Tell me about San Francisco

[Jordan!]

I honestly just find the City stressful to visit.. I've been there many times though so im kind of over it. Bucket list for sure - one of those cities in the world you have to see.

Hopefully you don't get fogged out of a great Golden Gate Bridge view.

[Leeman4Gilmour]

I was going to recommend Beach Blanket Babylon, but I guess that got shut down in 2020. So just to add to the weather talk;

"The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco." - Mark Twain

Also, had a memorable meal at The Franciscan

[Locke]

They also really prefer it when you spell the name of their City correctly.

San Franciscoans? San Franciscans? Franciscan Monks?

Whatever...they're touchy about the name of their town. Unreasonably so at times.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Thanks for all the info. Really helpful!

[dirk diggler]

Santa Cruz is a unique beach town not too far away. stayed there last time.

[Jordan!]

Originally Posted by dirk diggler

Santa Cruz is a unique beach town not too far away. stayed there last time.

I'd recommend a B&B in Halfmoon Bay personally over Santa Cruz but definitely worth a stop

[Jiri Hrdina]

I booked my hotel in an area called The Tenderloin. That's OK right?
Tenderloin steak is top notch so I figure it must be.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

I booked my hotel in an area called The Tenderloin. That's OK right?
Tenderloin steak is top notch so I figure it must be.

Thats as OK as using the name 'San Fransisco'

Ask the helpful locals for the best pub!

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

I booked my hotel in an area called The Tenderloin. That's OK right?
Tenderloin steak is top notch so I figure it must be.

Just walk around the Tenderloin saying "Gosh I love it here in San Fran!" and wearing a Giants hat with the sticker still on and you'll be fine.

Best of luck.

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

I booked my hotel in an area called The Tenderloin. That's OK right?
Tenderloin steak is top notch so I figure it must be.

You know San Francisco’s real estate has gotten beyond control when a homeless person’s tent is all that’s available on airbnb. Probably should bring your own bedding.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Good theory Jiri. Would explain why my stay at “the anus” a few years back was less than stellar.

[SeeGeeWhy]

Jiri, make sure you read Michael Shellenberger’s San Fransicko on the inbound flight!

[Derek Sutton]

Not sure if it’s been said or not but the best advice I was given is to book the first Alcatraz tour of the day. That way when you get there it will be empty, no other tourists.

[STeeLy]

Originally Posted by Derek Sutton

Not sure if it’s been said or not but the best advice I was given is to book the first Alcatraz tour of the day. That way when you get there it will be empty, no other tourists.

Unless you want to see more of Alcatraz, then book the behind the scenes tour which happens in the afternoon/evening.

[Nufy]

Came looking for a "I left my heart there" reference...

Leaving disappointed...

[MoneyGuy]

The spelling error in the thread title sets off my OCD every time I see it.

[Sidney Crosby's Hat]

I think one of the best things about San Francisco is the food and drink. Haven't seen too much of that here in this thread so that's my contribution:

FOOD

* Kin Khao – An amazing Thai restaurant that’s in the Parc 55 hotel in Union Square. Good for lunch or dinner, you probably need to make a reservation. Everything is good but I recommend the “pretty spicy wings” and the “Yaowaraj Noodle” http://kinkhao.com/
* Molinari Delicatessen – One of the best sandwich places I’ve ever been to. You get to choose your piece of bread from their bakery area and then they make your sandwich with that bread at the deli. http://www.molinarisalame.com/
* Tony’s Pizza Napoletana – They have 11 different pizza ovens (the best one I've tried there is NY style). Rated one of the top 5 pizza places in the entire US on a handful of lists. http://tonyspizzanapoletana.com/
* Tommasso’s – They don’t take reservations so it’s best to go shortly after they open (5:00 Tue-Sat or 4:00 Sundays; Closed Mondays). Really good southern Italian style place with a big table in the middle and a few booths on either side. The pizza here is really good as well (I usually get it as an appetizer for the table). http://www.tommasos.com/
* Scoma’s – Really good seafood restaurant near Fisherman’s Wharf in an amazing location right on the water. The Cioppino (a San Francisco invention which is a ton of great seafood in a tomato broth) and Lobster Bisque are two things I’ve gotten here and loved. http://scomas.com/
* Boudin – A bit touristy but I always like this spot at Fisherman’s Wharf. Clam Chowder in a bread bowl is the best here because they bake the bread right there. Grilled cheese is amazing there (with bacon!). Good quick lunch spot. https://boudinbakery.com/boudin-at-the-wharf/
* Anchor Oyster Bar – Amazing seafood and a great clam chowder. It’s in the Castro area so it’s a pretty fun area of town to even just go see. When I go here, I'll write my name on a list then head to one of the great bars in the area like Harvey's then go back before my expected time. http://www.anchoroysterbar.com/

DRINK

* Local Edition – Awesome cocktail bar that used to be an old newsroom. One of my favourite things to do here is just tell the bartender to make whatever he feels like for me (he’ll ask if I want it to be sweeter, boozier, what main alcohol I want in it, etc.). It also often has live music. http://localeditionsf.com/
* Bourbon & Branch – Speakeasy bar where you need to make reservations to get a password. Or if you don’t want to make resos you can go around the corner to a side door and let them know that the password is “Books.” It’s a small room that looks like a library. http://www.bourbonandbranch.com/
* Jones – A fun place with a heated outdoor patio. Good food and drinks. Bar-type food. http://620-jones.com/
* Smuggler’s Cove – Pirate-themed tiki bar named one of the top bars in the US. http://www.smugglerscovesf.com/

[I_H8_Crawford]

Originally Posted by Derek Sutton

Not sure if it’s been said or not but the best advice I was given is to book the first Alcatraz tour of the day. That way when you get there it will be empty, no other tourists.

Do the night tour of Alcatraz... have done 3 day tours, and 1 night tour - the night tour is FAR superior.

You need to book early but you wont regret it.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Wow kudos Sid. Rare anyone provides that detailed a response to anything.

Usually it’s just “they have good food, make sure you check it out”. Like thanks. That totally narrows it down to *checks skip/google* 50,000 options.

[Shazam]

All I know is that my seafood loving friends love the seafood there.