What to do in San Francisco

[dinghy]

My friends decided it would be fun to take the train there and do stuff. But we haven't decided what that stuff is yet. What should we do in San Francisco?* I've been to Haight-Ashbury music store and it's well stocked but everything is overpriced and you have to get a clerk to let you play something. Theres also a giant mall over there that's 7 or so stories tall. But what else?

*I am not gay, so dont even try to make those jokes because I beat you to it.

[JacoLesFlea]

I had family that lived in San Fran....this was always fun:

http://www.fishermanswharf.org

[justBrian]

We always go to the Farmer's Market over by the Ferry building, then walk up to the City Lights Book Store. From we usually head up the hill to Molinari's Deli (I think that's the name of it)--we get sandwiches and drinks to go and head down to the park across from Peter and Paul's Cathedral. After lunch it's a great walk up to Coit Tower, and from there down to Pier 39 for a couple of cold ones before the walk back to the Ferry. It's always a great day.

[Coelho]

Hi,
First, I moved from SF to NYC in 2001. Went there once again in 2003, so things may have changed...

if interested in music stores, you can go to San Raphael (short drive from San Francisco) - http://www.bananasmusic.com/

Near Haight-Ashbury you have the park, they used to have a earthquake simulator there.

Sometimes there is that crazy guy balancing rocks under the golden gate bridge or in sausalito: http://www.rock-on-rock-on.com/

[Benjamin Strange]

First off, the guys over at Haight Ashbury will make you a deal on anything - they're actually pretty cool as long as you're not a street urchin.

It's fleet week in San Francisco - head down to the bay and check out the giant Navy ships, and catch the Blue Angels performing their death defying routines. Pretty sweet.

Come to the Castro and get yourself some sweet stuff at Hot Cookie - some of the best chocolate balls I've ever put in my mouth. Go have a picnic in Alamo Square, grab a beer at Vesuvios, eat a pizza at Escape from New York, climb Coit Tower, bicycle across the Golden Gate bridge... there's a ridiculous amount of stuff to do here.

Avoid Fisherman's Wharf - it's a tourist trap.

[JansenW]

If you going by Haight-Ashbury by Golden Gate Partk, you might want to visit the De Young Museum or the newly renovated California Academy of Sciences which reopened a couple of weeks ago.

[Unrepresented]

Originally Posted by JansenW

If you going by Haight-Ashbury by Golden Gate Partk, you might want to visit the De Young Museum or the newly renovated California Academy of Sciences which reopened a couple of weeks ago.

Was as Golden Gate Park last month and the Steinhardt aquarium was still closed. It's due to reopen soon though, right?

I always just hoof it around there and expose myself to the wonders. Walking tour is my prefered travel mode.

[bongomania]

Avoid Fisherman's Wharf, and avoid people who recommend it. The real deal: Go to the Mission neighborhood, primarily Mission and Valencia streets from 15th to 26th (or higher/farther out if you want a real adventure). Hang out, eat tamales, go to Balazo Gallery for punk rock and punk art, play chess with Cubans at Cafe La Boheme, see some experimental music at The Lab, buy some bulk raw fermented cacao nibs at Rainbow, make a day of it.

[MAJOR METAL]

I best make this trip soon.

[MJ5150]

The Westfield shopping mall right in downtown is probably the one you are talking about. I've been there, that place is killer.

I like the crooked street.

-Mike

[Snakeman1066]

Hello!!!! China Town (Grant Avenue some of the coolest and oddest shops ever), Alcatraz, The SF Zoo (1 Zoo Road next to the ocean), the Japanese Cultural Center (Sutter Street) Sushi Bune ! (Best on the planet! Geary Street) Ghirardelli Square (North Point St.) Lots of food, wine bars, shops, street musicians etc.... Telegraph Hill, Palace of Fine Arts, Golden gate park

The famous crooked street Lombard St.

Lots to do in San Fran!

[jazzbo]

Bars: Toronado, Alembic, The Phoenix, R Bar, Edinburgh Castle, Fly, 21st Ammendment, Rogue Brewery, Magnolia

Restaurats: Slanted Door, Saha, Boulevard, Aqua, Millennium, Greens, Presidio Social Club, Fish and Farm, Tsunami, Boogaloo's, Pork Store, Kan Zaman, Brick, Sri Thai, Park Chalet, Medjool, Esperpento, Enrico's, Rose Pistola, Zazie, Carnelian Room

Clubs: Jazz at Pearls, Boom Boom Room, Fillmore, Amnesia, Eastside West, Red Devil Lounge, Edinburgh, Rassela's

Sites and ToDo: Academy of Science, DeYoung, Asian Art Museum, Coit Tower, Ferry Building, Mission District, Lombard St., Golden Gate Park, Duboce Park, Davies Symphony Hall, War Memorial Opera House, GoKar, Crissy Field, Marina, Revolution Cafe ....

Much more that I can't think of right now.

[Bob Lee (QSC)]

I just returned from there. Great city! The new Academy of Sciences (in Golden Gate Park--you can take the 21 bus, get off at Fulton & 8th Ave, walk into the park to Concourse Drive) reopened a couple weeks ago after a 10-year renovation. It's quite good, with a new indoor rain forest and an aquarium section. To avoid the long ticket office lines, buy your ticket(s) online if you have a printer available, or buy them at the kiosks out by the sidewalk in front of the building, using a credit or debit card. Golden Gate Park is a nice walk, and the Japanese Tea Garden (next to the DeYoung Museum) is a very pacifying place to stroll around.

Down at Pier 45 is a WWII diesel sub, the USS Pampanito (I have a real fascination with submarines). It's $9 to tour.

There are a lot of great restaurants. The Fog City Diner, on Battery St at the Embarcadero, is one of my favorites.

Ghirardelli Square may be a big tourist trap, but the Ghirardelli Ice Cream Shop make the absolutely most awesomest chocolate sodas. Brave the tourists and see for yourself.

The Exploratorium is a hands-on science museum at the Palace of Fine Arts at the eastern edge of the Presidio. I love stuff like that.

[Marcus Johnson]

It's weird.... I've been there a million times, and I completely agree with Bongo that the Wharf is a disgusting maze of cheap t-shirt shops. Yet I seem to always find myself down there at some point, usually because some newbie is along and wants to check it out. The good part is that you can gorge on beer and dungeness crab at a bunch of places right on the sidewalk, and that makes it okay. Relatively. If you do go there, watch out for the Bushman.

But there are a lot of great suggestions here. I always really look forward to popping into SF for a gig. One of the greatest cities in the world.

[SelenaBassGirl]

gawd I miss the Bay area!

[GeneralElectric]

Originally Posted by bongomania

Avoid Fisherman's Wharf, and avoid people who recommend it. The real deal: Go to the Mission neighborhood, primarily Mission and Valencia streets from 15th to 26th (or higher/farther out if you want a real adventure). Hang out, eat tamales, go to Balazo Gallery for punk rock and punk art, play chess with Cubans at Cafe La Boheme, see some experimental music at The Lab, buy some bulk raw fermented cacao nibs at Rainbow, make a day of it.

When I lived in SF I used to smoke and watch Sea Lions all day.

[doctorjazz]

Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair?

Can't believe nobody got to that yet.

[kserg]

Originally Posted by Coelho

if interested in music stores, you can go to San Raphael (short drive from San Francisco) - http://www.bananasmusic.com/

San Rafael


Plus you get to see where i grew up.


Marin county is awesome, Great view of the city from there too...


Great weather in the city too right now, went to 9ers game, it was so nice...

[dinghy]

I went and we first went to Haight but we didn't go in the music store because I wasn't with musicians. Walked around and went in a skate shop, then a few clothing stores, then into Amoeba Records. They had some cool stuff there but I get my music through other means. I thought it might be cool to buy an LP just to have one because they were only $2 for most of them, but eh.

We walked through a park and listened to some guitarists there, then took a bus to market street. Went through the Westfield mall and a bunch of other shops and ended up with a hoodie. We ate in the food court but accidentally picked the most expensive food and payed $20 for lunch (at some grocerystorelike deli place). Took the Bart back and went again today!

On the way there, we saw some people filming a movie on the bart. It included transvestites and lesbian scenes. Interesting.

Mostly stayed around Westfield mall again and the Metreon, but got kicked out of a couple stores because apparently it's a monday and we should be in school? IDK about other places but my school has today off. Today I ate a meal for 4.75 instead and got pizza and soda from Blondie's. Most of the time we were aimlessly wandering into stores that looked interesting, but didn't really buy anything.

Oh but while I was eating some lady came up to me and guilt tripped me into giving money to starving kids. Eventually she got a whole buck out of me. My friend was making fun of me for it and then a hobo comes up and asks him for a buck and has a story about how he's already got 5 out of 6$ for a burrito. Eventually he gets a buck out of my friend too. Now my other friend is laughing at both of us.

[GeneralElectric]

Go to Subway Guitars if you feel like traveling a little more to Berkley.