San Francisco

San Francisco is a major city in California, the centerpiece of the Bay Area, well-known for its liberal community, hilly terrain, Victorian architecture, scenic beauty, summer fog, and great ethnic and cultural diversity. These are only a few of the aspects of the city that make San Francisco one of the most visited cities in the world.

San Francisco is located on a small seven-by-seven mile (11x11km) square of land at the tip of a peninsula between the San Francisco Bay and the Pacific coast. It has a population of almost 800,000, but is the center of a metropolitan area of millions. San Francisco is just one of the cities which makes up the entire San Francisco Bay Area. San Francisco's neighbors, cities and towns to the east of the Bay Bridge, north of the Golden Gate Bridge, and south of the city are all in separate counties, each with their own city government and local public transportation systems.

Understand

History

Prior to European settlement in the area, the peninsula that now contains San Francisco was home to the Yelamu tribe, who were part of the larger Ohlone language group which stretched south from the Bay Area to the Big Sur of California. Due to San Francisco's characteristic foggy weather, the earliest European explorers completely bypassed the Golden Gate and the San Francisco Bay.

The first European settlement in the area was founded by the Spaniards in 1776 as a mission community surrounding the Mission San Francisco de Asís, in what is today called the Mission Dolores in the Mission District. In addition to the mission, a military fort was built near the Golden Gate: the Presidio.

Upon gaining independence from Spain in 1821, the area became part of Mexico. Under Mexican rule, the mission system gradually came to an end and private ownership of land became a possibility. In 1835, an Englishman named William Richardson founded the town of Yerba Buena, the first significant settlement on the peninsula outside of the Mission Dolores area. As the new settlement gradually grew, Yerba Buena developed a street plan and became attractive to settlers.

In 1846, the United States claimed California, and in July of that year, the U.S. Navy arrived to raise the American flag above Yerba Buena. Over the next couple of years, California officially became part of the United States following the Mexican-American War, and the name of the town was changed from Yerba Buena to San Francisco.

With the California Gold Rush of 1848, San Francisco began to explode in population. Waves of immigrants came to the city to seek their fortunes, including large numbers of Chinese immigrants, forming one of the largest Chinese populations outside of Asia. During this time, many major businesses were created and flourished in San Francisco, and famous (and infamous) personalities settled in the city. Of course, with all this success came problems: the rapid growth of the city outstripped any efforts at city planning, meaning proper sanitation and infrastructure were largely undeveloped, which led to a cholera outbreak in 1855. Violence and corruption were evident, and anti-immigrant violence resulted in many race riots.

In the 1890's, there was a large campaign to modernize and beautify the city, the success of which led some officials to proudly call San Francisco the "Paris of the West." But in 1906, a devastating earthquake shook the city and a resulting fire leveled much of the city (in fact, almost 90% of the total damage was from the fire, and not the quake itself). Nevertheless, officials at the time immediately set out on a plan to rebuild the city, with new parks, boulevards, the current civic center complex, and landmarks such as the Coit Tower atop Telegraph Hill. In 1915, San Francisco hosted the Panama-Pacific Exposition (where the Palace of Fine Arts complex is currently located) to showcase the completely rebuilt city.

In the wake of the Great Depression of the 1930's, San Francisco remained largely unscathed. In fact, it was during this time that the Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay Bridge were conceived and built. It was also during this time that the Federal Government established a prison on Alcatraz Island, which would hold some of the most notorious criminals of the era.

After World War II, San Francisco continued to grow in population. Urban planning projects at the time led to more highrises downtown (including the Transamerica Pyramid) and the destruction of many neighborhoods to build freeways (many of which were later torn down after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake). In the same period, San Francisco became a center of counterculture and the hippie movement, contributing to San Francisco's liberal outlook. San Francisco also became a center for homosexuals during this time, leading to the development of gay neighborhoods like the Castro.

More recently, San Francisco has experienced a boom in business. Despite falling victim to the dot-com bubble burst in the 1990s, the city's economy largely recovered and gentrification of neighborhoods like SoMa continues.

Today San Francisco is known for its liberal outlook and remains one of America's top tourist destinations. Tourism is the city's largest industry.

Climate

San Francisco has a mild climate, with wet, mild winters and dry summers. In most months, you can expect the high temperature to be in the 60s or 70s degrees Fahrenheit (between 15 and 25 degrees Celsius). However, these mild temperature readings belie a unique climate not shared by other major cities in the state or country.

Summer days usually start out under fog, slowly burning off towards the ocean into a sunny albeit windy afternoon. Precipitation during the summer months is so rare that it's a news event when it happens and humidity is also very low, making for very comfortable daytime weather. At night, however, the fog and wind returns and people generally find themselves needing a jacket.

In the winter, there is rarely any fog but sometimes heavy rain, or at least some cloud cover. That being said, your odds for a calm, windless sunny day are actually higher in the winter than the summer, although of course overall temperatures are lower.

Spring and Fall are not so much seasons in themselves but rather quick transition periods with some days resembling summer patterns and others the winter. Fall in particular is a good time to visit because the summer wind & fog has mostly gone but the rainy season has not yet started.

Within these general rules, San Francisco also has a series of microclimates created by the city's sharp topography. For instance, there is more fog on the western side of the city, closer to the ocean. There can also be large variances in rainfall between different parts of the city thanks to the tall hills in the center of the peninsula (generally with more rain taking place on the western side, while the eastern side experiences more sunlight).

Literature

San Francisco literature finds its roots in the city's long and often tumultuous history, its diversity, and its attraction to eclectic characters; the city was a major center for the Beat poetry movement and seems to also hold an uncanny attraction for science fiction writers. Among the most famous works set in San Francisco:

• Jack Kerouac spent a lot of time in San Francisco, and portions of two of his most influential works are set here: On the Road and The Dharma Bums. Both are accounts of Kerouac examining his place in the universe; the first a tale of a man traveling the country, the second a story of someone looking for the simple life.

• The Maltese Falcon, Dashiell Hammett. A gripping detective novel set in San Francisco that would come to define the private detective genre. The novel follows private eye Sam Spade as he tries to retrieve a valuable bird figurine, and has been adapted into film twice, including one where Spade was played by none other than Humphrey Bogart.

• Tales of the City, Armistead Maupin. A famous series which offers an excellent look into 1970's San Francisco, particularly the city's counter culture and alternative lifestyles.

• Philip K. Dick spent much of his life in the San Francisco area, and among his novels set here are Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, set in a post-apocalyptic near future where androids serve humankind and bounty hunters are called in to "retire" androids that become too independent, and The Man in the High Castle, an alternate universe novel where Japan and Germany won World War II.

• The Bridge trilogy (Virtual Light, Idoru, and All Tomorrow's Parties), William Gibson. Set in a futuristic San Francisco following a massive earthquake, in which the city has been rebuilt using nanotechnology and a race is on to control the new cyberspace technology.

• Altered Carbon, Richard K. Morgan. Also set in a futuristic San Francisco, where human personalities can be stored digitally and downloaded into new bodies.

• The Crying of Lot 49, Thomas Pynchon. A renowned novel which follows a woman who sinks into paranoia as she attempts to unravel a worldwide conspiracy.

• The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan. A story of four Chinese American immigrant families who start a club and spend their time playing the Chinese game of Mahjong and tell of their struggles in traveling to America.

• The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, Tom Wolfe. A nonfictional account which perfectly captures the Hippie movement, following a band of psychedelic drug users across the country in their painted school bus.

• Barbary Coast, Herbert Asbury. For a nonfictional work on the tumultuous early history of San Francisco, this is an excellent choice.

Movies

San Francisco has been the backdrop for many films, due in part to the Bay Area's vibrant filmmaking community and the city's proximity to Hollywood. The production companies of George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola, along with the animation company Pixar are just a few of the big players who call the San Francisco area home. Among the better films set in San Francisco:

• Vertigo (Alfred Hitchcock, 1958). While it's not the only Hitchcock film set in San Francisco (portions of The Birds are set here), Vertigo really packs in a lot the city, following a private investigator who suffers from acrophobia as he uncovers the mystery of one woman's peculiar behavior and travels from one San Francisco landmark to the next.

• Bullitt (Peter Yates, 1968). A very popular crime thriller featuring one of the best car chase scenes in the history of cinema.

• 48 Hrs. (Walter Hill, 1982). Often credited with starting the buddy-cop genre, this flick follows a hot-headed cop who has to team up with a wisecracking convict in order to find two cop killers in the crime-ridden underworld of San Francisco.

• Dirty Harry (Don Siegel, 1971). Another cop film set in San Francisco (in addition, all but one of the sequels were also set here), starring Clint Eastwood chasing down sadistic killers and asking people if they feel lucky. Well do they, punk?

• A View to a Kill (John Glen, 1985). The 14th 007 film was partially set here, with Bond going up against a genetic superman bent on destroying Silicon Valley with a double earthquake.

• Psych-Out (Richard Rush, 1968). An incredibly trippy film with psychedelic music (including an appearance from none other than Strawberry Alarm Clock), recreational drugs, and Haight-Ashbury — Hippies aplenty in this one.

• Invasion of the Body Snatchers (Philip Kaufman, 1978). Emotionless drones impersonating people and hatched from pods take over San Francisco in this classic science fiction flick.

• A whole host of great films have been set at Alcatraz; among them are Escape from Alcatraz (Don Siegel, 1979), Birdman of Alcatraz (John Frankenheimer, 1962), and the very influential Point Blank (John Boorman, 1967).

• Chan Is Missing (Wayne Wang, 1982). Illustrating the problems experienced by Chinese-Americans, this film tells the story of two taxi drivers searching Chinatown for a man who ran off with their money.

• Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (Leonard Nimoy, 1986). In the 23rd century, San Francisco is the home of Starfleet Command and humpback whales have long been extinct. In this installment of the popular franchise, Kirk, Spock, and the rest of the crew have to time travel to a more contemporary San Francisco to bring back a couple of whales and save Earth.

• Milk (Gus Van Sant, 2008). A recent biopic on the life of Harvey Milk, former City Supervisor and the first openly gay man to be elected to public office; this story still holds sway for many San Franciscans, given the city's role in the ongoing homosexual rights movement.

Tourist Information

San Francisco's visitor information centers offer maps, brochures and other information for tourists.

• San Francisco Visitor Information Center , +1 415 391-2000, May through October: M-F 9AM-5PM, Sa-Su and holidays 9AM-3PM. November through April: M-F 9AM-5PM, Sa and holidays 9AM-3PM. Closed Easter, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day, 900 Market Street, next to the Cable Car turnaround at Market & Powell, Visitor Center run by the San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau.

• California Welcome Center , +1 415 981-1280, +1 415 981-1280, Pier 39, Building P, Second Level, One of several California Welcome Centers across the state.

Getting there

By plane

San Francisco Bay Area Airports

• San Francisco International, +1 800 435-9736, (IATA : SFO) located about 10 mi (16 km) south of the city is a major international airport, one of the largest in the world and has numerous passenger amenities including a wide range of food and drink establishments, shopping, baggage storage, public showers, a medical clinic, and assistance for lost or stranded travelers and military personnel.

• Oakland International, +1 510 563-3300, (IATA : OAK) in the East Bay provides service to numerous destinations in the United States as well as Mexico. It is a major hub for Southwest airlines.

• Norman Y.Mineta San Jose International, +1 408 277-4759, (IATA : SJC) in Silicon Valley, about 1 hour south of San Francisco attracts Bay Area residents who find SFO to be inconveniently distant from their homes. Only Mexicana Airlines operates international flights from here.

Oakland and San Jose tend to offer more discount airline flights, while San Francisco Airport attracts more international flights and can be more convenient for those staying in the city. Private pilots should consider Oakland (ICAO : KOAK) rather than SFO, as the separate general aviation field there is more accommodating to light aircraft.

Public Airport Transportation

San Francisco and Oakland Airports are connected to downtown SF by the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system (Oakland Airport indirectly through an AirBART shuttle buses). Although convenient, BART is showing its age, with loud screeching noises in certain track sections due to resonance effects.

Passengers arriving in SFO can walk (5 minutes from United's domestic terminal) or take a free airport shuttle (AirTrain) to the BART station (which is adjacent to the G side of the International Terminal). The BART ride from SFO to San Francisco costs about $8 one-way and runs frequently, every 15 or 20 minutes depending on the time of day. BART trains run through San Bruno, South San Francisco, Colma, Daly City before reaching the city of San Francisco, from where the SF MUNI can take travelers anywhere in the city.

From Oakland Airport, passengers take a 10-15 min "AirBart" bus ride to the BART station; the cost is $3 for adults ($1 for seniors/children) exact change only; the bus runs every 10 minutes during the day. BART trains from there run directly to San Francisco and cost about $4.00.

The San Jose airport is served by a free shuttle to both VTA Light Rail and Caltrain called the Airport Flyer — VTA Route #10 . Passengers arriving in San Jose can use Caltrain to reach San Francisco directly (this costs $7.50 one-way). Caltrain also links with the BART system at the Millbrae intermodal station. Be aware that public transportation within the South Bay is not as developed as around San Francisco. Also, when riding Caltrain, be sure to buy your ticket at the automated station kiosks before boarding, as they are not sold on the trains.

Private Airport Transportation

Taxis are considerably more expensive than the public transportation options. A taxi from SFO to the city can easily cost more than $40, and over $60 from OAK. Taxi and van prices from San Jose to San Francisco are significantly higher. Shared vans will cost around $14. If you plan to drive from a car rental area near the SFO airport to downtown San Francisco, you can take the 101 freeway. When returning a rental car to SFO, remember to take the rental car exit, otherwise you will have to wind your way slowly back to the rental car center.

By train

Amtrak, +1 800 872-7245, serves the Bay Area with long-distance and intercity trains. San Francisco's long distance station is across the bay, outside city limits. Passengers arrive in Emeryville or Oakland's Jack London Square Station in the East Bay and may take an Amtrak California Thruway bus over the Bay Bridge to San Francisco's Amtrak stop at 101 The Embarcadero (near the Ferry Building) and usually several other downtown destinations (note that Amtrak passengers are not subjected to any extra charge for the bus). Travelers on some shorter distance Amtrak routes can also transfer to BART trains at the Richmond or Oakland Coliseum stations (see below). Alternatively, riders approaching the Bay Area from the south may transfer to Caltrain at San Jose's Diridon Station for a direct ride to Fourth and King Streets in San Francisco.

Amtrak routes serving the Bay Area are:

• The California Zephyr runs daily between Chicago and Emeryville with connections to/from the east coast.

• The Coast Starlight runs daily between Seattle, Portland, Emeryville, and Los Angeles. To reach San Francisco, either transfer to Caltrain in San Jose or to the Amtrak bus in Emeryville.

• The Capitol Corridor runs 16 times daily (11 on weekends and holidays) between Sacramento and Emeryville, with some trains also serving San Jose. Caltrain (see below) is the best bet to get between San Jose and San Francisco, but the most convenient transfer to San Francisco is via the Amtrak bus at Emeryville or to BART at either the Richmond station north of Emeryville or the Oakland Coliseum station for trains continuing south of Emeryville. Discount BART tickets can be purchased in the cafe car.

• The San Joaquins runs 4 times daily between Bakersfield, Stockton and Emeryville. Travelers on the San Joaquins can continue on to San Francisco via the Amtrak bus at Emeryville or by transferring to the BART at the Richmond station. Discount BART tickets can be purchased in the cafe car.

There are two regional rail systems which serve San Francisco:

Caltrain, +1 510 817-1717, operates a regional rail service from San Jose to its San Francisco terminal at Fourth and King. The service also runs between San Jose and Gilroy during rush hour. Caltrain is very useful for travel between San Francisco and cities of the Peninsula, Silicon Valley or South Bay. On weekdays Caltrain provides two trains per hour for most of the day but run more during commute hours, including "Baby Bullet" limited services that cruise between San Francisco and San Jose in 57 minutes; on weekends and public holidays trains run hourly, except that after 10PM only one train runs, leaving at midnight. The 4th & King terminal is served by Muni Metro (see 'Get around' below) giving connections to the rest of the city. Fares vary depending on how far you go. Tickets must be purchased before boarding the train from ticket vending machines at any of the stations or from ticket clerks at staffed stations. Tickets are checked on the trains and anyone found without a ticket is liable to a substantial fine. Cyclists should use the designated car at the northern end of the train, and be aware that bike space is often limited during commute hours.

Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), +1 415 989-2278, provides a regional frequent rail service connecting much of the East Bay and Contra Costa County with San Francisco and the San Francisco Airport through the Transbay Tube, a tunnel underneath San Francisco Bay. BART operates five routes, of which four reach San Francisco; there are three or four trains per hour on each route. In the East Bay and outer parts of San Francisco BART runs mostly on elevated track; in downtown San Francisco it runs in a subway under Market Street, and several underground stations provide easy access to downtown areas and simple transfers to the Muni Metro subway. BART also meets Caltrain at Millbrae. Bicycles are allowed on BART except between stations designated in the schedule brochure during commute hours. Fares vary depending with distance traveled, and start at $1.40 for trips within the city. You will need to insert your ticket into barriers when entering and exiting the system. Tickets hold a balance, deducting the appropriate price for each trip, so someone who plans to use the system several times can buy a $10 or $20 ticket and not worry about fares until the card is used up. Note that the BART vending machines accept any credit card only twice within any 24 hour period.

By bus

• Greyhound, +1 800 231-2222, has frequent intercity service from San Francisco's beautiful but decaying Transbay Terminal at First and Mission streets.

• Xe Do Hoang, +1 888 834-9336, offers service between Los Angeles and the Bay Area.

Several regional bus systems serve San Francisco from the immediate suburbs:

• AC Transit, +1 510 891-4700, from Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda, and other East Bay cities.

• samTrans, +1 510 817-1717, from San Mateo County.

• Golden Gate Transit, +1 415 455-2000, from Sonoma and Marin counties.

• WestCAT, +1 510 724-7993, from Contra Costa County.

• Vallejo Baylink, +1 707 643-3779, (in conjunction with BayLink Ferry) from Vallejo.

By boat

In many ways a boat is the ideal way to approach San Francisco. The city's spectacular skyline is best appreciated from the water, and from the deck of a boat the bay and its bridges and islands can be viewed as a whole. Cruise ships and private yachts are regular visitors to San Francisco, and passenger ferries regularly link other Bay Area cities to San Francisco.

Ferries run to San Francisco from Larkspur, Sausalito and Tiburon in Marin County, from Vallejo in Solano County and from Alameda and Oakland in the East Bay. In San Francisco, the ferries dock at one or both of the city's two piers at Fisherman's Wharf and the Ferry Building, the later of which is a very short walk from the Amtrak San Francisco bus stop as well as Embarcadero Station, where the BART and Muni trains stop, and the stop for the historic streetcars that run above ground down Market Street. For more information on boat connections:

• Golden Gate Ferries, +1 415 455-2000 . Serving Larkspur and Sausalito.

• Blue and Gold Fleet, +1 415 705-8200 . Serving Alameda, Angel Island, Oakland, Sausalito, Tiburon and Vallejo.

• BayLink Ferry, +1 877 643-3779 . Serving Vallejo.

• Alameda Oakland Ferry, +1 510 522-3300 . Serving Alameda and Oakland.

• Harbor Bay Ferry, +1 510 769-5500 . Serving (a different location in) Alameda.

By car

There are four major highway approaches to San Francisco. US 101 comes up the eastern side of the SF peninsula and is the most direct route from the south, although it often backs up with traffic. Interstate 280 is a more scenic route into the city from the same direction, but with poorer connections than 101. Interstate 80 approaches the city from the east over the San Francisco Bay Bridge. From the north, US 101 takes you over the Golden Gate Bridge.

Traveling around

Navigating

Cross streets. As San Francisco streets are numbered (100 per block) from the beginning of the street, and even and odd numbers are always on opposite sides, it is best when asking directions to ask for a cross street or neighborhood name. For instance, if you are at the intersection of Haight Street and Clayton Street, and you ask the driver of the 33 Stanyan bus "Does this bus go to Market Street?" it will get you a yes, but the bus won't get you downtown, it will get you south from that intersection to Market and 18th in the Castro district.

Numbered streets and avenues. San Francisco has both numbered streets, in the Mission, the Castro, and SoMa, and numbered avenues in the largely residential Sunset and Richmond districts. Mixing numbered streets and avenues when asking directions may leave you miles from your destination. This can be confusing, as San Franciscans will not say "Street" or "Avenue" unless it is required to avoid ambiguity. Thus, they won't say "I live on Fifth Avenue," but will say "I live near Fifth and Geary." Street signs generally don't have "Street" or "Avenue" either; they just say "GEARY" or "MASONIC".

Multiple street grids. One of the most confusing aspects of driving in San Francisco is the presence of multiple street grids, particularly in the downtown area where two grids intersect at an angle along Market Street. Even more confusing are streets in the middle of the standard blocks, like New Montgomery Street.

No left turns. Several key San Francisco arterial streets, including 19th Avenue and Market Street, do not have space for dedicated left turn lanes and therefore bear NO LEFT TURN signs at most intersections. As a result, you will be frustrated when you drive for miles on these streets with no opportunity to turn left. The trick, of course, is to go around the block with multiple right turns after passing one's desired street, which requires you to stay in the right lane, not the left lane.

On foot

Walking can be an enticing option to get from one neighborhood to another, so long as you are aware of where you are and keep your street smarts-- San Francisco is a city of friendly neighborhoods, but it is also a big city -- be aware of your surroundings and keep in mind the dangers that commonly accompany a city of San Francisco's size. Streets which often go straight up and down hills may make driving difficult, but make for breathtaking views (as well as good exercise) for the pedestrian. There are many stairway walks scattered throughout the city when the streets are too steep. You can find maps that include hiking trails, bikeways, and the grade pitch of all streets marked in varying colors by how steep each segment is, that can help you orient to city walks suitable to your ability and temperament, such as the downloadable map issued by the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition . Note that locals rarely use the designations "street" or "avenue," even when differentiating the numbered streets and avenues. Numbered roads designated "Street" are located south of Market in Downtown, Castro, Noe Valley, and Mission. Numbered roads designated "Avenue" put you in the Richmond and Sunset districts.

By public transit

San Francisco has one of the most comprehensive public transportation systems in the United States; in fact, the Travel and Leisure Website has ranked San Francisco as having the best public transit in the country. Transport services within San Francisco are provided by several bodies; they are separate organizations and although they have many interchange stations, tickets are not normally transferable across the systems (except for monthly or longer period passes). The major transit systems are:

• Muni — streetcars, metro, buses and cable cars within San Francisco city.

• BART — regional rail services across the Bay Area.

• Caltrain — regional rail services to San José.

San Francisco Municipal Railway or Muni, +1 415 701-2311, runs a network of local transport that covers most areas of touristic interest well. An all day Muni passport good on all Muni services, including Cable Cars, costs $13. Other passports and passes are available for longer periods: a 3-day pass costs $20, while a 7 day pass costs $26. The passports come in the form of scratch cards; be sure to scratch off the appropriate dates before using.

Passports, as well as maps of the public transport system, can be purchased from the information booths at the San Francisco airport, the Cable Car ticket booth at Market and Powell, and many other locations. Monthly "FastPasses" can be a good investment, especially for those under 18 and over 65. They are $15 for youth and seniors and $70 for adults and offer unlimited rides on the entire system.

A portable wallet-sized map of San Francisco, called PocketBay, and all its public transit (MUNI, BART, Caltrain) is also available at stores around the city or through their website online . Nearly all of the city's bus stops also have posted copies of this map with the location of the stop marked, a godsend for lost pedestrians.

90 minutes of travel on the Muni system (Metro, F-line streetcar, buses) costs $2 ($0.75 for youth 5-17, disabled, and seniors 65+); be sure to get and keep a transfer ticket when you pay for your first ride; Muni inspectors may demand it at any time as proof of payment. Cable Cars are not included in these transfers and cost $5 per ride (one way, no transfers), or $11 per day. Before 7AM and after 9PM, seniors and disabled pay $1 for cable car rides. Muni Passports and FastPasses greatly reduce this cost, including cable cars in the regular daily, weekly or monthly fares. Payment must be made using exact fare — at Muni Metro stations, insert coins into the barriers to enter. Note that many Muni stations do not have change machines, and some change machines only issue $5 bills instead of the coins required for travel. Muni station staff do not give change.

You can plan your Muni travel online . Muni arrival times are also available online for many lines at NextMuni . An unofficial site is RescueMuni.com , which often has information on routes that are not listed officially.

Muni consists of:

• Muni Metro (Lines J, K, L, M, N, S and T) is a modern light rail and subway system. It connects many southern San Francisco neighborhoods to downtown, where you can transfer to BART's four downtown stations and the Caltrain terminus at 4th and King. Tickets can be purchased from ticket vending machines before boarding; if the stop does not have such a machine and you do not have a ticket, you must board through the front door and buy one from the driver or risk being fined by a fare inspector. MUNI Metro operates seven days a week from 4:30AM to 1:30AM. Between 1:30AM and 5AM, OWL Bus Lines service the entire Metro System.

• The Historic Streetcar F Line uses historic streetcars, in original colors from several cities in the US and Milan, Italy. The line runs from Fisherman's Wharf south along the waterfront Embarcadero to the ferry building at the foot of Market Street, then up Market Street on the surface to the Castro district. Board through the front door and buy tickets from the driver if you do not already have a transfer or pass.

• The world-famous Cable Cars run on three lines in the steep streets between Market Street and Fisherman's Wharf: the north-south Powell-Mason and Powell-Hyde lines and the east-west California Street line. These cars are a fun ride, especially if you get to stand on the running board, if a bit impractical for everyday use (though residents of Nob and Russian Hills do, in fact, use them on a daily basis). The cable car is such an attraction that, especially on weekends, it takes longer to wait in line to ride up Powell Street than it does to walk the short but sloping distance. Board through any door or just grab a pole on the running boards; tickets are checked and sold by a uniformed conductor. Do not buy tickets from anyone off the car except for clearly marked ticket booths — scam artists are common.

• Both diesel and electric buses serve the rest of city. Board through the front door and buy tickets from or show your pass or transfer to the driver. Service ranges from a consistent two minutes on many lines leaving Market, to a more sporadic 20 minutes for buses to Treasure Island and between outlying neighborhoods. Bus delays, leading to waits of 20 to 30 minutes, are not uncommon and are a source of much grousing among locals. MUNI operates the bus service 24 hours day / seven days a week in San Francisco although late night owl service is limited in both lines and stops.

Other public transportation options include:

• BART, the regional metro, has eight stations in San Francisco, making it a nice way to get between well-trafficked parts of the city, especially downtown and the Mission. BART gets you across the Bay to Berkeley and Oakland and to the airports of San Francisco and Oakland. BART Trains run on 172 km (107 miles) of track, servicing 46 metro style stations. BART Trains operate on third rail power and accelerate to speeds approaching 130 km/h (80 MPH). BART operates seven days a week from 4AM to 12:30AM. On weekdays BART trains depart downtown San Francisco stations at two to three minute intervals. Outer stations in far outlying suburbs have a maximum wait of fifteen to twenty minutes between BART Trains. After 12:30AM, AC Transit and other east bay transit providers provide overnight bus service, serving principal BART stations until about 6AM. Train routes are named for the two terminus cities, not for the line color as denoted on the system map. For more information on BART, see the 'Get in' section above.

• Caltrain has three stops within San Francisco. Other than the 4th and King terminal in SoMa, these are the 22nd St. Station and the Bayshore Station (off of Tunnel Ave), neither of which are particularly attractive for visitors. Of interest to visitors who wish to travel outside of city is the Palo Alto Station (at University Avenue), across the street from the campus of Stanford University, and San Jose Diridon Station. Caltrain operates fast frequent commuter rail service, seven days a week. Service generally runs from 5AM to Midnight. For more information on Caltrain, see the 'Get in' section above.

By bike

If you have strong legs and can tolerate traffic with intermittent bike lanes, bicycles can be a convenient form of transportation in San Francisco. The city is fairly small -- about 7 miles on each side (11 km) -- and it's fairly quick to get from one end to the other. But much of the terrain is hilly and hard to pedal up. Do not be misled by maps depicting the city's strict, regular street grid, as even the straightest of San Francisco's streets might include steep hills or even staircases instead of a roadway. A classic and relatively easy ride is from the tip of Golden Gate Park's narrow Panhandle in the Haight, along paths and JFK Drive through the park to Ocean Beach. JFK Drive is lightly trafficked, and closed to cars on Sundays. But overall, San Francisco is one of the most bike-friendly cities in the United States despite its hilly terrain.

Downtown, SoMa, and the Sunset and Richmond districts are relatively flat. There are a number of bike paths and bike routes on city streets; the San Francisco Bike Coalition keeps a lot of information about them. There are a number of bike rental companies in town, including Bay City Bike , Bike and Roll and Blazing Saddles Bike Rentals with locations in Fisherman's Wharf, and the Bike Hut and Pacific Bicycle in SoMa.

Golden Gate Bridge has sectioned off pathways on each side for pedestrians. If you choose to rent a bicycle and ride across the Golden Gate Bridge, be aware that bikes ride on the west (ocean) side of the bridge and walkers stay on the east, more crowded side of the bridge. It is a pet peeve of many locals to have to dodge bicycles while jogging or strolling.

By taxi

Taxis in San Francisco are, for a large city, surprisingly inefficient and expensive, starting at $3.10 just for getting in the door. You can get an idea of how much particular taxi trips cost in San Francisco using the San Francisco Taxicab Commission's webpage .

Except for taxi stations at or near downtown business hotels, or cruising just a few major arteries, taxis can be hard to find and hail -- and calling for a cab can mean a 30-45 minute wait, if the cab shows up at all. Now, if you're anywhere near Union Square and are holding shopping bags, just by standing on the curb and hailing passing cabs will usually get you one quite quickly. It is significantly easier to catch a taxi on weekdays, not including Friday night.

If you are heading to the airport, your best bet is to call ahead with a specific pickup time to one of the many taxi companies. You will also want to schedule your cab ahead of time because if you are going beyond 15 miles, you will end up paying 50% extra.

By car

Perpetually-clogged traffic, steep hills, a confusing system of one-way streets downtown, expensive parking, and a fleet of parking control officers who enforce parking laws with zeal can make driving in San Francisco extremely frustrating; visitors to the city should seriously consider alternatives to automobiles when possible. In addition, traffic from the Golden Gate Bridge uses surface streets either along CA-1, 19th Avenue or US-101 on Lombard and Van Ness. A car is really only useful for visiting destinations outside of the city. The greatest hazard of driving is on Lombard Street between Hyde and Leavenworth, where a stretch known as "The Crookedest Street in the World" runs one-way down a steep hill making eight hairpin turns. Oversized vehicles such as pickup trucks, sport utility vehicles, and recreational vehicles should NOT attempt to pass through the winding stretch of Lombard Street.

The most difficult problem with your car in San Francisco will be parking. Parking throughout the city is extremely scarce. Garages, where they are available, are quite expensive ($20-30/day downtown). San Francisco has some of the strictest parking laws and enforcement in the country. For day trips into the city, consider a park-and-ride at a Peninsula Caltrain station, at a Peninsula BART station, or at an East Bay BART station. Another option is to reserve parking in advance using GottaPark .

When parking on a hill (and there are many of them in San Francisco), remember to always apply that parking brake and turn your wheels so that the tires are against the curb (Facing uphill, the front wheels should be turned out until the tires are resting against the curb. Facing downhill, the front wheels should be turned in so that they are set against the curb). Failure to park properly doesn't just run the risk of having your car roll downhill, but it is also against the law and you may be ticketed.

Motorcycles and scooters are a common sight on San Francisco streets; in fact, San Francisco is known as one of the most motorcycle-friendly places in the U.S.. Street parking for motorcycles is plentiful and relatively inexpensive ($0.40 to $0.70 an hour), but note that parking on sidewalks is usually illegal. There are several motorcycle rental shops, along with many dealers, service shops, and motorcyclist hangouts. As elsewhere in California, motorcyclists must wear helmets. Motorcycle theft is a problem; always use a disk lock or secure your bike to a stationary object using a cable or chain.

See

San Francisco has much to see — these are just the most significant sights. For more detail see the individual district sections, often linked from this entry.

Three passes are available which offer discounts to many interesting attractions:

• CityPass . A relatively cheap and easy way to cover many attractions of the city is the CityPass. For a fare of $59 for adults and $39 for children 17 and under, you get admission to the California Academy of Sciences, a Blue and Gold Fleet bay cruise, the Aquarium of the Bay, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), and the Exploratorium or the Legion of Honor and the de Young Museum (both must be visited on the same day). A City Pass works for 9 consecutive days starting with the use of your first ticket (each ticket only accounts for one visit to each attraction). The pass also includes seven consecutive days of Cable Car and MUNI fares.

• Go San Francisco Card . Another easy way to cover many attractions and tours is the Go San Francisco Card. This card allows you to take some tours for free, such as the Wine Country tour, San Francisco Sightseeing, City Tour, Bay Cruises, museums, aquariums, The Conservatory of Flowers, and many other activities. Other tours and activities are also discounted from $5 to 40%. The cost of the card is $50 for 1 day, $80 for 2 days, $85 for 3 days. $115 for 5 days, and $136 for 7 days.

• Wharf Pass . If you are visiting Fisherman's Wharf this pass includes 10 attractions, bay cruises and sightseeing tours. With the pass you have 2 days to enjoy a Hop On Hop Off Tour of San Francisco, Bay Cruise under the Golden Gate Bridge and choice of 3 of 6 attractions. The 2 day pass includes additional discounts at 45 Wharf area shopping, dining, activity and tour companies. The cost for the Wharf Pass is $58 for adults and $38 for children 5-11. The Wharf Pass can be combined with an Alcatraz ferry and audio tour by contacting Alcatraz Cruises reservation department at +1 415 981-7625 .

Itineraries

There are many highlight walks you can take to really capture the feel of the city and see a whole lot of attractions at the same time. Some of the best ones are:

• Chinatown. Grant from Bush to Broadway takes you through the heart of the famous district. Returning by the parallel Stockton or Powell will give you a better feeling of the day to day life of the residents, and are both good for those looking for imported commodities such as tea or herbs.

• Ocean Beach. Ocean Beach is entirely open to pedestrians in both the Richmond and Sunset districts from the Cliff House restaurant and Sutro Baths in the north to the zoo in the south. For a shorter walk, the windmills near Lincoln at the end of Golden Gate Park offer a good base for a stroll north.

• Telegraph Hill. Greenwich and Filbert Steps on the east side of Telegraph Hill, both strenuous and unforgettably beautiful, offer cottages and a flock of wild parrots to enjoy on the way up to the Coit Tower.

• North Beach. Columbus runs from North Point in Fisherman's Wharf, through the grand church and famous cafés at the heart of North Beach to the landmark Transamerica pyramid, accessible to transit on nearby Market.

• Haight Ashbury. Haight from Divisadero to Stanyan covers the shopping district famous for hippie culture; at Stanyan the street becomes a path through Golden Gate Park to a popular site (then and now) for relaxing and concerts.

• Cow Hollow. Union Street between Gough and Fillmore is one of the finest shopping streets outside of the city center.

• Mission. Mission between 15th and Cesar Chavez streets provides a look at a neighborhood famous for its Latino food and culture, as well as occasional gang activity; women alone should be careful here at night. Parallel to Mission, Valencia Street is the artery of the many higher end boutiques and offbeat cafés starting to characterize the neighborhood, and has little of the grit of Mission St.

• Pacific Heights. Fillmore between Pine and Broadway is lined with a good mix of shopping, views, steep slopes, and some of the city's largest and most expensive homes.

• Fillmore. Post from Laguna (near 38 bus stop) to Fillmore takes you through upscale shopping and restaurants in Japantown, and turning left onto Fillmore across Geary and on to Turk takes you past the internationally known jazz venue and a mix of Black and Korean owned shops.

• Castro and Noe Valley. Market from Church to Castro St. and a left down Castro St to 19th takes you through the center of the city's famous gay mecca. Continuing up Castro St over the hill from there takes you to 24th St, the main drag of bohemian Noe Valley.

Landmarks

Perhaps the most recognizable landmark in San Francisco and one of the most famous bridges in the world, the Golden Gate Bridge, spanning the Golden Gate, has been called one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World and is the first thing you see of San Francisco if driving in from the north, as it is one of the major road routes into and out of the city. Overlooking the Golden Gate is the Presidio, a former military post that protected San Francisco harbor with beautiful architecture and a very scenic park setting. Within the Presidio is the gorgeous Palace of Fine Arts, built for the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition and reminiscent of Roman and Greek architecture.

Within the center of the city, the famous cable cars run up and down the hills of San Francisco between Market Street and Fisherman's Wharf and offer quite a ride (see above under Get around for more info). Atop one of those hills, Telegraph Hill in North Beach, is Coit Tower, a gleaming white tower dedicated to the San Francisco firefighters. At 275' high, the hill is a healthy hike from the nearby neighborhoods just below. Another prominent tower nearby is the Transamerica Pyramid, the tallest and most recognizable building in the San Francisco skyline, located among the skyscrapers and highrises of the Financial District. Perhaps the most famous view of that skyline is from Alamo Square Park in the Western Addition district, home to the famous Painted Ladies row of Victorian houses, with many other pretty Victorians encircling the lovely park.

Over on Russian Hill is the famous stretch of Lombard Street between Hyde & Leavenworth, the (nearly) crookedest street in America. The city also has a twistier but less scenic stretch of street, Vermont Street on Potrero Hill. Other street oddities in San Francisco include 22nd Street between Vicksburg and Church in Noe Valley and Filbert Street between Leavenworth and Hyde on Russian Hill — At a 31.5% grade, these streets share the honor of the steepest streets in San Francisco.

Neighborhoods

San Francisco is also well-known for its collection of unique and intriguing neighborhoods. Most tourists start with Fisherman's Wharf; although many of the locals consider it a tourist trap, it is a great place to see amazing street entertainers, watch sea lions, visit museums, or take a cruise to the infamous Alcatraz Prison or the pleasant Angel Island. Working fishing boats still come into the small harbor here, and the district is home to several excellent seafood restaurants. The fresh breeze from the bay can provide a bracing setting.

Chinatown, centered around Grant Street from Bush to Columbus, is part tourist trap, part an exhibit of local life. Good eating places abound, and the side streets especially have stores one wouldn't find in a mall. Stockton Street is where most locals do their shopping for groceries; be sure to sample some of the dim sum and other specialties offered in the many bustling shops. However, many local Chinese prefer to eat and shop in the new Chinatowns located in other neighborhoods such as on Clement Street between 2nd and 12th Avenues in the Inner Richmond neighborhood. The Muni #1 (California) and #2 (Clement, does not run at night) buses get people from one Chinatown to the other.

Closer to Downtown is the Civic Center, with its impressive Beaux Arts buildings including City Hall and the War Memorial Veterans Building, the celebrated Asian Art Museum, music and theater venues (including large concert halls and a renowned Symphony and Opera), and the main public library. Nearby, within the highrises of Downtown, Union Square is the heart of the city's main shopping and hotel district, while SoMa to the south is rapidly gentrifying, home to the city's main convention center and several new museums.

To the south of Downtown, at the top of Market Street, is the Castro, the center of San Francisco's Lesbian/Gay/Bi/Transgender (LGBT) community, with numerous theaters and small shops and restaurants. Next door is the Mission District, home to the Mission Dolores Church, one of the oldest structures in the city, and a fantastic collection of murals of all sorts on the walls of many nearby buildings, especially on alleys between Market and Valencia.

Treasure Island, an artificial island half-way between San Francisco and Oakland connected to the Bay Bridge, has excellent views of the San Francisco and Oakland skylines and quirky structures from the international fairground-turned-navy base-turned-neighborhood. Accessible by Muni bus #108 from the Transbay Terminal in SoMa.

Museums

When the morning is foggy, you may want to spend a few hours in one of the city's many world-class museums. Golden Gate Park is home to the copper-clad M.H. de Young Memorial Museum, which houses an impressive collection of contemporary and indigenous art. The de Young Museum's former Asian collection is now permanently housed in the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, located in the Civic Center. Across from the de Young Museum stands the California Academy of Sciences, which holds a huge array of science exhibits, including an aquarium and a natural history museum.

The California Palace of the Legion of Honor is in Lincoln Park in the northwest corner of the Richmond district. In Nob Hill, the Cable Car Museum offers exhibits on the famous moving landmarks of San Francisco. Near the Castro is the Randall Museum, a lovely little children's museum. The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Moscone Center, the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Zeum, the Cartoon Art Museum, the Museum of the African Diaspora and the Museum of Craft and Folk Art are all located in SoMa, south of Union Square. The Contemporary Jewish Museum, which was designed by Daniel Libeskind and opened in June 2008, is the latest major addition to San Francisco's museum scene.

At the Hyde Street Pier in Fisherman's Wharf you can go on board several historical ships, including the 1886 Balclutha clipper ship, a walking-beam ferry, a steam tug, and a coastal schooner. At Pier 45 just to the east, the World War II submarine USS Pampanito and the World War II Liberty Ship SS Jeremiah O'Brien can be visited. Nearby is the Aquarium of the Bay on Pier 39 and the Wax Museum.

The Exploratorium at the Palace of Fine Arts in the Marina will keep you busy for an entire day with their science and perception exhibits. Also in the Marina district is Fort Mason, home to a few cultural museums.

Parks and outdoors

San Francisco has numerous parks, ranging from the tiny to the huge. The most of famous of them is Golden Gate Park in The Avenues district, a massive (roughly 1/2 mile-by-four mile) urban oasis with windmills, bison, museums, a carousel and much more hidden among its charms. The park contains the antique palatial greenhouse of the Conservatory of Flowers, the modern and ethnic art focused de Young Museum, the large Japanese Tea Garden, the new California Academy of Sciences building designed by Renzo Piano and the Strybing Arboretum, a collection of plants from across the temperate world. Defining the extreme Northwestern corner of the city is Lincoln Park in Richmond, which provides majestic views of the Marin Headlands, the Golden Gate Bridge from the ocean side, and the Pacific Ocean itself. At the extreme western end the well known Cliff House provides both semi-casual and a more formal eating and drinking place. The Legion of Honor museum at the center of the park houses many incredible artworks.

Near the physical center of the city is the Twin Peaks, one of San Francisco's highest points (875' above sea level); providing spectacular views in all directions. Tour buses can get backed up here during the day, but it's a great place to really appreciate the city from above, especially at and after sunset. Temperatures up there can be quite a bit lower than in the rest of the city, so bring a jacket. Nearby in the Lake Merced area is the San Francisco Zoo, a large and well maintained zoo which is a great place to go if you are traveling with children or have a fondness for penguins, primates, lions or llamas.

While not particularly well known for its beaches, San Francisco has a couple of good ones along the Pacific Ocean — but the water is brisk, the winds can be rough, and due to a very strong riptide swimming at any of them is not recommended. Ocean Beach along the Sunset district is the largest and most famous beach, with plenty of sand and people enjoying themselves. China Beach in Richmond and Baker Beach in Golden Gate are smaller, rather secluded beaches with lovely views.

Things to do

Harbor tours

One of the best ways to see San Francisco is from the waters of San Francisco Bay. There are many companies offering harbor tours of varying durations and prices but they all provide marvelous views of the bay, the bridges, the island of Alcatraz and the city.

Only specific island tours are allowed to land at Alcatraz, but the typical harbor tour will circle the island at a slow crawl, giving you plenty of opportunity to photograph the now-inactive prison from the water.

Also consider taking a ferry from San Francisco across the bay to Tiburon, Sausalito, or Alameda. Same views for a fraction of the price.

Most tours leave from docks at Fisherman's Wharf near Pier 39. Tickets can be purchased at kiosks along the waterfront walk. Buy tickets a day or two in advance during the summer high season.

Boats usually leave roughly hourly starting around 10AM and ending around 5PM. Multi-lingual guides are available on some tours. Prices range from $20-$40, more for sunset, dinner, or whale watching tours.

• Even on a sunny day the bay can be chilly, so be sure to bring a sweater as well as sun screen.

• Some boats have snack bars on board, but bring your own water and treats to avoid paying high costs or going without. There are now limited refreshments and a souvenirs shop on Alcatraz.

Performing Arts

• San Francisco has a Half-Price Ticket Booth located right in the middle of Union Square, where tickets for most San Francisco theater performances can be purchased the day of the performance for half-price. Run by Theatre Bay Area , all service fees collected from the sale of tickets by TIX Bay Area goes right back into the theater community.

• Go to a concert, a play, a jazz or a folk-song performance. There are performances most days to choose from by the San Francisco Opera , the San Francisco Symphony , in Herbst Theater (where the U.N. charter was signed) , in the Old First Church , and for musicals in the Orpheum or the Golden Gate Theaters , all located in or near the Civic Center. The museum of the Legion of Honor , located in Lincoln Park overlooking the Golden Gate (north end of 34th Ave), has organ concerts which can be heard in many of its galleries, Saturdays and Sundays at 4PM, as well as music performances in its Florence Gould Theater by the San Francisco Lyric Opera . For the fall and spring jazz festivals look into the SFJAZZ calendar . San Francisco also has many jazz clubs, best found by browsing the web (an excellent site is SFStation.com ). Contemporary bands are featured at The Fillmore Auditorium and less frequently at the large Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in the Civic Center. There is an annual blues festival in late September, at various locations , and at least two great bluegrass music festivals each year — during February around the area and late September or October in Golden Gate Park. Many, but certainly not all, events are listed by the City Box Office .

• Ballet of the world class variety can be seen for only $10. San Francisco Ballet sells standing room tickets (with excellent views from the back of the orchestra) for their shows at the War Memorial Opera House in Civic Center during the afternoon of each performance as well as two hours before showtime.

• Plays are performed at the Geary (by the American Conservatory Theater ), Curran, and the Marines Memorial theatres , and at the small New Conservatory Theater near the Civic Center.

• Musicals from Broadway and Los Angeles are shown at the traditional Golden Gate and Orpheum theaters on Market, near the Civic Center . For outrageous fun, princes and paupers go to Beach Blanket Babylon in North Beach. Teenagers are welcome at the Sunday Matinees. It considers itself the longest running musical revue in theater history.

Events

There is an incredible array of events going on in San Francisco — virtually every day there will be something of interest to anyone going on, and San Francisco's mild climate ensures that practically every weekend will bring another major festival or some sort of large event. Listed here are just some of the really big events going on:

Cultural events

• Cherry Blossom Festival, Western Addition, . April. In Japantown, this kid-friendly event includes a parade, a street fair, and music.

• Fringe Festival, taking place at various theaters in the Civic Center-Tenderloin area, . Just after Labor Day. A 10 day festival about theatrical experimentation and having fun, even if you don't know what you're doing exactly.

• Haight Ashbury Street Fair, Haight, . On the second Sunday of June, people pack the Upper Haight for this event featuring local bands, food stalls and plenty of shopping.

• LovEvolution (formerly Love Parade and Love Fest), . A yearly annual event held on a Saturday in late September or early October. It has become the largest public electronic music festival in the nation. The revelers and floats gather at 2nd and Howard in SoMa with the floats going down Market and ending at Civic Center Plaza. It attracts well known electronic DJ's and thousands of partiers, with some dressing up in wacky costumes to join in the parade.

• San Francisco Blues Festival, Fort Mason in Golden Gate, . Last weekend in September. The oldest continually running blues fest in the world, attracting some great Blues performers every year. For the famished, they also have some flavorful New Orleans style barbeques to compliment the music.

• San Francisco International Film Festival, based at the Presidio in Golden Gate, but smaller events take place throughout the city, . Two weeks in Apr/May. Organized by the San Francisco Film Society who are based in the Presidio, but the arthouse movies, documentaries, and short films are shown throughout the city.

• Tet Festival, Civic Center-Tenderloin area, . Mid-January to mid-February. Celebrate New Year's Vietnamese style at this festival. It's a great opportunity to sample some of the delicious Vietnamese dishes that they have in the area.

• Union Street Art Festival, Golden Gate, . First weekend in June. This festival attracts many local artists who line the streets displaying their arts and crafts, along with live jazz and classical music performances and an organic farmer's market.

Holidays

• Chinese New Year Festivities, Chinatown, . January or February. The San Francisco version of the Chinese New Year dates way back, with a colorful, vibrant parade with decorative costumes, lions, deafening firecrackers, "lucky-money" envelopes, colorful banners, ornately themed floats, martial arts groups, stilt walkers, acrobats, and, of course, a 200 foot Golden Dragon.

• Columbus Day Parade, North Beach, . This hugely popular parade celebrates Christopher Columbus and Italian heritage. Handmade floats run all the way from Fisherman's Wharf up Columbus Avenue through North Beach.

• Easter Parade and Spring Celebration, Union Street in Golden Gate. The kid-friendly but diverse festivities include a petting zoo, pony rides, live music, train rides, alfresco dining, and a parade.

• Fourth of July. San Francisco's main Independence Day celebrations take place on Fisherman's Wharf. There is lots of free entertainment during the day, culminating with an impressive fireworks display from the foot of Municipal Pier, and at the other end of the Wharf from barges moored off the north of PIER 39.

• Tree Lighting Ceremony at Ghirardelli Square, Ghirardelli Square, Fishermans' Wharf. End of November. Ring in the holiday season by attending the festivities at Ghirardelli Square. There's theater, live music, and then at the end they decorate a 45 foot Christmas tree with ornaments, lights, and chocolate bars.

LGBT community events

San Francisco is famous for its exuberant and visible lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community, who always put together some very festive events:

• Halloween in the Castro, . Halloween, the holiday when everyone puts on a mask, has long been a special time for gay, lesbian and bisexual people to take off the "straight-looking mask" they sometimes wore all year, and be themselves. What remains today is a huge, sometimes poorly controlled, street party in the Castro on the evening of October 31st each year.

• Pink Saturday is a street party in the Castro on the Saturday night before the Pride Parade and Celebration.

• The San Francisco Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride Parade and Celebration is one of the largest gay pride parades and festivals in North America, centered in the Civic Center area. It's a huge, happy, chaotic celebration of diversity, politics, sexuality, and San Francisco wackiness, on the last weekend in June. About a dozen stages and spaces offer everything from square dancing to hip-hop, from a family garden to Leather Alley. It's a movement, it's a market, it's a party. Both parade and celebration are for everyone -- straight as well as gay are welcome.

Outdoor and recreational events

• Bay to Breakers, . Third Sunday in May. An annual footrace that is one of the largest in the country. The route runs from Downtown to Ocean Beach. Many runners do the whole thing in costume, wearing anything from elaborate costumes to wearing almost nothing at all, lending a party atmosphere to the event.

• Critical Mass. On the last Friday of each month, bicyclists in San Francisco (and about 200 like-minded cities world-wide) gather at the north end of Market Street on the Embarcadero and ride en masse to some destination, militantly demonstrating their right to occupy the roads. If you are driving in SF on a Critical Mass day, you will want to listen for radio traffic reports, but if you are stopped by the mass the best thing to do is maintain a good sense of humor and remember that it will all pass in about 5 minutes. Although, tempers can and do flare, and there have been cases where run ins with drivers and bicyclists have gotten violent.

• Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon, . Second Sunday in June. Participants (which often include world champions and Olympic medalists) swim 1.5 miles through chilly waters, bike 18 miles, and then run a extra 8 miles. The course winds its way throughout the city, but the transition and finish line is at Marina Green in the Golden Gate area.

• Fleet Week, Fisherman's Wharf, . Usually held in the first week of October, it's a tribute to the men and women in the armed forces. A flotilla of Navy ships dock on the Wharf in parade fashion, and there are many free Deck tours available from crew members. There are also several air displays by the Navy flyers.

Sports

San Francisco has several professional sports teams, although the spread-out nature of the Bay Area means there are also teams nearby in San Jose and Oakland.

The San Francisco Giants are the city's Major League Baseball team, playing their home games at the lovely AT&T Park in SoMa. The other major league team in San Francisco is the San Francisco 49ers, the city's National Football League team, who play their games at Candlestick Park on Candlestick Point in Southeast San Francisco. Neither of these teams have been particularly strong lately, but they still command huge fan bases.

As far as college sports go in San Francisco, there are the University of San Francisco Dons, who play various college sports including baseball, basketball, soccer and volleyball at their campus in Western Addition. The San Francisco State University Gators play various college sports including baseball, basketball and soccer at their campus near Lake Merced.

Eat

San Francisco is a sensual, epicurean city with a vast array of restaurants. The price range is huge, and you can spend anywhere from a small fortune to a couple bucks for every type of cuisine. Vegetarians and vegans will find SF a paradise. Sushi is a local obsession, and though you can find a sushi bar on almost every street corner, the Richmond district has more than its fair share of excellent sushi chefs.

San Francisco also has the largest Chinatown in North America, as well as one of the largest Chinese communities in the West, and many exceptional restaurants serving dim sum and other Chinese delicacies are found throughout The City. This localized Chinese cuisine has its feet in Hong Kong and America, and is different from what many visitors are accustomed to — it is common to hear complaints from visitors that Chinese food here is not like the Chinese food back home. There are several main types of Chinese restaurants in San Francisco: those primarily serving immigrants from Hong Kong ("Hong Kong style") which commonly have signs on the wall in Chinese characters, live fish and shellfish tanks and some exotic main ingredients, such as pig's blood or sea cucumber; those primarily serving San Franciscans who are not Asian immigrants ("California Chinese") which commonly have Westernized table service, low fat content and more emphasis on fresh vegetables; those primarily serving tourists or other people accustomed to Chinese food as it is commonly served in the United States ("Americanized Chinese"); and those primarily serving immigrants from other areas or a particular dietary need or interest (regional cuisines, vegetarian, Muslim). There may be some mixing between these various classifications and each category may influence the others, for instance, the Americanized dish known as Chop Suey is often not served even at Americanized Chinese restaurants in San Francisco, while Chinese vegetables such as bok choy and pea sprouts may turn up on your plate at California Cuisine style restaurants.

Fisherman's Wharf serves fresh seafood, especially clam chowder and crabs cooked to order. North Beach is the place to go for Italian food, and the Mission (birth place of the mission style burrito) for Mexican and Latin American cuisine of all sorts. San Francisco restaurants are also very corkage friendly. Average corkage fee appears to be in the $15 range, with some of the more pricey places charging $25-35.

Drink

The best way to find a good bar or club is to ask the advice of a local; but barring that a copy of The SF Bay Guardian or the SF Weekly will help you find something suited to your personal taste.

San Francisco is very much of a "scene" town. Head to the Marina for mid-20s to mid-30s professionals (and those visiting from Los Angeles). Haight-Ashbury, famous for the "Summer of Love" and hippies, is still a place for alternative lifestyle and now has many neo-punks and hipsters in the mix. South of Market (SoMa) and the Mission District have left-over dot-commers and hipsters hanging out on every corner. The Castro primarily serves San Francisco's gay men, with The Lexington, Wild Side West, and Stray Bar in the Mission serving as lesbian bars. With a large Irish population, San Francisco has a number of very good Irish pubs extending out into the Sunset neighborhood. North Beach is home to several dance clubs and strip clubs.

If you like soccer (football) and all things English, you should stop into the Kezar Pub, at the edge of the Haight-Ashbury District, or Lower Haight's Mad Dog In the Fog. The pub quiz and bar food are good. Swill some pints and stay in the dark. Good for an entire day's worth of drinking.

Beer

San Francisco, despite being much smaller than New York City, sports more microbreweries. Anchor Brewing Company (makers of Anchor Steam, found throughout the US) is brewed on Potrero Hill, though it is generally not open to the public (tours are available Friday afternoons by reservation). Similarly, Speakeasy Ales & Lagers opens its doors on Friday evenings, though its location in Hunter's Point makes it hard to reach without a car. The other microbreweries are housed in brewpubs:

• Beach Chalet & Park Chalet are at the Pacific end of Golden Gate Park, where you can enjoy a view of the ocean or sit in the lawn area.

• Pizza Orgasmica in the Richmond District specializes in California-style pizza.

• Magnolia Brewing Company is in the heart of the Haight, and operates a second restaurant down the street, The Alembic.

• San Francisco Brewing Company is on Columbus Ave in North Beach, in the shadow of the Coppola Building.

• Thirsty Bear in SoMa caters mostly to the happy hour crowd.

• 21st Amendment, also in SoMa, is three blocks away from the Giants' home at AT&T Park.

Other destinations for beer drinkers include the Gordon Biersch alehouse on the Embarcadero in SoMa, the City Beer Store and Tasting Bar on Folsom St in SoMa (your best bet for beer to go), the Mission's Monk's Kettle, and the famous Toronado Pub on lower Haight Street, which specializes in Belgian ales.

The surrounding Alameda, San Mateo, and Marin Counties also host many microbreweries worth trying. Many of these are accessible by BART. And although Santa Rosa is 45 minutes north of San Francisco, no beer lovers should skip the renowned Russian River Brewing Company in downtown Santa Rosa.

Sleep

San Francisco offers a wide range of accommodations, from a healthy supply of hostels and budget hotels to the lavish, luxurious hotels in the city center, as well as just about everything in-between. The majority of accommodations are in the northeastern portion of the city, in and around the popular areas of Downtown, Chinatown, and Fisherman's Wharf. As one moves into the mostly residential neighborhoods to the west, the sleeping options filter down to small inns and bed and breakfasts.

Decide if you want to be in walking distance of your destinations, or are up to driving and parking (which can be quite an undertaking in some of the busier areas of San Francisco) or taking public transit. If you have a specific destination in mind, look also in the Districts sections.

If you'd rather stay closer to the San Francisco International Airport, there are plenty of standard airport accommodations in the cities surrounding the airport — Burlingame, Millbrae, San Bruno and South San Francisco. From there, you can drive or take BART or Caltrain into San Francisco.

Buy

If you want it, chances are likely you can get it in San Francisco. There are a wide range of small and locally-owned businesses throughout the city's neighborhoods; in fact, San Francisco has for the most part repelled the development of large chain retailers and big box stores that are common across America.

If it's tourist trinkets you're looking for, Fisherman's Wharf has all your typical souvenir, T-shirt, and camera shops, along with plenty of specialty stores. However, San Francisco's most popular shopping area is Union Square, which has all the big national department stores (Macy's, Saks, Nordstrom, etc.) and plenty of fancy boutique stores, as well as a few shopping centers thrown in.

For small, upscale boutiques, Union Street, Fillmore Street, and Chestnut Street in the Golden Gate area are lined with unique and trendy places, and all three streets are among the best spots in the city to window shop. Nob Hill is also full of specialty places.

But if you don't have a luxury dollar to spend and still want to walk away with something unique, there are plenty of shops in Chinatown for you, selling Oriental handicrafts of all descriptions, and no chain stores in sight. Japantown also offers plenty of great shops selling authentic souvenirs, including the excellent Kinokuniya Stationery/Bookstore. The Haight is full of excellent independent record and book stores, with Amoeba Music dominating the scene.

Talk

English is the dominant language spoken in San Francisco. Cantonese is widely spoken by San Francisco's large Chinese population, with an increasing Mandarin-speaking minority. Spanish is also commonly spoken in San Francisco (although not as common as the rest of California), especially among the Hispanic population, many of whom live in the Mission District. Russian is also spoken quite often.

Etiquette

San Francisco is renowned for its openness to diversity in race, gender, sexual orientations and personal style. This trait is widely considered to be one of the defining features of the city, and it draws both visitors and transplants alike. However, for someone who has not been exposed to such pervasive diversity and acceptance, it may come as a shock.

Smokers beware: as in the rest of California, smoking is illegal in bars, restaurants, and other public places. Bay Area people can be particularly vocal about your personal habits. Be aware of nonsmoking areas, and try to be courteous about smoking in other places. They will probably not bother you about standing and smoking outside a restaurant or bar.

On the other hand, smoking marijuana is remarkably well-tolerated. If you are visiting from elsewhere in the U.S., you may be very surprised to find that marijuana is not considered to be a problem by San Franciscans, and even by the city's police. While still illegal under federal law, a law was passed in 2006 officially making marijuana the lowest priority for the SFPD. This does not mean that you should smoke marijuana just anywhere -- as with cigarettes, it is considered improper etiquette to smoke marijuana in crowded areas.

On a less serious note, it's worth mentioning that natives tend to dislike many of the nicknames given to their city. Instead of saying "San Fran" or "Frisco," most refer to San Francisco simply as "SF" or "The City."

Safety

As with many other major cities in the world, San Francisco has its share of problems. The areas that one should be most cautious are in the neighborhoods of Bayview-Hunters Point, Visitacion Valley, Sunnydale, Ingleside, and Potrero Hill in Southeast San Francisco, as well as the Tenderloin, parts of Western Addition (including the Fillmore District), and parts of the Mission. San Francisco is still susceptible to violent crime, and most of these murders occur in the southeast, less economically fortunate, neighborhoods of the city. Gang violence touches even busy and thriving areas such as the Mission Street retail corridor, although most instances of violent crime are directed to specific targets and are not random acts. The SoMa district used to be somewhat dangerous; however, recent gentrification (something that has become fairly common and a social issue in SF) has transformed it into a rather hip and much safer neighborhood with plenty of art galleries and clubs. However, it is best to be careful even now.

San Francisco also has the largest homeless population per capita in the United States. If someone begs from you, you may either politely say you do not have any change or just keep walking, and he or she will generally leave you alone. The main homeless area is around 6th and Market, heading towards the Civic Center, and in the Tenderloin. Haight Ashbury also has lots of panhandlers, and the area near Golden Gate Park at the end of Haight Street near McDonalds is notorious for junkies and should be avoided at night.

Pickpocketing, purse snatchings, and other forms of petty crime are common as with any other large city. Be especially cautious on crowded MUNI buses, in heavily touristed areas such as Fisherman's Wharf, and during the busy holiday shopping season.

Do not leave valuables in your vehicle, especially when parking on public streets. Car break-ins are very common in San Francisco, and any valuables in plain sight are in danger of being stolen. During your visit, you will probably see small piles of broken glass on sidewalks throughout the city, which are the result of such crimes. If you cannot carry all valuables with you, try to keep them in the trunk and park your vehicle in secure parking garages, which are slightly safer than street parking but are not completely free from crime either.

Be careful to check for ticks after hiking in fields in the Bay Area. There is a high rate of lyme disease transmission in the Bay Area. If a bulls' eye rash develops at the tick bite site, immediately seek medical help and treatment with antibiotics.

Districts

Each district of San Francisco carries its own unique and distinct culture. This map is predominantly based on the 11 official governmental districts of San Francisco, but it has been adapted to suit the purposes of this travel guide. Some districts of particular interest to travelers have been broken up into popular neighborhood groupings, while others, mainly residential districts, have been merged together.

• The Avenues - Includes both the foggy Sunset and Richmond Districts, separated by the scenic Golden Gate Park and bounded on the west by Ocean Beach.
• Twin Peaks-Lake Merced - Covering most of southwestern San Francisco, this area is home to many of the taller hills of San Francisco and the large Lake Merced park which contains the San Francisco Zoo.
• Castro-Noe Valley - Colorful and cohesive, the Castro is historically known for being the cultural center of the city's LGBTQ community.
• Mission-Bernal Heights - This colorful area is home to a large Hispanic community as well as new urban artisans.
• Southeast San Francisco - A mostly lower income residential area, this district contains several bay-side neighborhoods, many nice parks, and Candlestick Park, home of the 49ers NFL team.
• Golden Gate - Fashionable neighborhoods, e.g., the Marina District, Cow Hollow, and Pacific Heights, with extensive views and historical landmarks — Fort Mason, The Presidio, and the iconic Golden Gate Bridge.
• Fisherman's Wharf - A touristy waterfront neighborhood which encompasses Ghirardelli Square, Pier 39, and the ferry launch to Alcatraz Island, as well as a plethora of seafood restaurants and souvenir stores.
• Nob Hill-Russian Hill - Two ritzy neighborhoods with upscale hotels, cable cars, panoramic views and steep inclines.
• Chinatown-North Beach - Two vibrant immigrant communities; the crowded and largest Chinatown outside of Asia next to the stylish laid back 'Little Italy', as well as Telegraph Hill and Coit Tower.
• Union Square-Financial District - Union Square is the center of shopping, theater and art in the city, next to the many skyscrapers of downtown and Market Street.
• Civic Center-Tenderloin - The neoclassical Civic Center next to the grit of the Tenderloin. While the 'TL' is grittier compared to its ritzier neighbors downtown, there are still plenty of interesting architecture and attractions to see here.
• SoMa **(South of Market)** - A rapidly changing neighborhood of downtown that is the center of a lot of new construction, including AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants.
• Western Addition - A historic neighborhood with many Victorian homes that was once a hotbed of African-American culture. Within the area is also Japantown, once the center of San Francisco's Japanese population, still populated with many Japanese stores and restaurants, and hotels that cater to Japanese travelers.
• Haight - Famous for being the home of the Hippie movement, this once bohemian area is still an eclectic treasure.

Learn

The University of California, San Francisco is one of the city's largest employers and is dedicated solely to the education of health and the biomedical sciences. Also in the University of California system is the Hastings College of the Law, a major law school located in downtown San Francisco. The San Francisco State University is another major public university that offers a broader range of studies than the UC colleges in the city. Rounding off the city's public colleges is the City College of San Francisco, a two-year community college.

San Francisco also has numerous private colleges and universities, some of them large, such as the University of San Francisco located in the Richmond district, and some of them smaller and much more specalized.

Work

Being the world-class tourist attraction that it is, San Francisco's economy is mostly centered on tourism. Its frequent portrayal in music, films, literature and popular culture has helped make the city and its landmarks known throughout the world. San Francisco has developed a large tourist infrastructure with numerous hotels, restaurants, and top-notch convention facilities.

While it's been a long time since people considered Montgomery Street in the Financial District to be the "Wall Street of the West", San Francisco remains one of the principal banking and finance centers of the west coast of the United States. Many major financial institutions and banks are based in the city or have set up regional headquarters here.

San Francisco's proximity to Silicon Valley has made the city increasingly attractive for high-tech companies. In recent years, San Francisco has also been making itself a center of biotechnology.

Contact

The area code for San Francisco is 415. You need to only dial the seven digit phone number for calls within the city. For calls within the US or Canada, dial 1+area code+number, and for international calls, dial 011+country code+city code(if applicable)+number. Pay phones are getting less and less commonplace as nearly everyone in San Francisco has a mobile phone. When you do find one, keep in mind that they only take coins and phone cards with a dial-to-use number. Local calls start at $0.50.

To get online, internet cafes are available at a sprinkling of city center locations. Many coffee houses and cafes also offer wireless connection for free or a small fee. Free access is available in Union Square. For a more scenic place to check your email try the Apple Store on Stockton at Ellis near Market in Union Square or any of the many public libraries, especially the main branch on Market near Civic Center station.

Additionally, those traveling with laptop computers will often find an open free signal across the city which is being deployed by a company called Meraki. The "Free the Net" signal is unlocked and free to use.

Blue mailboxes for mail such as letters and postcards are on many street corners. USPS post offices sell stamps and ship packages, and several private companies provide additional services.

Cope

Publications

• San Francisco Chronicle . The main newspaper in San Francisco, with circulation daily. $0.75 daily, $2.00 Sunday.

• San Francisco Examiner . Another daily newspaper, but this time free.

• San Francisco Daily . Another free daily paper.

• SF Weekly . A popular free-weekly distributed across the city.

• San Francisco Bay Guardian . Another popular free-weekly.

• San Francisco Bay View . Politics, economics, and news from a progressive African American perspective.

• AsianWeek . A weekly paper, one of the largest English language publications for Asian-Americans.

• Bay Area Reporter . Free-weekly serving the LGBT community.

• San Francisco Bay Times . Another free-weekly LGBT newspaper.

• San Francisco Magazine . A monthly magazine devoted to Bay Area culture.

• MetroWize . A weekly publication dedicated to insider city and event info for San Francisco.

Hospitals

• California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC) , +1 415 600-6000, CPMC is one of the main health providers here, with four separate campuses:

  • Pacific Campus, 2333 Buchanan Street, between Buchanan and Webster at Sacramento St, The main campus of the CPMC system, in Pacific Heights.

  • California Campus, 3700 California Street, between Maple and Cherry, The Woman's and Children's Center, in Western Addition.

  • Davies Campus, Castro at Duboce Sts, In the Castro area.

  • St. Luke's Campus, 3555 Cesar Chavez, at Cesar Chavez and Valencia St

• UCSF Medical Center , Consistently rated one of the top 10 hospitals in the nation.

  • Parnassus Campus, +1 415 476-1000, 505 Parnassus Ave, south of Golden Gate Park, An expansive campus, covering a six block area and with a large Children's Hospital.

  • Mount Zion Campus, +1 415 567-6600, 1600 Divisadero St, a block north of Geary, The main facility, in the Western Addition.

• Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Medical Center , +1 415 833-4200, 2425 Geary Boulevard, between St Josephs Ave and Lyon St, In the Western Addition.

• St. Mary's Medical Center , +1 415 668-1000, 450 Stanyan Street, between Fulton and Hayes Sts, A Catholic hospital in Western Addition.

• Saint Francis Memorial Hospital , +1 415 353-6255‎, 900 Hyde Street, between Bush and Pine Sts, A Catholic hospital in Nob Hill.

• San Francisco General Hospital , +1 415 206-8000, 1001 Potrero Avenue, between 22nd and 23rd Sts, The only Level I Trauma Center serving San Francisco, in the Mission district.

Religious services

Buddhism:

• Saraha Buddhist Center, +1 415 503-1187, Su 10AM-5:30PM, M-Sa 10:30AM-5:30PM, 3324 17th Street, between Mission and Hoff Streets, in the Mission

• Sokoji-Soto Zen Buddhist Temple, +1 415 346-7540, 1691 Laguna Street, between Post and Sutter Streets, in Japantown

• Chinese Buddhist Monastery, +1 415 664-9456, 1230 32nd Ave, between Lincoln Way and Irving Street, in Sunset

• Gold Mountain Monastery , +1 415 421-6117, 800 Sacramento Street, at Grant St, in Chinatown

• Vietnamese Buddhist Association of San Francisco, +1 415 431-1322, 243 Duboce Avenue, at Market St, in the Castro

• San Francisco Buddhist Center , +1 415 282-2018, 37 Bartlett Street, between 21st and 22nd Streets in the Mission

• Nichiren Hokke Buddhist Temple, +1 415 567-3020, 2016 Pine Street, between Laguna and Buchanan Streets in Western Addition

Catholic churches:

• St. Dominic's Church , +1 415 567-7824, Sa 5:30PM vigil; Su 7:30AM, 9:30AM, 11:30AM; 1:30PM Spanish, 5:30PM, 9PM; M-Sa: 6:30AM, 8AM, 5:30PM, 2390 Bush St., on Steiner between Bush and Pine in Western Addition, one block off Fillmore

• St. Patrick , +1 415 421-3730, Su 7:30AM, 9AM, 10:30AM; 12:15PM, 5:15PM; M-Sa: 7AM, 8AM, 12:10PM (except W 12PM), 5:15PM, 756 Mission Street, between 3rd & 4th Streets, across from Yerba Buena Gardens in SoMa

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints:

• Golden Gate Ward , +1 415 771-3655, Su 9AM, 10:20AM, 1900 Pacific Avenue, at Gough St, in Pacific Heights

Episcopal:

• Grace Cathedral , +1 415 749-6300, Su 7:30AM, 8:15AM, 11AM, 1100 California Street, at Taylor, in Nob Hill, Choral Eucharist (This service is webcast live every Sunday!).

Protestant:

• City Church of San Francisco , +1 415 346-6994, Su 9AM, 10:45AM, 2460 Sutter Street, at Divisadero, in Western Addition

Jewish:

• Or Shalom Jewish Community , +1 415 242-9992, +1 415 242-9992, 1250 Quintara Street, at 22nd Avenue, in the Sunset

• Mission Minyan, +1 415 431-1180, F 6:30PM, Sa 9:40AM (every other week), 3543 18th Street, 2nd floor, at the Women's Building between Guerrero and Valencia, in the Mission

• Magain David Sephardim Congregation, +1 415 752-9095, 351 4th Ave, at Geary, in Richmond

• Richmond Torah Center- Chabad , +1 415 386-8123, Su: 9AM, M-F 7AM, F 6:30PM, Sa 9:30AM, 423 10th Avenue, at Geary, in Richmond

• Congregation Chevra Thilim, +1 415 752-2866, Su-F 8AM, Sa 9:30AM, 751 25th Ave, between Balboa and Cabrillo, in Richmond

• Adath Israel , +1 415 564-5665, Shacharis: M-F 7:15AM, Shabbos 9AM, Sunday/Legal Holidays 8AM. Mincha/Ma'ariv: Su-Th, Summer: 7:15PM, Winter: 10 minutes before sundown, Friday, Summer: 7PM, Winter: 10 minutes before sundown, 1851 Noriega Street, at 26th Avenue, in Sunset

• Keneseth Israel , +1 415 771-3420, F 20 minutes before sundown, Sa 9:30AM, 4PM, 873 Sutter Street, between Jones and Leavenworth Streets, in Nob Hill

• Chabad of Noe Valley , +1 415 821-7046, F 6PM (winter: sukkot through passover), 7PM (summer:passover to sukkot), Sa 10AM, 94 29th Street, at San Jose Avenue, in Noe Valley

Bikes can be rented from around the northern waterfront (Pier 41/Fisherman's Wharf/Aquatic Park area) or near Golden Gate Park for trips to Marin County via the Golden Gate Bridge. Stanyan near Haight at the end of the park has several good shops. Golden Gate Transit also sporadically serves the North Bay from San Francisco, and has bike racks on most buses.

Nearby destinations suitable for day trips include:

• Oakland — A diverse and vibrant city, Oakland was once considered San Francisco's "sister city," and has been regaining that title in recent years due to a growing economy and a general renaissance of the city. It's worth a visit for its many distinct and charming neighborhoods.

• Berkeley — Home to the University of California, Berkeley and one of the nation's most progressive communities. Also a hub of liberal political activism for the past several decades. It is also home to quite a few superb restaurants.

• Sausalito — Enjoy a ferry ride across the bay to beautiful Sausalito where you can walk along the water and admire the San Francisco skyline. Stroll to the waterfront restaurants, shops, and galleries.

• Healdsburg — A charming Wine Country town located among some of California's greatest wine appellations: Alexander Valley, Dry Creek Valley, Russian River Valley and Chalk Hill. Relaxed yet sophisticated atmosphere, with excellent restaurants, shopping and wine tasting. About 70 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge.

• Napa Valley — The main wine growing region in the United States, a trip to the many wineries makes for a fun day, while those wanting a longer adventure can relax in any one of the many spas, bed and breakfasts, or other lodging options.

• Muir Woods — A 560 acre forest of old-growth redwood trees located in Mill Valley just north of the Golden Gate Bridge, Muir Woods is a pleasant respite from the city, and accessible by Golden Gate Transit on summer weekends.

• Point Reyes National Seashore — Located just north of San Francisco along the Pacific Coast Highway (State Highway 1), Point Reyes is a beautiful seashore that is particularly nice to visit when gray whales are migrating along the coast, usually best in mid-January and then from March through May.

• Monterey — An otherwise quiet beach town home to one of the country's best aquariums.

• Santa Cruz — Located on the coast north of Monterey Bay, this funky town is home to surfers, the beautiful and tech-savvy University of California, Santa Cruz, and a popular boardwalk. The Santa Cruz Mountains north of town are a great place for outdoor recreation such as hiking, and home to misty forests of famous, enormous redwood trees.

• Vallejo — Home to a wildlife theme park, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom.

• Yosemite National Park — Tours from San Francisco make for a wonderful day trip. Make sure to visit the amazing Giant Sequoias.

• Livermore — A suburban city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. The Livermore Valley, which contains many wineries, is considered "wine country", and produces some of California's best wines.

WikiOutdoors: Category:San Francisco Bay Area