All attractions below are
alphabetized. For the Attractions Part 1 section,
click
here.
Broadway Street is a great place for nightlife. The exotic and
not-so exotic businesses are mixed in here. There are many erotic sex
shops and strip clubs located here including Centerfolds. Despite these
businesses this place is definitely not considered "seedy" or
rundown. In other words these businesses do not necessarily dominate this
street although their presence is certainly felt at night. There is
certainly a good mix of restaurants and local cafes here as well. One place you will want to stop in for a few minutes, or a few hours,
or all day is the famous City Lights Bookstore located on the corner of
Broadway and Columbus Ave (Address: 261 Columbus Ave). This was founded by
the famous poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti and was often frequented by members
of the Beat generation of poets. Be sure to visit their "poetry"
room - this is one of the best sources of many types of poetry - hundreds
and hundreds of books are available. For more information please visit: www.citylights.com
NOTE: A great place to take newbies (if you want to frighten
them, and maybe yourself), is to drive up the Broadway Hill just above
Chinatown/Stockton Street! This is one of the steepest hills in all of
The City and it dead ends almost at the top so you cannot turn around,
and there is absolutely no decline in the incline where the road is
blocked. All parking is perpendicular to the side of the street (you
park sideways instead of up and down like normal parking), and if
there is not a parking spot somewhere on your drive up the steep hill,
you must back all the way down the hill to the bottom. If you are
lucky to find a parking spot, its recommended to back in, so that you
can drive out when you leave. Its a weird feeling when parked on this
hill to feel the car and your body leaning at such an angle down the
hill....quite a struggle if you have to push your door open on the
uphill side.
Chinatown is located near the Italian neighborhood of North Beach and
to some extent these two neighborhoods mesh together on their
"borders". Chinatown is located only a few blocks from San
Francisco's central shopping area of Union Square. This is the largest
Chinatown in North America. There are some great very inexpensive
restaurants located off the main "tourist" parts of Chinatown.
Try $11 for two people for dinner - very large portions, or try $3.50 for
a good size lunch per person.
The Stockton and Pacific cross street area, is more of an authentic
flavor of the real Chinatown, compared to the touristy China town with
its tourist shops and bright red pagodas and arches - which start a
few blocks north of Union Square. The Stockton and Pacific area is
where all the markets are - fruit and meat mostly. Few tourists come
to this area compared to the touristy part of Chinatown. There are
some very good Dim Sum restaurants in this area - take your pick - you
will see several of these as you walk in this area.
Also be sure to visit the produce markets - you may be the only tourist
here! Website:
www.sanfranciscochinatown.com Fort Point and the Golden Gate Bridge are well worth
visiting. First of all Fort Point National Historic site can be reached by turning off
Lincoln Blvd at Long Ave or taking the last northbound exit before you reach the Golden
Gate Bridge. This fort was built by the United States army between 1853 and 1861. This
fort was once the main defense for the west coast. Now you can take a self guiding tour
and learn about the fort's history and the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge. This
fort lies directly underneath the San Francisco side of the Golden Gate Bridge. The road
that leads out to the fort parallels the water and during heavy storms in the winter,
waves have been known to completely crash over the road. As you drive along the road
notice the heavily corroded iron chain that separates the edge of the road from the water.
Years of salt water have taken its toll.
There is a small parking lot just before the fort. From this parking lot it is about a 3
or 4 minute walk to the entrance of the fort. Make sure that before you enter the fort you
walk over to an area where you are almost directly underneath the Golden Gate Bridge. Most
likely the wind will be howling with tremendous velocity. You will be able to hear the
cars clanking above as they drive over the steel plates on the bridge. Sea gulls will be
flying in and out of the bridges supports.
The fort is made of brick. It is composed of 3 stories and is a great place for the kids.
It is also a good place to become lost as there are many rooms. There is a good self
guiding museum on the second floor. It contains many pictures and historical articles
about the construction of the fort and the Golden Gate Bridge. Joseph Strauss was the
primary design engineer for the bridge. There are some great photographs of the bridge
during its initial construction. There is also a dramatic photograph of the 50th year
anniversary bridge walk which took place in May of 1987. I remember at one point during
the walk everyone decided to sway back and forth and after the initial human swaying the
bridge started swaying and at that point everyone became frightened. That was the last
time that they tried that stunt!
The top story of this fort is well worth the several minute hike up the stairs. Once at
the top you are completely exposed to the wind and elements. There are spectacular views
of the bridge, The City, and the bay. Definitely bring a camera! You can see where the old
cannons were installed. There used to be a bridge that connected the top of the fort to a
hill about a hundred feet away. In the late 1930's that bridge and part of the hill was
removed to make way for the Golden Gate Bridge. The fort is open from Wednesday through
Sunday from 10am until 5pm. Admission is FREE. Donations are accepted. For more
information call PHONE NUMBER (415) 556-1693. NOTE: the fort is closed
during certain days of the week during the Golden Gate retrofitting
project. Website:
www.nps.gov/fopo
Briefly, some quick information about the Golden Gate Bridge. There is good information
about this bridge in the fort's museum. First of all, the twin towers are the world's
tallest bridge towers. They stand 746 feet high. Sometimes when you drive across the
bridge you can see people suspended in buckets painting or making repairs. From the bridge
level they look like suspended ants. Clearance between the bridge's roadway and the water
is 220 feet. The overall length is 8,981 feet and the main span length is 4,200 feet. This
is among the longest suspension bridges in the world. In the 1950's a strong storm tore
through the Bay Area and left one side of the bridge's roadway about 10 feet higher then
the other. Needless to say there was quite a lot of repairs. The bridge toll is
$5 if you
are driving south bound. If you are driving north the toll is free. There are ways to
avoid paying this toll. One way is if you carpool. On this bridge Carpool
is defined as three or more live people per car (not blown up mannequins that resemble
humans - this has been known to be done to avoid paying the toll and for also using the
carpool lane!). This carpool rule only applies during the commute hours, generally between
6:30am and 8am and then again in the late afternoon commute. Before this bridge was
constructed ferries used to carry people from the Marin side of the bay to the San
Francisco side.
Also for a wonderful experience try biking across the bridge. The bike
lane is located on the western side of the bridge and is for bikes only
(no pedestrians). The actual ride can take from 10 to 20 minutes
depending on how fast you ride. Once you reach the Marin County side you
can bike under the bridge along the waterfront into the happening
expensive town of Sausalito (great restaurants, shopping & views
of San Francisco) or up to Marin Headlands which offers great views of
The City and the Golden Gate Bridge.
Haight Ashbury - is a small neighborhood located in San Francisco -
this area is historically associated with the "Hippie" movement
in San Francisco. For more information please visit: www.sanfranciscobay.com/haightashbury
Golden Gate Park is composed of 1,017 acres. It is bordered by Lincoln Way, the Great
Highway, and Fulton Street. It is basically a rectangle of greenery that slices its way
through the western portion of The City from West to East. This park used to be an area of
sand dunes. Around the turn of the century a park superintendent turned this wasteland
into an oasis of small lakes, native trees and other assorted gardens. Now there is a
bison padlock, restored Dutch windmills, tennis courts, golf course, polo field, an
outdoor music area, and lastly many miles of jogging or hiking trails. The de Young Museum
and the California Academy of the Sciences is also located in this park. However, these
places are major attractions in there own right so I included them in separate sections.
The Park is open daily 24 hours. For more information about Golden Gate park call PHONE
NUMBER (415) 666-7200. Website:
www.nps.gov/goga
Besides the sights mentioned above in Golden Gate Park there are three other places worth
mentioning. They are the Conservatory of Flowers, the Japanese Tea Garden, and Strybing
Arboretum. Unfortunately in a large storm in 1995 the
Conservatory of Flowers was badly
damaged. This storm was one of the worst wind storms in recent memory. I can remember
driving down 19th Avenue about 1 week after the storm and seeing hundreds of down trees
and broken branches littering the sidewalks and ground. The conservatory is built out of
many glass panes. The storm broke most of these panes and it is very expensive to replace
these. The conservatory is still not open. Funds are currently being accumulated to repair
this historic building. I have no time table as to when this building will reopen to the
public. I do have their PHONE NUMBER. You can call (415) 666-7017 to determine any
progress on the repairs. Website:
www.conservatoryofflowers.org
The Japanese Tea Garden is a delightfully landscaped garden complete with quaint bridges,
ponds, waterfalls, and statues. Dave recommends visiting this garden in the spring. When
Dave was
there the cherry trees were all in bloom along with many other tree varieties and flowers.
There is a tea house here and tea is served daily from 10:30am until 5pm. The garden is
open daily from 9am until 5pm. Admission is $2.50. For more information call PHONE NUMBER
(415) 666-7024.
Lastly Strybing Arboretum is located at 9th Avenue and Lincoln Way. This arboretum
contains over 7000 species of plants from around the world. They have several gardens
sections including a cloud forest, a Mediterranean garden, and a garden of fragrance for
the visually impaired. The arboretum is open Monday through Friday from 8:30am until
4:30pm. They are open Saturday and Sunday from 10am until 5pm. Admission if FREE but
donations are accepted. For more information call PHONE NUMBER (415) 661-1316.
Website:
www.sfbotanicalgarden.org
The Jeremiah O'Brien has a fascinating story. This wonderful ship is the only unaltered
surviving Liberty ship still in operation. This WWII ship recently sailed from San
Francisco through the Panama Canal and then on to Europe to celebrate the 50th anniversary
of the landing in Normandy. Some of the crew that sailed on that historic journey were
actually crew members on Liberty ships in WWII. Admission is $5. Those over 65 years of
age are $3 and those between the ages of 10 to 18 are $2. This ship is berthed at Pier 32.
On usually the third weekend of the month the ship takes a short cruise in the bay. For
more information call PHONE NUMBER (415) 441-3101. Website:
www.ssjeremiahobrien.org
Lincoln Park is the home to an incredible building, the Legion of Honor, and also home to
a memorial to the holocaust victims. This park is out on a small peninsula and is located
at 34th and Clement Street. Parking can be quite tight so I recommend getting there early.
Bring your camera if not for family and friend photos, then for at least taking pictures
of this incredible building. There are large Ionic columns in front of this building. Once
you pass through these columns you enter a courtyard and are greeted by a large sculpture
sculpted by Rodin. The Legion of Honor is a large fine arts museum. This museum will
probably eventually replace the de Young museum in Golden Gate Park. The Legion of Honor
has permanent works by Renoir, Monet, and Rodin. Often they will have exhibits that come
through. I recently saw a great exhibit of early and mid renaissance sculpture and
paintings. They had works there by the great masters such as Leonardo da Vinci, and
Titian, among many others. They also had a separate room devoted to original works by
classical composers. Mozart, Beethoven, Grieg, and Hayden were a few that had original
compositions displayed. For more information call PHONE NUMBER (415) 750-360. The
holocaust memorial is a sobering experience. White washed and thin statues are lying in a
pile surrounded by barbed wire.
www.wiesenthal.com
Website:
www.thinker.org/legion
Lombard Street is a popular San Francisco tourist attraction. Well not all of Lombard
Street is a major attraction, just the part that winds its way down a 40 degree slope in a
series of extreme S turns. This portion of Lombard is often referred to as the
"crookedest street in the world". If you have never been here a drive down this
part of Lombard is well worth it. I also recommend walking this. If you walk it you won't
feel like you are in a rush. There is no one clinging to your rear bumper and you can take
your time and enjoy the sights and take pictures. The upper part of the steep windy
section is in a residential neighborhood. You can find parking on several of these
streets. Directly next to the steep crooked part of Lombard there is a brick pathway that
matches the roadway for steepness and crookedness. Along this pathway there are nicely
manicured gardens and beautiful flower gardens. These people who live in these homes must
be sick of all the tourists walking on their sidewalks, but then you can't beat the fact
that you can tell people that you live on the "crookedest street in the world".
Note: campers and trailers are prohibited on this part of Lombard. Also note
that the traffic jams getting to the top of the crooked part of Lombard
street are quite bad in the summer months of June-August. There are only
two entrances to the top of Lombard - driving on Lombard going up to the
Crooked section, or coming in from the south. If you try to drive in
from the north you are not permitted to turn left down onto the crooked
section. When you get to this section you will see why as there are cars
backed up in both directions trying to get onto this crooked section of
Lombard street.
The Marin Headlands are located on the north side of the Golden Gate Bridge. Look for the
sign directing you to Marin Headlands on one of the first exits on the northbound side of
the freeway just after you exit the bridge. There is a narrow winding road up to the
headlands. You will be amazed at how soon you have left the hustle and bustle of The City
and are out in a natural setting. It is from this road that people have captured the
classic views of The City in their photographs. From here you have the Golden Gate Bridge
in the foreground and The City in the background. The classic look of The City is the
Golden Gate Bridge just peeping above the fog and the tallest buildings in The City also
just sticking out of the fog. When this road begins to level out at the top of the
headlands you will soon see the remains of old concrete forts. These were constructed many
years ago during the war times just in case enemy ships came into the harbor. Now they are
abandoned and people climb over and inside of them. There are ways to get inside the
forts. It could be dangerous as there is lots of broken glass on the floor and metal rods
sticking out of the concrete walls. It is also pitch black inside and a flashlight would
be necessary. There are some good photo opportunities from the top levels of these forts.
Website:
www.nps.gov/goga/mahe
Mission San Francisco De Asis (otherwise known as Mission Dolores) is located south of downtown San Francisco. It is located at
3321 16th Street at Dolores Street just off of Market Street. This is one of the California missions. It is one of
the oldest buildings in San Francisco having been constructed in 1776. The alter is
renowned among the California missions as being the most ornate. Many original books
survive and are on display. California's first book was also written here, a history of
Father Junipero Serra. They are open daily from 9am until 4pm. Admission is $2. Some
street parking is available and there is quite a bit of street parking depending on if you
want to walk several blocks. For more information call PHONE NUMBER (415) 621-8203.
Website:
www.californiamissions.com/cahistory/dolores.html
Nob Hill is the home of luxurious homes. This section of The City is located near
California, Sacramento, and Jones Streets. Grace Cathedral is one of the nation's oldest
Episcopal churches. If you have a chance, spend some time at this church. The outside
architecture is impressive and so is the inside. Admission is FREE but donations are
accepted. For more information about this church and tours call PHONE NUMBER (415)
749-6300.
www.nobhillgazette.com
North Beach
is a wonderful little part of San Francisco featuring
restaurants and attractions that are for the most part Italian. There are
many wonderful Italian restaurants and bakeries here - the food is one of
the main attractions here. Washington Square is typically considered the
heart of North Beach. This is a small park great for relaxing in on the
benches or feeding the pigeons. It is anchored on the south side by the
impressive Catholic Church Peter and Pauls and on the north side by
Italian Restaurants.
Fior D' Italia's old location before the fire in 2005
An extremely good bakery is located on the SE corner of Washington Square
called Liguria Bakery run by the Soracco family. They bake the most wonderful Italian Foccacia bread
- pizza, onion, and Dave's pick is the Raisin! You MUST get here in the early
to mid-morning on a weekday to be able to purchase their freshly baked
fares or you can call your order in and they will save it for you until
1pm at the latest. They usually run out of the days bread by late morning and are
often closed by early afternoon.
This bakery is closed for the entire month of August as the owners close
down and vacation in Italy. They are located at 1700 Stockton Street on
the corner of Filbert Street - their PHONE NUMBER is: 415-421-3786.
Ocean Beach is well worth visiting -
this is a huge very wide impressive beach that runs along San
Francisco's west/ocean side from the Cliff House in the north all the
way down to San Mateo County. From the lookout point near the Cliff
House on a warm late summer's day this area looks nothing like the rest
of San Francisco - rather more like some of the beaches in Southern
California. Surfers, dog walkers and when warm, sun bathers use this
wide sandy beach. Shoot on over to Ocean Beach from Geary Ave in the
north - which runs into the Great Highway - a 4 lane stretch of roadway
that borders Ocean Beach. Just north of Ocean Beach is the famous Cliff
House - a restaurant, lookout and gift shop perched on the edge of the
cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Just north and below the Cliff
house is the site of the old Sutro Baths - where people used to come to
enjoy the swimming pools. There is a tunnel in the rocks here and
walkways leading up to view points of the Pacific Ocean and the entrance
to the Bay Area.
The
Palace of Fine Arts is located at the South East approach to
the Golden Gate Bridge at Bay and Lyon Streets. This building is the
last remaining structure from the 1915 Panama Pacific Exposition. This
building is situated in a park with a small lagoon. There are benches
around the lagoon and often you can see people feeding ducks and geese,
and also the occasional sea gull. Admission is FREE. For more
information call PHONE NUMBER (415) 567-6642. Websites:
www.palaceoffinearts.org and
www.exploratorium.edu/history/palace
Ripley's Believe It Or Not! Museum is located at Fisherman's
Wharf. This museum is an eclectic mix of bizarre and unusual exhibits
from around the world. Robert Ripley was born in Santa Rosa and is now
buried in one of their cemeteries. He traveled the world and brought
back many unusual specimens. Look for the shrunken head. Be aware of the
one way mirror. I hate to spoil the fun but what you think is a mirror
is not one. There are signs in front of the mirror that invite you to
make weird facial gestures. Then towards the end of the museum walk you
will pass behind this mirror and you will be able to see the people on
the other side. This museum has a large entrance on Jefferson Street.
This street is always crowded with shoppers but I have never had to wait
in line for tickets and entrance. General admission is $12.95 and those
over 62 and those between the ages of 12 and 17 are $7. Those children
between the ages of 5 and 12 are $5.25. For more information call PHONE
NUMBER (415) 771-6188. Website:
www.ripleysf.com
The
San Francisco Art Institute is located at 800 Chestnut Street
at Jones Street. This institute presents art works in two different
galleries. They also have a mural painted by Diego Rivera. The
architecture is Spanish style. The gallery is open from Tuesday through
Saturday from 10am until 5pm. Admission is FREE. For more information
call PHONE NUMBER (415) 771-7020. Website:
www.sanfranciscoart.edu
The
San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park is located at
the west end of Fisherman's Wharf. This park includes the Aquatic park,
the Hyde Street Pier, the Maritime museum, and the Maritime Library.
Website:
www.nps.gov/safr
SBC Park is located in the
China Basin area of San Francisco, not far from where the Bay Bridge
leaves land on its run across the water to the East Bay. This park is
the "new" home of the San Francisco Giants Baseball team. Its
got a great baseball feeling reminiscent of the historic baseball parks.
Its a "classic" park and its not even a few years old yet! It
is an intimate park - certainly much smaller than Candlestick Park. This
park is situated right next to the Bay, and often during games kayakers
and boats will float in a part of the Bay called McCovey cove waiting
for the rare times that a baseball will be hit out of the ballpark into
the water. Website: www.sbcpark.com
Hyde Street Pier displays several ships dating from the late 19th
century. The Maritime Museum displays the history of ship transportation
from the 1800's. The Maritime Library contains over 250,000 historic
photographs, documents, and maritime literature. The library is open to
the public from Wednesday through Saturday from 1pm until 5pm.
The
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) is located at 151
Third Street. Their old location was near the Civic Center. This art
museum has an extensive display of paintings and sculpture from the 20th
century. There is also a photography exhibit. They are open among other
times, from Tuesday through Sunday from 11am until 6pm. General
admission is $12.50. Students (with valid ID and seniors over age of 62
are given special discounts). FREE the first Tuesday of every month! For
more information call PHONE NUMBER (415) 357-4000 or visit their
website: www.sfmoma.org
The
San Francisco Zoo is well worth a trip with the family. There
is a large display of mammals here and other creatures. There is a large
gorilla pen with many viewing spots along the railing surrounding the
enclosure. I enjoy sitting and watching these amazing creatures play.
When I was there a small gorilla had been born and was causing a lot of
trouble with the other gorillas. There are well labeled cement pathways
wondering around the pens of the creatures. The lion and tiger exhibit
is particularly impressive. There is a large snack bar at the entrance
which serves food that is a bit expensive. The zoo is located south west
of downtown right next to the ocean. Parking can be a bit tight but I
have always been able to get spaces if I wander around the block several
times. There are usually people leaving. The zoo is open daily from 10am
until 5pm. General admission is $7. Those over 64 and between the ages
of 12 to 15 are $3.50. Kids between the ages of 5 to 11 are $1.50. For
more information call PHONE NUMBER (415) 753-7080. Website:
www.sfzoo.org
The
Underwater World is one of San Francisco's newer
attractions. This aquatic museum is located at Pier 39. The main feature
in this museum is the long cylindrical glass tunnel. You can walk
through this tunnel and watch fish swim all around you. There are also
other aquatic tanks. Allow at least one hour to absorb everything. They
are open daily from 10am until 8:30pm. General admission is $13.50.
Those over the age of 64 and those between the ages of 3 to 11 are
$6.75. Paid parking is $5 per hour. For more information call PHONE
NUMBER (415) 623-5300.
Union Square is considered the heart of San Francisco's Shopping
District. Its a "square block" that is surrounded by many huge
and popular shopping stores (Banana Republic, Macy's, Louis Vutton etc) as well as restaurants and fancy hotels.
Union Square underwent a complete makeover in the early part of this
century - it always has been and
it still is a great place to sit and people watch. There is a parking
garage underneath the main square. Website:
www.unionsquareshop.com
The
Wax Museum is located at 145 Jefferson Street not too far
from the Ripley museum. This is one of my favorite museums. Many many
personalities are present in this museum. Most are very life like. You
can view world leaders, film stars, and sports stars among many others.
Some figures are historical. The Chamber of Horrors is very realistic
and gruesome. Allow at least one hour. They are open daily from May
through October from 9am until 11:30pm and then the rest of the year
they are open until 10pm. Visit their website for the latest hours and
pricing:
www.waxmuseum.com
