this area so be careful if you’re exploring on foot and try to always be with a companion.
The dichotomy of the super prestigious hotels, restaurants and boutiques at one end of Willshire and the chaotic street life of the other is worth-while experiencing, even if the culture shock is sometimes staggering.
If you’re travelling by car — the most convenient and enjoyable mode of transport in rural USA — the coast road north of L.A. to San Francisco should not be missed.
There are some excellent beaches and a stop in Big Sur to enjoy the huge forests and wild coastline is an unforgettable experience. San Francisco is a city which seems to ooze culture and artistic charm. Even the infamous Haight and Ashbury intersection is a calm and civilised region nowadays and there is a host of entertainment and art experiences to enjoy.
But even the most relaxing cities begin to seem like cities after a while and, once you’ve had your fill of Frisco’s charms there is a serene wonderland to be discovered further north.
It is necessary to detour from the coast for a few hundred miles north of San Francisco and the ocean will next be experienced in the quaint and rural town of Crescent City.
This tiny settlement is the last town in California and the gateway to the northern wilderness.
The wild ocean along the coast line of Crescent City is home to migrating whales who can be seen from the beaches from December to February and the miles of uninhabited coastline makes you wonder where the huge population of America is hiding.
We headed inland, through the forests from Crescent City and travelled through some mountainous terrain past green forests and fast flowing rivers before arriving at Grant’s Pass.
Here we joined the Interstate and soon covered the miles to Portland, Oregon’s capital and an interesting city which provided an exciting mix of bohemian fascination and sophisticated attractions.
Portland is home to a number of major dealers in tribal art and some of the most expansive book shops in the USA.
It has an enthusiastic writing community and a very modern convention centre where exhibitions of art and antiques as well as major educational conferences are held.
Portland also has some of the best jazz clubs, blues bands, new music venues and street performers in the country.
Accommodation alternatives range from inexpensive, run down hostel type venues to five star hotels in the centre of town.
A room at one of the mid-range hotels, like a member of the Great Western Chain, provides good quality motel rooms in a multi-story building with an in-house restaurant, cable TV, coffee making facilities and is located within five minutes drive from the civic centre for around US$60 a double.
North of Portland are many small towns that are located very close to the Interstate but seem to be miles from any sort of development. Castlerock is one of these towns.
A tiny settlement inhabited by interesting and very friendly people, Castlerock is the gateway to St Helens, the West Coast’s famous, active volcano.
We found a very comfortable, well appointed room at the Timberline Motel for only US$35 a double and our two day stay gave us plenty of time to explore the town and journey to Spirit Lake and Mt St Helens. Three hour’s drive to the north we found ourselves in charming Seattle, a sophisticated and beautiful city nestling between the shores of Puget Sound and the soaring heights of Mount Rainier.
Voted one of the most liveable cities in the world in a recent, international poll, Seattle offers excellent restaurants, a range of accommodation (although the lower price ranges are least evident) and a wonderful mixture of small town ambience and big city facilities. One attraction that should not be missed is the Space Needle — a high viewing tower where the whole of the city and the waters of the Sound can be viewed.
There is a wide range of interesting sights which will appeal to all tastes and science displays, art exhibitions, antique centres and galleries can be visited.
Along the wharves are markets, restaurants, bars and night clubs to suit all tastes and even in the outer suburbs, which are easily reached via the intricate and efficient freeway system, there are a number of entertainment, eating and accommodation choices.
Heading south again it is easy to utilise the main Interstate and discover a number of other, beautiful, alpine retreats which are only minutes from the highway but seem to be lost in the wilderness.
At Mount Shasta, just over the Californian border, a very comfortable motel costs only US$26 a double and the small town is overlooked by the more than 4,000 metre tall mountain which gives the settlement its name.
Unless you are a confirmed ski buff there is no need to visit the organised ski parks in the area to enjoy the snow covered environment.
Marked nordic ski trails and forest walks are easily reached from the main road to the summit of Mount Shasta and there is no need to drive very far before you enjoy the snow draped slopes.
We spent an afternoon at an altitude of almost 3000 metres and our vehicle never left the bitumen road, which is cleared of snow on a regular basis.
There were patches of ice in the shaded areas where huge trees blocked out the strong, winter sun for most of the day but we never had to fit our snow chains.
There are numerous other alpine regions and deserted ocean retreats to be discovered on America’s west coast.
The mixture of well equipped and intriguing cities with totally secluded rural towns less than a few hour’s drive away makes the region unforgettable.
If your budget won’t stretch to utilising rented cars for your exploration it may be worthwhile approaching one of the many “drive away” agencies when you arrive in L.A.
These companies arrange for vehicles which are privately owned to be driven from one city to another.
It is possible to find some good connections utilising their organisational expertise.
There is no charge, just petrol, and in some places in California that can be found for as low as $1US a gallon. No matter how you travel, America’s west coast is unforgettable.
|
