San Francisco

at the foot of Hyde St

Prior to the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay Bridge, this historic ferry-pier was the primary automobile ferry terminal that connected San Francisco with both Marin County and the East Bay.

55 Music Concourse Dr.· Moderate

An absolutely stunning museum and an excellent place to take the children. Among the many highlights of this museum is the building itself; ride the elevator to the top to see the Living Roof, a literal green roof and marvel of…

747 Howard St

Stretching across adjacent two full blocks between Mission, Folsom, 3rd and 4th Streets (with another building across the street at 4th and Howard), Moscone Center is a major convention center and entertainment complex with a variety of…

between Fulton Street on the north, Lincoln Way on the south, Stanyan Street on the east and Ocean Beach on the west· Free

Once an area of sand dunes, Golden Gate Park is an urban oasis, roughly half a mile wide and four miles long, with windmills, bison, museums, lakes and a carousel hidden among its charms.

at Bay St· Free

The only structure remaining from the 1915 World's Fair, it features a classical Roman rotunda (1,100 feet wide, 162 feet high) with curved colonnades (30 Corinthian columns frame a wide walkway in the colonnade) situated in an idyllic…

located on the eastern fringe of Fisherman's Wharf· Free

A 45-acre pier-complex featuring 100 specialty stores, 12 full-service restaurants, theater, cruises, live entertainment, and more.

Near the district's eastern border is the entrance to Golden Gate Park. Walking into the park and through a small tunnel beneath the Alvord Lake Bridge, the first large field and adjacent hill are known as Hippie Hill.

at Union St and Powell St

Every day at around 8AM-10AM, locals practice tai-chi, the martial art and meditation practice. Different sections of the park will host everything from jazzercise to sword-play. Sunny days will bring out locals lounging on their blankets.

between Hyde and Leavenworth

Do see the "crookedest street in the world", a one-block portion of Lombard Street that contains eight hairpin turns, created to reduce the hill's natural steep slope.

at Grove St and Van Ness Ave· Moderate

San Francisco has an excellent symphony orchestra, with Michael Tilson Thomas (MTT) as the principal conductor. The Season goes from September to April, with a break in the middle of December and January.

All streets between Van Ness Ave, Market St, Golden Gate Ave, and Hayes St· Free

Known as "San Francisco Pride" for short, it's one of the largest gay pride festivals in North America, a huge, happy, chaotic celebration of diversity, politics, sexuality, and San Francisco wackiness.

at McAllister St· Moderate

Herbst Theater, next to the Opera house in the similarly-styled War Memorial Veteran's building is host to a wide variety of activities. One can find plays, readings by well-known authors, chamber music, jazz performances, etc throughout…

at Third and King Streets· Moderate

One of the building projects that revitalized this area, the stadium is an imposing brick edifice that has all the necessary modern amenities, such as beer and Wi-Fi.

between Clay St and Sacramento St· Cheap

The Art Deco/Neo-Classical Clay Theater was built in 1910 and is one of the oldest movie theaters in the city. It specializes in indie and international films.

Along Market St from Beale St to 8th St· Free

San Francisco's annual "Gay Pride Parade" long ago grew into a two-day "Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride Celebration" (see above). The parade itself, which takes place on the Sunday, features over a hundred contingents, and takes…

at Hyde St and Beach St· Cheap

This is fun way to enter or leave the Wharf area. For your convenience, two cable car lines terminate at Fisherman's Wharf — one at Hyde St & Beach St and one at Bay St & Taylor St.

Pier 33, Alcatraz Landing· Pricey

Information on the island can be found on the National Park Service's website.

outside the Ferry Building

A large, very popular year-round organic farmers market.

along Great Highway between Point Lobos Avenue and Sloat Boulevard

A good place to walk, surf (or watch surfers), or just look at the ocean. If you're expecting a warm California beach like you saw on Baywatch, you'll be in for a surprise. The water will be chilly all year round.

at Larkin St

Expatriates from the British Isles are often to be found at this Scottish pub, which on Thursdays through Saturdays becomes a hipster mecca. The interior is warm and shadowy, a comfortable place of dark wood and golden lantern light, and…

next door to the famous City Lights Bookstore

This quirky and historic bar was founded in 1948, and is famous for its association with jazz, poetry, and the Beat Generation. Neal Cassidy first made a pit stop here in the mid-1950s, and ever since it became a favorite hangout for…

at Van Ness Ave· Cheap

Open since 1947, Tommy's is a classic San Francisco eatery and bar, and one of the last hofbraus in the bay area. You can't miss this place — on both the inside and out it's colorful and quirkily decorated.

near Jones St· Cheap

Standard In-N-Out Burger, but it has the distinction of being the only one in the city, one of the few In-N-Out Burger locations without a drive-through, and one of only two fast-food chain restaurants allowed at the wharf (the other being…

at Larkin St

Just across from the Edinburgh Castle is a shadowy hole-in-the-wall festooned with Korean lettering: Hanaro. Though the bar is wallpapered with "No Smoking" signs (as California law demands), you need only loiter outside the bar for a few…

at Wool

The last of Bernal Heights' lesbian bars. Although it's a lesbian bar, this neighborhood watering hole welcomes all. Inexpensive beer flows from the taps.

west side of Union Square, between Post and Geary

Now a member of the Westin chain, this is an iconic San Francisco hotel. The lavish lobby and cafe area as well as the opulent Bourbon Lounge bar/steakhouse are used as a meeting place by quite a lot of people who aren't guests there…

between Vallejo St and Green St· Expensive

Hotel Boheme is located in a popular Italian neighborhood with decorations that pay tribute to San Francisco's Beat Generation. The building may be hard to find, with only a single innocuous doorway covered by a small awning.

Columbus and Francisco· Expensive

The Columbus Motor Inn is in the nice part of North Beach, on the border of the Fishermen's Wharf district, within easy walking distance of all Fisherman's Wharf attractions, and from Washington Square.

between O'Farrell and Ellis· Expensive

Swanky large hotel with a boutique feel and very large bathrooms. Rooms are equipped with high-speed Internet, stereos and large flat panel televisions, and you can ask for the few rooms with Japanese style amenities.

between 47th and 48th· Expensive

Nestled at the westernmost edge of the city overlooking The Cliff House and The Sutro Baths' ruins, this hotel has a small pool, volleyball court, and restaurant.

near Lombard St and Columbus Ave, three blocks south of the main tourist area and near the other cable car line· Expensive

At the other end of the spectrum is the San Remo Hotel, All rooms except a rooftop suite are underIt was built right after the 1906 earthquake, became apartments later, and has been nicely reconverted to a hotel.