sf 2013
DESCRIPTION
Alternative travel guide to San franciscoTRANSCRIPT
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Around 10,000 years ago, before the Pacific waters had
breached the span now covered by the Golden Gate
Bridge, the history of the Ohlone people native to San
Francisco had already begun. Complex chiefdoms arose
and fell, the scarce remnants of which are the infamous
“shellmounds,” large heaps of piled shells and other
artifacts on the Bay Area’s shores. San Francisco history
continued untouched by Europeans until 1579 when Sir
Francis Drake, the decorated English looter of Spanish
galleons sailed past the entrance to the San Francisco
Bay (locals now know how damp and dense the fog can
be on Ocean Beach in June), dubbed a stretch of Marin
“Nova Albion” and sailed away.
San Francisco history remained devoid of Europeans
until 1775, when the Spanish, long having a stronghold
in Southern California, ventured north on a “Sacred
Expedition” led by Gaspar de Portola. In 1776, the
Spanish founded the Presidio Army Base and the Catho-
lic Church commenced capturing and enslaving the San
Francisco Ohlone population. Later, ranchers grazed
San Francisco’s green hills with cattle and continued
until an upstart nation to the east, the United Stated of
America, set her sights westward to the Pacific’s shining
seas.
Just before the San Francisco 49ers history began, the
United Stated made one of its luckiest aqcuisistions.
On July 9, 1846, a small outpost of wood shacks, Yerba
Buena, founded by an eager Mormon priest, Samuel
Brannan, became an official part of the United States.
Three years later in 1849, James Marshall discovered
gold dust in a Sierra saw mill and San Francisco be-
came the entrance port to the famed “El Dorado,” the
legendary land of gold in the West.
San Francisco in short
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Country
United States of America
State
California
Population Total
7.15 million
Population Density
1023.76/sq. mi. 395.29/km²
Area
6,984 sq. mi.18,088 km²
Elevation
4,360 feet (1,329 m)-10 feet (-3 m)
Brannan publicized the new gold discovery and soon
San Francisco (later renamed San Francisco after the
Bay) was overrun with “Gold Fever.” In less than a year,
over 50,000 people came to San Francisco looking for
fortune. An outlandish circus of discovery and building,
San Francisco grew up lawless and exuberant. Goods
and investment poured in from the East; the history of
San Francisco 49ers is the beginning of San Francisco’s
modern history.
Just as the Gold boom busted, San Francisco history, in
true San Francisco form, provided a new fire to fuel the
world’s dreamers—silver. The Comstock Lode was dis-
covered in 1858 and San Francisco continued to reap
the benefits of California’s ore wealth.
William Ralston, the Samuel Brannan of his age, envi-
sioned an elite building worthy of San Francisco’s new
status and built the opulent Palace Hotel, the country’s
biggest hotel in 1875.
Today, San Francisco Victorian houses are beloved as
treasures, but when they were originally built as San
Francisco began to move from chaos to order after the
Gold Rush, San Francisco Victorians were the late-
1800s version of suburban sprawl. Today, these histori-
cal San Francisco homes are painted in every shade of
the rainbow and stand as testaments to San Francisco’s
unique history.
San Francisco grew and beautified. San Francisco’s ca-
ble cars changed San Francisco history, displacing the
many poorer inhabitants of Russian Hill and the Finan-
cial District hills with the “Nabobs,” extremely wealthy
San Franciscans who could now scale and conquer the
steep hills with ease
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Content
Food & Drink
Nightlife
Museums
Shopping
Culture
Travel and sights
Home from home
Notes
Pages
07 - 16
17 - 26
27 - 36
37 - 46
47 - 56
57 - 66
67 - 76
77 - 85
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Food & Drink
The San Francisco dining scene is one of the best in the country. From hearty comfort food to Michelin-starred fine dining, there are restaurants for every palate.
With nearly 3,500 places to eat, more per capita than any other major city in the United States you’ll never be short of choice. SF B
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You cant come to the Bay Area and not have...
Chicken & Waffles (with gravy & maple syrup) from 900 Grayson.
A Super Burger (Add bacon and cheese) from Super Duper Burger.
A Lincecum Sandwhich (Avo-cado, Bacon, Ham, Havarti, Turkey) from Ikes Place.
A Danger Dog (with all the trimings) from Xolo La Taqueria
Glossary of terms
Cilantro — Coriander.
Egg Plant — Aubergine.
Beets — Beetroot.
Blancmange — Vanilla Pudding
Chips — French Fries
Crisps — Potato Chips
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Remember to leave a
genorous tip!
Tipping in The Bay Area
is a big deal, and it is
custom to leave a gener-
ous tip for service. 20%
is a reasonable tip for a
meal or bar tab.
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Food
Red Door Cafe 1608 Bush Street, San Francisco, CA 94109
Super Duper Burger 2304 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94114
O Izakaya Lounge 1625 Post Street, San Francisco, CA 94115
Bar Tartine561 Valencia Street, San Francisco, CA 94110
Sons & Daughter708 Bush Street, San Francisco, CA 94108
State Bird Provisions1529 Fillmore Street, San Francisco, CA 94115
Piccino Cafe1001 Minnesota Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
Press Club 20 Yerba Buena Lane, San Francisco, CA 94103
Outerlands4001 Judha Street, San Francisco, CA 94122
Park Tavern1652 Stockton Street, San Francisco, CA 94133
Claudine8 Claude Lane, San Francisco, CA 94108
Lersros Thai730 Larkin Street San Francisco, CA 94109
&
The best eateries this side of the bay (San Francisco)
(415) 441 1564
www.superdupersf.com (415) 558 8123
(415) 614 5431
www.bartartine.com (415) 487 1600
www.sonsanddaughtersf.com(415) 391 8311
www.statebirdsf.com (415) 795 1272
www.piccinocafe.com (415) 824 4224
www.pressclubsf.com(415) 744 5000
www.outerlandssf.com(415) 661 6410
www.parktavernsf.com(415) 989 7300
(415) 362 1988
www.lersros.com(415) 931 6917
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Drink
Mua 2442a Webster Street, Oakland, CA 94612
Xolo La Taqueria 1916 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland, CA 94612
Horatio’s561 Valencia Street, San Francisco, CA 94110
Ippuku2130 Center Street, Berkeley, CA 94704
O Chamé1830 4th Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
Pizzaiolo5008 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland, CA 94609
Rivoli1539 Solano Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94707
Adesso4395 Piedmont Avenue, Oakland, CA 94611
Trattoria Corso1788 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94709
Dopo 4293 Piedmont Avenue, Oakland, CA 94611
Camino3917 Grand Avenue, Oakland, CA 94610
Chez Panisse1517 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94709
The best eateries that side of the bay (East Bay)
www.muaoacland.com(510) 238 1100
www.xolotaqueria.com(510) 986 0151
www.horatios.com(510) 351 5556
www.ippukuberkeley.com(510) 665 1969
www.ochame.com(510) 841 8783
www.pizzaiolooakland.com(510) 652 4888
www.rivolirestaurant.com(510) 526 2542
www.dopoadesso.com(510) 601 0305
www.trattoriacorso.com(510) 704-8004
www.dopoadesso.com(510) 652-3676
www.caminorestaurant.com(510) 547-5035
www.chezpanisse.com(510) 548-5525
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Reviews
Red Door Cafe 1608 Bush Street, San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 441 1564
Great food, funny, very camp owner that makes for an extreme San Francisco experience that is not your every day. If he likes you and you’re an open, non homophobic person you will most likely enjoy this immensely. Oth-erwise it can be seen as a character test that you may lose. Check his rules before entering and try to go on a Monday (before 12.30) or you will have to wait in line for sometimes hours.
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What a place - yes, it was a long wait, but what fun! The food was delicious and the presentation out of this world. I loved the owner - I would have taken him home with me if I could have! Yes, I will definitely go back again. The portions were VERY ample.
A signiture dishTwo Titties
Red Door Cafe
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Xolo deserves 4 stars for food quality, ambiance and location and five stars for service. But the tacos are overpriced at $2.95 as were the black beans. And, they could serve a handful of chips or a tortilla to accom-pany the beans.
With the Ghosttown and all its wonderful (and afford-able) ethnic food just a hop skip and a jump away, I will probably not return to Xolo. But that’s OK, because hipsters probably can’t wait to spend their parents’ hard earned money at these over priced eateries.
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I really don’t understand all the haters, this is one of the best taquerias in the Bay Area and yes I’ve eaten at most of them. I consider this place reasonably priced for the quality of the food. Their beans and rice are re-ally flavorful and they make a mean camarones taco.
If you are considering going to Xolo for the first time don’t be swayed by the low score, give this place a try and judge for yourself.
Xolo La Taqueria 1916 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland, CA 94612
www.xolotaqueria.com(510) 986 0151
Xolo’sDanger Dog
Xolo La Taqueria
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Best Local Beer
Thirsty Bear661 Howard Street, San Francisco, CA 94105
21st Amendment Brewery563 2nd Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
Rogue Ales Public House673 Union Street, San Francisco, CA 94133
Magnolia Gastropub and Brewery1398 Haight Street, San Francisco, CA 94117
Social Kitchen & Brewery1326 9th Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94122
Toronado547 Haight Street, San Francisco, CA 94117
Anchor Brewing1705 Mariposa Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
www.thirstybear.com(415) 974 0905
www.21st-amendment.com(415) 369 0900
www.rogue.com(415) 362 7880
www.magnoliapub.com(415) 864 7468
socialbrewsf.com(415) 681 0330
www.toronado.com(415) 863 2276
www.anchorbrewing.com(415) 863-2276
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Reviews
Thirsty Bear661 Howard Street, San Francisco, CA 94105
www.thirstybear.com(415) 974 0905
While standing on Market Street waiting for the SF Gi-ant’s World Series parade to start, I perused Yelp to find a nearby place for lunch. I found Thirsty Bear nearby and recalled that we had been there years before and really enjoyed it. I submitted a reservation request im-mediately and it was acknowledged, but then I noted that Yelp reported they were closed that day. I tried to call and didn’t get a response. So we headed over there after the parade and found that they were indeed Open. Not sure whether to trust the Open/Closed indicator on Yelp.
We were seated promptly near the bar with a clear view of the large flat panel TV. The waiter was friendly and knowledgeable about the beers on tap as well as the menu. We were pleased with our beer choices. We all chose the Thirsty Burger, which is made of ground lamb and pork with a tasty sauce. The fries were fresh and crisp. We ordered a second round of beers since we were enjoying watching the remainder of the World Series ceremony and there was no pressure to turn the tables.
It was a perfect way to finish off a fun day of celebrat-ing the Giants win !
Thirsty Bear’sclassic pint
Thirsty Bear Brewery
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Best Local Wine
Bluxome Street Winery53 Bluxome Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
The Wine Club953 Harrison Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
Treasure Island Wines995 9th Street, San Francisco, CA 94130
The Winery SF200 California Ave, San Francisco, CA 94130
www.bloxomewinery.com(415) 543 5353
www.thewineclub.com(415) 512 9086
www.tiwines.net(415) 394-9463
www.winery-sf.com(415) 735 8423
The Winery SF200 California Ave, San Francisco, CA 94130
www.winery-sf.com(415) 735 8423
I really enjoyed visiting Treasure Island and the Winery. We went there for an event called Wines with Altitude and had an absolute blast.
The view from there is unforgettable which is why it’s quite surprising that I forgot it was there after a few years. It’s a new favorite spot, I highly recommend it if you enjoy wine, beauty, and sloths. Although there are no sloths on the island, I just thought if we had that in common you would enjoy it as much as me, cause obvi-ously we have similar interests.
The Winery SF
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NightLife
San Francisco comes alive at night, with music venues bars and lounges for every taste, from huge dance clubs to a cool jazz lounge or a fun night of stand-up comedy. This is a guide to the best of the Bay Area’s nightlife.
If you fancy a a drink...
San Francisco Cocktail
3/4 oz sweet vermouth3/4 oz dry vermouth3/4 oz sloe gin1 dash orange bitters1 dash bitters1 cherry
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You can’t come to the Bay Area and not...
Go to Nightlife at the Academy of Science
See an act at the Biscuits & Blues Bar
Try a San Francisco cocktail (we even gave you the magic recipe)
Have a drink in The Albatross Pub (get down and try some $1 popcorn)
Glossary of terms
Straight — Neat
Case — Crate
Chaser — Shot
Liquor store — off-licence
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It’s even a custom to
tip on drinks orders!
Like we said, tipping is
a big deal in the Bay
Area, it’s custom to tip
on every order so buying
drinks in rounds might
save you some money!
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Bar 333 & Bistro333 Battery Street, San Francisco, CA 94111
Bin 55 (Wine bar) 55 Fourth Street San Francisco, CA 94103
Biscuits & Blues (Restaurant, Bar & Club) 401 Mason Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
Cobb’s Comedy Club 915 Columbus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94133
50 Mason Social House (Bar & Music venue) 50 Mason Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
The Fillmore (Music venue) 1805 Geary Boulevard San Francisco, CA 94115
Harlot (Nightclub)46 Minna Street San Francisco, CA 94105
Harry Denton’s Starlight Room (Rooftop Nightclub)450 Powell Street San Francisco, CA 94102
Infusion Lounge (Restaurant & Bar) 124 Ellis Street San Francisco, CA 94102
Mezzanine (Nightclub, Bar & Lounge)444 Jessie Street San Francisco, CA 94103
Wish Bar and Lounge1539 Folsom Street San Francisco, CA 94103
Punch Line Comedy Club 444 Battery Street San Francisco, CA 94111
The best nightlife this side of the bay (San Francisco)
(415) 296 2900
(415) 896 1600
(415) 292 2583
(415) 281 9250
(415) 433 5050
(415) 281 9250
(415) 777 1077
(415) 395 8595
(415) 421 8700
(415) 348 4607
(415) 431 1661
(415) 281 9250
Night
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The Trappist (Pub)460 8th Street, Oakland, CA 94607
The Fox Theater (Music venue) 1807 Telegraph Ave, Oakland, CA 94612
The Albatross Pub1822 San Pablo Ave, Berkeley, CA 94702
Paramount Theatre (Music venue, Cinema)2025 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612
Heinold’s First And Last Chance Saloon (Bar)48 Webster St, Oakland, CA 94607
Beer Revolution (Pub) 464 3rd Street, Oakland, CA 94607
Bar Three Fifty-Five355 19th Street, Oakland, CA 94612
Forbidden Island Tiki Lounge1304 Lincoln Ave, Alameda, CA 94501
Cafe Van Kleef (Jazz/Blues bar) 1621 Telegraph Ave, Oakland, CA 94620
ØL Beercafe & Bottle Shop 1541 Giammona Drive, Walnut Creek, CA 94596
Lounge 3411 (Bar & Club) 3411 MacArthur Blvd, Oakland, CA 94602
924 Gilman924 Gilman Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
The best nightlife that side of the bay (East Bay)
www.thetrappist.com(510) 238 8900 www.thefoxoakland.com(510) 302 2250
www.albatrosspub.com(510) 843 2473
www.paramounttheatre.com(510) 465 6400
heinolds.com(510) 839 6761
www.beer-revolution.com (510) 452 2337
(510) 451 3355
www.forbiddenislandalameda.com(510) 749 0332
www.cafevankleef.com (510) 763 7711
www.beer-shop.org(925) 210 1147
(510) 531 3411
www.924gilman.org(510) 525 9926
Life
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Reviews
Nightlife at the Academy of science
California Academy of ScienceGolden Gate Park, 55 Music Concourse Drive
www.calacademy.org/nightlife (415) 379 8000
Every Thursday night, the California Academy of Sci-ences opens its doors from 6-10 p.m. for NightLife, an opportunity for adults to explore the museum in a whole new light. Some of San Francisco’s most popular DJs provide dance music. Enjoy food and cocktails, and mingle with the like-minded while exploring the Academy’s exhibits and aquarium. Each week features provocative science programming and a few surprises.
Schedule: Every Thursday, 6-10 p.m. Admission: NightLife is for patrons age 21 and over; a valid ID is required for entry. $12 for non-member adults, $10 for members.
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The Nightlife Events are *the* way to go at the Cal Academy if you’re a grown up. It’s a no brainer-- avoid the throngs of children, their careful but zealous care takers and the ever present tourist factor.In their place, find DJ music, grub on demand, adult beverages and all of the exhibits for your nerdariffic pleasure.
The themes range from funky to creative and out of this world cool, but the evenings at Cal Academy are always a good time. Bring cash, the bar beverages are a bit on the pricey side and will take a few bills if you plan on buying a couple of rounds.
Take the time to see some of the presentations or lis-ten to the special speakers, they are always worth your time and attention.
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The aquarium is one of many attractions open for Nightlife.
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Biscuits & Blues Bar
Biscuits & Blues401 Mason Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
www.biscuitsandblues.com(415) 292 2583
Biscuits and Blues has been voted America’s #1 blues nightclub by the Blues Foundation and the Bay Area Blues Society. It is San Francisco’s home to great live music in an intimate setting, where everyone gets a front row seat!
Biscuits and Blues offers a full service restaurant and premium bar. Award-winning Southern cuisine, Califor-nia wines, micro-brews, and specialty cocktails - all at reasonable prices.
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Biscuits and Blues is not for the faint of hearted. It’s a lively, energetic place with good food that is probably not on your diet program. The fried chicken is excellent, as are the jambalaya and biscuits. They have enough wine and beer to please almost anyone’s taste. The noise level can get pretty high, but fortunately the cash-ier passes out free ear plugs on request. Better get a pair your first time. The music varies, of course, depend-ing on who’s playing. If you’re going to the 8:00 show, get a 7:00 dinner reservation so you’ll get a good table.
Reviews
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The Albatross Pub
The Albatross Pub1822 San Pablo Ave, Berkeley, CA 94702
www.albatrosspub.com(510) 843 2473
This is a nice little spot if you want to have drinks and conversations with a group of friends. They have a great selection of beers and a waitress that will come around to take drink orders. They have 6 dart lanes, a pool table, and some board games for you to borrow. You can also borrow darts for a dollar.
I love that they have $1 unlimited popcorn, which is a great snack food to have with your beer. They also have a dart tournament on Tuesdays for $5 entry starting at 8 pm. I believe they also have Trivia night on Sunday night.
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I enjoyed their darts section. It was fun. I like that they have a popcorn machine too! I did not get to try their beer really, but what I took a sip of was delicious (I was DD & had work at 5am next day). This place is fun and has lots of gaming options. I’d come back to explore its’ gaming options and beer.
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Paramount Theatre
Paramount Theatre)2025 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612
www.paramounttheatre.com(510) 465 6400
Such a beautiful and intimate venue! I’ve been to two concerts here: Evanescence and Anthony Hamilton and had a great time. During both concerts, I had balcony seating and had a great view. I actually think any seat has a great view. You can order drinks at a reasonable price from the bar and bring it to your seat! Score! It is such an easy venue to get to as there is a ton of park-ing lots around the area and BART is only a block away!
I would’ve rated this place 5 starts but was really put off by a worker at the Anthony Hamilton concert last week. My friends and I were super excited to be there to see the show. We wanted to take a pic of our group before we headed in and asked a worker on the main floor if she could take our pic. She straight up said with a lot of attitude “No-- I’m working.” I was seriously in awe of her response. Really? You cannot even take a pic of us? She just did not exude any form of customer service. She actually put a cloud over my mood for a good 5 minutes until another concert goer was friendly enough to offer.
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Paramount theatresexterior
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Museums
In a city known for its ethnic and cultural diversity, San Francisco museums are no exception. From masterpiec-es to multimedia, the City’s museums are among the finest in the world.
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You can’t come to the Bay Area and not visit...
The DeYoung Fine Art Museum (the veiws from the top are breath taking)
SFMOMA (modern art exhibited at its very best)
California Accademy of Science (I mean they have a indoor rainforest)
The Exploratorium (basically just awsome)
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Top tip about museum
entry!
Most museums are free
but always be prepared
to pay a donation of
aproximatly $5 per per-
son in your party.
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San Francisco Museum of Modern Art151 3rd Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
Asian Art Museum200 Larkin Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
de Young Fine Art Museum50 Hagiwara Tea Garden, San Francisco, CA 94118
Cartoon Art Museum655 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94105
Contemporary Jewish Museum736 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
Cable Car Museum1201 Mason Street, San Francisco, CA 94108
Museum of Performance & Design401 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94102
The Beats Museum540 Broadway, San Francisco, CA 94133
Legion of Honor100 34th Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94121
Exploratorium3601 Lyon Street San Francisco, CA 94123
The LAB2948 16th Street San Francisco, CA 94103
Zeum4TH St & Howard St, San Francisco, CA 94103
The best museums this side of the bay (San Francisco)
www.sfmoma.org(415) 357 4000
www.asianart.org(415) 581 3500
www.deyoung.famsf.org(415) 750 3600
www.cartoonart.org(415) 227 8666
www.thecjm.org(415) 655 7800
www.cablecarmuseum.org(415) 474 1887
www.mpdsf.org(415) 255-4800
www.kerouac.com1 800 537 6822
legionofhonor.famsf.org(415) 750 3600
www.exploratorium.edu(415) 563-7337
www.thelab.org(415) 864 8855
www.creativity.org(415) 820 3320
Museums &
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Oakland Museum of California1000 Oak Street, Oakland, CA 94607
Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive2626 Bancroft Way, Berkeley, CA 94720
The Alameda Museum2324 Alameda Avenue, Alameda, CA 94501
African American Museum and Library at Oakland659 14th Street, Oakland, CA 94612
Chabot Space and Science Center10000 Skyline Boulevard, Oakland, CA 94619
Essig Museum of Entomology1170 Valley Life Sciences Bldg, Berkeley, CA 94720
Golden Gate Railroad Museum5550 Niles Canyon Road Sunol, CA 94586
Habitot Children’s Museum2065 Kittredge Street Berkeley, CA 94704
Lawrence Hall of Science1 Centennial Drive Berkeley, CA 94720
Mills College Art Museum5000 MacArthur Boulevard Oakland, CA 94613
USS Hornet Museum707 West Hornet Avenue Alameda, CA 94501
Blackhawk Automotive Museum 3700 Blackhawk Plaza Circle, Danville, CA 94506
The best museums that side of the bay (East Bay)
www.museumca.org(510) 318 8400
www.bampfa.berkeley.edu(510) 642 0808
www.alamedamuseum.org(510) 521 1233
www.oaklandnet.com(510) 637 0200
www.chabotspace.org(510) 336 7300
www.essig.berkeley.edu(510) 643 0804
www.ncry.org(925) 862 9063
www.habitot.org(510) 647 1111
www.lawrencehallofscience.org(510) 642 5132
www.mcam.mills.edu(510) 430 2164
www.uss-hornet.org(510) 521 8448
www.blackhawkmuseum.org(925) 736 2277
Galleries
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MOMA San Francisco
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 151 3rd Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
www.sfmoma.org(415) 357 4000
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Founded in 1935, SFMOMA was the first museum on the West Coast devoted to modern and contemporary art. From the outset, the museum has championed the most innovative and challenging art of its time, and continues to exhibit and collect work by both modern masters and younger, less-established artists.
there’s always a dynamic schedule of thought-provoking exhibitions on view, including special exhibitions and changing presentations from a collection of more than 27,000 artworks, photographs, and design objects. Audio guides, docent tours, video screenings, interactive kiosks, and public programs offer opportunities to learn more about modern art.
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The San Francisco Museem of Modern Art (SF MOMA for short), is one of the bay areas leading attractions, and it’s easy to see why.
The paints, sculpture and other forms of art are some of the very best examples in the world. The design of the building is very easy and simple to walk around and the rooftop terrace and cafe are just a delight to sit in. The usage and regularly changed exhibits are also a welcome site and the curators clearly know the audi-ence they are dealing with.
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‘Leaky ride for Dr. Leaky’ by James Rosenquist
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Asian Art Museum
Asian Art Museum200 Larkin Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
www.asianart.org(415) 581 3500
The Asian Art Museum–Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture is one of San Francisco’s premier arts institutions and home to a world-renowned collec-tion of more than 18,000 Asian Art treasures spanning 6000 years of history. Through rich art experiences, centered on historic and contemporary artworks, the Asian Art Museum unlocks the past for visitors, bringing it to life, while serving as a catalyst for new art, new creativity, and new thinking.
The museum’s collection galleries feature more than 2,000 artworks and offer a comprehensive introduction to all the major cultures of Asia. The collection galler-ies are divided into seven geographic regions: South Asia; the Persian World and West Asia; Southeast Asia; the Himalayas and the Tibetan Buddhist World; China; Korea; and Japan.
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Clean, bright, pretty museum with beautiful exhibits from antiquity to modern day. Everything was accompa-nied with plenty of explanations, which we appreciated since we are not very familiar with Hinduism and Bud-dism. Those religions influenced many of the works in there, and knowing some of the background made the museum experience richer.
Two hours is enough to admire everything, but if you want to read a lot of the accompanying placards or re-ally study the art, budget more time.
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A colourful piece from the Asian Art Museums compre-hensive collection.
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Blackhawk Automotive Museum
Blackhawk Museum 3700 Blackhawk Plaza Circle, Danville, CA 94506
www.blackhawkmuseum.org(925) 736 2277
The Blackhawk Museum, was established to ensure that significant automotive treasures blending art, tech-nology, culture and history would be exhibited for public enjoyment and educational enrichment.
In September 1988, the spectacular 70,000 square-foot architectural masterpiece showcasing these rolling sculptures in a unique “jewel box” setting became a reality.
In addition to the Museum’s rolling sculptures, educa-tional lectures are scheduled each month and rotating exhibitions are presented in each of two 2,100 square foot galleries.
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The Blackhawk Museum is a first-class, well designed structure where form follows function. This museum is located in the high-end shopping center ‘Blackhawk Plaza’ in Danville and it’s a great place to take kids of all ages.
The classic automobiles are displayed as fine pieces of jeweled art or sculptures. Polished black floors and blackened ceilings and walls with carefully controlled spot lighting adding to the overall ambience and dynamic effect of the exhibit halls. The Museum is sort out of the way but is certainly worth the trip.
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A sneak preview of some of BlackHawks outstandingly pre-served collection.
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Shopping
San Francisco offers some of the best shopping in the world, so it’s no wonder tour-ists and serious shoppers alike want to spend some time and money in San Francisco’s varied shopping centers, districts and malls.
Union Square, Hayes Val-ley, Haight-Ashbury, up-per Fillmore, the Mission, Sacramento Street, China-town and downtown’s San Francisco Shopping Center offer a unique style with one-of-a-kind shops, each mall and neighborhood with a distinctive feel suited to any shopper’s mood, from urban sophisticate to funk fantastic.
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You can’t come to the Bay Area and not shop...
Down the world famous Haight Street. (dont be haighting)
In the Westfield Centre (take the escalators to the top)
Down Berkeleys 4th Street (get an ice cream while you are there)
At the Civic Centre fruit market (fresh)
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Shop til you drop!
But take note Ameri-
cans statistically spend
more time in the mall
(shopping centre) than
anywhere else.
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Westfield Centre San Francisco865 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 9410
Union Square ShoppingPost and Stockton, San Francisco CA
Chestnut Street ShoppingChestnut and Scott, San Francisco CA
Chinatown ShoppingBush St. and Grand Ave., San Francisco CA
Embarcadero Center 1-4 ShoppingSacramento to Clay, San Francisco CA
Fillmore Street ShoppingFillmore and California, San Francisco CA
Haight Street ShoppingHaight and Ashbury, San Francisco CA
Hayes Valley ShoppingHayes and Gough, San Francisco CA
North Beach ShoppingGrant and Columbus, San Francisco CA
Mission Street ShoppingValencia St. and 16th St., San Francisco CA
Polk Street ShoppingPolk St. and Broadway, San Francisco CA
Sacramento Street ShoppingSacramento and Presidio, San Francisco CA
www.westfield.com/sanfrancisco
www.unionsquareshop.com
www.chestnutshop.com
www.sanfranciscochinatown.com
www.sanfrancisco.com/shopping
www.fillmoreshop.com
www.haightshop.com
www.hayesvalleyshop.com
www.northbeachshop.com
www.sanfrancisco.com/shopping
www.polkst.com
www.sacramentostreetshop.com
The best shopping this side of the bay (San Francisco)
Shopping
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Fourth Street Shopping4th St, Berkeley, CA 94710,
Bayfair Mall15555 East 14th Street, San Leandro, CA 94578
Bay Street Emeryville5616 Bay Street, Emeryville, CA 94608
Alameda South Shore Center523 South Shore Center, West Alameda, CA 94501
Blackhawk Plaza3480 Blackhawk Plaza Circle, Danville, CA 94506
Broadway Plaza1275 Broadway Plaza, Walnut Creek, CA 94596
The Fremont HubMowry Ave and Fremont Blvd, Fremont, CA 94538
Stoneridge Mall1 Stoneridge Mall, Pleasanton, CA 94588
Sun Valley Mall1 Sunvalley Mall • Concord, CA 94520
Southland Mall1 Southland Mall, Hayward, CA 94545
Somersville Towne Center2556 Somersville Road, Antioch, CA 94509
Willows Shopping Center1975 Diamond Blvd, Concord, CA 94520
The best shopping that side of the bay (East Bay)
www.fourthstreetshop.com
www.shopbayfair.com(510) 357 6000
www.baystreetemeryville.com(510) 655 4002
www.alamedashorecenter.com
www.shopblackhawkplaza.com(925) 736 2751
www.broadwayplaza.com(925) 939 7600
www.thefremonthub.com(510) 792 1720
www.simon.com(925) 463 2778
www.shopsunvalley.com(925) 825 0400
www.southlandmall.com(510) 782 5050
www.somersvilletownecenter.com(925) 778 5055
www.willowsshoppingcenter.com(925) 825 4001
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Reviews
Haight Street Shopping
Haight Street ShoppingHaight and Ashbury, San Francisco CA
www.haightshop.com
I’ve been coming to Haigh-Ashbury since a very young age. My first serious guitar lessons were here. I’m younger than the Haight-Ashbury of the ‘60s days, but all my idols were the contemporaries, and you can still feel the vibe. It’s still the undeniable headquarters of hippies worldwide! Great shopping (something for eve-rybody), fun and quirky bars and restaurants, and one of the best people-watching areas I can think of.
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I could not imagine going to San Francisco and not visiting Haight Ashbury. From Union Square where we were staying, we took the 71 Muni bus and we stepped off into the heart of the sixties, as I remember it when we visited San Francisco then and now here was the nostalgia, recreated for those who missed that genera-tion. We spotted this amazing store Piedmont Boutique and met the owner couple, who were the sixties hippies with a business mind. They had a long wall of hand made jewelry which I spent an hour admiring, such off-beat creative and original designs, being sold for a few dollars! Please do visit them, you will also see so many hippies styles which they have redesigned for today.
A young girl who works at Macy’s said whenever she wants something different to wear, she comes to this boutique. There is so much going on at Haight Ashbury, there are cafes with food from all over the world. We ate at Askew Grill, a barbecue place with great bar-becued ribs and couscous. There are tons of unusual stores, so please reserve a full day for this trip. Drop into a place called “Loved to Death” for some wierd re-tail products. For an experience that is unlike anything else, Haight is worth a visit.
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Colourful houses on Haight and Ashbury.
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Westfield Centre San Francisco
Westfield Centre San Francisco865 Market Street,San Francisco, CA 9410
www.westfield.com/sanfran-cisco
Westfield and all the shops on Powell and around Union Square = shopping heaven
This Westfield has a good mix of high-end, mid-range, and low-end stores. There’s the fancy multistory Nor-dstrom and Bloomingdales, but there’s also a Claire’s. They have nice, one-of-a-kind specialty stores and chain stores, too. The food is the same way -- the food court has some pretty pricey options (for food court food), but on the other side there’s also a Panda Express and a Chipotle.
This mall is also super easily accessible. It’s connected directly to the Powell Bart/Muni station, so you don’t even have to go above ground. This is helpful when it rains, and you’re fiending for some Chipotle.
Reviews
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Fourth Street ShoppingFourth St, Berkeley, CA 9471
www.fourthstreetshop.com
Personally, on a nice day I like to take BART to the North Berkeley station and walk down Delaware St. to 4th St. I usually start at Benefit and work my way down one side and up the other. Lunch at Tacubaya for their tortilla soup, a snack at the Pasta Shop before I leave, and finally a Peet’s coffee or tea to hold me over until I get home.
Sometimes, if I want to get more of a walk in, I will head up to Downtown Berkeley via University and take BART home from there or if I am really in the mood to walk, I will just walk all the way home to Oakland con-tinuing down Telegraph, up to College, down Piedmont, and through to Grand Ave. via Linda. A great way to spend a nice sunny day with my hubby or my iPod.
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I love Fourth Street.
It’s a bit bourgeois-gone-Berkeley -- hairsprayed young mothers strutting along with their strollers behind the gray-ponytailed types who always clog the sidewalks.And the food selection is okay but not great if you want to spend under $10. But it’s definitely baby-friendly (the trains are a big hit) and you can’t beat having a MAC on the same block as Kiehl’s and Rabat and Anthropologie.Parking isn’t as bad as folks say. Try parking a couple of blocks away and quit whining.
Fourth Street Shopping
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Embarcadero Center 1-4 Shop-ping Sacramento to Clay, San Francisco CA
www.sanfrancisco.com
I was born in SF and lived my first seven years on Clay Street , 1 block away . A long time ago it was func-tional, with small grocery stores , hardware stores and useful places to shop . Today, while there are some cute stores like Dottie Doolittle ( children’s clothing ) and a great ribbon shop near Locust , I don’t think of “quaint “ when looking at this street . There are a few expensive consignment stores and a couple of nice expensive places to eat ,but I wouldn’t make a special trip here . I would suggest Chestnut street in the Marina or Union Street as more interesting places to spend a few hours .
Embarcadero Center 1-4 Shopping
The view from the exit of Embarcadero BART station.
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Culture
The culture of San Fran-cisco is major and diverse in terms of arts, music, cuisine, festivals, museums, and architecture. San Francisco’s diversity of cultures along with its eccentricities are so vast that they have greatly influenced the country and the world at large over the years.
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You can’t come to the Bay Area and not...
Take a trip to the Orpheum Theatre (there’s always something good on and the interior is breath taking)
Ralax and take in the great music at Phono Del Sol (subject to time of year but well worth a trip to the park)
Attend first Friday (Taking over downtown Oakland, First Friday is a hive of art music & food.)
Get to a gallery opening or art event (theres so much going on in the bay you’ll always find something)
Go to a Giants baseball game (Amazing food, Amazing stadium, Amazing atmosphere)
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Remember your culture
pants!
The Bay Area is a hive of
activity so don’t cry your
self to sleep if you miss
one event.
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Orpheum Theatre1192 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
The Castro Theatre429 Castro Street, San Francisco, CA 94114
Roxie Theater3117 16th Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
Phono Del SolPotrero del Sol Park, San Francisco, CA
Great American Music Hall859 O’Farrell Street, San Francisco, CA 94109
San Francisco Opera301 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94102
The Warfield82 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
AT&T Ballpark SF Giants24 Willie Mays Plaza San Francisco, CA 94107
Candlestick Park SF 49ers490 Jamestown Avenue San Francisco, CA 94124
SF Outsidelands FestivalGolden Gtae Park, San Francisco, CA
SF Electronic Music Festival151 3rd Street San Francisco, CA 94103
Cherry Blossom Festival1759 Sutter Street, San Francisco, CA 94115
www.shnsf.com(888) 746 1799
www.castrotheatre.com(415) 621 6120
www.roxie.com(415) 863 1087
www.phonodelsol.com
www.gamh.com(415) 885 0750
www.sfopera.com(415) 861 4008
www.thewarfieldtheatre.com(415) 345 0900
www.sanfrancisco.giants.com(415) 972 1800
www.49ers.com(415) 467 1994
www.nccbf.org(415) 563 2313
The best cultur this side of the bay (San Francisco)
Culture
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Telluride Film Festival800 Jones Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
Berkeley Kite FestivalCesar E Chavez Park, Berkeley, CA 94701
Oakland Greek Festival4700 Lincoln Ave, Oakland, CA 94602
Fruitvale Dia De Los Muertos FestivalFruitvale Ave & International Blvd, Oakland, CA 94601
Oaktoberfest in the DimondDimond District, Oakland, CA 94602
Worldone FestivalCerrito Vista Park, El Cerrito, CA 94530
Bites On Broadway365 45th Street, Oakland, CA 94609
First FridayTelagraph Avenue, Down Town, Oakland, CA
Park Street Spring FestivalPark Street, Alameda, CA 94501
Dia de los Muertos at Oakland Musuem1000 Oak Street, Oakland, CA 94607
Rockridge Out & AboutCollege Ave, Oakland, CA
Fashion On The SquareOakland, CA
The best culture that side of the bay (East Bay)
www.telluridefilmfestival.org(510) 665 9494
www.highlinekites.com(510) 235-5483
www.oaklandgreekfestival.com(510) 531 3400
www.unitycouncil.org(510) 535 7176
www.oaktoberfest.org
www.worldoneradio.org(510) 233 0611
www.bitesoffbroadway.com(510) 654 6346
www.shopparkstreet.com(510) 523 1392
www.museumca.org(510) 318 8400
www.rockridgeoutandabout.com
www.fashiononthesquare.com(510) 550 2513
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Phono Del Sol
Potrero Del Sol Park, 25th Street, Mission District, San Francisco, CA
www.phonodelsol.com
Better than: Your average crowded, overpriced outdoor festival.
Phono Del Sol Festival is such an eminently charm-ing summer event, it’s both a mandate and a shame to tout it here. A mandate because there’s no doubt this was the best place to wile away an unseasonably warm Saturday in July, with lovely sunshine-y people, smart, summery rock, fresh food truck’d grub, and the family-friendly ambiance of Potrero Del Sol Park. And a shame because while there was plenty of elbow room, we’re sure more people will attend next year and, well, it would suck if there was TOO much of a crowd.
This felt like a truly San Franciscan event. It was the anti-Outside Lands: low-key, reasonably priced, and homegrown. Tickets were a mere $7-10 sliding scale, and, as mentioned above, there were no lines getting in, or crowds within, though a celebratory quorum was maintained. These stats bear repeating because this type of outdoor festival is so often done wrong, transmuting a fun day of music and sun into a stress-ful, cattle-driving experience in your struggle to stay hydrated, use restrooms, and oh yeah, be entertained.
Phono Del Sol thankfully breathed: hip young Mission-ites sunned in the beer garden and ate boutique burg-ers in the shade, families frolicked on the playground and on the cool grass, and apropos of none of the above, the totally bitchin’ skate park at stage left was in full swing, filled with ‘boarders and BMX-ers alike, showing off for anyone who cared to watch. People were just hanging out, and it was, well, nice.
Beaming July sun-shine added to the festival vibe.
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Party atmosphere continues into the night at Oakland First Fridays.
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Oakland First Friday
Telegraph Avenue (and surrounding area)Downtown Oakland, CA
First Fridays takes place the first Friday of every month throughout Oakland. Oakland First Fridays Arts Festival is open from 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM and is centered around Telegraph Avenue from 27th to 19th Streets. Primarily featuring Oakland made, artisans, galleries, interactive art, pop-up venues, street vendors, food vendors,, art cars, and entertainment -- in the heart of Oakland, CA
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Insanity. In the best possible way. And what makes it even greater is that I stumbled onto it by complete ac-cident.
Rounding the corner to turn up Telegraph, you’ll see people. Elbow to elbow. Is that a band in a bus? Yes. Is that a giant dragon vehicle? Yes. Is that a band on top of a bus? Yes. Are those all food trucks? Yes.
Oakland, you magnificent but sly dog. Suddenly there was art and a car show and food and a real street free-style throwdown and every kind of human being on the planet. The sights. The sounds, hip hop, folk, orchestra all represented, and the smells.
Best happy accident in a long time. I walked the entire thing to soak it all in. By the sounds of things, it’s really taken on a life of its own and has gotten big. Here’s hoping it doesn’t spin out of control. Now that I know it’s there, I wanna come back.
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Orpheum Theatre
Orpheum Theatre,1192 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
www.shnsf.com(888) 746 1799
Great theatre venue! The architecture is beautiful and the size is perfect. There is practically no bad seat in the house. If there is an obstructed view, it has to do with the set design of the show ourself, not the venue.
Even with a lot of people congregating outside of the venue before the show starts, the Orpheum staff is very efficient in scanning your tickets and getting you inside. So there is no wait.
Temperature of the theater is perfect. It doesn’t get hot or cold. So don’t over dress/layer otherwise, you’ll be holding onto all of your layers on your lap.
As far as restrooms go, everyone makes a mad rush to the restrooms located downstairs by the front, since there’s a huge sign as soon as you enter, that the restroom is there. However, people don’t realize that there are actually restrooms throughout. So a tip for my next visit, go to the restrooms near Door 2, where there is no line.
There’s plenty of parking garages around. Garages on Mission are cheaper than those on Market. Nearby meter parking is limited to 1 hour.
I don’t recall how it was for other shows, and I thought they typically started on time, but with the Lion King production this past Saturday, they started at least 5 minutes late, even though they did a curtail call on-time.
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Sights & Travel
San Francisco has a unique and diverse skyline with famous landmarks on every corner. From the golden gate Bridge to Alcatraz Island there are sights for everyone and easy affordable ways to access all the bay has to offer, be it by cable car, bus (muni) or BART (Bay Area Rapid Transport).
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You can’t come to the Bay Area and not...
Ride BART (The Bay areas answer to the Subway or Tube. its a great way to travel, but it can get busy at rush hour)
Go to the most infamous prison in the world ALCATRAZ! (a short trip across the bay to an exciting,, historical national park)
Visit The Golden Gate Bridge (enough said)
Ride the Cable car (The hills are steap in SF, it fun and practical)
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The Golden Gate is not
gold!
It is infact international
orange. It is also 2,737
m long and 227 m high.
The bridge was com-
pleted in 1937.
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Golden Gate BridgeSan Francisco, CA 94129See the bridge by boat, bus, bike:
Alcatraz Island Fort Mason, B201, San Francisco, CA 94123Visit the island:
San Francisco Cable CarsPowell & Market, San Francisco, CA 94103
Grace Cathedral 1100 California Street, San Francisco, CA 94108
Coit Tower1 Telegraph Hill Boulevard, San Francisco, CA 94133
Lombard StreetHyde St, San Francisco, CA 94133Tours:
Pier 39Pier 39, San Francisco, CA 94133
Painted Ladies Alamo Square, Steiner & Hayes Sts., San Francisco, CA
Balmy Street Murals1-100 Balmy St, San Francisco, CA 94110
www.goldengatebridge.org(415) 455 2000www.viator.com/sanfranciscowww.sanfranshuttletours.comwww.blazingsaddles.com
www.nps.gov/alca
www.alcatraztickets.comwww.sightsofsanfrancisco.comwww.alcatrazcruises.com
www.sfcablecar.com
www.gracecathedral.org(415) 749 6300
sfrecpark.org/CoitTower(415) 362 0808
www.sanfranshuttletours.comwww.gocartours.comwww.blueandgoldfleet.com
www.pier39.com(415) 705 5436
www.sanfrancisco.travel
www.balmyalley.com(415) 285 2287
The best sights this side of the bay (San Francisco)
Sights &
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Albany BulbAlbany, California
The Campanile (Sather Tower)Berkeley, CA
University of California at Berkeley2200 University Drive Berkeley, CA 94720
Berkeley Municipal Rose GardenEunice Street, Berkeley, CA
Rubissow-Sargent Winery2413 Fourth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
Dunsmuir House and Gardens Historic Estate2960 Peralta Oaks Court, Oakland, CA 94615
Lake MerrittMadison Street, Oakland, CA 94612
Oakland Zoo9777 Golf Links Road, Oakland, CA 94605
Jack London SquareFoot of Broadway, Oakland, CA 94607
Eastshore State ParkRichmond, CA
Chadbourne Carriage House39169 Fremont Boulevard, Fremont, CA
John Muir National Historic Site4202 Alhambra Avenue, Martinez, CA 94553
The best sights that side of the bay (East Bay)
www.albanybulb.com
www.visitors.berkeley.edu/camp
www.berkeley.edu(510) 642 6000
www.berkeleyheritage.com
www.rubissowwines.com(510) 841 9463
www.dunsmuir-hellman.com(510) 615 5555
www.virtualtourist.com
www.oaklandzoo.org(510) 632 9523
www.jacklondonsquare.com(510) 208 4646
www.ebparks.org/parks/east-shore
www.waymarking.com
www.nps.gov/jomu(925) 228 8860
Travel
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Reviews
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Alcatraz Island
Alcatraz Island Fort Mason, B201, San Francisco, CA 94123
www.nps.gov/alca
A lovely boat ride to an iconic and fascinating place. All around worth the time for adults and older kids (10 & up unless you have slightly younger ones that like ghoulish stuff - creepy and a bit of a waste for younger kids - go to Angel Island instead).
TIPSYou must book (way) in advance in the summer.The audio tour is excellent.The intro movie doesn’t play often enough so it’s hard to get quite enough information on the pre-federal prison history. Also the info on American Indian occupa-tion and it’s results isn’t very accurate or informative.It’s quieter first thing in the morning so go then or on the night tour if you want to avoid larger crowds.While they make accomodations for those with limited mobility it is not a good experience - too much ground to cover, steep hills and - well it’s a prison!Allow a good 3 hours (we took 9am boat and were back by noon). Restrictions on food and lack of food for sale on the island (you can only eat at the land-ing - they have a snack bar on the boat but not on the island) make it less appealing to stay for much longer than that.
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Everything from the boat ride out (bring a jacket, the Bay can get chilly even in the summer), the grounds, and especially the history is fantastic. Don’t skip on the audio tour. It’s the best part. Take the tour and then rent “Escape from Alcatraz” with Clint Eastwood, as it was filmed on the island. Fantastic for all ages.
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Albany Bulb
Albany BulbAlbany, California
www.albanybulb.com
Had the Rapture actually lived up to its promises, I’m quite certain the remains of said apocalypse might look something like Albany Bulb. Then, years later, you’d come to find the post-apocalyptic Waterworldesque sur-vivors (yes, like the movie with Kevin Costner) clamoring over who’s got the best shrubbery shrouded sanctuary.
The beachtown maze that is Albany Bulb offers an escape for the not so socially participatory individu-als. Families live here tucked away in fully functional plywood dens, hippies with lone dogs congregate here and full time steam punks find refuge from the couch cushions they’ve maybe slept through. Honestly, I’m not sure where these Albany Bulb inhabitants come from, but their microcosm appears completely functional. Sure it’s a little sandy and access to fresh water might require a bit of a hike, but the community here doesn’t seem to mind or mess with the transient visitors look-ing to exercise their dog.
Better known for its popularity amongst canine owners, venturing here is a treat for both animal and human alike. While your pup dips in the bay or explores the sandy trek through the windy paths, you might find yourself aweing at the impressive makeshift art on the north side of the bulb. It’s an experience you can’t pass up and you really haven’t discovered the weird East Bay until you’ve taken a trip to Albany Bulb.
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Reviews
Golden Gate Bridge
Golden Gate BridgeSan Francisco, CA 94129
www.goldengatebridge.org(415) 455 2000
A must do! It just feels great to be there at he bridge. It is easy to get to by the muni bus 28. However it can get cold when the wind blows which made it harder to walk across. Well the bridge is best seen from the viewing platform anyway.
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When you cross the bridge to come back to San Fran-cisco there is an amazing viewpoint to your right, just before getting on the bridge. At night it is a bit adven-turous as there is no lighting but this is the best view of the bridge & city.
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We rented bikes and rode across the bridge from near the Safeway at the end of fishermans’ wharf closest to the bridge. It was a good long bike ride all the way over the bridge to the view point on the other side (about 8 miles roundtrip). But it was very fun to bike over the bridge. If you go before 3:30 you ride on the East side and then wait until after 3:30 and you can ridge back on the West side and get both views. Very fun time and highly recommended.
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SF Living
Make San Francisco your home away from home, enjoy the sights while keep-ing intouch with family and friends. Dont beak your routines or change you hab-bits just because your away. If your living a life of luxury or on a budget get the most out of your stay with the best accomodation the bay has to offer.
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Your home from home in the Bay Area...
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Where to stay?
Well, with over 16 million
visitors a year you better
choose quick before
everything is booked!
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Fairmont Heritage Place, Ghirardelli Square900 North Point Street, San Francisco, CA 94109Facilities:
Hotel Drisco2901 Pacific Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94115Facilities:
Four Seasons Hotel757 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94103Facilities:
Argonaut Hotel495 Jefferson Street at Hyde, San Francisco, CA 94109Facilities:
Mandarin Oriental222 Sansome Street, San Francisco, CA 94104Facilities:
The Huntington Hotel & Nob Hill Spa1075 California Street, San Francisco, CA 94108Facilities:
www.fairmont.com(415) 268 9900WifiGymParking
www.hoteldrisco.com(415) 346 2880WifiGymParking
www.fourseasons.com(415) 633 3000WifiGymParkingPool
www.argonauthotel.com(866) 415 0704WifiGym
www.mandarinoriental.com(415) 276 9888WifiGym
www.huntingtonhotel.com(415) 474 5400WifiGymParkingPool
Luxury hotels this side of the bay (San Francisco)
SF
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Hotel Shattuck Plaza2086 Allston Way, Berkeley, CA 94704Facilities:
Claremont Hotel Club & Spa41 Tunnel Road, Berkeley, CA 94705Facilities:
Hyatt Place Dublin/Pleasanton4950 Hacienda Drive, Dublin, CA 94568Facilities:
Waterfront Hotel10 Washington Street, Oakland, CA 94607Facilities:
Hilton Pleasanton at The Club7050 Johnson Dr, Pleasanton, CA 94588Facilities:
Larkspur Landing Pleasanton5535 Johnson Drive, Pleasanton, CA 94588Facilities:
Luxury hotels that side of the bay (East Bay)
www.hotelshattuckplaza.com(510) 845 7300WifiGym
www.claremontresort.com(510) 843 3000WifiGymPool
www.dublin.place.hyatt.com(925) 8289006WifiGymParkingPool
www.waterfronthoteloakland.com(510) 836 3800WifiGymParking
www.hilton.com(855) 271 3621WifiGymParkingPool
www.larkspurhotels.com925-463-1212WifiParking
Living
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Metro Hotel319 Divisadero Street, San Francisco, CA 94117Facilities:
Park Hotel325 Sutter Street, San Francisco, CA 94108Facilities:
Hotel Mayflower975 Bush Street, San Francisco, CA 94109Facilities:
Geary Parkway Motel4750 Geary Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94118Facilities:
Redwood Inn1530 Lombard Street, San Francisco, CA 94123Facilities:
Suites at Fisherman’s Wharf2655 Hyde Street, San Francisco, CA 94109-1249Facilities:
Inn at the Opera333 Fulton Street, San Francisco, CA 94102-4423Facilities:
www.metrohotelsf.com(415) 861 5364Breakfast Wifi
www.paramounthotelsinc.com(415) 956 0445Wifi
www.sfmayflowerhotel.com(415) 673 7010WifiParking
www.gearyparkwaymotel.com(415) 752 4406Breakfast WifiParking
www.sfredwoodinn.com(415) 776 3800Parking
www.shellhospitality.com(866) 678 3321Wifi
www.shellhospitality.com(888) 298 7198BreakfastWifiParking
Best value hotels this side of the bay (San Francisco)
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Downtown Berkeley Inn2001 Bancroft Way, Berkeley, CA 94704Facilities:
Berkeley City Club2315 Durant Ave, Berkeley, CA 94704Facilities:
Rodeway Inn & Suites Near the Coliseum & Arena4801 Coliseum Way, Oakland, CA 94601Facilities:
Quality Inn Oakland8471 Enterprise Way, Oakland, CA 94621Facilities:
Clarion Hotel-Downtown Oakland371 13th Street, Oakland, CA 94612Facilities:
La Quinta Inn & Suites Dublin - Pleasanton6275 Dublin Blvd, Dublin, CA 94568Facilities:
Best value hotels that side of the bay (East Bay)
www.downtownberkeleyinn.com(510) 843 4043WifiParking
berkeleycityclubhotel.com(510) 848 7800BreakfastWifiGymPool
www.rodewayinn.com(510) 532 4084WifiParking
www.qualityinn.com(510) 562 4888BreakfastWifiParkingPool
www.clarionhotel.com(510) 279 1700Wifi Gym
www.lq.com(925) 828 9393BreakfastWifiParkingPool
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Reviews
Fairmont Heritage Place
Fairmont Heritage Place, Ghi-rardelli Square900 North Point Street, San Francisco, CA 94109
www.fairmont.com(415) 268 9900
Everything was perfect, probably one of the nicest plac-es we have ever stayed. Only complaint was the water pressure in the master suite was just above a trickle. it would have been impossible to wash your hair. We used the guest suite bath that our son had which was much better. Everything else was beyond excellent though. Great attentive staff, always wanting to please.
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We were a group of 9 women that went to SFO for a long weekend getaway. Stayed in a 3 bedroom and had a great time! Enjoyed the amenities of the kitchen, went to the wine tasting and to the breakfast - all good. One thing I do not understand and never will - how does a high end hotel always have such sandpapery toilet paper? Please step it up. It seems to never matter how much I pay for a room, the toilet paper is never nice! This is such a little detail that so many people com-ment on and notice but rarely complain about. Half of the women in our group made the same observation!
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Downtown Berkeley Inn
Downtown Berkeley Inn2001 Bancroft Way, Berkeley, CA 94704
www.downtownberkeleyinn.com(510) 843 4043
Great stay at this hotel. You get what you see in the Internet! Great value. Great reception service.They only have to improve the wireless service. And they are doing that. As I was on vacation visiting friends I did not mind that much. But if you are on business or a student you may find it essential.Walking distance from the B.A.R.T. Station.I do recommend!
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I chose this hotel because it was the least expensive lodging in downtown Berkeley. It is really more of a motel, with exterior entries and the sink in the room motel-style (with plenty of counter space, which was very nice!). It was clean, nicely decorated, plumbing worked fine, the bed was comfortable, and it was not especially noisy at night. The only minor complaint is that the wireless internet connection signal was weak and the connection was quite slow. It is right near BART, lots of restaurants, and the Berkeley campus. I defi-nitely recommend it!
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Metro Hotel
Metro Hotel319 Divisadero Street, San Francisco, CA 94117
www.metrohotelsf.com(415) 861 5364
We stayed at the Metro Hotel in October and will defi-nitely be back! The hotel is very affordable and it was very clean and just right for us. We stayed in in one of the 200 rooms (I forgot the number) but it was facing the back garden patio area at the end of the hallway on the left. It was not noisy at all. Yes, the room is small but it was fine for my husband and I. The staff were friendly, helpful and nice. This is the best bang for your buck in SF. Easy access to buses and the restaurant next door was very busy but also very good. We will be back!
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The Metro is not a boutique hotel - it is small and friendly, but plain - somewhere to sleep rather than somewhere to stay. We had one of the smaller rooms, which was perfectly fine, if a little cold (we asked if the heating could be turned up - it couldn’t but we were of-fered a noisy and not very effective space heater).
It’s a ten minute walk to Haight Ashbury which leads to Golden Gate Park, and five minutes walk to Alamo Sq for its classic view. There are two bus routes just a cou-ple of minutes from the hotel. One is fifteen minutes from downtown the other runs north towards Presidio. There are some pleasant bars and restaurants within a few minutes walk of the hotel itself.
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