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Stuff to do in San Francisco

polycounter lvl 9
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felipefrango polycounter lvl 9
So I'll be visiting San Francisco and attending GDC but I'll be staying there until March 22 so there'll be plenty of time for tourism and while I know about the tried and true tourist destinations in the city (Alcatraz, Golden Gate, SFMOMA...) I was hoping that Bay Area polycounters could chime in with more personal suggestions for stuff to do there. You know, those places you would never find in mainstream tourism websites and magazines that you only know about cause you live there. Many thanks in advance. :thumbup:

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  • SHEPEIRO
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    SHEPEIRO polycounter lvl 17
    go to paxton gate on valencia....
    store.jpg
  • felipefrango
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    felipefrango polycounter lvl 9
    Hah, wow, that looks cool. Is it a taxidermy store?

    Also, I wanna get me a Galaxy Nexus and an Android tablet, prabably the Transformer Prime. What's the place to go for electronics?
  • dfacto
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    dfacto polycounter lvl 18
    SFMOMA is ok, but the academy of arts and sciences across from it is much more interesting. Also I'd take a trip to the north bay and see Sausalito, and Muir Woods (If you like super bigass trees).
  • Joshua Stubbles
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    Joshua Stubbles polycounter lvl 19
    Eat here. Do it. http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/6/85032/restaurant/Nob-Hill/House-of-Nanking-San-Francisco
    Tell the owner (short, old Chinese guy [you'll know em!]), that it's your first time there. He'll take care of ya. ;)

    I grew up in South SF and the outer cities (Pacifica, Daily City) but didn't really do much at that age (left when I was eight). I visited again in 2003. Riding the full track on the trolly is enjoyable and relaxing. Visiting China town is a great experience. Lots of trinket shops and a few good street food vendors.

    Visting the museum of modern art was awesome - Rodin's "the thinker" was parked in the center of their massive courtyard, which was an awesome sight.

    I'd avoid fisherman's wharf unless you don't mind tourist traps. There are some great stores and food to be had in the area, but there's also a lot of mediocrity, and it's crowded :|

    Alcatraz is also a fun tourist thing to check out. If you go, go EARLY. First boat. Far less people.
  • adam
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    adam polycounter lvl 19
    If you have a friend at Lucas Arts, ask for a tour. My last time in SF that was my favourite thing I had done.
  • AlecMoody
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    AlecMoody ngon master
    SHEPEIRO wrote: »
    go to paxton gate on valencia....
    store.jpg

    Yeah, this place is awesome.
  • Kwramm
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    Kwramm interpolator
    rented a car and drove to point reyes (a bit north of SF). very beautiful landscape. You're in a foresty area and then you drive up and suddenly it looks like meadows in the alps and then behind that are the cliffs and the sea. with some nice weather it's absolutely stunning, even round this time of the year. take a camera.

    sfmoma was a disappointment imho. the stuff they had when I visited was very... very "modern". One piece was a single hair taped to a canvas. Maybe I'm just too stupid for this form of art...

    edit: Chinatown is indeed great too. It's quite small but has it's own special atmosphere, and some restaurants are as close to real Chinese places as it gets. If you're out for a quiet and nice lunch, forget it though. Lots of people and noise and the waiters speak mostly cantonese when you head to one of the busy lunch places.
  • Swizzle
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    Swizzle polycounter lvl 15
    The Legion of Honor, the De Young Museum and the California Academy of Sciences are all really cool if you want fine art and neat science exhibits. If you want to have a bit of science-oriented interactive fun, the Exploratorium is pretty great to spend an hour or two in, as long as it isn't swarming with school children.

    There's a lot of stuff to do within a few blocks of the convention center, so don't discount just having a walk around that general area. The Metreon has huge IMAX screens, though the ticket prices are pretty steep. Market street and Union Square have a large variety of shops.

    There's a farmer's market at the Ferry Building on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and it's a great place to pick up some really good fresh foods. It's a bit of a walk from the convention center, but it doesn't require walking up or down any hills.
  • dfacto
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    dfacto polycounter lvl 18
    Oh yeah, Academy of Science was across from De Young, not the MOMA. Damn I need to go back and refresh my memory.
  • Farfarer
    Academy of Sciences is awesome, especially if you can go to the Nightlife nights. Cocktails and science!

    There's a mirror maze up in Fisherman's Wharf that's seriously cool, too. It might sound silly but I'd really recommend it :D

    And Bigfoot Lodge does some awesome cocktails if you're in the area :P
  • CrazyMatt
    Bubba Gumps [Forrest Gump] resturant. BEST Baby Back RIBS EVER!!! I highly recommend it if you are from out of town and love ribs as much as I do :) it's $21.00 a plate but I kid you not it's totally worth it! :D
  • BlvdNights
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    BlvdNights polycounter lvl 8
    I'm personally a big fan of the Winchester Mystery House. Also if you want a few good food suggestions in the city, I recommend Umami Burger, and The Stinking Rose.
  • Justin Meisse
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    Justin Meisse polycounter lvl 18
    Bubba Gump CO is a chain of restaurants that are all over the country, not sure I'd recommend that.
  • Swizzle
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    Swizzle polycounter lvl 15
    Bubba Gump isn't bad. It's just usually pretty busy because it's right in the middle of a bunch of tourist traps, though.
  • EtotheRic
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    EtotheRic polycounter lvl 18
    There's a pretty sweet Rodin collection down at Stanford and it's free.
    http://museum.stanford.edu/view/rodin.html
  • Justin Meisse
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    Justin Meisse polycounter lvl 18
    Bubba Gump isn't bad but it isn't great or unique either, you don't even have to be in the US to eat there, there's a few all over the world. Going to San Francisco and eating at Bubba Gump Co is like going to Hong Kong and eating at... well... the Bubba Gump Co in Hong Kong.
  • Swizzle
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    Swizzle polycounter lvl 15
    Bubba Gump isn't bad but it isn't great or unique either, you don't even have to be in the US to eat there, there's a few all over the world. Going to San Francisco and eating at Bubba Gump Co is like going to Hong Kong and eating at... well... the Bubba Gump Co in Hong Kong.

    Very true. It's just a fairly generic fish and chips joint and the only thing that sets it apart is the theme. Decent food, but nothing really special.
  • Emil Mujanovic
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    Emil Mujanovic polycounter lvl 18
    Bubba Gump isn't bad but it isn't great or unique either, you don't even have to be in the US to eat there, there's a few all over the world. Going to San Francisco and eating at Bubba Gump Co is like going to Hong Kong and eating at... well... the Bubba Gump Co in Hong Kong.

    HAHAHAHAHA! This is the greatest thing I've heard all year!
  • Lombos
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    Lombos polycounter lvl 6
    I lived in SF for ~3 years it's a fun spot, my girlfriend still lives up there so I still go up a lot.. hoping to move back in the near future.

    Some of this advice will depend on your age / personal tastes I suppose.

    Eats : Some personal favorites..

    -- Swan Oyster Depot - ( yelp ) Always a crazy line, fresh seafood. Omnomnom

    -- Grubstake - ( yelp ) Open til 4 am!!!! I go here a lot after a night out on Polk street. I get The Nugget... burger with a fried egg on it. Onion rings are really good!

    -- Ike's Place - ( yelp ) Awesome awesome sandwiches. Should call ahead if possible, sometimes the wait can be a few hours...usually only happens on weekends.

    -- Pearls Deluxe Burgers - ( yelp ) Great Burgers, great fries, great shakes! I think it's worth it to get something off the specials menu. Bula, Pesto Burger, Phat Bob personal favorites.



    Locations : Going to talk about locations and a few particular places...

    -- Union Square : Cable cars go up and down Powell street which passes right by Union Square. Nice hotels in the area, some department stores (Macys/Nordstrom) , Food / Bars, Art gallerys

    -- Polk Street - Has it all, Food, bars, shops...usually a younger to middle aged crowd for the bar scene...A couple bars with dance floors, sports bars, upscale bars, dive bars, and a gay bar. Boutiques, smoke shops, Art gallerys yata yata.

    -- Union Street - No where near Union Square. A little more mature of an area, a decent amount of wine bars, good amount of restaurant/bars, boutiques, most of the shops are girly..

    -- North Beach - I don't go here too often mainly because I don't want to deal with the walk back up the hill. Has some cool spots though. It's the Italian district, very touristy during the day (especially on weekends). Some of the Italian places are really good others are total crap....pricey in general

    -- Castro!!! - It's the gay district, I've gone there a few times with my girl and some gay friends. Strong strong strong cheap drinks at most of the bars, potentially could be groped while walking through a bar on the weekends..

    -- Fishermans Wharf - Touristy, usually has street performers / street artists on the weekends.

    -- Chinatown - As others said, pretty cool place, trinket shops etc... I'd check it out, not too far from Union Square.

    - Alcatraz - Haven't been since I was like 12...cool to see and walk around.

    -- Wreck Room - ( yelp ) Cool bar. 3 minute walk from Polk Street. Gets packed on weekends and some weekdays. Pool table, darts, basketball shooting game, shuffle board so you have some entertainment while you drink.

    -- Legion of Honor - As others mentioned, been a number of times for certain exhibits. Wont go into too much detail...it's a museum.

    -- de Young - Same deal.

    -- Academy of Sciences - Never been, want to go. I've heard good things. The weekly Nightlife event is supposed to be cool.

    -- SFMOMA - Self explanatory. When I was a student I got in for free, pretty cool. Exhibits are hit and miss.

    All I can think of now, might add more later if I think of stuff... Hope it helps, enjoy!

    -Oliver
  • Farfarer
    The Cartoon Art Museum is worth a walk around if you're nearby, too. It'll only take 10-15 mins to see everything in it - it's pretty small - but it has some neat original cells, sketches and character sheets.
  • tanka
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    tanka polycounter lvl 12
    Talon wrote: »
    The Cartoon Art Museum is worth a walk around if you're nearby, too. It'll only take 10-15 mins to see everything in it - it's pretty small - but it has some neat original cells, sketches and character sheets.


    Dude, I'm going to San Fran in June, and if you didn't mention that museum, it wouldn't even be on my radar.. I would have been bummed if I missed out on it.. So thank you very much! :D
  • Rick_D
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    Rick_D polycounter lvl 12
    go to:

    union square, shopping in macys and the other stores around there. take lots of money.
    go to Loris Diner - not even joking that shit is off the chaaaaain
    ride the cable car..
    go to the pier and eat clam chowder, maybe see the aqaurium
    go to alcatraz - book your ticket onlin in advance, you'll never get a ticket if you show up on the day
    go to chinatown

    that should keep you busy for a while.
  • GarageBay9
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    GarageBay9 polycounter lvl 13
    Boudin's. Best Sourdough south of the Columbia River.

    Also, there's the Presidio, awesome old fort.
  • felipefrango
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    felipefrango polycounter lvl 9
    Wow, thanks guys, lots of thorough recommendations, I sure have added a LOT to my to do list. This city looks so awesome, I'll be staying for 22 days and I feel I won't have the time to experience it well enough.
  • VPrime
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    VPrime polycounter lvl 9
    I was just there last week. I would recommend trying to walk EVERYWHERE. the city is not that big. It takes about 3-4hr to walk from one side to the other.. You get to see EVERYTHING. It is also an amazing work out with all the hills.
    There is also golden gate park, there is supposed to be some bison in there. I never got a chance to go there though as it got way too cold in the evening.

    Another touristy place is Lombard street, it is the twisty downhill road, cool to see... Better in summer since there are flowers and junk to make it a nice photo place.

    down fishermans warf there are lots of sea liions just doing their thing, kind of cool.. But there is also an old ww2 submaraine you can tour down there as well. right beside the submarine there is a private museum of coin operated machines. All functional, really cool.
  • Mrskullface
    oh paxton gate thats where i get my skulls from!
    and pearls is this sh!t, i love them so.
  • felipefrango
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    felipefrango polycounter lvl 9
    VPrime, thanks for the heads up, I think I might just do that, I have no problem walking around at all, I enjoy it a lot. Plus it would save me precious cab money.
  • SanderDL
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    SanderDL polycounter lvl 7
    The owners of the company that I'm doing an internship at are going to GDC too. When browsing for stuff to do they found this:

    http://www.voy.com/201188/ :poly136:

    Can't imagian what they were searching for. lol
  • Compo
    This is just a view from someone else who is playing tourst for a few days befre GDC... I will deffinetly back up the statment that if you do Alcatraz, buy your ticket for another day for the earliest time, gets crowded awfully quick. While we were there thankfully a few times the crowd broke up to get some nice photos in. We did both but, I recommend the garden tour first, the guide talked about how the island started, while the audio about events over its lifetime.

    The submarine mentioned is cool, $10 for it 12 for audio, takes only about 30 mins if you stop to take a lot of pictures as I did. - Pier 43

    Walking is worth it even with the hills, you get a lot of nice views and see shops that would be missed on a bus or taxi. Going along this theme though buy yourself the plastic Clipper card better then its paper counterpart even if you only ever come to S.F once. Works on the bus and Muni/BART train system. Seems to be $2 to ride anywhere in the system but don't quote me on that :)

    I don't recall if you said your in the city yet but, just don't get shocked when you see a ticket booth outside pretty mich everything. I know I was first day here, have been spoiled coming from D.C area where its pretty much free for every Smithsonian museum. Either way it is still all fun so far. Hope you have fun playing tourist also.
  • Andreas
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    Andreas polycounter lvl 11
    SanderDL wrote: »
    The owners of the company that I'm doing an internship at are going to GDC too. When browsing for stuff to do they found this:

    http://www.voy.com/201188/ :poly136:

    Can't imagian what they were searching for. lol

    Plenty of that goes down in SF I hear lol.
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