Travel Filter: Heading to San Francisco in January... what can I do?
October 21, 2013 8:53 AM Subscribe
My time will be somewhat limited, but I'm wondering what I can do in San Francisco that will make for a memorable experience in a couple of afternoons/nights in January?
I'm heading to a conference in January, coming in on the 28th at 10:00 AM. After getting to the hotel and checking in, I imagine it'll be 11:30 - noon. From that point on, I have the rest of the day to sight see, eat whatever great food I can find, hit a brewpub, do the things that make San Francisco unique. From looking at my schedule, the 29th is completely filled until 5:00 PM. I'll be cutting out early on the 30th as the two final modules of the conference don't really apply to me, so I'll have from 2:00 PM on to have a little fun as well. That gives me two half-days worth of... something.
I'm going to be staying in the Union Square neighborhood at the Marines' Memorial Hotel. I'm not a huge theater person, more of a craft beer drinker who's really active, into fitness, would love to see anything cool unique to the area. I'm big into trying out all sorts of new foods, especially authentic Asian food.
I'm open to any and all ideas. I'm even open to anyone willing to show me around for a couple of afternoons or even into the night. I want to have an experience in the city without having the business end of this trip blanket out my time.
I'm heading to a conference in January, coming in on the 28th at 10:00 AM. After getting to the hotel and checking in, I imagine it'll be 11:30 - noon. From that point on, I have the rest of the day to sight see, eat whatever great food I can find, hit a brewpub, do the things that make San Francisco unique. From looking at my schedule, the 29th is completely filled until 5:00 PM. I'll be cutting out early on the 30th as the two final modules of the conference don't really apply to me, so I'll have from 2:00 PM on to have a little fun as well. That gives me two half-days worth of... something.
I'm going to be staying in the Union Square neighborhood at the Marines' Memorial Hotel. I'm not a huge theater person, more of a craft beer drinker who's really active, into fitness, would love to see anything cool unique to the area. I'm big into trying out all sorts of new foods, especially authentic Asian food.
I'm open to any and all ideas. I'm even open to anyone willing to show me around for a couple of afternoons or even into the night. I want to have an experience in the city without having the business end of this trip blanket out my time.
Make sure to check for previous asks on this subject (there's quite a few). Time of year won't change many answers so much as weather that day.
posted by bitdamaged at 10:08 AM on October 21, 2013
posted by bitdamaged at 10:08 AM on October 21, 2013
Best answer: You can walk from Union Square up Grant Street through Chinatown, bear left onto Columbus, and walk up through North Beach. Those two neighborhoods are more-or-less quintessential/classic San Francisco. You can drink at Comstock, Tosca (just re-opened!), Specs, or Vesuvio - check yelp for food recommendations; things change fast. Be wary of tourist schlock.
Another, different (younger & um, "hipper"), experience would be to walk up Valencia Street between 16th and 24th street. You can take BART from Powell & Market to 16th St. Mission and just walk - there are tons of restaurants on Mission and Valencia and some great bars in the vicinity. I personally like Dalva (16th between Valencia & Guerrero) and Elixir (16th at Guerrero).
Yet one more great walk that shows off our good life is to take the F streetcar up to the Castro, get off at the turnaround (17th and Castro and Market), and walk down Castro to 18th. Then turn left on 18th and walk all the way down to the forementioned Valencia Street; along the way you'll pass Delores Park and Bi-Rite Grocery and Delfina (one of the best restaurants in the city, imho) and Tartine and wind up in the Mission, where you can take BART back downtown.
Have fun-
posted by gyusan at 10:34 AM on October 21, 2013
Another, different (younger & um, "hipper"), experience would be to walk up Valencia Street between 16th and 24th street. You can take BART from Powell & Market to 16th St. Mission and just walk - there are tons of restaurants on Mission and Valencia and some great bars in the vicinity. I personally like Dalva (16th between Valencia & Guerrero) and Elixir (16th at Guerrero).
Yet one more great walk that shows off our good life is to take the F streetcar up to the Castro, get off at the turnaround (17th and Castro and Market), and walk down Castro to 18th. Then turn left on 18th and walk all the way down to the forementioned Valencia Street; along the way you'll pass Delores Park and Bi-Rite Grocery and Delfina (one of the best restaurants in the city, imho) and Tartine and wind up in the Mission, where you can take BART back downtown.
Have fun-
posted by gyusan at 10:34 AM on October 21, 2013
If you go to Vesuvio, stop in at City Lights Books across the alley (Jack Kerouac alley, that is); opened by Lawrence Fehlinghetti in 1953, the country's first all-paperback bookstore.
Both places are part of my regular pilgrimage whenever I'm in The City.
posted by dbmcd at 10:45 AM on October 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
Both places are part of my regular pilgrimage whenever I'm in The City.
posted by dbmcd at 10:45 AM on October 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
Best answer: A couple of random options that are good memories from my trip to SFO:
Have dinner at Fog City Diner.
Get an Irish coffee at Buena Vista.
Visit Alcatraz.
Eat seafood outside at Fisherman's Wharf.
Drive over the Golden Gate Bridge (I think you can bike this as well - would be awesome).
posted by kdern at 4:34 PM on October 21, 2013
Have dinner at Fog City Diner.
Get an Irish coffee at Buena Vista.
Visit Alcatraz.
Eat seafood outside at Fisherman's Wharf.
Drive over the Golden Gate Bridge (I think you can bike this as well - would be awesome).
posted by kdern at 4:34 PM on October 21, 2013
Best answer: I always recommend San Francisco City Guides. They give tons of walking tours, every day, all over the city (but lots are near where you're staying). The tours are free (donations accepted) and all the ones I've taken have been great.
It looks like January 28th is a Tuesday, so if you look at the Tuesday - Thursday tour schedules for November, you should get a pretty good idea of your options. (October is unusual - they do extra tours in October, hence my recommendation to look at November's schedule.)
If you get in a little earlier than you think, you can grab a bus to the Ferry Building, or walk a few blocks south to Market and take a historic streetcar (not to be confused with the cable cars; the streetcars are different, and also fantastic - note Gyusan's recommendation above for taking one to the Castro) to the Ferry Building, or even walk - at noon, there's a Ferry Building tour, which puts you in a great location for good food and a terrific view of the bay.
If you're running a little later and feel a bit more leisurely, there's a Historic Market Street tour at 1:30.
Thursday afternoon, there's a 2 pm Nob Hill tour, a 2 pm Palace Hotel tour, and a Theatre in San Francisco tour.
posted by kristi at 8:49 PM on October 21, 2013
It looks like January 28th is a Tuesday, so if you look at the Tuesday - Thursday tour schedules for November, you should get a pretty good idea of your options. (October is unusual - they do extra tours in October, hence my recommendation to look at November's schedule.)
If you get in a little earlier than you think, you can grab a bus to the Ferry Building, or walk a few blocks south to Market and take a historic streetcar (not to be confused with the cable cars; the streetcars are different, and also fantastic - note Gyusan's recommendation above for taking one to the Castro) to the Ferry Building, or even walk - at noon, there's a Ferry Building tour, which puts you in a great location for good food and a terrific view of the bay.
If you're running a little later and feel a bit more leisurely, there's a Historic Market Street tour at 1:30.
Thursday afternoon, there's a 2 pm Nob Hill tour, a 2 pm Palace Hotel tour, and a Theatre in San Francisco tour.
posted by kristi at 8:49 PM on October 21, 2013
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I love Chinatown, but a lot of it closes up after dark. My favorite place is Woey Loy Goey, but I've been going there for 45 years, so it's sentimental. They have GREAT Mandarin/Cantonese cuisine in the original hole in the wall dump, also, it's cheap! Look around to see what others are eating and ask if you can have the same thing. They have two menus, the one in Chinese and the other one. DO get the War Mein Soup! In the sixties it came with a piece of abalone on top. Don't think it does now.
If your conference is at Moscone, you can take the Muni 45 Bus from in front of Chevy's, and it will take you through Union Square, through the tunnel and into Chinatown. It's at Jackson and Grant, so off board at Sutter and Jackson and walk down the street. The neighborhood can feel weird and eerie at night, you might want to invite some folks to come with you.
A fun neighborhood to walk in is Polk Street. The Muni 45 will take you there too (it's a really neat bus!) Just off board at Union and Polk and start walking down Polk street (southeast). Fun bistros, pubs, bars, and shops abound.
In fact, hit Woey Loy Goey first, then get back on the 45, right where it left you off and then walk around Polk Street.
A fun restaurant off of Union Square is Colibri Mexican Bistro at 438 Geary St. Amazing, yummy Mexican food and the bar is uber-cool. They have Mexican Wresting movies on in black-and-white. But the food man. Here's my Tripadvisor review.
Have fun!
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 9:48 AM on October 21, 2013 [1 favorite]