the city by the bay
I am headed to one of the most incredible cities in the world, and I cannot wait. If you've never been, you simply must go. It has the dramatic marriage between land and water of Istanbul. It has the intimacy of Boston. It has the sophistication of New York. It has California weather. It's progressive and interesting and vibrant and diverse. I have been to many of the great cities of the world, and it ranks among my favorites. I am headed to San Francisco!It's funny, because I used to spend a ton of time there, but I don't really know where to go or what to do. Ironically, I have never been there since I've been gay. I've been to underground jazz clubs and romantic Italian eateries and even cocktails at a consulate, but I've never been to the Castro.
I am going for the wedding of one of my most favorite people (a guy, who is marrying another guy), so I will mostly be occupied with that. But what else should I do? Where else should I go? What's hot in San Francisco? And I'm not just looking for "gay" things to do. Any suggestions? And does anybody have a rich gay uncle with an extra bedroom in his Nob Hill mansion? I can't afford $200 a night for the hotels in that city! Sheesh!
posted by Matt at 10:51 PM
22 Comments:
hey matt stud, something tell me you'll have no trouble finding a room in that city. ha
oh man enjoy the time, that city has all the places to eat, to shop. the movie festivals like every other weekend, and the food.. any culture in the world i swear! ha. have fun. later
make sure you pay a visit to the castro. but don't go alone at night...
hotel rooms definitely are pricey. during pride weekend, my bf and his sister stayed at the handlery on geary for about 150 a night i think. nice hotel, small rooms. might you look into a hotel in the east bay (like emeryville or berkeley)
if you wanna go shopping, there's union square (and vicinity) and the westfield shopping center on market st.
if you want more touristy stuff, go to fisherman's wharf area.
hope that helps! have a fabtastic time while you're here! :)
SF...fun. I'm not local, so keep that in mind, but...
If you like chocolate, there's a cool little cafe on Filmore St (2123) where you can try several different kinds of hot chocolate or chocolate bars from around the world. (www.bittersweetcafe.com).
I also am a huge fan of the farmers' market @ the Old Ferry Building on Saturday mornings. Bring an appetite.
As for rooms, I have found SF extremely successful when using Priceline.com. I've stayed in the Financial Dist (dead on the weekend) or Union Square for $80/night in some really sweet digs. Make sure you're bidding and not taking a standard price they offer. Winning bids are posted @ www.biddingfortravel.com if you need an idea about a price to throw out there.
Have fun!
San Francisco is my second home! (I am from central CA so I go there often).
For a great Italian meal, check out Kuleto's http://www.kuletos.com/ which is in the Villa Florence hotel right off of union square. It's a great place to stay, but is moderately expensive.
If nothing else, you MUST check out the Ferry Building Marketplace http://www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com/ which represents the best that the golden state has to offer. It's close to the embarcadero and is a great area along the waterfront.
For something off of the beaten path head out on Union Street towards Betelnut (one of my favorite restaurants of all time) http://www.betelnutrestaurant.com/ and walk around and check out the stores, galleries, coffee shops, etc in that area.
Last but not least, I really enjoy reading your blog and have personally benefited from your experiences and advice. Have a great time at the wedding!
I was just there and the redwoods are amazing to see also MOMA(museum of modern art) is a must see. It blew my mind with some of the neat stuff they had and the cartoon museum is also cool.
I walked from fishermans wharf to the castro and theres some really neat stuff. There were some wicked murals an hot boys wandering around. Be careful though some of the areas I wandered into were not that safe. Its about a 7our walk hough.
A different light book store was sweet as well, good gay books.
My favorite lunchtime activity is to head to Union Square and have lunch at The Cheesecake Factory restaurant on the roof of Macy's overlooking the square. The view is tremendous and the Lemon Drop Martini's to die for, not to mention the best food anywhere.
On a good day, head to the Embarcadero for Delancey Street - cheap food (6$ breakfast!!!) that's also diverse and has a lovely view of the bay.
For something fun and different, go to Lovejoy's tea room in Noe Valley. It has amazing, superflavored tea (love the blood orange, peppermint), and is meant for you to go with someone/some friends and share tea, eat petits fours and scones with lemon curry, and talk and talk and talk! the decor is British and it's just a wholesome place. It IS kind of popular, so either make reservations or be prepared to wait 45min, esp. on a weekend.
In terms of fun places to go, there are some places I'm thinking of outside SF. Inside...there's twin peaks (if you're feeling a bit outdoorsy), the mission (kind of funky)... I'm trying to think of special places [as in, memorable, not touristy in the price-gouging way, and with something you can actually take away from it], and they're mostly a bit outside of SF -- can you head out that far?
I don't have any mansions for you in SF, but if you email me, you might be able to stay a night or two in Berkeley/peninsula :).
URL = email... first dot is an at sign.
dim sum in chinatown baby! yank sing is one of the best, despite its name.
or if you want regular chinese food, shanghai 1930 and the jasmine tea house are both great.
i'm really only qualified to tell you about asian things...
japantown in sf is a nice place to visit, and also twin peaks.
Take Eds advice and visit the Ferry Building Marketplace. While there you MUST eat at the Slanted Door. Best restaurant in the World I swear. Have fun and be safe.
I went to fisherman's wharf a couple years ago and it was a miserable, cramped, crowded tourist trap! Cheesy little souvenir shops. Overpriced garbage.
I'm sure you've done this, but my fave "touristy" thing in SF was to ride a cable car. A bit of history, a bunch of sightseeing, a little science ... despite the long line.
When I travel, I avoid gay bars. A bar is a bar is a bar. It's just my preference. But it depends if you have an agenda. And who knows, you might find a hot (single) groomsman at the wedding who wants to play tour guide.
I attended a gay wedding in Ptown in May. What a fantastic time! It was very properly done, everyone dressed nicely and the weather was perfect for the ceremony on the balcony overlooking the bay. I met a boi from Framingham staying at my B&B. I went there recently to share a weekend with him.
Look forward to a great time in SF and "find somebosy to love". [Grace Slick] :-O
I too have been to many of the great cities of the world, and none have the "feel" of San Francisco. And, that is not even a "gay" thing.
Actually, I have two old friends who just bought a lovely house up there and they're almost never home because they're always traveling around the world--they own a PR firm called BMC. The first place I would go in SF is the Palace of the Legion of Honor (Old Master paintings),SF MOMA, the de Young..but that's just me. I'll take art over the bars in the Castro anytime. (However...great hook-ups can be made in museums.) Too bad you don't respond to comments (a la London Preppy)-- as it is, there isn't much motivation to write you... Sorry. Me being honest.
I love SF too. One of my favorite things to do is to take a walk, earl in the morning, as the layers of fog shift, change, lift upwards. A hot cup of coffee in hand, ending up at the wharf, and taking in the smells, sounds, beauty of the city still asleep.
I used to go 6, 7 times a year, but lately its been every 12-18 months.
When I have to go to Silicon Valley, I'd still much rather spend time on the highway just to stay in SF.
One thing that was awesome, was to go to a baseball game - buy a cheap ticket, and just walk around. Some great views of the field, the ambiance of McCovey Cove, and you can leave when you've had enough without the guilt. The area around the stadium is also bustling and new...
The last thing I love to do is take the ferry over to Sausolito - and just walk around.
Enjoy your stay.
www.yelp.com is your friend. Especially in SF - it started in the Bay Area and it's the community is the largest there. If you need a local resource, it's your end-all-be-all answer!
Tu Lan on 6th and Market. Julia Child loved it if you know how she was. Looks a lil grungy but the food is incredible. Vietnamese.
Drive to the top of Twin Peaks.
Google SF gardens if you like that sort of thing.
Napa wineries close by.
Muir Woods north of the Golden Gate. Walk across it if you are a stud.
Italian food to die for.
Chinatown..OMG. Ask friendly cashiers where the "good" local places are, specify not touristy.
Tadich Grill
Scotts Seafood is good, or used to be.
Sushi boat in Japantown. Total fun.
Giants return Aug. 8. They ended a homestand today.
Ghirardelli square
email me w/ any questions
or AIM steevo2
msn my email on the blog.
steevo in cali
.
.
.
Betelnut
YESSSSS!
cheesecake factory is totally tourist and a friggin chain
Just got back from S.F. Stayed at the Golden Gate Hotel, a great B&B between Union Square and Nob Hill. Rooms run from 80-150 depending on if you care to share a bathroom. The nicest family runs the place. Say hi to "Pip" the cat. Close to everything and only a $9.00 cab to the Castro. And for food... SQUAT and GOBBLE on 16th.
Emma and I went for intersession one year, and the Mission was definitely my favorite part of the city. I'm a sucker for Guatamalan bakeries, used bookstores, and lesbians, though, so take that with a grain of salt.
The sophistication of New York? I hope your kidding.
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home