Frommer's San Francisco 2012 - Matthew Poole [28]
A mural by Ray Patlan on the side of the Leonard R. Flynn Elementary School in the Mission.
THE CASTRO One of the liveliest districts in town, the Castro is practically synonymous with San Francisco’s gay community, who moved here back in the 1970s, turning this once Irish working-class neighborhood into a bustling hotbed of shops, bars, and restaurants. Located at the top of Market Street, between 17th and 18th streets, the Castro offers a thoroughly entertaining dose of street theater, and while most businesses cater to the gay community, it’s more than welcoming to open-minded straight people.
HAIGHT-ASHBURY Part trendy, part nostalgic, part funky, the Haight, as it’s most commonly known, was the soul of the psychedelic free-loving 1960s and the center of the counterculture movement. Today, the gritty neighborhood straddling upper Haight Street on the eastern border of Golden Gate Park is more gentrified, but the commercial area still harbors all walks of life. Leftover aging hippies mingle with grungy, begging street kids outside Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Store (where they might still be talking about Jerry Garcia, or was that Cherry Garcia), nondescript marijuana dealers whisper “Buds” as shoppers pass, and many people walking down the street have Day-Glo hair. But you don’t need to be a freak or wear tie-dye to enjoy the Haight—the ethnic food, trendy shops, and bars cover all tastes. From Haight Street, walk south on Cole Street for a more peaceful and quaint neighborhood experience.
The famous legs above Piedmont Boutique in Haight-Ashbury.
RICHMOND & SUNSET DISTRICTS San Francisco’s suburbs of sorts, these are the city’s largest and most populous neighborhoods, consisting mainly of small homes, shops, cafes, and neighborhood restaurants. Although they border Golden Gate Park and Ocean Beach, few tourists venture into “the Avenues,” as these areas are referred to locally, unless they’re on their way to the Cliff House, zoo, beach, or Palace of the Legion of Honor Museum.
THE BEST OF SAN FRANCISCO IN 1 DAY
If you’ve got only 1 day to explore the city, put on your walking shoes and start early. You’ve got a lot of ground to cover just to get to the must-sees, but luckily, condensed geography (and hopefully weather) are in your favor. The whirlwind tour starts with a scenic ride on a cable car followed by a tour of Alcatraz Island. Next you’ll hoof it up to two of the city’s most colorful neighborhoods—Chinatown and North Beach—for lunch, shopping, browsing, cocktails, dinner, and cappuccino. Get an early start, because you’re about to have a long yet wonderful day in the City by the Bay. Start: Bus no. 2, 3, 4, 30, 45, or 76 to Union Square.
1 Union Square
Union Square—which was named for a series of pro-union mass demonstrations staged here on the eve of the Civil War—isn’t an attraction in itself, but it’s the epicenter of the city’s shopping district. Macy’s, Saks, Tiffany’s, Barneys, and company are located here and are surrounded by blocks crammed with hundreds of other high-end boutiques. There are very few shopping bargains here, but it’s fun to play lookey-loo. Just 3 blocks down, at Powell and Market streets, is the cable car turnaround where you’ll embark on a ride on the nation’s only moving National Historic Landmark.
2 Cable Cars & Lombard Street ★★★
Don’t be intimidated by the line of people at the cable car turnaround at Market and Powell streets—the ride is worth the wait. The $5 thrill ride starts with a steep climb up Nob Hill, and then passes through Chinatown and Russian Hill before plummeting down Hyde Street to Fisherman’s Wharf. It’s an experience you’ll never forget. (Note: If you want to check out the famous winding stretch of Lombard Street, hop off the cable car at the intersection of Hyde and Lombard streets and, when you’ve seen enough, either walk the rest of the way