San Francisco, the “Golden City” as it’s called! What a great (but very rainy) two months we had living here! Today I’m sharing everything we did including where we stayed, what activities to do, where to eat/drink, and some tips you should know before you go! Funny enough, one of my most popular blog posts of all time is my blog post, See San Francisco in Less than 24 Hours (so definitely go check that out first if you’re planning a trip- it’s the shortened version of this)!
Another couple months has come and gone and these flew by in San Francisco! Given, it was one of their rainiest winters yet, so it was tricky to get out and explore! I’d say we made the most of our time in the city by getting outside to other parts of the city, walking up and down many steep hills, riding bikes around the parks and by the major landmarks, and eating our way through the city! Here are the highlights from our trip in San Francisco:
WHERE TO STAY:
We rented a vrbo this time around (and just a heads up- SF is very pricey!) We stayed in the Russian Hill area which was a quaint, quiet, and safe neighborhood. Our favorite areas nearby that were walkable were North Beach, Polk St, Cow Hollow, Fillmore St, and the Marina!
WHAT TO DO:
-rent Bay Wheels e-bikes and ride all over town
-go check out the golden gate bridge
-bike ride through golden gate park
-ride bikes or drive across to Sausalito
-the ferry building farmers market
-ride on the cable car trolley
-walk out to pier 39
-check out the painted ladies
-emporium: a huge bar with games
-walk up and down Lombard street: the most crooked street in the world
-picnic in fort mason
-rent a revel scooter and ride to mission/dolores park and then up to twin peaks for the BEST city views
-palace of fine arts
-walk along crissy field/beach for Golden Gate Bridge views
-botanical garden
-walk along chestnut street in the marina and union street in cow hollow
-le bouquet: make yourself your own floral arrangement
-walk through chinatown
WHERE TO EAT/DRINK:
-st. franks coffee shop: very popular
-philz coffee
-squat and gobble brunch in marina
-b. patisserie and larsicault for croissaints
-mels drive in: classic diner brunch
-mamas on Washington square: brunch
-the buena vista: delicious brunch and they’re WELL known for their Irish coffee (so good)
-Balboa cafe: espresso martinis
-bix: this is a VERY romantic, AMAZING spot in town with live jazz music!
-bonita: our favorite, Mexican, take out in the city
-pacific catch: delicious seafood
-original joes: our FAVE Italian spot in the city
-roma antica: cute Italian spot in the city
-pier 39: seafood, chowder bowls at pier market
-salt and straw or swensens: famous ice cream spots
OTHER HELPFUL TIPS:
Get prepared to walk A LOT in the city! The hills are steeper than you think and you’ll get a great workout in! We utilized public transit- the buses, since uber an Lyft were quiet pricey. We also loved renting Bay Wheels (the public bikes) to get around and explore! Don’t ever leave anything in your car, there’s lots of theft, and stay clear of the Tenderloin area of town.