San Francisco California

San Francisco, California

San Francisco does not get warm in the way California implies. July and August frequently run below 16 degrees Celsius with persistent afternoon fog rolling in from the Pacific through the Golden Gate. The summer cold is locally famous. Pack a jacket regardless of the date on your ticket. This has been ignored by millions of tourists who believed the California mythology and shivered on the Golden Gate Bridge in shorts.

The city sits on a peninsula roughly 11 by 11 kilometres, with about 870,000 people and more distinct neighbourhoods packed in than cities three times its size. It is genuinely walkable between many of those neighbourhoods, which makes the first instinct to take a cable car everywhere a mistake. Walk when you can. Take MUNI when you can’t.

The Bridge

Walk across it. The pedestrian path on the east side is open from approximately 5am to 9pm daily. The round trip takes about 90 minutes and the views of the bay, the city, and the Marin Headlands are worth every minute. Drive to the south viewpoint in the Presidio if you want the full bridge-face photograph, or go to Baker Beach on the south side for the angle most photographers use.

The bridge was completed in 1937 in 4 years and 4 months using 130,000 tonnes of steel and roughly 80 million litres of paint since then. The International Orange colour was originally just a primer coat; the consulting architect liked it and it stayed.

Alcatraz

Book before you travel. Alcatraz Cruises ferries run from Pier 33. The island audio tour is better than most museum experiences: former guards and inmates narrate the history, and the decay of the cell blocks since closure in 1963 is more atmospheric than any restoration would be. Evening tours have lighter crowds and justify the marginally higher cost. Tickets sell out 2-3 weeks ahead in summer; don’t leave this to the last minute.

The Neighbourhoods

The Mission District is the practical answer for eating and walking. The murals on Balmy Alley and Clarion Alley are extensive, regularly updated, and worth a deliberate walk. A super burrito from Taqueria El Farolito costs about $11 and is the most calorie-dense honest meal you will find in San Francisco.

North Beach around Columbus Avenue is the old Italian-American neighbourhood and the home of the 1950s Beat Generation literary scene. City Lights bookstore on Columbus and Broadway is still independent and still relevant. Buy something.

Haight-Ashbury is now mostly vintage clothing shops and cannabis dispensaries, but worth a 30-minute walk through. The park at the east end connects to the Panhandle and then to Golden Gate Park.

Golden Gate Park

Three miles long, half a mile wide, running to the coast. The de Young Museum (fine arts, strong on American painting) and the California Academy of Sciences (natural history museum with a living coral reef aquarium and a planetarium designed by Renzo Piano) anchor the eastern end. Both are serious institutions that deserve two or more hours each.

Eating

Swan Oyster Depot on Polk Street has been operating since 1912: a narrow seafood counter with excellent chowder, oysters, and Dungeness crab. Expect a queue. It is worth it.

Zuni Cafe on Market Street: the roast chicken for two requires 45 minutes advance notice and is as good as its reputation. A San Francisco institution in the best sense.

Hayes Valley, six blocks around Octavia Boulevard, has the highest concentration of independent restaurants per block in the city. Worth mapping before you go.

Practical Notes

The BART rail system connects the city to the East Bay, Berkeley, and Oakland. The cable cars are expensive at $8 per ride and frequently crowded; the Powell-Hyde line is worth riding once for the drop down Russian Hill and the view of Alcatraz at the bottom. For efficient daily movement, MUNI and BART are the tools.

Accommodation: Union Square is central and generic. The Castro and Mission offer more character. Nob Hill and North Beach boutique hotels have more local atmosphere. Rates from about $150 per night for a basic room.

The city’s homelessness crisis is visible and ongoing, particularly in the Tenderloin and around Market Street. This is a real political and social reality that the city has not resolved. It does not prevent you from having a good time in San Francisco; it does provide context.