24 Hours in SF - What do I do?

[VultureChow]

I will be in San Francisco for one day in January. I have never been before.

What should I do, see, eat and drink?

[Lonesomebri]

Get gay married and pick up a compassionate medical marijane use card.You will always remember your visit.

One day? Go across the Golden Gate Bridge and view the city from the Marin Headlands, go up and down a steep street, perhaps Lombard Street, eat some seafood, drink some wine, visit Chinatown, visit the Mission, visit North Beach, visit the Castro, visit Haight, stay longer.

[FIGJAM]

Golden Gate Park!!!

[nilasnake]

go to the cliff house for lunch and walk on the beach. definitely go to the haight ashbury.

[Eric]

When in January (week day, weekend?), and what aspect of the city do you want to see? The tourist side (Fishermans Wharf, Coit Tower, Alcatraz, the Haight [eeew]), the culture side (DeYoung Museum, Asian Art Museum, the Legion of Honor Museum), the nature side (Golden Gate Park, Golden Gate Bridge & Marin Headlands, Fort Funston, Muir Woods), the urban side (Financial District, SOMA), the "locals" side (the Mission, Inner Sunset, Union Street, Hayes Valley, Potrero Hill, sitting in Dolores Park drinking wine), the foodie aspect (too many good restaurants to name), the shopping aspect (see foodie).

Do you want to relax or rush from sight to sight? One perfect jewel or the whole damn store?

[VultureChow]

I will land Wednesday night and have all day Thursday and some time in the morning on Friday.

Friday, relaxing in Napa at a spa assuming I can wrangle a certain dinner reservation.

So Thursday I want to see as much as I can. Really into food and drink. Very adventurous food wise, and assuming I get one of the two possible reservations for Friday, dinner doesn't have to be particularly fancy. Just good and interesting.

I was thinking I want to see the Bay Lights at night.

Not into heavy tourist things. I like art, but more towards the contemporary/modern side of things.

[Savannah]

I loved walking on the Golden Gate bridge even more than sailing under it on the Harbor tour (2 separate trips). I would visit again. Chinatown was fun, too.

I would try to fit at least two meals, a few hours of thrifting, and a trip to Dark Garden (corsetry!) into an SF day-trip. And the bridge--especially if you've never been. It's just so massive that it's hard to believe it's real.

[Eric]

Let see, adventurous food & modern art: I'd go to the Inner Richmond for Burmese at either Burma Superstar (Clement at 4th Ave) or Mandalay (block north at California & 4th Ave), make sure to order the Tea Leaf Salad. We like Mandalay's version better, both are good and the food is excellent at both restaurants. It's a different cuisine from the standard Asian styles, but with enough similarities with Thai & Vietnamese that it's not totally alien. After lunch, drive into Golden Gate Park & head to the DeYoung. Good collection of art, tends to cover lots of areas. Our premier modern art museum (SFMOMA) is closed until 2016 while they build a new wing to house the Fisher Collection, but there is an outdoor collection of Mark Di Suvero steel sculptures at the Presidio (if it's not raining, which it may be in January).

Dinner... let me know what you're craving, I can point you to options. Just give me some vague ideas and a price-point to aim for.

I love my city.

[VultureChow]

Price isn't an issue in either direction. I could do Michelin stars or just spectacular bar food. I prefer something with a bar I can eat at or the open kitchen model that's trendy now as I'll be dining alone.

I love seafood. I love all food really, but with the ocean right there...

Any particular area I should stay in for the hotel?

[theCryptofishist]

Hotel? Motel? Bed and Breakfast? Do you want to be near what you're visiting?

[GreyCoyote]

Get in touch with your inner child again. Visit the Exploratorium: http://www.exploratorium.edu Then have a nice dinner and wonder how they do it all.

[VultureChow]

Hotel. I always feel weird at B&B's.

I prefer the hotel to be near where I am dining for dinner.

[VultureChow]

I could also do sushi. Some place that has a really nice omakase,

[Lonesomebri]

Hey, if money is no object, and neither is sensible taste, make the reservation for 2. I'll bring my appetite.

[theCryptofishist]

Still trying to distract yourself from Snowball's loss?

[Wrath]

Breakfast? Sugar Cafe at 679 Sutter. Lunch? Sweet Woodruff at 798 Sutter.

Best waffles in the world at Frjtz, 590 Valencia. They have a huge menu with all sorts of crepes, fries, & burgers but I've never gotten past the waffle.

Speaking of burgers, Pearl's Deluxe Burgers at 708 Post & 1001 Market.

Italian? Uncle Vito's at 700 Bush for something simple, The Sausage Factory at 517 Castro for a more diverse menu.

Mexican? Pancho Villa at 3071 16th has a damn fine burrito, but you won't find a better strawberry margarita than Puerto Alegre (546 Valencia).

Alcohol? Cafe Royale is a nice quiet vibe, pool table, & secret mezzanine level (look for the stairs behind the wall near the far end of the bar, just walk up). 800 Post.

Look into the Muni Metro. You can easily get into some trouble around Nob Hill, drink it off at the Ferry Building, then relax at the park quite easily with the help of the Market Street Subway. One of my favorite gems is the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park. Four seperate climates of flora and a respectable collection of carnivorous plants!

[Wrath]

drive

There's also sweet rock climbing at Mission Cliffs (2295 Harrison) if you like extreme sports!

Driving in this city can be suprisingly easy or very time consuming, depending on your luck. Be especially sure if parking downtown to look for restrictions as a towing experience starts at about $500.

[Savannah]

Italian? Uncle Vito's at 700 Bush for something simple . . .

I loved the chicken broccoli alfredo at Uncle Vito's! . . . as well as sitting in the balcony/mezzanine. Went there twice in one week. Although agreed--simple is indeed the world; it's where you go for a quiet, atmospheric meal for under $20 when you have a whole week to get crazy and spend too much.

It's been years; I hope nothing there has changed too much.

I'm still bummed that Sam Wo's chinese restaurant closed . . . it was a dive, but I loved it. You got to walk through the kitchen and up to the third floor just to sit down. I'm loving the obsolete reviews. *sigh*

[Eric]

Italian? Uncle Vito's at 700 Bush for something simple, The Sausage Factory at 517 Castro for a more diverse menu.

If money isn't an object & you want Italian, I'd do Aquarello on Sacramento. It's very quiet, and expensive, but... oh my god the food...

Mexican? Pancho Villa at 3071 16th has a damn fine burrito, but you won't find a better strawberry margarita than Puerto Alegre (546 Valencia).

"Mexican" in SF means a burrito in a taqueria, for the most part, and we'll argue to the death who has the best one (we'll actually argue to the death over who has the "best" of any type of food). I think Pancho Villa's have gone downhill, but love Taqueria Cancun on Mission near 19th St. For tequila based drinking, go to Tres, which specializes in 100% agave tequilas. Food fluctuates, drinks are good.

For seafood, go to Swans Oyster Depot on Polk Street between California & Sacramento. Best, freshest, seafood in the city, prepared at a long bar in front of you with a line down the block and a wait that can be over an hour to get a seat (there's only around 15). It's not even a new and trendy place, it's been owned by the same family forever & was founded about a century ago. I'm basically vegan, but The Boyfriend goes here almost every year when I'm away at Burning Man to gorge himself.

I'd suggest Brenda's French Soul Food for breakfast, but, again, San Franciscan's can argue food to death. We're spoiled that way. Brenda's does have the best grits I've ever had outside of the south, however.

Second vote for Sweet Woodruff, they really have excellent food. Get some of the sweets. Oooh, for sweets go to b. patisserie, their kouign amann is one of the most amazing pastries I've ever had, and for my birthday this year we went here and dropped about $60 on different little cakes and pastries instead of just doing one cake. Great sandwiches as well, but the baked goods are to die for.

I just ate, and now I'm hungry again.

[trilobyte]

Lots of good advice up above... I don't know what I could possibly add, it might depend upon the specific day in January. The Edwardian Ball is that month (17th/18th), if you're there on that Friday or Saturday that could be a lot of fun and an opportunity to get a bit decked out. Museums and arty things can be a lot of fun too, as can bars and restaurant hopping (San Francisco is quite the foodie town). If you want to sample some of the food truck renaissance that's been happening here, you could also check out SoMa StrEat food park, which is sort of a corral that provides plenty of seating, nice bathrooms, ATM, and even a bar as well as space for up to a dozen gourmet food trucks. The lineup changes routinely, but is always excellent.

I enjoy museums and stuff, but also like just exploring neighborhoods. SF has a few that are fun and make for interesting exploration. There's the Haight, which has been a countercultural hotzone since the 60's and has a number of oddball shops, eateries, and places to grab a drink. The Mission has a hipster/trendy meets mexican vibe. I agree with Eric that most SF mexican is centered around burritos and taquerias, but it's incredibly well done stuff. And there are a few places to get good full menu offerings - you could definitely find something that'll fit that bill in that neighborhood. Chinatown and North Beach (italian) are two other fun-to-explore neighborhoods (weather permitting), they're fairly close to each other and you could explore both leisurely in a single day.

If you'll have a car, you may want to go over to Treasure Island and check out Bliss Dance, an awesome piece of playa art from the 2010 burn. Homourobos is going to be installed on the Embarcadero sometime soon, once I know specifically where I'll post it on the board. That would be awesome to check out some evening.

If you'll be in SF on a Thursday or Saturday, I'd highly recommend the Ferry Building. It's not only a cool piece of 19th century architecture, but it's got an amazing Farmer's Market. Sure, you're just visiting and won't be stocking up, but there are so many wonderful tasty things to sample and explore it's hard to pass up. And not too far from the Ferry Building is the Exploratorium. It's an interactive sort of art meets science museum meets gallery. They just relocated to the current location on the waterfront last summer, I've heard raves about it.

The Bay Lights will still be going in January, so whatever you do, try and get yourself somewhere where you can see that (anywhere along the SF waterfront) even for a little bit. It's the biggest LED installation in the world, designed by longtime burner and Disorient co-founder Leo Villareal.

That's all I can think of offhand. Good luck planning your trip!

[VultureChow]

Bay lights was on my list, but Bliss Dance was not even on my radar! It was the year before my virgin year and yet it's one of my go to examples of the type of art at BM when describing it to someone the first time. I'm renting a car Friday morning. I'll have to check it out on my way out of town. So is SF traffic better or worse than NYC traffic? Just trying to get a sense of travel times.

I will be there on Thursday. Is the ferry building market a good place for a light breakfast. like some baked good plus coffee? I'm not a heavy breakfast person.

[gyre]

I'd like to see the Bradbury Building.

Touristy, but I like taking the boat out on the bay.
Be sure to take a coat.
There's a set of lighthouse optics in the museum on the waterfront.
If you're interested in the streetcars, buy a day pass.
I ride on the outside, which is very dangerous.
Proceed accordingly.
We lost the brakes last time I rode, and they stopped in an intersection and performed the medieval repair there.
It did make the hills much more exciting.
Cars actually honked at the streetcar, which is pretty ineffective when they're disconnected, and tells you a lot about the city population.
Be sure to give your pass away when you're done.
Everyone was afraid to take mine, so a homeless person followed me and got it.

Chico's Pizza in the tenderloin, for the special, it has middle eastern spicing.
As said, must be a million food options.
There are some fancy bed and breakfasts too, and a hostel right on the water.

I think driving is much easier than most of nyc.
Behavior can be similar.

I was driven around there fast enough to fling everything out of my pockets.
Very exciting.

[Eric]

I'd like to see the Bradbury Building.

SF is 6-7 hours away from that, unless you hit rush hour when you get to LA. Then it's longer.

[gyre]

Well, fuck!
I know that, but I keep forgetting because Coppola is in San Francisco.
Keep associating Ford and Bladerunner with San Francisco.
Ahem.
never mind

[Aurelia]

Eric did a super rundown that I consider worthwhile for anyone to visit.
Trilo is right about eating at the ferry building..anything you hope for .

However,
The consignment store on Valencia and 17th is a serious check it out vote from me; "Community Thrift"
and kitty corner across the street is a Taqueria of perfection
BUT "Limon" on Valencia is Peruvian perfect seafood I have not had anywhere else.

Hey if you want company let me know
those are my favorites !

xoA.

[gyre]

I'm 90% confident the rest of San Francisco isn't in L.A.

[Lonesomebri]

Great suggestions above. But, yeah, if you do decide to pick up that medical use card, you can hit me up past Height and Ashbury in the park on hippie hill. I'll be the one wearing flowers in my hair

[media]

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[Eric]

Bay lights was on my list, but Bliss Dance was not even on my radar! It was the year before my virgin year and yet it's one of my go to examples of the type of art at BM when describing it to someone the first time. I'm renting a car Friday morning. I'll have to check it out on my way out of town. So is SF traffic better or worse than NYC traffic? Just trying to get a sense of travel times.

I will be there on Thursday. Is the ferry building market a good place for a light breakfast. like some baked good plus coffee? I'm not a heavy breakfast person.

If you're travelling during rush hour it can be awful (mornings traffic goes into SF or south down the Peninsula, evenings it goes out of SF - except for the Peninsula, where it heads back here. It's like the tide sloshing around), but depending on the streets you use it can be fairly easy the rest of the day. Be forewarned, however, that if you're going to Napa, Treasure Island is out of the way. You'd have to go half-way across the Bay Bridge towards Oakland, down onto Treasure Island, look at Bliss Dance, then get back on the bridge to SF, then cross the city on surface streets to the Golden Gate Bridge to head to Napa. Yech.

Ferry Building is great for light noshies, or heavy ones, so it should be perfect for your needs. If you get a room at the Hyatt Embarcadero you can walk across the street, and if you ask for a room with a view of the Bay Lights you might be able to get one. January is the off season, unless there is a big convention, and the Hyatt Embarcadero looks over the Ferry Building, Treasure Island, the bay & the Bay Bridge.

[Aurelia]

Eric is definitely the go to one for insider tips !

[Eric]

Anyone who has lived in the city for a while is a go-to for insider tips, and a lot of our tips will be different. I just happen to work from home on my computer all day so I'm more vocal in the thread.

If I was going to suggest my perfect day... I would spend all day browsing the Asian Art Museum and then out for drinks on Polk, or go to the Legion of Honor for a couple of hours in the morning followed by a long stroll down Clement towards Burma Superstar or Mandaley for dinner, stopping all the while in great multi-cultural neighborhood stores out there (best rye bread I've had in my life comes from this dinky Russian store called "European Food" on Clement at 32nd Ave - they bake a couple of kinds fresh in back, the loaves weigh a ton, and are moist and amazing! Plus you can choose feta in something like 8 different styles, and a ton of disgustingly good pastries...). That walk is an hour or more, depending on how many stores you stop in, but I love it.