San Francisco - Alison Bing [232]
In this age of seat belts and air bags, a rickety cable-car ride is an anachronistic thrill. Cable cars are handy on hills, if you can find a spot on board. The Powell St cable-car turnaround Click here can be crowded; locals usually head uphill along the line and leap on board instead. There are seats for about 30 passengers, but sitters are often outnumbered by passengers clinging to creaking leather straps.
Cable cars cost $10 to ride all day or $5 for a single trip (no transfers); kids under four years old ride free. Tickets can be purchased on board or at the Muni kiosks at Powell and Market Sts or Hyde St at Beach. Cable cars run from approximately 6am to 12:30am daily.
CABLE CAR LINES
California Runs east–west along California St, from the Downtown terminus at Market and Davis Sts through Chinatown and Nob Hill to Van Ness Ave.
Powell-Mason Runs from the Powell St cable-car turnaround past Union Square, turns west along Jackson St, and descends north down Mason St, Columbus Ave and Taylor St towards Fisherman’s Wharf. On the return trip it takes Washington St instead of Jackson St.
Powell-Hyde Follows the same route as Powell-Mason until Jackson St, where it turns down Hyde St to terminate at Aquatic Park; coming back it takes Washington St.
Return to beginning of chapter
CAR & MOTORCYCLE
If you can, avoid driving in San Francisco: traffic is a given, street parking is harder to find than true love, and meter readers are ruthless. Gas prices are rising steadily, and driving on these hills means shifting gears and applying brakes often – and contending with drivers who think they’re Steve McQueen in Bullitt. For tips on living the care-free, car-free SF life, check out www.liveablecity.org.
Driving
San Francisco streets mostly follow a grid bisected by Market St, and are well marked with signs to tourist zones such as North Beach, Fisherman’s Wharf and Chinatown. If you’re driving a stick shift (manual transmission), you’d better have your hill-start technique down pat. Before heading to any bridge, airport or other traffic choke-point, call 511 toll-free for a traffic update.
Members of the American Automobile Association (AAA; Map; 415-773-1900, 800-222-4357; www.aaa.com; 160 Sutter St; 8:30am-5:30pm Mon-Fri) can call the 800 number any time for emergency road service and towing. AAA also provides travel insurance and free road maps of the region.
Parking
This is a tricky, often costly proposition, especially Downtown – ask your hotel about parking, and inquire about validation at restaurants and entertainment venues. The most convenient Downtown parking lots are at the Embarcadero Center, at 5th and Mission Sts, under Union Square, and at Sutter and Stockton Sts; for more public parking garages, see www.sfmta.com. Downtown parking garages charge from $2 to $6 per hour and around $25 to $40 a day, depending on how long you park and whether you require in-and-out privileges.
If you’re looking for street parking, know that parking restrictions are indicated by the following color-coded sidewalk curbs:
Blue Disabled parking only; identification required.
Green Ten-minute parking zone from 9am to 6pm.
Red No parking or stopping.
White For picking up or dropping off passengers only.
Yellow Loading zone from 7am to 6pm.
Parking tickets can be expensive. Desperate motorists often resort to double-parking or parking in red zones or on sidewalks, but parking authorities are quick to tow cars. If this should happen to you, you’ll have to retrieve your car at Autoreturn (Map; 415-865-8200; www.autoreturn.com; 450 7th St; 24hr; 27, 42). Besides at least $73 in fines for parking violations, you’ll also have to fork out a towing and storage fee ($244.25 for the first four hours, $43 for the rest of the first day, $51.50 for every additional day, plus a $24.25 transfer fee if your car is moved to a long-term lot). Cars are usually stored at 415 7th St, corner of Harrison St.
Rental
All the big rental-car operators can be found in the Bay Area, along with a host of small, local operators. Booking