Anything to do in San Francisco?

[Merrick]

I'll be there for a few days and was just wondering. I saw on their tourism board's homepage that there'll be a biggest pumpkin and jack o' lantern contest in October, but what about before then? anything?

seriously, I've been there a bunch of times before and am looking for less obvious stuff like good restaurants, bars, shows, etc. that I might not yet know about. Thanks!

[taterguy]

1. Have you heard of the Golden Gate Bridge?

It's pretty cool, you should check it out

[bridgit]

2. yep...

http://www.sfbrewing.com http://www.act-sfbay.org have funn :hi:

[MrScorpio]

3. Try The Castro!

[driver8]

4. I'll be in the Castro on Friday.

Unfortunately, it won't be for fun. My occular oncologist's office is in the Castro.

There is a great breakfast place my wife and I like to go to, so at least I've got that to look forward to.

[Deep13]

5. If you're going to San Francisco...

...be sure to wear some flowers in your hair.

[Oeditpus Rex]

6. When are you going?

Giants might be at home. :bounce:

[Merrick]

13. the next four days

so it looks like they're away in Pittsburgh. Being from LA myself I'd only go to see them hopefully lose, and my Bosnian GF would only go to become really confused and bored.

[Oeditpus Rex]

17. Well, on the plus side

San Francisco is one of the few large cities about which baseball isn't my first thought when considering things to do. And that's sayin' somethin'. :7

[EFerrari]

26. The park is really nice w a great view. She might like it.

:shrug:

[AlCzervik]

7. Sf Museum of Modern Art.

it's a great place to spend an afternoon and the Picasso and American exhibit art are wonderful.
http://www.sfmoma.org/


edited to include one of my favorite places for beer and fish and chips.
http://www.tiernans.com/

[EFerrari]

27. They have a Diebenkorn collection -- from the Bay Area Figural

Movement.

[Gormy Cuss]

8. Some ideas

Good guide by neighborhood to the city, geared for those of us who live locally:
http://www.sfgate.com/traveler/
My more experienced guests like to explore a new area each time they're here, so we pick a new neighborhood and go.

If you haven't walked along the bay at Fort Mason, that's a nice stroll, as is Land's End.

Some restaurant recommendations:

Head over to North Beach, not just for good Italian restaurants everywhere but other interesting cuisines like Basque (http://www.ilunabasque.com/) or Middle Eastern
(http://www.maykadehrestaurant.com/), or Van Ness for a great little place where the owner may come to your table for a chat (http://www.yayacuisine.com/)

The Marina/ Cow Hollow neighborhood has bars and good restaurants aplenty. One of my favorite restaurants is Betelnut ( http://www.betelnutrestaurant.com/)

[Merrick]

18. thanks

the restaurants you listed look promising and I'm using the sfgate traveler link to search for other stuff (instead of working, of course)

[EFerrari]

25. The Middle Eastern deli in the Haight is one of the best joints left

there now that it's gone yuppie. Is it The Blue Nile?

I could cry that they shut down the Cajun place. :mad:

[Gormy Cuss]

29. I don't know. The Haight had yupped up before I got here I think.

Try YaYa for a splurge. It's mostly kibbeh and phyllo wrapped dishes with a distinctly Iranian style, and the owner has had other restaurants around town prior to this, all good food at mid-range prices. The portion sizes at YaYa are huge, so it's a guaranteed doggie bag place.

[EFerrari]

33. Thanks, I love trying new places. I lived in the Haight for a bit

in the mid 90s. There was a Cajun place with about 15 seats and real food. :)

[KamaAina]

9. No. Nothing at all. It's the most boring place on the face of the Earth.

And it's chock-a-block with FReepers to boot.

:sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm:

[Left Is Write]

35. Yeah, that was going to be my answer too.

;)

[marzipanni]

10. Shows.....have you seen Beach Blanket Babylon?

http://www.beachblanketbabylon.com/
I haven't seen it yet, but my husband says its totally off-the-wall, kind of corny, but 100% San Francisco. He went to it twenty one years ago, and every show has been sold out for 32+ years.
They are always updating it so the parodies are timely.

[Katina]

15. saw that years ago and it was a blast

very funny, very topical. You are right to suggest it but I thought the tickets were difficutlt to get.

[meegbear]

11. Fisherman's Wharf ...

check out the sea lions.

[Parche]

12. SFO

USS Hornet CV-12 Museum



Submarine USS Pampanito Museum

[Xithras]

16. Technically, the Hornet is in Alameda

Gotta cross the Bay :)

I spent the night in the Hornet last year, and we did a 3AM flashlight tour of the ship. One of the coolest experiences of my life!

Having a drink on the fantail, watching the lights of SF twinkle across the bay as the city slept was pretty cool too.

[jpgray]

14. Eat at Blondie's by Union Square

Pretty good pizza, and very cool basement filled with old posters from the Fillmore and the like.

[mentalsolstice]

19. Lots to do...

See the seals at Fisherman's wharf, Palace of Fine Arts - http://www.palaceoffinearts.org/, sightsee the different neighborhoods - Castro, Mission, Pacific Heights, Chinatown...so many more.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

20. Here you go...

A great listing of things to see and experience here in SF. I'm a native and I still find these things a great deal of fun:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/gate/archive/2004/02/06/sfvirgins.DTL&type=travelbayarea


I wanted to add the following are restaurants I go to and things I love to do:

The San Francisco Columbarium
http://www.sanfranciscoreader.com/essays/columbarium.html

Delancy Street Restaurant
http://cuisinenet.com/info/cnetrst-2041/?v=237

Mission District mural tours (beautiful!)
http://www.precitaeyes.org/tours.html

The Tonga Room
http://www.posthoc.com/tongaroom.htm

Red's Java House
http://www.newcolonist.com/sf-reds.html

The Ramp
http://www.posthoc.com/ramp.htm

Mission Rock
http://www.bestofsanfrancisco.net/kellysmissionrock.htm


If you are in town at the right time, the Annual Cherry Blossom Festival is taking place! April 14-15, and 21-22

Cherry Blossom Festival Japantown, Post between Fillmore and Laguna, SF; http://www.nccbf.com
11am-6pm, free. The 40th Cherry Blossom Festival will probably break down like the other 39: participants strolling up and down Post, eating yakitori and gyoza, and checking out bands, martial arts, and performances of all sorts

[EFerrari]

21. What do you like to do, Merrick? Give us some parameters.

:)

[Merrick]

22. Hmm...

Nothing too structured, and no shopping or touristy things. I've seen/done all those before. Think we might take a walking tour of Haight Ashbury, but other than that I just kind of prefer wandering interesting neighborhoods in the day, maybe check out a museum or two, eat good food, maybe see a show at night and get semi-shitfaced at a good bar afterward (excluding yuppie lounges and the sort of nightclubs Paris Hilton might frequent)

[EFerrari]

24. If you come out to the beach, I'll get you a cup of coffee

at my friend's place, Java Beach. It's by the park and the beach and there's a visitor's center a few blocks away. There also great Thai out here. In the inner Sunset, Pasquale's has great pizza.

In the Richmond, the Bazaar Cafe is a beer/wine bar with a great lunch menu and a great big garden in the back where you can sit on a nice day.

Little Joe's on Broadway in North Beach has awesome Italian. The place isn't fancy but the food is great.

This time of year, I'd check out what's happening in the park. It's really beautiful there now.

I'm not much of a barfly so can't help with that. :)

[Merrick]

30. Too bad

I was going to take you up on that coffee, but I just mapped your friend's place and it seems a bit out of the way if its way over there on the west shore. Thanks a lot for the recommendations, though. I've marked the mediterranean place and Little Joes on my little map.

[EFerrari]

31. Remember this is a small town with a great public trans system. n/t

[Dukkha]

23. the best food is on Valencia St in the Mission

every type you could want is there and all great!

11th st in SOMA for clubbing, Haight St for people watching and shops. North Beach is fun to walk for views if you can navigate the hills.

[Rabrrrrrr]

28. Nope. Pack your shit and go to Branson, MO. That's where the REAL culture is!

[Merrick]

32. Strange as it may seem,

I've had it with Branson. Frankly, I find it a bit too risque. The last time I went I swear I heard the word 'balls' during the Donnie Osmond show.

[EFerrari]

34. Here's something at the Roxie theatre on Friday afternoon:

Friday, April 13, 2:00 p.m.
MOVIES THAT MATTER

The San Francisco Women's Film Festival presents
"Filmmaking and
Activism," a panel discussion with local filmmakers,
including Karil
Daniels ("Voices of Dissent"), Carolyn Scott ("Texas
Gold"), Deborah
Koons-Garcia ("Future of Food"), Connie Field ("Freedom on
My Mind")
and Dorothy Fadiman ("Stealing America: Vote by Vote").

Roxie Cinema
3117 16th St., San Francisco
http://diversions.workingforchange.com/cgi-bin7/DM/y/etGW0FQfjd0COc0BaFw0Ef

[Merrick]

37. very interesting

and I see it's free.

crammed it onto my little map amongst all the supposedly good restaurants in that neighborhhod

[barb162]

36. No, drive south on 1 to Monterry

[mark414]

38. toss at least a couple bums or street kids on the Haight at least a couple of bucks

and hang out down around ocean beach, go see the buffalo in golden gate park, and just wander around golden gate park in general

[Lord Helmet]

39. count the homeless