5 Things To Do In San Francisco

March 22, 2007 /

(This picture is from 2001, when we got snow in the hills….though sadly not outside my house or anything handy…but just so you know, the hills are not usually white…they’re green, or brown, but not usually white…)

Flitting about the internets, I found myself at hamelife, where I saw this contest. Hmmm. A list of 5 things, huh? Any 5 things I want? OK. Some folks I know are coming to San Francisco in the semi-near future, so, in their honor, Five Things To Do In The City….and since they’re only in SF for a short time, I’m going to plan it like they are doing all 5 things in one day, OK? Here goes.

1. Breakfast at Judy’s. I’ve only been here a few times, because the parking in the Marina is HORRID, and the wait for a table is often long. But if you can ignore those two things, the breakfasts are GREAT here. I did once see a woman eat the jam off of her jam spoon, though, and put it back in the little jam jar on the table, though, so maybe eat your breakfast sans jam. Gross. Excellent sourdough French toast, though!

2. Window shop in the Marina. Hey, you’re there anyway, and you’ve parked your car already. So why not. Also, take a walk over to Chrissy Field (or anywhere along the Marina Green) for some gorgeous views of the bay, the Golden Gate Bridge, etc. Really a nice walk if the fog doesn’t freeze you to death.

3. Pick a museum, if you’re the museum type. Not too far from the Marina (though certainly not walking distance) is the San Francisco Legion of Honor, which again has some LOVELY views, and some pretty darned nice art too. Hey, there’s even a parking lot, so what more could you want?

4. Ready for a meal and another walk? You could go to a very touristy yet sentimental favorite, the Cliff House. It’s expensive, and I haven’t eaten there since they remodeled, but I’ve never had a BAD meal there, and the views are unbeatable. Heck, stop by for a bowl of soup in the bar, enjoy the view, and take a hike around Lands End and the Sutro Baths. Save your dinner appetite for number 5.

5. Find your way into the Mission, and have dinner at the oh-so-cool Foreign Cinema. Very yummy food, and if you go after dark, you can see a foreign film on the wall out in the courtyard. Highly recommended.

So that’s it, your 5 things to do if you find yourself wanting a lovely day in the city, away from the Wharf (um, no thanks), Union Square, the new and gorgeous and yummy Ferry Building, Golden Gate Park, the MoMA, numerous plays, world class opera, ballet, meandering in the Haight, Thanh Long for roast crab, Shakespeare in the Park, Union Street, Chinatown, Little Italy, City Lights Bookstore, North Beach Pizza (The BEST pizza in the city, in my opinion, and if you go, go to the one on Grant and Union…it’s the original)…oh, I could kinda go on for days, huh?

10 Comments

  • Ml

    March 22, 2007 at 6:49 am

    Wow! That sounds like a lovely day with very yummy food! Should I visit SF, I’ll have to do those 5 things you listed. I need to fit Thanh Long in there some how. Maybe the next day. YUM!

  • Rory

    March 22, 2007 at 9:32 am

    Oh, thanks for the nod, J. You make San Francisco sound lovely.

    To have you as a tour guide, knowing all the cool places? That would be great. And…I could go up to people who stare and say, “Yes, yes, I know, it is Laura Dern. And I’m from England.” That would make people’s day. A double whammy.

  • hellomelissa

    March 22, 2007 at 9:39 am

    i haven’t been to sf in at least 12 years, but maybe in the next few years t and i will make it to wondercon– the sf comic convention. i’ll take your advice if/ when we do, and you better be there to show me some sights personally! 🙂 actually maybe YOU are the 6th item on the list, hmmm?

  • Lalunas

    March 22, 2007 at 12:10 pm

    The city is so hard for me to get around. Most of the times I spend hours being lost. Don’t know why.
    I liked the area you and Py used to live in. (Arguello ??)

  • Susan in Italy

    March 23, 2007 at 4:19 am

    I hope to remember this list next time I’m in SF. Locals’ suggestions are always the way to go. I’ll never forget heading to Chinatown and going one block west of the main street where we found dim sum to die for all written in Chinese We were the only tourists in the whole place. We pointed at things, we stuffed ourselves and we’ll never forget it. I dedicated a recipe to you the other day. Have a look!

  • samibear

    March 24, 2007 at 12:11 pm

    Well, let’s see when we were there, we went to the Warf, just walking from the Hotel, then road the cable car back. Went out to the Golden Gate park, drove through another park, got near the Presidio, and ate in China Town.