Travel Questions: San Francisco Bay Area

[JoshuaSantos]

Originally Posted by From Milano

- Are there particular restaurants in elevated positions or skyscrapers that you would reccomend for a dinner? Are the prices there sky high too :-) ? Or are they still reasonable?

Besides the Top of the Mark, there are 2 places that I can recommend:

1.) Equinox - Top floor of the Hyatt Regency in the Embarcadero District

This is a rotating restaurant... you will get an awesome 360 degree view of the entire Embarcadero and it is very romantic. The food is good, but a little expensive. At the very least you can go up and grab 2 drinks and enjoy the view for as long as you'd like. I would definitely recommend making reservations. Also the interior of this hotel is very much architecturally impressive. It also holds the world record for tallest hotel lobby in the world (over 200 feet).

2.) Bar at the top of the Marriott

Sorry I can't remember the exact name. Went up here with a few clients in the past. Great view via a huge 2-story semicircle-shaped glass window, pretty intimate setting. Relatively close to where you'll be staying.

[diz]

Originally Posted by krudmonk

Summer in San Francisco? I take it you've never been?

I've lived there for 8 freakin years.

Last year was a really really really hot summer in the bay area. Terribly hot.

[krudmonk]

Originally Posted by diz

I've lived there for 8 freakin years.

Last year was a really really really hot summer in the bay area. Terribly hot.

We're talking specifically about one city, not the whole Bay Area. A warm, sunny day in Oakland can easily be cold and foggy in San Francisco.

[arturo]

Originally Posted by JoshuaSantos

Besides the Top of the Mark, there are 2 places that I can recommend:

1.) Equinox - Top floor of the Hyatt Regency in the Embarcadero District

This is a rotating restaurant... you will get an awesome 360 degree view of the entire Embarcadero and it is very romantic. The food is good, but a little expensive. At the very least you can go up and grab 2 drinks and enjoy the view for as long as you'd like. I would definitely recommend making reservations. Also the interior of this hotel is very much architecturally impressive. It also holds the world record for tallest hotel lobby in the world (over 200 feet).

2.) Bar at the top of the Marriott

Sorry I can't remember the exact name. Went up here with a few clients in the past. Great view via a huge 2-story semicircle-shaped glass window, pretty intimate setting. Relatively close to where you'll be staying.

The one atop the Marriott is called The View , and the Equinox is now closed

[JoshuaSantos]

Originally Posted by arturo

the Equinox is now closed

Nooooooo

[diz]

Originally Posted by krudmonk

We're talking specifically about one city, not the whole Bay Area. A warm, sunny day in Oakland can easily be cold and foggy in San Francisco.

yes i lived in san francisco.

[From Milano]

Thank you again, Svs! You helped me also for L.A!

And thanx to all of you, of course. An evening at the Top of The Mark is on the top of my list now :-)

[jbkayaker12]

Just a question for anyone in here, how far is it from one end of the Golden Gate Park to the other end on the Pacific Ocean side? I will have a short trip to San Francisco, this August only 3 full days and on one of those days I would like to see much of this park to take some pictures. I have been to San Francisco many years ago with my German friends but I wasn't able to visit the park and I would love to see it this time. Thanks!!

[arturo]

Originally Posted by jbkayaker12

Just a question for anyone in here, how far is it from one end of the Golden Gate Park to the other end on the Pacific Ocean side? I will have a short trip to San Francisco, this August only 3 full days and on one of those days I would like to see much of this park to take some pictures. I have been to San Francisco many years ago with my German friends but I wasn't able to visit the park and I would love to see it this time. Thanks!!

It's about three miles long with lots to see and do. Get yourself a nice hearty breakfast in the Haight and walk to the Pacific, you'll love it

[jbkayaker12]

Originally Posted by arturo

It's about three miles long with lots to see and do. Get yourself a nice hearty breakfast in the Haight and walk to the Pacific, you'll love it

Thanks, we'll be arriving in San Francisco around 8:30 in the morning, my roomate and I should be able to see much of this park before checking in at the hotel.

[Yank in exile]

Hey Milanese, I don't know if you've already made your trip or not, but trust me, at this time of year you will need a sweater or jacket in San Francisco. I lived there for 10 years, my birthday is in August, and I can recall one year that I was able to celebrate outdoors without a sweater (and long pants, not shorts!).

Parking in San Francisco has gotten worse in the years since I left and I would never recommend having a car to anyone who is going to spend their visit within the confines of the city limits. The public transit system is miserable in that it is unpredictable and unreliable, but if you cancel your car the money you would save on car rentals and parking would support a good number of cab fares (outside of rush hour, of course!).

I would suggest you visit the San Francisco Chronicle website and look up John King's architectural columns for the past 6-12 months. There are so many interesting buildings that are "off the beaten track", especially in the South of Market area (notably the Hall of Justice and Rincon Towers). Also, there are quite a few gems to be found in some of the city's older neighbourhoods (Pacific Heights, Russian Hill, the Marina, Presidio Heights) if you are interested in residential application of mid-20th-century architectural styles.

If you really want to have the true quintessential San Francisco beach experience I suggest you look to the Southernmost reaches of Ocean Beach (at the far reaches of the L or M streetcar lines). This is the section of the Beach where it is still legal to light bonfires at night.

My caveat is to allow 2-3 times the travel time as recommended, whether you are driving, taking the bus, Muni underground or BART, or travelling by cab. Traffic is miserable in San Francisco, and when you accept it as a fact of life you can relax and have a good time. Thankfully, there are usually all sorts of interesting little details to observe while you are en route.

[From Milano]

I'm leaving for my trip next monday...Thanx for your advice, Yank!

[lawmann]

Rent a car, get out of town and drive to Carmel which is a beautiful place for couples.

[krudmonk]

Originally Posted by lawmann

Rent a car, get out of town and drive to Carmel which is a beautiful place for couples.

And hit up Santa Cruz, Capitola and Monterey on the way.

[Rainier Meadows]

Hey I found great hotel rates in the South San Francisco area around the biomedical companies (Amgen, etc). The Hilton at $99.00. Can't beat it in San Francisco and it's only about 10 minutes away via highway.

And yes San Francisco can be cold in the summer -- 10 miles away can be scorching hot so beware.

[krudmonk]

Originally Posted by Rainier Meadows

And yes San Francisco can be cold in the summer -- 10 miles away can be scorching hot so beware.

Ten miles south is not quite like ten miles east.

[From Milano]

Originally Posted by krudmonk

And hit up Santa Cruz, Capitola and Monterey on the way.

Sure, they are already planned in our trip :-)


Here it is our complete honeymoon in the US:

Phoenix (1 night) - Grand Canyon (2) - Monument Valley (1) - Moab/Arches N.P. (1) - Bryce Canyon (1) - Las Vegas (2) - Mammoth Lakes (1) - Lake Tahoe (1) - San Francisco (3) - Monterey (2) - Santa Barbara (2) - Los Angeles (4) - Chicago (by plane, 4)

[NickABQ]

Hey everyone!



I will be visiting San Francisco in 2 weeks for about 8 days. I am staying at the Hyatts there ( I work for Hyatt in Albuquerque) but I could use a little help with figuring out what to do with my time!

I am a pastry chef, so are there any good restaraunts in the area that anyone can recomend? I love all types of food and anything from a hole in the wall to fine dining. I especially like African food.

Any suggestions as far as attractions are must-do's....and ones that I should skip?


And are there any good nightclubs (gay or straight) that anyone can recomend?


Thanks everyone for their help!

Nick

[StevenW]

Here's a start: http://www.baltimoresun.com/travel/b...,7150491.story

[StevenW]

And a couple more links: http://www.sanfrancisco.com/restaurants/

and... http://www.savorysanfrancisco.com/wiki/Main_Page