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What's there to do in the Bay Area, CA
SlickShughes
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
So, after expounding on all the great things to do in NYC for this thread, I got to thinking that perhaps some helpful forum goer could provide me with similar info about the Bay Area. I've been living here for about 5 months now, and I've yet to really get a feel for what there is to do/what's worthwhile. I've done most of the touristy stuff already - Fisherman's Wharf, some bits of Golden Gate Park, Chinatown, and Cable Car rides - and some off the beaten path stuff - Asian Art Museum, saw a show at the Fillmore, City Lights bookstore - but I've yet to really feel the same sort of connection to it as I had in NYC. So, questions:
1. What are some good areas to just hang about and wander around in? If it helps anyone with SF and NYC experience, I used to wander about the Village for hours at a time.
2. I've mostly been just in the north east of the city, with the exception of Golden Gate Park. Are the Mission District and the Castro worthwhile excursions?
3. All the prior just apply to SF, but I suppose I'm really sort of in the middle of the metro area, or between SF and San Jose at least. What's worth seeing in the other cities? Oakland, Berkley, San Jose, anywhere else? I'd rather travel by public transit (caltrain to bart is my usual trip), but I could be persuaded otherwise.
4. Geek related - are there any good gaming stores/groups in SF or elsewhere? I've found a store near by me, but they don't seem to attract the sort of clientele who want to expand their gaming groups. I've played ALOT of tabletop games in the past, and I'd be willing to adapt just to get my geek on again. I know there are geeks around here, hell, Sony has an office in the building where I work, I just can't seem to find them.
5. Any other suggestions? Something I'm missing?
Well, that went on longer than I expected it to. Hope someone bothers to read it. Thanks in advance!
1. What are some good areas to just hang about and wander around in? If it helps anyone with SF and NYC experience, I used to wander about the Village for hours at a time.
2. I've mostly been just in the north east of the city, with the exception of Golden Gate Park. Are the Mission District and the Castro worthwhile excursions?
3. All the prior just apply to SF, but I suppose I'm really sort of in the middle of the metro area, or between SF and San Jose at least. What's worth seeing in the other cities? Oakland, Berkley, San Jose, anywhere else? I'd rather travel by public transit (caltrain to bart is my usual trip), but I could be persuaded otherwise.
4. Geek related - are there any good gaming stores/groups in SF or elsewhere? I've found a store near by me, but they don't seem to attract the sort of clientele who want to expand their gaming groups. I've played ALOT of tabletop games in the past, and I'd be willing to adapt just to get my geek on again. I know there are geeks around here, hell, Sony has an office in the building where I work, I just can't seem to find them.
5. Any other suggestions? Something I'm missing?
Well, that went on longer than I expected it to. Hope someone bothers to read it. Thanks in advance!
SlickShughes on
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Go to the Computer history museum south of where you are. (santa clara, it's cool).
Go to the exploratorium which is in the palace of fine arts near the GG bridge.
There are like three 2600 meetups in your area.
There are a few Massive LANs that happen occasionally.
GDC Was like 3-4 weeks ago, you could have gone to that.
Find Someone who works at lucasarts and go visit skywalker ranch (that's not easy, but it's FUCKING WORTH IT). Anyone who works there should be able to get a pass.
Great America, South of where you are. (45min-hr) (beverly hills cop 3 filmed there). It's got great roller coasters.
Browse Upcoming.org. There are more SF things on there than anywhere else on the site.
There are Meetups all over the place. SF Flickr is notable for photographers.
Alcatraz.
Napa Valley.
Santa Cruz (see the surfers and stoners).
Monterey Bay Aquarium (star trek IV filmed there, It's fucking rad, best aquarium I've ever seen). It's far away (3 hrs drive) but worth it.
"Oh what a day, what a LOVELY DAY!"
I hear that Yelp has some interesting get-togethers in the Bay, but I've never thought about it.
Otherwise, Marin County in general is a cool place.
Stay away from Sacramento. It sucks.
I've used Yelp for restaurant reviews in the past, I didn't realize they have a social component as well, I'll check that out.
Mission is kinda the cool kid place to hang. Lots of clubs and bars and what not, very popular.
Castro is pretty well known as the gay section of the city. Lots of gay bars and nightclubs and it's where the pride parades are at.
There's lots of nice nightlife around - the goth/industrial scene is pretty strong. I'm a big fan of popscene on thursdays by the giants stadium.
Yes to both the Mission and the Castro. The area around Valencia and 16th st has great Mexican food and good bars. And since rent is a bit cheaper in the Mission most of the people you meet will be locals with a good sense of the scene. Stay on the main roads, though, it can get kinda sketchy if you get off the beaten path.
Castro is good on a Friday or Saturday night. Go hit some gay bars - yes, boys will pick up on you, but if they figure out you're straight they'll just make conversation and be cool. Then go to Sparky's Diner on Church St. and get a milkshake.
Haight is kinda neat to walk around in, and Amoeba Music is an awesome record store, but the district rolls up its sidewalks around 9-10 pm. Be prepared to step over lots of bums, beggars, and occasionally people brazenly selling pot.
Most of the nightclubs are in the SoMa (SOuth of MArket) district - I mean, there are bars and clubs everywhere but you can barhop just by walking around sixth and Folsom. Again, don't go off the beaten path because some of the side streets are kinda sketchy. Park at the 5th and Mission garage (open all night, reasonably priced) or just take a cab.
Japantown is good for a Saturday afternoon. Hit the Japantown mall, buy some potted bamboo and some inscrutable item of eastern origin and unknown purpose, then walk north up Fillmore for lunch.
Berkeley has a nice little downtown area - lots of college students, obviously.
San Jose has the tech museum and a store called Weird Stuff that sells, well, weird stuff.
University avenue in Palo Alto has some nice restaurants - lots of Stanford students there.
Are you in Foster City? I might know the exact office building you're in, I used to work less than a block away from the Sony building down there.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
Yeah, I'm in Foster City, in the tower. I think Sony may have more than one office in the area, but I know for sure there's always people with PS3 lanyards and Sony Staff t-shirts going to the 20th and 21st floors.
Yeah, I used to work right behind that tower.
You know, if you haven't checked out downtown San Mateo yet you should. There are quite a few nice restaurants (Saigon City vietnamese, Tenka sushi, Masu sushi, Pasta Primavera, Amici's pizza, Clay Oven indian, and Pancho Villa taqueria were some of my favorites when I was in that area), a couple of decent bars, an independent used video game store, and a Japanese supermarket called Suruki that has sushi-grade fish if you have any desire to make maki rolls in your own kitchen.
Fuck Foster City, though. Foster City sucks.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
Yeah, I've come to that conclusion pretty quickly.