What to do this weekend in San Francisco?

October 17, 2007 4:27 PM

My wife and I are in San Francisco this weekend -- she is walking the Nike Women's Half Marathon on Sunday and we are looking for some unique things to do while in town. We are staying at the Renaissance Parc 55 near Union Square and would some suggestions for walking around, specifically Saturday morning/afternoon, Sunday evening, and Monday morning. Thanks!
posted by jacobsee to travel & transportation (19 comments total)

Previous recent thread.
posted by vacapinta at 4:35 PM on October 17, 2007

Well, if you're foodies at all, Saturday morning is the extraordinary Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market.
posted by madmethods at 5:38 PM on October 17, 2007

Unique thing to do, walking around and Saturday morning made me think of something I just saw and hope to go to: 4th Annual SF Trolley Dances. It's not especially close to Union Square, if that's one of your criteria, but not too far away either.
posted by PY at 5:59 PM on October 17, 2007

I don't think the farmer's market would be much fun without access to a kitchen.

You're very near one of my favorite restaurants, Colibri. They have 400 different kinds of sippin' tequila and they will make fresh guacamole at your table too.

I don't know about you but if I walked a half marathon I'd want a margarita afterwards.
posted by ikkyu2 at 6:59 PM on October 17, 2007

I don't think the farmer's market would be much fun without access to a kitchen.

I disagree. The Ferry Market is awesome, even if you don't cook. If you have the slightest interest in food, definitely go to the market, in addition to incredibly fancy exotic fruits and vegetables, there's tons of prepared foods, spices, chocolates, coffees, tea, bread, cheese, wine, pastries.......it's the place to go. There are a bunch of shops inside the market hall including Sur La Table (cooking equipment), a bookstore, gift stores, and a number of other food-related vendors. It might be better if you could go home and cook but not required, by any stretch.
posted by otherwordlyglow at 9:31 PM on October 17, 2007

Hey - I'm doing that marathon too!

I used to stay at that hotel all the time when it was part of the Renaissance hotel chain. (It was sold earlier this year and now it's just Parc 55, no Renaissance.) If you ask at the Concierge desk they have a really good walking map. The Concierge can give you to some very good directions that will get you to some interesting sights while avoiding the worst of the hills.

When I'm in San Francisco I enjoy walking the Labyrinth at Grace Cathedral. Don't make a special trip, but if you're in that area it's worth a visit for some quiet reflection.

Good luck to your wife in the half marathon!
posted by 26.2 at 10:18 PM on October 17, 2007

In that other thread they marked one of the "best answers" as the Tenderloin. And uh, I probably wouldn't advise that as the best walking area of San Francisco, especially at night. I kinda think it would be the opposite of best.

I disagree about the Ferry building too. Actually what I might do is walk down to the Embarcadero and just stroll around. You can get a nice lunch there and walk around. And if you like, HOP ON A FERRY! And after a nice boat ride around the bay, hop off at Sausalito or something and walk around there. (Here's the Sausalito boat schedule.)

Otherwise, there are a lot of places to go. If you're in Union Square, you can hop on the cable car at Powell/Market (there will probably be a line) or you can also catch a less crowded cable car down by the embarcadero at California/Market and get off when you choose. Here are the routes.
posted by miss lynnster at 3:59 AM on October 18, 2007

And one other thing... San Franciscans HATE Fisherman's Wharf. They wouldn't be caught dead there because it's crowded and full of - gasp - tourists. But I actually have a fondness for tourists myself, so I actually find some redeeming qualities to it. It is a working wharf, and so I like walking around by the boats and watching the fishermen do their work. I enjoy eating some overpriced-but-fresh seafood sometimes. But most of all, I think the Musee Mechanique (turn down your sound) is one of the most wonderful hidden treasures of San Francisco. And from what I can gather, 99% of the city has no idea it exists.
posted by miss lynnster at 4:07 AM on October 18, 2007

We enjoyed Fisherman's Wharf and it’s a quick cab ride from your hotel. From there you can see the golden gate (fog permitting), Alcatraz, the sea lions at Pier 39…great touristy stuff.

Highly recommend!
posted by doorsfan at 7:33 AM on October 18, 2007

thanks for all the great suggestions so far, keep 'em coming! good luck in the marathon 26.2
posted by jacobsee at 7:36 AM on October 18, 2007

If you want to see something unique then visit the Cable Car Museum at 1201 Mason Street. It's interesting, free, and easy to get to. You can take a cable car there if it's too far to walk.
posted by 14580 at 9:07 AM on October 18, 2007

In that other thread they marked one of the "best answers" as the Tenderloin. And uh, I probably wouldn't advise that as the best walking area of San Francisco, especially at night. I kinda think it would be the opposite of best.


Did you read the last post? It was by the OP who did indeed follow the recommendation for Tu Lan and loved it. This OP did ask for unique things to do.

For a first-timer I'd recommend walking around Chinatown and North Beach. They're touristy but also authentic - places where locals and tourists intermingle.
posted by vacapinta at 11:22 AM on October 18, 2007

This is what I would do on Saturday: Ferry Building Farmer's Market, grab some yummy food there and walk to Levi's Plaza Park for a picnic. Then cross the street, wander around the awesome fountain, and then over to the Filbert Steps. Climb up all the way, and take a stroll around Coit Tower (you can pay to go in and see the WPA murals if you want). Walk down Montgomery, maybe stop at William Stout books if you are the least bit interested in architecture or design. Head all the way down to the Muni station on Market and take the N Judah to 9th and Irving, grab a snack at Arizmendi and then head into Golden Gate Park. Visit the Strybing Arboretum, go up in the tower at the De Young (it's free to do so), stroll in the sculpture garden, check out the awesome new green roof at the still under construction Calfornia Academy of Sciences.
posted by oneirodynia at 12:55 PM on October 18, 2007

Oops: Levi's Plaza Park. If you go to Chinatown, and you enjoy cheesy formerly posh in the eighties bars with a view, have a drink (or a pot of tea) at the 6th floor Empress of China. Avoid eating anything but appetizers though- the food is not that good.
posted by oneirodynia at 1:06 PM on October 18, 2007

To be clear, I think the Ferry Plaza is great. All the stuff that's being recommended about it, however, is there all the time, not just when the Farmer's Market is there; and unless you really love crowds and long lines of city people, you do better to visit at any other time.
posted by ikkyu2 at 7:46 AM on October 19, 2007

All the stuff that's being recommended about it, however, is there all the time, not just when the Farmer's Market is there

Sorry but it's not the same on farmer's market days. There's a lot of really great stuff to be had, even for those who don't cook, from the Farmer's Market as opposed to the permanent vendors inside the hall. Plus, lots of people, including me, love markets and I go to them at every chance I get when in a different city. Though the Ferry Market is way upscale compared to the Civic Center or Alemany markets, it's a really great way of seeing the places that people who actually live in the city go to. They have demonstrations and all sorts of special activities on farmers market days that don't occur during the rest of the week.
posted by otherwordlyglow at 12:15 PM on October 19, 2007

All the stuff that's being recommended about it, however, is there all the time, not just when the Farmer's Market is there

Besides the farmers selling produce, there are about a dozen vendors selling food to go on Saturdays from their temporary booths.
posted by oneirodynia at 12:36 PM on October 19, 2007

I went to the trolley dance performances and thought it was a nice way to see different parts of the city close to downtown. It was interesting to see how the dancers incorporated their various locations into the performances (it turns out that the underground floors of Civic Center's BART station enhance the acoustic qualities of tap dancing, for example). So yes, if you're in the area and looking for something like this to do, definitely go. I hope the poster and wife had a nice time if they checked out the dances too.
posted by PY at 5:06 AM on November 3, 2007

We did make it to the Trolley dances and it was a highlight. Also did a couple other things mentioned here (Ferry market and Grace Cathedral were very cool!). I meant to write up a short trip report but alas haven't done it. Thanks for all the great tips!
posted by jacobsee at 5:17 PM on December 7, 2007