Stuff to do in San Francisco

Mike Danger

So, much to my surprise, I've lucked into a job interview in SF, the kind where the company pays your airfare/hotel, and have even been encouraged to spend some time exploring the city.

So, what's there to do? I am meeting up with a friend coming from Palo Alto, and may be meeting up with a friend who works near Golden Gate Park.

Stuff I like:
- breakfast
- bookstores/comic book stores
- museums
- Indian food

I don't have a hotel reservation just yet, but I'm expecting one tomorrow or Monday. I'd be in the city from the 12th to the 15th.

Melinoe

Green Apple books on 6th avenue and Clement street is a neat independent bookstore with tons of used books.

Pork Store Cafe (one in the Mission, one in the Haight) makes pretty Rad breakfast, especially their sausage gravy.

The Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park is fun and worth going to, and is right next to the De Young Museum which is also good.

Saar

There's Comix Experience at 305 Divisadero and if you're into tabletop gaming, Gamescape is a few doors down at 333 Divisadero.

If you like mexican, Little Chihuahua is a decent place across the street from the above.

Pork Store is pretty awesome for breakfast. I also like All You Knead (Haight). My all time favorite breakfast joint is Zazie at 941 Cole. A little further up from Haight but worth it although weekends tend to be packed.

wonderpug

Where do you live now? I always like to try and point people toward things they can't really find in their home area.

Mike Danger

I live in suburbia (Connecticut). I went to school for the past 4 years in Worcester, MA

schuss

Since it's a job interview, go hang out in the neighborhoods and see the city. Spend part of sunday in the biergarten in hayes valley, then spend each evening hanging out in a different neighborhood, as you may have to live in this place. In SF, the city is the spectacle, and as awesome as Alcatraz and GG park are, what's really cool is just walking around, seeing cool houses/street art and trying new things.

witch_ie

1. Breakfast: Sears (439 Powell Street) right off Union Square is great and are known for their Swedish pancakes.

4. Indian Food: I would recommend either Amber India (25 Yerba Buena Lane) or Dosa in Mission (995 Valencia) or in Japan Town (1700 Fillmore). The one in the Mission is a lot more casual and you may need a reservation to get seated at the one in Japan Town, but both are great.

5. Other stuff that you didn't ask about: Your friends in the area may also have some ideas of what to do, but I would recommend visiting the following locations, though they are somewhat touristy:

- Japan Town: Great food and interesting shops
- Fisherman's Wharf: Very touristy, lots of seafood options and shops, sea lions at the pier, and opportunities to take boat tours around the bay including to Alcatraz (if you're interested in that sort of thing)
- Golden Gate Park: Gorgeous, large, and complete with museums (as others have noted)
- If you have extra time, check out some of the areas outside of the city (the Peninsula (Half Moon Bay, San Mateo), Berkeley (Games of Berkeley at 2151 Shattuck Avenue), etc.) - working in San Francisco doesn't necessarily mean living in the city and there are great commutable areas as well. Your friends may have some ideas too.

Bartholamue

Going to the pier was kinda fun when I was there during my flight layaway.

Melinoe

Oh, the Musee Mechanique on Fisherman's Wharf is pretty neat and unique. It's free to get in and has a bunch of old penny/nickle/quarter games and stuff. It's definitely worth a look if you're over there. Just watch out for Laughing Sal

NomadicKestrel

Definitely do Japantown, there is great food (Japanese crepes, sushi, udon, takoyaki, and Japanese pastry shops galore, many with little wax displays in the windows), and Kinokuniya bookstore in Kintetsu Mall is legendary. Chinatown tends to be full of kitsch, but if you want some cheap DVDs or dried squid, it's worth checking out as well. There are tons of little tea shops in and around Chinatown that will do free tea tastings!

In Golden Gate Park I'd recommend the California Academy of Sciences (which really is like a zoo, museum, and science center all in one), and the Japanese Tea Garden is lovely.

Hahnsoo1

Melinoe wrote: »

Oh, the Musee Mechanique on Fisherman's Wharf is pretty neat and unique. It's free to get in and has a bunch of old penny/nickle/quarter games and stuff. It's definitely worth a look if you're over there. Just watch out for Laughing Sal

It's also right next to the USS Pampanito, a World War II submarine converted into a museum. It's free, and it's definitely worth a look, if you swing by the wharf and Musee Mechanique (multiplayer Pong! among other arcade games).