My very first time in San Francisco

San Francisco

Landing in San Francisco and having lived in the Pacific Northwest and Pittsburgh, PA, where the vegetation is always wet and green, San Francisco looked like a desert; it was very dry, and I could feel the dryness on my lips. This was summer, at least it was summer in most parts of the United States, but it was cold here. It never gets too hot in San Francisco; I guess this is why some people like it, as it never gets too cold or too hot. The weather here is weird, you can drive a mere fifteen minutes and the weather could be the complete opposite. There are noticeable differences in temperature – the bay counties surrounding San Francisco can get very warm in the summer months (September and October), but they can be a 10-degree difference between downtown San Francisco and the Avenues, out by the beach. 

The city is small enough (only 7 miles by 7 miles) that you can visit most of the city in a day or less. The city attracts a lot of foreigners because it has a very open and diverse atmosphere. It's easy to get around the city, even if you are not driving as you have the option to catch the cable car.

I was visiting San Francisco for the AI conference. After all, this is home to many Tech companies. Although Silicone Valley is the center for tech companies, there are still a few tech companies that are headquartered in the heart of San Francisco. I believe Uber and Twitter are two companies with headquarters in the city of San Francisco.

At the AI Conference in San Francisco - 2018

When you are in the city or driving in different neighborhoods, you will see countless numbers of giant murals everywhere. These fantastic pieces of art are displayed throughout the city in different sizes, ranging from small ones to some that are larger than life. They illustrate the city of San Francisco, its people, the weather, its homes, etc., and they tell stories in the form of art.

There is arts every where in the city and around the city

How about something to snack on, drink or somewhere to stay?

Waiting for Amanda (hahaha, inside joke)

Getting ready to go out and explore San Francisco.

Finding somewhere to eat in San Francisco is very easy as there are restaurants everywhere in the city. One of the places I checked out and liked was the Scoma’s restaurant at the Fisherman’s Wharf. If food is not your thing, you can easily find a bar or a coffee place to get a drink – the Burns Vista Café in the Fisherman’s Wharf is famous for their Irish coffee. If you’ve got a sweet tooth, then there are lots of pastry places in the north beach neighborhood. The Hog Island company is a cool seafood restaurant in the Farmer’s Market. I thought Pittsburgh or New York had the most restaurants from block to block, but I think San Francisco might just be there, or may have even more restaurants than Pittsburgh. The hotels here are also not cheap, but there are many small hotels and hostels that you will never find on Expedia or Kayak, but when you get to the city, you will see them everywhere. Regardless of where you are in San Francisco, you will find upscale boutiques, funky shops, speakeasy, unique restaurants, popular upscale bars, and dive bars.

Neighborhoods in and around San Francisco

What makes this city what it is are the different neighborhoods and their unique buildings. San Francisco is the second most densely populated city in the US after NYC (I believe). There are only a few neighborhoods in San Francisco, where you can build anything taller than 6 floors and this makes housing difficult and makes owning land precious. Depending on what time you arrive in the city, I will suggest you check out the Ferry Building Market (I had to because I wanted some fresh produce) before venturing into the different neighborhoods. The Ferry Building Market is the biggest of all the farmer’s markets in San Francisco. You don’t only get fresh produce there, but you can also find arts, jewelry, clothing, leather goods, and other handcrafts. The building itself is an architectural masterpiece.

After some good food from the Ferry Building Market, you are now set to check out the city, beginning with the downtown area. Union Square is another neighborhood worth checking out. It is packed with visitors from all over the world. It is dirty compared to some of the other neighborhoods in San Francisco and has lots of homeless people, but I do like the vibe there.

Just five blocks from my hotel on Post Street is this beautiful neighborhood called JapanTown.

Japantowns are not as common in the U.S. or Canada as Chinatowns. There are supposedly only three Japantowns left in the U.S., and San Francisco has the biggest one. Do Japanese people only like California? All three are in California, so I wonder if that’s the only state that they like. Regardless, you should go check out the Japan Center Mall and try out the Japanese ice cream. There is so much to do at the mall, and it houses specialty shops and restaurants. Some of the stores there are authentic Japanese fashion stores, so in a way, you will feel like you are in Japan. It is actually a fun neighborhood to go have a bite or chill.

After stuffing my belly with sushi and Japanese ice cream, it was time to venture to other neighborhoods. Nob Hill seems like the next best place to visit. Nob Hill is one of San Francisco’s signature neighborhoods with some of the world’s most famous hotels around Huntington Park. This is one neighborhood that is easy to get to from downtown, so, it just seems logical to be the next to check out.

From Nob Hill, you can walk a few blocks to the waterfront area or hike a few blocks and watch how things change; you might even start feeling like you are in another country. Yes, you are entering the famous and must-see Chinatown.

You will see Chinese temples, businesses, and stores. Try out some real authentic Chinese foods. This is supposedly the biggest Chinatown in North America, and most of the Chinese there speak Cantonese (which is different from other Chinatowns in the rest of the world where you primarily hear Mandarin).

From Chinatown, and depending on what you want to see, you can do what I did, which was drive to the Financial district. This is home to some of the big money makers in the world. You will find big names like McKesson, Wells Fargo, PG&E, Gap, Charles Schwab and Salesforce headquartered there. This is also home to the Transamerica Pyramid Building, which used to be the tallest building in San Francisco but was surpassed by the Salesforce Tower. It’s not just business here, there are restaurants and bars in the district. The Punch Line Comedy Club, one of the oldest comedy clubs in San Francisco, is located in this neighborhood.

From the Financial District, I decided to loop around the city and check out the Russian Hills and the famous Lombard Street. Russian Hill is one of the original “Seven Hills” and one of San Francisco’s 44 hills. I was lucky to visit the Russian Hills and Lombard on what was probably the first day in 2018 where the sun was out all day in San Francisco. It was a beautiful sunny day. It was one of those days that there was no need for a car, you can walk or trek up to Leavenworth or Jones and make it to the famous Lombard Street.

Lombard street is special.

You will see that when you are up the hill. You are not going to want to be driving because there are tourists everywhere. From your left, while facing down the hill, you can see Alcatraz, like it was just across the street and right in front of you. When on top of the hill, you will see the curvy nature of the one-way drive that looks like an animated postcard. It is a road that winds about eight times with flower beds at every turn between Hyde and Jones. Next on my agenda was to either hit North Beach or the Fisherman’s Wharf. Driving to the Fisherman’s Wharf from Russian Hill or Lombard Street is a straight shot down the hill. I decided to check out the Fisherman’s Wharf before heading to North Beach.

The historic Fisherman’s Wharf is one of the more desirable locations amongst tourists. It is home to Pier 39, Ghirardelli Square (a landmark with shops, restaurants, and hotels), the National Maritime Museum, Historic Hyde Street Pier and breathtaking views of the waterfront. As magnificent as this place is, you will rarely find San Franciscans here. It is packed with visitors enjoying the views, restaurants, bars, and sunshine (when it’s out). I met so many people from all over the world in this little area. It just seemed like we were all new to the area and all looking for directions, but we were all smiling and happy (San Francisco would do that to you). It was a beautiful day in San Francisco, the sun was out, the drinks were cold, and the views were amazing. You can see seals in the pier fighting for the little space they have. If you like seafood, then this is one place to visit. They have some great fresh seafood, there is nothing better than having fresh fish or crab right from the ocean.

(San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf got its name and neighborhood characteristics from the city's early days of the mid to late 1800s when Italian immigrant fishermen came to the city by the bay to take advantage of the influx of population due to the gold rush. Originally, Fisherman's Wharf was the dock where the Italian fishermen brought their daily catch to be sold on the waterfront).

You would think after the Fisherman’s Wharf I would wrap things up and start getting ready to head back to my hotel…but no, there was still so much to see in San Francisco. The question was, should I go east or west? I chose east. Heading east you will find yourself in the North Beach neighborhood.

North Beach is within reach from the Fisherman’s Wharf, but it is in the northeast of San Francisco and adjacent to Chinatown. It is close to the Financial District, Union Square, and Russian Hill. North Beach is known by most as ‘Little Italy’ and has historically been home to a large Italian American population. You will find many Italian restaurants here.

[A lot of the light posts have the Italian flag, that's how you will know you are in North Beach.]

I left North Beach and decided to check out the Russian Hill.

Russian Hill

Russian Hill lies west of North Beach; it stretches down to the waterfront area by the Fisherman’s Wharf in the Ghirardelli Square. There is a lovely tiny park on the crest of the hill; you should check it out. Most people go for the bigger parks and fantastic attractions but miss this park. What I particularly like about this neighborhood are the views overlooking the bay. Lombard Hill technically connects to this neighborhood, so I could have just walked to the center of this hill when I was on Lombard street, but everything in San Francisco is so close it feels like one big neighborhood with different sections and styles.

Mission Neighborhood

Another beautiful place worth checking out is the Mission Dolores Park with the views of the city. This park can get very busy on weekends and in the evenings. People go there to chill, day drink, or smoke. It is a fun place to be on a hot sunny day. The Park offers several features, including a basketball court, soccer field, tennis courts, a pissoir, a dog play area, and a children’s playground. Dolores Park is bounded by 18th Street on the north, 20th Street on the south, Dolores Street on the east and Church Street on the west. The northern end of Dolores Park is located directly across the street from Mission High School. South of the park is a hillside area known as "Dolores Heights," while Castro is located a short distance to the west. The park lies east of Twin Peaks of Mission.

(Good luck driving a standard. It is all hills, very steep hills, in this neighborhood).

Castro

This neighborhood is proud of their gay rights and community, and it is actually one of the first gay communities in the United States, so it is considered the gay neighborhood. The Castro neighborhood is tiny but packed with so much to do and see.

[Castro Street was named for Jose Castro (1808-1860), a California leader of Mexican opposition to U.S. Rule in California in the 19th century, and alcalde of Alta California from 1835 to 1836].

From Castro, you can drive up to the Twin Peak (The twin peak has nothing to do with the show Twin Peak).

Twin Peak

You can see all of SF from this peak

If you want a panoramic view of San Francisco’s landscape, then drive up the peak and see San Francisco from up high. This is one of the highest peaks in San Francisco at about 900 plus feet from the ground. I wish I had a professional camera, because the view from the Twin peak is incredible. From here, you can see all of San Francisco’s landmarks; from the famous Alcatraz, the Bay Bridge, the Golden Gate Bridge, downtown skyscrapers, to all the different neighborhoods I mentioned above. This is one of those places’ locals want to take their guests to so they can brag about their beloved city.

The Haight and Ashbury is also a cool hippie-type neighborhood that has had a few very famous artists live there. Haight is an amazing street with some cool boutique-type restaurants and some shops. There are bike rentals if you want to rent a bike and ride. I enjoyed the buildings on this street, and the people are very nice.  There are lots of artists, creative types who frequent this neighborhood. There is also this cool spot that's well known for its delicious vegan food.

You will see lots of Victorian houses as you drive through this neighborhood. Most of these buildings were built during the gold rush. Victorian homes are gorgeous, and they are not like houses that are built in this age. Each home is so different from the next.

(The Full House or the painted lady is the second most photographed of the houses. Some of these houses don't look real, but they are real).

Pacific height is for billionaires. The homes will make you hate your life... Broadway and Broderick are the wealthiest neighborhood in the city. Most of the world’s wealthiest tech owners or CEOs have homes here.

Outside San Francisco

So far, every location and attraction you have read about are in San Francisco.

How about a drive across the Golden Gate Bridge to see what else we have around San Francisco. You can drive or ride a bike across the bridge and go to the small town of Sausalito. You can also rent a bike by the Fisherman’s Wharf and ride through the waterfront. There are only two hills you have to deal with. One is very steep and long and the other is not too bad. If you want to ride through the Golden Gate Bridge area, I will advise you to catch a ferry or a bus back.

There are lots of places to have a bite or a drink. Or, you can just chill and have some seafood from one of the local seafood bars. Also, you can check out the Barrel House, as it has some good views of the surroundings and the food is delicious. I didn't try the ice cream around the corner of the Barrel House, but everyone seems to love their ice cream as the lineup was long.

Sausalito

From Sausalito, you can drive about 25 minutes to Muir Woods National Monument. I recommend that you go there and check it out. You cannot go to San Francisco and not check out the Muir Woods. It could be an all-day or half-day adventure, but you should take your time to enjoy it. The road to the park is very windy, it winds all the way up this massive hill. I guess it would be a good workout if you decide to ride a bicycle. I had to make this mystical place the last phase of my trip.

(Muir Woods National Monument has one of the oldest trees in the world).

Conclusion

Although San Francisco could be the foggiest and strangest city I have ever been to, looks can be deceiving, it won’t stop you from doing what you love to do. With a little planning, the weather would not affect your stay. Take it from me, dress in layers when you are in the city or around. I learnt that the hard way. The weather is unpredictable. Overall, it is a city worth writing about, even though I was just there for the AI Conference, I took advantage of the little time I had and enjoyed every minute.

Apart from the weather, and the fact that it is a pricey city, it is a fantastic city with so much to do. It is not too big, so you can see most of the city in a relatively short time.

It is said every resident is about ten minutes away from a park.

If you ask the locals what their biggest complaint is, they will say traffic, and that's partly because San Francisco is too expensive, so a lot of people live outside the city and commute to work. Also, Uber and Lyft can be partly to blame as most people who never used to drive now do so to make money.

This is not an uber or a lyft but I thought this was cool