Trying to boil this city down into a page of things to do can by tricky, but try we must. Below are some suggestions for things to do on the wedding weekend when you're not engaged in nuptial-related activities. Everything's broken out by category and then by neighborhood. Enjoy!
Some Touring Tips
- It's a great idea to purchase a laminated map of the city with bus routes, which you can find in any drugstore. They're only about $2 and will outline all of the major neighborhoods and public transportation.
- Bring a sweater. The weather here varies from neighborhood to neighborhood, and it's always cold at night.
Local Attractions that You've Probably Already Heard About So We're Not Going to Try and Explain Them Here
Alcatraz
http://www.nps.gov/alcatraz/
California Academy of Sciences
http://www.calacademy.org/
Exploratorium
http://www.exploratorium.edu/
Fine Arts Museums
http://www.famsf.org/
Fisherman's Wharf and Ghirardelli Square
http://www.ghirardellisq.com/
Golden Gate Park
http://www.sfgate.com/traveler/guide/sf/neighborhoods/ggpark.shtml
The Golden Gate Bridge
http://www.goldengate.org/
National Maritime Museum
http://www.maritime.org/
Pier 39
http://pier39.com/
Union Square
http://www.sfgate.com/traveler/guide/sf/neighborhoods/unionsq.shtml
Special This-Weekend-Only (Mostly) Events
Fleet Week
http://www.sfstation.com/city_events/fleetweek02.htm
Navy and coast guard jets will be whizzing overhead the city all weekend while you're here, and you'll probably see them whether you want to or not, but if you'd like to actively head down to the waterfront to see the show, here's the information you'll need.
McLaren Park Funk Project
http://www.sfstation.com/city_events/mclarenpark02.htm
"A full day of funk" at the McLaren Park Amphitheater. Grooves provided by Zigaboo Modeliste, Melvin Sparks and UFM. The McLaren Park Amphitheater is nestled in the heart of 318-acre John McLaren Park, the second largest park in SF, located on the southern edge of San Francisco.
Italian Heritage Parade
http://www.sfstation.com/city_events/italianheritage02.htm
Check out the 134th Annual Italian Heritage Parade, the oldest and largest Columbus Day parade in the West.
Mill Valley Film Festival
http://www.sfstation.com/city_events/millvalleyfilmfest02.htm
Public Library Free Walking Tours
http://www.walking-tours.com/cityguides/
They cover pretty much the whole city -- anything you're interested in, the city of San Francisco will show it to you. And for free!
Victorian Walking Tours
http://www.victorianwalk.com/
We've got beautiful old houses here in this town, and we like to show them off. Tours happen at 11am every day — don't forget to make reservations if you're interested.
Neighborhoods to Explore
The Castro
Located in the Eureka Valley on the eastern base of Twin Peaks, the Castro is often blessed with sunshine while the Sunset, Richmond and Haight districts are overcome with summer fog. But, more than temperate weather, the Castro district is internationally known for its large gay (predominately male) population. Castro Street, between 20th on the Northern slope of Sanchez Hill and the upper end of Market Street, is blanketed with gay bars and restaurants, gay (male) targeted merchandising, and upscale houseware stores and specialty gifts.
Along Market Street, from Castro to Laguna, the neighborhood maintains a more tempered and less overwhelmingly gay flavor. Restaurants along Market find expression in a variety of different cuisines including Mexican (Pozole), Californian (Chow! and Mecca), Asian fusion (Tin-Pan) and American (Sparky's, Baghdad Cafe). Bars remain predominantly gay male along Market (The Detour, Cafe Flore, The Mint, Pilsner Inn, Martuni's) though there are exceptions (Lucky 13, Orbit Room).
Yummy, yummy Nouveau American Restaurants:
Blue
2337 Market St.
(between Castro & Noe)
phone: 415.863.2583
Chow!
215 Church St.
(Church @ Market)
phone: 415.552.2469
Chinatown
At the corner of Bush and Grant, a large gate adorned with lions and dragons marks the entry to Chinatown and once you've crossed through, you'll know it immediately. Grant and Stockton streets are narrow and lined with bustling everything shops, temples, dim sum restaurants, and a teeming population of Chinese Americans. While much of the traditional Chinese architecture was added to ordinary buildings during the 1920's tourist boom, visitors hoping for a little culture shock won't be disappointed, particularly if they start out on the infamously long and crowded 45 bus down Stockton.
Hot spots include the always-a-wait House of Nanking (919 Kearny Street, at Jackson) and its low-key neighbor, Chef Jia's (next door), both of which serve up cheap, hot, tasty food with no ambiance or service whatsoever. While Chinatown is bemoaned by some as a tourist trap, its convenient location between Downtown and North Beach makes it a great place for a weekend outing or an evening stroll.
Other Restaurants:
Far East Cafe
631 Grant Ave.
(between California & Sacramento)
phone: 415.982.3245
Kan's Restaurant
708 Grant St.
(Grant @ Clay)
phone: 415.362.5267
Sam Wo Restaurant
813 Washington St.
(Washington @ Grant)
phone: 415.982.0596
Yuet Lee
1300 Stockton St.
(Stockton @ Broadway)
phone: 415.982.6020
Downtown
This compact, concrete jungle of energy, style and international intrigue is a mecca for theater-enthusiasts, happy hour celebrants, and fashion-hungry urbanities with a lot of money to spend. During the day, the streets are filled with tourists making their way from the giant Gap on Powell with a required stop at Boudin's for that world-famous sourdough bread bowl. But at night, when the financial district lets out, an impressive collection of restaurants and bars are waiting with open arms.
Among the best are the Farallon and The Grand Cafe. The theater district along Geary is one of the finest in the country, with low-price tickets available daily at a booth on the every-popular Union Square. Downtown is a key spot for former New Yorkers who start missing the tall buildings and bustle and need to be reminded why they moved in the first place.
Restaurants:
Boulevard
1 Mission St.
(Mission @ Steuart St.)
phone: 415.543.6084
Yank Sing
Two Locations
One Rincon Center
101 Spear St.
(between Mission & Howard)
phone: 415.957.9300
Cafe Claude
7 Claude Lane
(between Bush and Sutter @ Kearny)
phone: 415.392.3515
The Haight
Today's Haight is comprised of a multitude of free thinkers and specialty shops, sprung from the days when the Grateful Dead ruled and hippies took to the streets spreading love and drugs in their wake. Golden Gate Park, designed in 1871 as the city's biggest patch of green, is everyone's favorite weekend escape. Whether you're after a romantic walk through the gardens, a tour of the De Young museum, or some disco-inspired roller skating, the Park promises an endless supply of free fun.
Although the novelty of flower power has faded, today's progressive subcultures add a changing style to the Haight. You'll still find head shops, grungy teens and other historical artifacts (like the Red Vic Theater, Haight-Ashbury Free Clinic and Anarchist Bookstore) but now the Haight offers a fusion of old and new. While the chic set that now frequent Cha Cha Cha and Club Deluxe mumble and roll their eyes at the well-pierced pan handlers who harangue them outside, they can't ignore the legacy of this classic neighborhood of loose living and high times.
Restaurants:
Cha Cha Cha
1801 Haight St.
(Haight @ Shrader)
phone: 415.386.5758
Citrus Club
1790 Haight St.
(Haight @ Shrader)
phone: 415.387.6366
Zona Rosa
1793 Haight St.
(Haight @ Shrader)
phone: 415.668.7717
Marina
Home to a fashionable set of young professionals, socialites and bankers, the Marina has one of the most well-known zip codes in the city. One of the city's straighter and more affluent neighborhoods, residents here tend toward cocktail parties, jogging along the water, shopping on Chestnut and Union Streets and dining at posh restaurants like Greens.
One of the greatest attractions for non-residents is the Exploratorium, a giant science fair for kids and grown-ups alike with special features like the mysterious Tactile Dome. Right next door is the strikingly ethereal Palace of Fine Arts where live classical music wafts through the air, swans grace the man-made lake and couples pose for their wedding photos. While the Marina catches flack from the other, more alternative, side of San Francisco, the good life is alive and well.
The Presidio is also a great place to walk. The newly redone Crissy Field makes the excursion out to the Golden Gate Bridge better than ever.
One last note: Union & Chestnut Streets are still considered two of San Francisco's best places to shop — from classy boutiques to incredible specialty stores.
Restaurants:
Ace Wasabi's Rock-n-Roll Sushi
3339 Steiner St.
(between Chestnut and Lombard)
phone: 415.567.4903
Cafe Marimba
2317 Chestnut St.
(between Scott and Divisadero)
phone: 415.776.1506
Pane e Vino
3011 Steiner St.
(Steiner @ Union)
phone: 415.346.2111
The Mission
Take a stroll through one of the most diverse and interesting areas of the city. With its strong Latin influence, the Mission offers everything from fresh hand-made tortillas, to great cafes, used furniture stores, and a few of the city's hippest bars and restaurants. Smart locals frequent Ti Couz, which makes the best crepes on the planet, and Liquid, Dalva and Bruno's for evening entertainment.
While Valencia Street steals attention with a stunning array of hot spots and hang-outs, Mission Street still retains a more authentic Latin flare. When you tire of tacos, try a Pupusa or a fresh Tamale at one of the local Central American restaurants like El Zocalo.
Restaurants:
Minako
2154 Mission St
(Mission @ 17th Street)
phone: 415.864.1888
(Note: Not good for groups, and the service is slow because it's small, but this places makes the best sushi EVER, with the widest variety of vegetarian sushi we've ever seen.)
Andalu
3198 16th St.
(16th @ Guererro)
phone: 415.621.2211
Boogaloo's
3296 22nd St.
(22nd @ Valencia)
phone: 415.824 3211
Foreign Cinema
2526-2540 Mission St.
(between 21st & 22nd)
phone: 415.648.7600
Luna Park
694 Valencia St.
(Valencia @ 18th Street)
San Francisco, CA 94110
North Beach
North Beach is great but if you can wade through the crowds of tourists, its gets even better. Situated in a valley between Russian and Telegraph Hills, North Beach was once home to most of the city's Italian residents. During the 1950s and early 1960s, North Beach was also home to San Francisco's infamous Beatniks.
Though gentrification and sky-rocketing real estate prices have left only vestiges of its original bohemian and Italian populations (the former dissipating with the rise of Haight-Ashbury as the new center during the late sixties), North Beach has retained much of its distinct San Franciscan identity. The main street in North Beach, Columbus (from the TransAmerica Building to Fisherman's Wharf) is laden with Italian restaurants and coffee shops which range from the mediocre tourist traps to the deliciously authentic (L'Osteria del Forno, Michelangelo's) to excellent and innovative cuisine (Rose Pistola).
But for a real sense of North Beach, walk the side streets. Grant Avenue offers clothing boutiques and specialty food shops, most with an Italian bent. Broadway, another main thoroughfare, is at once seedy and glamorous, with strip shows (The Hungry I, The Garden of Eden) sharing the sidewalk with retro amd swing clubs (The Hiball Lounge, Velvet Lounge, Broadway Studios, Tosca) and upscale restaurants (Enrico's, The Black Cat). Climb Telegraph or Russian Hill for a sense of layout and discover why North Beach is often called "The Little City" within San Francisco.
Restaurants:
Michelangelo Caffe
570 Columbus Ave.
(Columbus & Union)
phone: 415.986.4058
Tommaso's
1042 Kearny St
(Kearney between Broadway and Columbus Avenue)
phone: 415.398.9696
(Note: This is the best pizza ever. Seriously. Ever.)
L'Osteria del Forno
519 Columbus Ave
(Columbus @ Union)
phone: 415.982.1124
SOMA (Pronounced Soh-mah, the acronym stands for "South of Market")
Well known throughout the city as home of S.F. night-life, there are more dance clubs in SoMa than in all the other neighborhoods put together. Although the prevalence of warehouses and artists' lofts gives SoMa a somewhat sterile appearance, beneath the surface it is actually teeming with activity including a ton of restaurants, bars, pool halls and popular clubs like VSF, Slim's and The Stud. The most beautiful people in town are likely to be found here having a great time with their friends or scoping for new ones.
Meanwhile, South Park is not to be missed! South Park was built in 1854 by Englishman, George Gordon, to house San Francisco's high society and was modeled after London's Berkeley Square. Today, South Park is better known as the "Multi-Media Gulch." This internet oasis amidst a concrete jungle is perfect for people watching, grabbing a quick weekday lunch, or for sipping an espresso in the park.
Restaurants:
Maya
303 2nd St.
(2nd @ Folsom)
phone: 415.543.2928
Dine
662 Mission St.
(Mission near New Montgomery)
phone: 415.538.3463
Thirsty Bear Brewing Company
661 Howard St.
(Howard @ 3rd)
phone: 415.974.0905
Max's Diner
311 3rd St.
(3rd @ Folsom)
phone: 415.546.6297
Still want more? Check out all the city's neighborhoods at http://www.sfstation.com/dist.htm.