# Whats not to miss in San Fran?



## 1927 (Jul 31, 2005)

Ok worked out I can afford a week in SF in late Sept/early Oct and still have a week in NY in March.So tell me peeps whats have i just GOT to do while I'm there.
Would also appreciate tips on doing SF on the cheap,nice eats etc.


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## Wess (Aug 1, 2005)

Get a tattoo by this guy who goes by the name of Grime...he's fucken brilliant.

In fact San Fran. has loads and loads of great studio's.


Have a look at the bridge? and the jail out in the bay...  
Other than that..fucked if I know, I've never been to the states   


sorry I'm not much help....D was there recently, she would have a good idea of what there is to see and do.


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## Gavin Bl (Aug 1, 2005)

Hi
It's several years since I went, but I enjoyed the following that I can think of (by no means a complete list)

mooching and eating in China town and Little Italy (which meet on Columbus Av, I think)

Golden gate bridge

The Castro (main gay area) - had a fun night out

Curvedest street - a cliche, but the windy street is fun

Just generally walking around really, lots of nice cafes, bookshops and the like. The streets are very characterful, alot of the shore is nice to walk round too


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## XerxesVargas (Aug 1, 2005)

There are some great 2nd hand clothes shops in the Mission. You can also get great mexican food in the Mission district.

If you like film there is a wonderful art deco cinema at the top end of Castro street (name escapes me at the moment) which has regular film noir seasons and like.

Alcatraz is worth a visit.

There is a really good record shop on Haight, Amoeba - almost at the Panhandle end towards Golden Gate park. 

Golden Gate park, and particularly the Japanese garden, is a good place to spend while.

Otherwise, as has already been said, San Fran is a small city and easy to get around. Its the best city on the west coast and you cant fail to have fun.


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## mhendo (Aug 1, 2005)

Second the recommendation to visit Alcatraz. It's definitely worth it. 

If you're into books, new and second-hand, make a trip out to Clement Street and Sixth Avenue for a visit to Green Apple Books. If you're staying in the downtown area, just go to Union Square and jump on a Geary Bus. Ride it out to Sixth Avenue, then walk one block north to Clement and you're there. While you're in the area, have lunch at one of the great Chinese or Vietnamese restaurants. My wife and i absolutely love a little place called Taiwan Restaurant, also right near the corner of Clement and Sixth, diagonally opposite Green Apple. We can have lunch for two for well under $20, and still leave with a doggy bag.

The Castro District is a lot of fun. Plenty of excellent, overpriced clothing stores, but also some good bargain places, and some great bars.

The Mission area is great not only for second hand clothing stores, as suggested by *MrMalcontent*, but also for great Mexican and other Hispanic food. Grab yourself a couple of soft tacos and you have a delicious, filling lunch for about $3-4. Or track down a Salvadoran place and grab some greasy, oily, delicious pupusas. Mmmmm. And only 200,000 calories!

Not sure how keen you are on physical activity, but one of my favourite things to do in San Francisco is rent a bike. Although it's very hilly in places, San Francisco is, in my experience at least, a very bike-friendly city. If you rent a bike in Golden Gate Park you can have a great ride down to the beach or up to the Legion of Honor, overlooking Golden Gate Bridge. A ride through the Presidio is also really fun.

Or you could do what i did last time—rent a bike at Fisherman's Wharf and ride over the Golden Gate Bridge and up into the Marin Headlands, then across to Sausalito for lunch before catching the ferry back to the city. A bike costs about $20-25 for a whole day, which is pretty cheap entertainment. And you'll get some great tourist photos. Here's a picture i took looking north from the Marin Headlands, and here's one looking back towards the city.

Another interesting place is the Hyde Street Pier, where you can check out a few old boats they have moored there, including the tall ship _Balclutha_, an old tugboat, and an old ferry. It's good for an hour or so's entertainment, and then you can ride the cable car back over the hill to downtown. A visit to Coit Tower, one of the city's most recognisable landmarks, is also fun. The view of the Bay and the city from up there is excellent, and the Tower has a great WPA mural from the Depression. 

Fort Point, under the south end of the Golden Gate Bridge, is good, but last time i was there it was closed for renovations. You might want to check whether it's open before venturing down there.

In general, if you want to eat on the cheap, stay out of places like North Beach and the tourist areas. The Mission is a great place for cheap food, and venturing further out to places like Clement will also allow you to see more of the city while saving you money on food. If you want a really nice breakfast at a very popular spot, check out Mama's on the north-east corner of Washington Square Park. It's not super-cheap, but it's not too expensive either. The food is good, although its popularity means that you sometimes have to wait in line for a while before being seated.

San Francisco is one of my favourite cities in the world. Luckily, my wife is originally from there, and her mother still lives there, so we get to visit quite often. Here are some more photos i took on a trip a couple of years ago. They show some of the places i've been talking about.


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## 1927 (Aug 2, 2005)

Some great contributions thanks folks! keep em coming.

I just booked it all up anyway was quite chuffed tbh as flights and transfers and seven nights accomodation all came to less than £700. 

One thing I defo want to do is get up to Yosemite,looking bout £70 for a day trip or £100 including an overnight under canvas. Can see me spending a lot of time taking pics of the bridge,it just fires me up in the same way Brooklyn Bridge did in NY in March.On ething does that fog always hang around the bridge or is it rare?
Wanna find some good cheap second hand clothe shops and have been checking out the cheap eats sites so hopefully can hit the road running so to speak,and looking to hire a bike for a day or two and might just splash out on a scooter for a day so i can get further afield.Would welcome any advice on the best vantage points for good pics of the bridge.Ta


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## D (Aug 2, 2005)

Green Apple is my favorite bookstore!

Yay!

I live in San Francisco.  Whaddya want to know? There's another one who posts occasionally that also lives here...impludo?

A day trip to Yosemite? Yosemite's not that close - I can't imagine you'd get much from a day trip.

1) Golden Gate Bridge - sometimes it's foggy, sometimes it's not.  You can get some excellent views from the Presidio (also featuring a couple of excellent beaches, including a nudie one) and Fort Mason on the south side and from the Sausalito ferry across the bay coming from the north.

2) Used clothing:

D's guide

high end vintage - La Rosa on Haight and Clayton
Ver Unica (for women only) on Hayes and Gough(ish)

fabulously cheap/clothes by the pound - Clothes Contact on 16th and Valencia

Another good'un on 16th between Valencia and Guerrero (can't remember the name)

Another on 22nd/23rd or so and Valencia

Then there's Wasteland, Buffalo Exchange, and Crossroads (the latter two can be found all over the city and in Berkeley)

there's another one on 20th and Mission

3) If you search this forum, you'll find a bunch of recommendations I made a while ago regarding food and clothes.

4) The movie theater on Castro St. is the ... Castro Theater.  Lovely place with a functioning pipe organ.

5) For additional cheap and tasty food, go to the Tenderloin.  It's one of the liveliest, most chaotic neighborhoods in San Francisco...also one of the poorest and full of prostitutes, drugs, depression, and lust for life all at once.  Chock full of excellent Thai, Vietnamese, and Indian food as well as being home to the best vegetarian restaurant in the city (www.millenniumrestaurant.com), which is not cheap, and some of the best brunch around (Dottie's True Blue Cafe on Jones between Geary and O'Farrell).  The Tenderloin also features many fab dive bars and a tranny-tastic nightspot called "Divas".

6) Little Italy is in NY.  It's North Beach in SF.

7) The "Best of the Bay" issue of the SF Bay Guardian (weekly newspaper) is currently out and, I should imagine, online: www.sfbg.com.  You should take a look at it for some further ideas.

8) Late Sept is an excellent time to be here! The weather is generally at its summery best.

9) If you're here during the final Sunday of September, you should check out The Folsom Street Fair if it's your kind of event.

10) I recommend Trannyshack at the The Stud on Tuesday nights.  It's one of the most radical drag shows ever to grace this earth.

11) If you're into body modification, San Francisco is an excellent city in which to indulge in it.  There's a significant number of highly skilled piercers, branders, and tattoo artists here.  I would be happy to give recommendations.

It's difficult to give recommendations without knowing you; but I'd be happy to expand on any themes if you give me a better idea of what sort of things interest you.


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## Agent Hosen (Aug 11, 2005)

The Love Parade is having it's second run in San Francisco end of September, too, I think, if you're in to that kind of thing. I think it's the 24th.

I will also put in a vote for the Alcatraz tour (with the audio guide!).  I've probably done it about 5 times at least, and it's still fun, and interesting.

Definitely have Mexican food in the Mission.  Mmmmm  burritos.  And proper margeritas!!!  The Mission is definitely one of the city's most colorful neighborhoods. It's interesting.  Although it was (and in some ways still is) one of the poorer and more down-trodden neighborhoods, it's also now home to most of the city's trendy new bars and restaurants. 

I have to reiterate D's point--don't plan on doing a day trip to Yosemite!!  It would be a total waste.  You need at least a few days there--it's about a 4-5 hour drive from SF, and then you go on hikes/walks.  It's BIG. You can't just get there, lie under the stars, and come home.  

For a daytrip, I recommend a Winery Tour--The ones in Napa are most popular, but the ones in Sonoma are cheaper (many are free), closer, and less crowded.  It is really a fantastic day out.

Relatively inexpensive, delicious restaurants are practically on every corner.  I can't even think of a favorite.  

For a cool, insider-secret (shhh!) 360 view of the entire city and the East Bay, find Bernal Heights (my old, wonderful neighborhood!) and walk to the top of Bernal Hill.  In Bernal Heights there is also a cool lesbian-owned, straight-friendly bar called Wild Side West which has a very interesting "sculpture garden" outside.  In my opinion, Bernal is one of the few remaining true "San Francisco" San Francisco neighborhoods, so it's worth a look if that interests you.  

Speaking of bars, Zeitgeist is a nice place to sit outside on a sunny Sunday afternoon with good beer. (and also on the tip of the Mission) It's kind of a biker/cyclist bar (but turning sort of trendy in the last few years).  They have delicious bbq's.  Just remember to tip, otherwise they'll give you the evil eye!

For a fun city-walk that will make you dream of winning the lottery, go to Pacific Heights and look at all the ridiculous mansions that people actually live in.  From the crest of the hills, you also get a gorgeous view of the bay (and the GG Bridge).  Then go down to the Marina and sneer at the yuppies.

Haight St., though for the most part way past it's hippy days, is probably worth a visit for posterity's sake and second-hand clothing stores.  Oh and cool shoe stores! 

DO take a cable car, but you don't have to take it from Fisherman's Wharf or from Powell St. and Market--both places where ALL the tourists line up.    California  and Hyde St.  is the only intersection that springs to mind, but you can catch one on any part of it's route, so just look at a map. It's SO worth it. They're fun.

Oh!  If you like interesting museums, go to the Exploratorium!!!  It's great!  It's a hands-on science museum, and every time I go I learn something new. It's not just for kids. It's really cool.  I've probably been there at least 20 times. Another fun museum is the Lawrence Hall of Science. It's in Golden Gate Park (also worth visiting). It's more typical science-y, but worth it for it's  "recreation" of the 1906 earthquake exhibit.  Somewhere there is an LSD Blotter Paper museum, but you have to seek it out, as I think it's unadvertised, and in a cafe, or someone's house...I've never been there.

Chinatown is a different experience.  I think it's one of the biggest in the world outside of China??  (not sure about that fact).  North Beach melts into Chinatown, so if you're doing the North Beach/Italian food thing (The Stinking Rose restaurant is a tourist trap, by the way), you can stroll on over to Chinatown.  The sidewalks stink of fish, usually, but it's an experience!! Lots and lots of cheap-trinket-y shops.

San Francisco is small and walk-able (save for all those hills!), so it's easy to strap on yer walkin' shoes and explore.  Have fun!!!!  I love it there.

By the way, how exciting to see there are a couple of SF posters on here! I had no idea.  I'm originally from there, now in London, and suddenly and sadly (well, happily but sadly but happily, you know...) I have to be moving back soon.  Nice to know this reaches that side of the world.


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## indicate (Aug 11, 2005)

I second everything Agent Hosen and D have said - especially the eating Mexican food in the Mission.  If you go to the Mission District, check out Mission Dolores - quite neat.  I am an SF native, though away at college most of the year.  Right now, I am renting a room in the Marina for the summer.  The Marina can be loads of fun.  Chestnut Street has some great restaruants.

For a day trip to get out of the City a bit, I'd suggest either a drive up to the Marin Headlands.  There is a neat Lighthouse and some great hikes.  The drive from there into Sausalito is rather short and Sausalito is a cute little town, though it has been getting rather touristy as of late.  Taking a Ferry into Sausalito for the day is also an option.

Another idea for a day trip would be to go south, driving down the coast.  You could make it as far as Carmel or Big Sur and have the drive still be worth it.  You could even stay a night in a B&B down there and drive up the next day.  Big Sur is easily one of the prettiest places I've been.


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## phildwyer (Aug 11, 2005)

Sea Lions.


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## HAL9000 (Aug 11, 2005)

Yosemite is well worth a visit, if you're going visit, spend at least a day there (if you don't want to walk, there are several daily coach tours).  It takes approximately half a day by car to get there from SF, I used public transport going from yoesemite (6-7am bus/train/bus, arrive in SF - 2pm).

pm me if you want more info or photos of yoesemite


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## Johnny Canuck3 (Aug 11, 2005)

I haven't been there for a few years, D is the resident with the knowledge of stuff in the city, but things I've enjoyed doing in the general area are: visiting Marin County, i.e. across the Golden Gate Bridge. Sausalito is ok, but I liked Tiburon and Belvedere better. There were good restaurants all through the towns heading north, like San Anselmo, San Rafael. Go climb Mount Tam (Tamalpais), or go to the beach at Bolinas. In the old days, the residents took the sign down to discourage visitors, but it's a nice beach, and the locals won't actually bite.

You can go up to Bodega Bay, where The Birds was filmed. Haven't been there for awhile, so I'm assuming that the gas station isn't there anymore.

There are some good day trips south of the city. Head down to Santa Cruz and  Monterey. Monterey has a good aquarium, and if you're on the Pacific Coast, why not go to an aquarium? It's also where Cannery Row was located, of Steinbeck fame.

Below Monterey is the Seventeen Mile Drive, along the Monterey Coast. You get to see two things: breathtaking, stunning coastal scenery, and stunning examples of wealthy US excess. Some of the richest people on the west coast have homes there, and they're something to see. You have to go through a park ranger gate to get in, and they charge you five bucks (at least that's what it used to be), but it's a spectacular drive.

When you get off the Drive, you're near Carmel, which is another nice place to eat a meal. First place I ever ate blue nacho chips, and goat cheese, both at the same time, back in the eighties. It's that kind of place. Clint Eastwood was the mayor.

For a little culture shock, come back into SF along the east side of the Bay, through San Jose.

Yosemite is a bit much for one day. Better to stay overnight in the area. Mount Shasta is a neat area as well. Hell, there's lots of nice places in California.

Check out the Redwoods and Sonoma wine country, etc....


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## 1927 (Aug 11, 2005)

Thanks for all the ideas folks.Althouigh it was a hard decision to go to SF onstead of NY I am now realising that there's gonn abe far too much to do in SF for my seven days!
I already got tickets for baseball on saturday and NFL on sunday and thinking of getting a tkt for the World Championship of Golf!! Which leaves me with three days for evrything else.Think I gonna be seeing alot of SF by night or early morning before the other stuff kicks off!
If there's a nyone around for drinks sometime would be cool to meet up.


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## mellowmoose (Aug 11, 2005)

MrMalcontent said:
			
		

> There are some great 2nd hand clothes shops in the Mission. You can also get great mexican food in the Mission district.
> 
> There is a really good record shop on Haight, Amoeba ....



I agree the misison district rocks, i lived there for four months and the graffitti art there is simply brilliant. Its a latino district with some amazing old houses. from there if you walk up 24th u can, within 10 mintues, end up in the posher areas going towards castro.

Whilst in the misison go to Valencia which is where loads of leftie type bookshops and cafes are - its also of the tourist track. Spend some time in delores park overlooking SF.

go to berkely on the subway - the area around the university is fascinating with gr8 cafe's and student life. Also, the Amoeba branch is berkely is huge.

Dammit I love SF, if the americans werent barking mad I'd hop onto the plane there right now.


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## mellowmoose (Aug 11, 2005)

D said:
			
		

> Green Apple is my favorite bookstore!
> 
> 
> high end vintage - La Rosa on Haight and Clayton
> ...




Tha brings back so many memories of hunting round thrift stores and buffalo exhange/crossroads !


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## D (Aug 12, 2005)

Zeitgeist is a great bar (the first one I entered after I moved to SF!) and if you're there at night, you may be able to get a tamale from The Tamale Lady (aka Virginia).  She's a middle-aged Chicana woman who sells home-made tamales from a cart she pushes from bar to bar.  Much loved by revellers throughout SF.  There was a hilarious, lovely film tribute to her made not long ago and Zeitgeist recently had a festival of shorts that featured another film about her.

***

My favorite taqueria (at least right now) in the Mission is El Mariachi on Valencia at the corner of 16th.  Soyrizo w/veggies in a chipotle tortilla.  Mmmm.

***

Bernal Heights is lovely and so very different from other parts of San Francisco...It's like a little village.  Some great restaurants and a fantastic home-made ice creamery called Maggie Mudd.

***

How could I forget?

Go to the top of Twin Peaks! Talk about a view.  And when it's a not too foggy (ha!), but a little windy and rainy you get to feel like you're in some kind of creepy scifi/horror flick.

Truly, it's the most incredible view of SF you could imagine.  And you get an unobstructed view of the exciting Safeway sign.  (It's the most noticeable dot in the SF skyline, such as it is...just as easily spotted as the GG bridge).

I am going to miss this place when I leave next year.

***

As for Alcatraz, I haven't been there since I moved here.  I have a friend who recently resumed giving tours there, though, so I will have to arrange one soon.

***

If you go to the Exploratorium, definitely make a reservation for the tactile dome.


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## Johnny Canuck3 (Aug 12, 2005)

D said:
			
		

> I am going to miss this place when I leave next year.
> 
> ***:



Where  are you going: back to NYC?


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## D (Aug 12, 2005)

Johnny Canuck2 said:
			
		

> Where  are you going: back to NYC?



Most likely there, unless I go to graduate school (and even then, it may still be NYC).


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## Jayshat (Aug 12, 2005)

Alcatraz - the best tourist place ever! Plus, you get to see the sea lions hanging out...


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## Stobart Stopper (Aug 13, 2005)

My brother liked the Winchester House ( home of the Winchester rifles heiress nutter), I think it's near San Francisco.


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## D (Aug 13, 2005)

The Winchester House is in San Jose, which is not far from San Francisco; but is an otherwise dreadful city.  It might be worth exploring if you're interested in the bizarreness of Silicon Valley, though.

It has a couple of good vegetarian restaurants, an excellent theater, and a giant stadium.  1927 is into sports and San Jose has a hockey team (I think hockey season should have begun by the time he arrives in the US, but I'm not sure).


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## 1927 (Aug 13, 2005)

D said:
			
		

> The Winchester House is in San Jose, which is not far from San Francisco; but is an otherwise dreadful city.  It might be worth exploring if you're interested in the bizarreness of Silicon Valley, though.
> 
> It has a couple of good vegetarian restaurants, an excellent theater, and a giant stadium.  1927 is into sports and San Jose has a hockey team (I think hockey season should have begun by the time he arrives in the US, but I'm not sure).



Dont go and tell me that or there'll be another day of my holiday taken up watching sport!!!!


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## Agent Hosen (Aug 13, 2005)

1927 said:
			
		

> Thanks for all the ideas folks.Althouigh it was a hard decision to go to SF onstead of NY I am now realising that there's gonn abe far too much to do in SF for my seven days!
> I already got tickets for baseball on saturday and NFL on sunday and thinking of getting a tkt for the World Championship of Golf!! Which leaves me with three days for evrything else.Think I gonna be seeing alot of SF by night or early morning before the other stuff kicks off!
> If there's a nyone around for drinks sometime would be cool to meet up.



I think San Francisco is a better choice, if only because I feel like New York and London (I'm assuming you're in London) are much more similar than San Francisco and London.

Yeah how could I forget BASEBALL???  That is great that you got tickets.  Going to a game at the Giant's new ballpark is such a fun way to spend an afternoon!!!  I love it.

I'll be moved back to San Francisco by September, and I love playing tour guide...I'd be up for some drinks!  (Would also be nice to still feel 'connected' to the London in some distant way like that).


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## 1927 (Aug 13, 2005)

How long is the baseball likely to last? It starts at 1.05 and the same day there's the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival on in Golden Gate Park until 7pm,would be good to get up there and catch an hour or so!


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## indicate (Aug 14, 2005)

1927 said:
			
		

> How long is the baseball likely to last? It starts at 1.05 and the same day there's the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival on in Golden Gate Park until 7pm,would be good to get up there and catch an hour or so!



An average game lasts close to three hours, give or take.  Even if the game is a long one, you should have pleanty of time to make the Bluegrass Festival as well.


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## D (Aug 16, 2005)

How could I forget about the Embarcadero market on a Saturday morning?

Go there.

Amazing (if a little pricey) food - cheese, incredible organic produce, prepared food - artwork, t-shirts, and high-end tat.


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## Ms T (Aug 19, 2005)

Definitely go to Alcatraz and do the audio tour - it's brilliantly produced (a bit like a R4 documentary).

The best thing you can do in San Francisco is just walk about.  Unlike a lot of US towns, it's a brilliantly walkable city.  I really enjoyed walking up the hill to the Tower (the one that's in Vertigo, I think).

I had the best Chinese food I've ever eaten in San Francisco -- at the House of Nanking (919 Kearney Street).  It looks like a bit of a dive but the food is truly amazing and extremely cheap.  Those in the know just get the waiter to give them what's best on the day.  

I also had the best martini ever in a hotel on Nob Hill -- in a really old-fashioned American bar with a pianist and wood-panelled walls and an unlimited supply of bar snacks.  I think it might have been the Huntingdon Hotel???

Anchor Steam is the best beer, btw.


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## DialT0ne (Aug 29, 2005)

yeah theres lots of stuff to do in SF. watch some games, ride a ferry, visit some nice shops. just go where all the people are going!


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## 1927 (Sep 21, 2005)

Ok its little over a week before I'll be over there,so anything special happening I should know about between 30/9 and 5/10?

Anyone around for a drink?


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## D (Sep 21, 2005)

1927 said:
			
		

> Ok its little over a week before I'll be over there,so anything special happening I should know about between 30/9 and 5/10?
> 
> Anyone around for a drink?



You're just missing the Folsom Street Fair and the Love Parade.

I could recommend some other things, but our interests - if I remember correctly - are pretty divergent.


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## 1927 (Sep 22, 2005)

D said:
			
		

> You're just missing the Folsom Street Fair and the Love Parade.
> 
> I could recommend some other things, but our interests - if I remember correctly - are pretty divergent.



Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festiva looks like sonmething diiferent to do so will defo be venturing up there after the sport on saturday and sunday!


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## Azrael23 (Sep 22, 2005)

Bohemian Grove every summer   

 You gotta do some sneaking to get in but hey, theres not a guy in town that would miss out on mock child sacrifice to ancient canaanite deities right?


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## dingleweed (Oct 3, 2005)

*i like*

If you have the time take a trip to yosemite nat park its a wicked little side trip for a day or two!!
I second what everyone else says!!
I went there a few weeks ago and found it pleasant to just walk around, i found i walked bloody miles, theres good views from the coit tower and the painted lady houses of the city.
its also nice to ride over golden gate bridge but i prefered standing under it at fort point and looking at its scale.
also the recreation area over the gg bridge is real cool.
sf is very nice city apart from the number of beggars= they are everywhere!


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## D (Oct 4, 2005)

I believe our man has come and gone already.

Hope you had fun!


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## 1927 (Oct 8, 2005)

D said:
			
		

> I believe our man has come and gone already.
> 
> Hope you had fun!



Just about to get my head down after arrivcing home this morning.Had  agreta time thanks folks and as much as I love NY,SF really did steal my heart,could have stayed there forever. will report back later but I gotta get some sleep.

Please check out my thread about Dyaln's in the Welsh forum!


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## walktome (Oct 9, 2005)

D said:
			
		

> How could I forget about the Embarcadero market on a Saturday morning?
> 
> Go there.
> 
> Amazing (if a little pricey) food - cheese, incredible organic produce, prepared food - artwork, t-shirts, and high-end tat.



I went there in the summer, it was definitely pricey, but I enjoyed my samosas and organic apples.


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