The City By the Bay: San Francisco
by PamSo, you're off, are you? If you can tear yourself away from the conference, San Francisco is a terrific city. In fact, one might accuse the BlogHer organizers of being a little heartless in making you choose between that choice session about [your favorite topic here] and heading up to North Beach to drink coffee and window shop. Make time for that wonderful city, it's a West Coast gem.
Wondering about the airport and ground transit? There's a shuttle from the airport that goes to the train station. Take CalTrain to the city, then you can use public transit, take a cab, or walk, if you're ambitious. (You ARE traveling light, aren't you? Of course you are.) The Bay Area transit site is here. There's a bus that goes from right near the King Street Station to Union Square. And BART is a great way to get to the city [thanks, commenters, for the reminder!].
Got a little free time planned in your schedule? Artist-at-large has a great roundup of stuff to do in the city. Cry it Out also has a terrific round up of stuff to do (with kids, too) while you're at BlogHer. (Mike will be at BlogHer with the folks from Being Savvy) For more kid stuff, City Mama has Things to do in SF with a Toddler.
Hungry? San Francisco is an outstanding food town. Check out Taste SF and the associated Foodie 411 blog. Becks and Posh and Cooking with Amy are two other San Francisco based (and BlogHer Kalyn approved) food blogs.
Before I become the mossy covered Pacific Northwest Dweller that I am now, I spent a lot of time in San Francisco and I'm oh so fond of that lovely city. I love the famous and hopefully still totally ramshackle Sam Wo's restaurant in Chinatown, the Museum of Modern Art is lovely, and if you have time, you should totally go to Golden Gate Park, and oh, go get lunch at the wharf and eat outside while looking at Alcatraz. Those are hardly secret insider tips, but I will tell you this: You can not predict the SF weather. Never mind if for miles around there is baking California sunshine, you are as likely to freeze your behind off in the trademark SF fog as not. You need sunscreen and a sweater, in case of either eventuality. For your sake, I hope you won't need the sweater, but be prepared all the same.
Oh, and do not, do NOT call it Frisco. But go ahead and wear some flowers in your hair and don't hesitate to take a little cable car halfway to the stars...
If you've got San Francisco related links that have good information for visitors, please drop them in the comments.
Photo from Yuzu on Flickr.
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Comments
Wear Comfy Shoes
I go to San Francisco often, and love it. The best thing about it is that you can walk anywhere and get killer exercise (those hills are not just on post cards!) From the Westin in Union Square - where we'll be - it's an easy walk to Chinatown, which is fabulous.
I'm pretty sure Suzanne mentioned something about a walking field trip to Good Vibrations - totally awesome woman owned and run sex toy shop - which is about 10 blocks or so from the hotel. (If she's still doing it, I'll go too! Feeling squeamish about the idea? I assure, no one can get you over that like Suzanne and I!)
Totally worth walking to North Beach - which, if you've gone through China Town, you're almost there - and stopping into cool book stores, bars and....
Oh goodness, just bring comfy shoes, just in case. Granted, this conference is so cool you may not want to leave, but just in case.... (But please don't wear running shoes with a skirt, Susan W, any advice here?)
BTW, no matter how great a shape you're in, and how well you know the city and how often you walk it for hours on end, pink cowboy boots are NOT comfortable walking shoes. In case you were wondering.)
____________
Alyssa Royse
Just Cause It: A Web Site To Save The World
Start Her Up: A Blog for Women Entrepreneurs
Wear Comfy Shoes
"Wear comfy shoes" is awesome advice for living, in general. :)
Nerd's Eye View
i know, it is
so why do i insist on gorgeous and sexy and ridicuous foot wear?
for you all, i'll wear my dansko clogs. :)
and yes, BART is awesome.... i think that in the conference guide, they reccomend it. i always take it from the airport into the city. easy as pie and cheap.
____________
Alyssa Royse
Just Cause It: A Web Site To Save The World
Start Her Up: A Blog for Women Ent
Sparing you photos of my feet
I had a date downtown last week, yes, it was a week ago now, and I put on these cute new shoes I have. And they TORE up my feet something terrible. I spent the 4th of July hobbling and I wore Birkenstocks to a wedding on the 5th, Birkenstocks. Never mind that it's the Pacific Northwest and an outdoor wedding on wet grass, even I know that Birks are not shoes for a wedding. Duh. Why was I wearing them? Because I could not wear anything else because my feet were all torn up.
I am not immune to the charms of cute shoes. But the time to break them in is well before you want to be swanning about a fabulous city, not DURING that time.
Don't MAKE me send you photos of my feet. They're not bad feet, but they're still sporting one giant healing blister. I'll do it.
Nerd's Eye View
Don't forget BART!
It's very easy to take BART directly from the airport into downtown, dropping you mere steps from Union Square. CalTrain's great, but requires a lot more connection effort.
And for you walkers, if you have some spare time, check out the freewalking tours from City Guides (www.sfcityguides.org). Fun for the whole family!
I need a rascal.
I think I may collapse from the hills if I walk too much. I have less stamina and energy than my 70 grandfather.
I also hear that for breakfast Dottie's a can't miss. There's a long wait, but they say it's worth it!
- Maria
http://immoralmatriarch.com
Please DO call it "Frisco!"
As an ex-long time San Francisco resident, one of things that used to bug me about the city was its smugness, especially over the "Frisco/Only tourists call it Frisco" thing. SF is beautiful and has lots to offer, but it's not the most friendly city in the world, and sometimes SF just needs to get over itself. I called it Frisco all the time, just to be a pain in the ass...but I'm kinda punky like that. ;-)
Great round-up, Pam!
Stefania Pomponi Butler
I blog:
CityMama
Kimchi Mamas
MOMocrats
BART question
For anyone else who is wondering about BART, their website is http://www.bart.gov, and you can use the Quick Planner to see schedules. It looks like it takes about 30 minutes for the ride itself, not counting getting from the terminal to the train and then walking from the Powell St. Station to the hotel.
Now I wish I was landing sooner than 2:30, by the time I get to the hotel, it will be time to leave for the 5:00 parties!
Elizabeth blogs at:
Say Yes to Airport Layover in SF
Hey Pam,
I wrote a post on my "What a Trip" blog about what to do in SF if you have an airport layover. I mentioned a couple of walking tours available in Chinatown and North Beach, as well as stopping for an Irish coffee at the Buena Vista across the street from the Cable Car turnaround at Fisherman's Wharf.
Nancy Brown
What a Trip
Guide to SF With Kids
I just updated my own Kid-Friendly guide to San Francisco. The guides include restaurants so good you would eat at them even if you were flying solo, tons of activity ideas, and important information like how to get from the airport to the city center with a carseat-aged child. We even have printable maps with 1/2 day outing ideas (including activities and food) around the Westin.
I hope you will check it out:
http://www.deliciousbaby.com/journal/2008/jul/13/blogher-kids-check-out-our-san-francisco-kids-guid/
and feel free to send me email if you need more help... if you have a question about something it is a safe bet that some other mom does too.
Debbie Dubrow
debbie at deliciousbaby dot com