Thanks to the overwhelming kindness of one of our fellow .Orgers, my wife & I will be heading to San Francisco in May. I've never been there before, so I'm very very very very excited. We're looking at staying in a hotel called the Commodore. Most of our walking around (or utilizing public transit) will be to Union Square or North Beach. Our hotel isn't IN the Tenderloin, but it's somewhat near that area...

Where should we NOT go? What areas are shady? What are some good guideline DOs and DON'Ts?

What restaurants should we check out? Bars? Can I actually not fucking smoke anywhere in the whole goddamn state?

What's the name of that badass museum shown in the Hitchcock movie Vertigo?


Are those big fucking redwood trees worth seeing?

Any advice you can give me will be greatly appreciated...

i don't live there now but i did ten years ago... the redwood trees are indeed awesome. rent a car and drive north along the coat up to point reyes if you like natural beauty

California is for wusses.

Let's get an East Coast/West Coast thing goin' on!

XxAxX said:

I'd love to see them...they just seem so goddamn surreal to me....I'll have to see if it's feasible for me to rent a car...

2the9s said:

Bitch, get yo floppy stanky mangina labia back to the East Coast and shut up!

KingSausage said:

KS, those "redwood trees" are a good six hour drive north. Frisco's great, but if you like rocky cool beaches, drive north on Hwy 1. Have fun!

INSATIABLE said:

Six hours?!?!? Christ...that state is too big.... I'm so used to the Midwest, where you drive for six hours & you're like two fucking states away...I'm only in CA for four days, can't waste a whole day to see some trees, no matter how big!

KingSausage said:

Yeah... in four days you won't even scratch the surface in Frisco. Just cruise around the city! Go to Fisherman's Wharf of course, check out the beach, check out the museums, go to Chinatown, and before you leave, make some choices per you and the wife's tourist preferences on some SF websites. Tidbits from sfgate.com:


Nob Hill
The buttoned-up downtown district is home to an unexpected abundance of funky shops, good restaurants and trendy clubs.

Union Square
For those who come to SF to shop, this is where to start.

Inner Sunset
Despite gentrification and fog, it retains the laid-back feeling of a small town -- one that just happens to have a funky edge, an intriguing ethnic mix and great restaurants.

North Beach
Most famous for being home to the Beat generation, this Italian-American neighborhood is the coffee-swilling center of SF.

Cole Valley
A quiet neighborhood located near the Haight, Cole Valley offers a variety of mom-and-pop stores and more than a dozen restaurants and cafes.

Outer Sunset / West Portal
Although this southwestern corner of the city is often ignored in guidebooks, you'll find there's lots to explore including a neighborhood caught in a '50s time warp and dozens of multi-ethnic businesses.

Hayes Valley
In the past decade, Hayes Valley has developed into a haven for haute couture, with trendy fashion boutiques, SoHo-style funky art galleries, high-end interior decorating shops, top-notch restaurants and hip nightspots.

The Marina
There are SUVs and a Pottery Barn, yes, but there are also the Palace of Fine Arts, a newly-restored Crissy Field and one of the best vegetarian restaurants in the Bay Area.

Potrero Hill
Relax in brilliant sunshine while watching fog engulf the rest of the city, in the former 'hood of OJ Simpson and Seals Stadium.

Outer Richmond
Once dubbed "The Great Sand Waste," the Outer Richmond has developed into a peaceful neighborhood of restaurants, cafes, no-nonsense shopping and big pieces of San Francisco history.

Pacific Heights
With multi-million dollar mansions and views of the Bay to match, Pacific Heights is an easy way to escape from the urban chaos below.

Inner Richmond
Although consistently underappreciated, this neighborhood is rich with cultural diversity, great noodle houses and bargain shopping.

The Tenderloin
Repeatedly described in most tourist guides as "the worst neighborhood in San Francisco," the Tenderloin thrives despite its bad rap.

The Mission
Traditionally the Latino quarter of SF, the Mission is home to artists and families, and offers a lively nightlife scene.

The Castro
Widely known as the gay capital of the world, this neighborhood abounds with cafes, shops and nightlife.

Noe Valley
A quaint area where people know each other's names, babies rule the sidewalks and outdoor cafes draw summertime crowds.

Russian Hill
This neighborhood got its name when gold rushers found seven Cyrillic-inscribed gravestones at the top of the hill.

Chinatown
Great dim sum, cheap knickknacks and ornate temples hide in the small side streets of this popular destination.

Fisherman's Wharf
Scorned by locals, it's packed with visitors and home to everything from hole-in-the-wall fisherman's hangouts to tacky souvenir shops.

Golden Gate Park
This huge expanse of greenery -- stretching from the middle of the city to the ocean -- has museums, sports and more.

Bernal Heights
In a city with a Starbucks on almost every corner, Bernal Heights remains a progressive and commercial-free home for artists and their dogs.

The Haight
Tie-dye, Dead posters, punks, vintage clothing stores and bars make up what was once the home of the Summer of Love.

SoMa
This former industrial zone is in a cultural renaissance, with museums, galleries and multimedia companies reviving the area.

Western Addition
Perhaps the most ethnically and economically diverse neighborhood in San Francisco, the Western Addition feels more like several neighborhoods.

http://www.sfgate.com/tra...hborhoods/

INSATIABLE said:

Wow...thanks! So, I should really avoid The Tenderloin?

(Sounds like I'm discussing some really lame Batman villain!)

KingSausage said:

I'll be frank with you, there are places in The Tenderloin that are downright Watts/Compton-ish. But I'm sure it's not all bad. It sure isn't a major tourist highlight though! It's not exactly the "place to be" if you get my drift.

At least not for innocent unsuspecting tourists!

KingSausage said:

I'd be careful in the Mission District.. Leave the jewelry at home. (And you can find some excellent Mexican food restaurants here)

I lived in between the Mission District and the Tenderloin, I didn't have problems. But times have changed.

North Beach has some wonderful Italian restaurants. Walk around, and you will find some out of the place restaurant that is excellent. (That goes for most of San Francisco.)

And beware of the scammers at the Cable car stations. They will try to help you buy a ticket, and charge you for their services.

Greyline will help you set up some tours. If you want a couple of fun tours, there is San Francisco at night... The end of the trip is romantic.

And the Chinatown tour is interesting. You get dinner, and a walk through Chinatown. They give you lots of history about the Opium wars..

Use their bus system it is excellent.

sag10 said:

Awesome...thanks for the advice! I'll make sure to steer clear of those neighborhoods. Our hotel will be near the Tenderloin, but we'll mostly be walking north away from the area.

I'll have to skip the Opium Wars info! I studied Chinese history in college, and I've already bored my wife with enough of that shit.

San Francisco rocks KS!

You'll have a ball there. I spent 5 days there 10 years ago and loved it!

dont forget to head over to oakland and get your crack..



actually, head to jack london square or peidmont in oakland or anywhere in berkeley for great ethnic food...sf is slowly becoming a city for the white upper middleclass.....soo boring...hopefully the new mayor will bring back the colored folk and the party vibe that made the city so diverse....

sosgemini said:

I'm excited to see what the food's like...but I'm a bit spoiled. As hard as it may be to believe, the Twin Cities are actually damn good at the restaurant scene...lots of terrific ethnic places around here...This seems obvious to someone from the Cities. But people unfamiliar might think it's B.S. Anyway, it'll take a lot to impress me. Hopefully SanFran will do so...My honeymoon to New Orleans really raised the bar, however.

well..if you get lost or anything...give me an email or orgnote..

im fifteen minutes away from the city...

KingSausage said:

New Orleans is ass compared. You'll be pleasantly delighted.

sosgemini said:

me too if kee's unavailable! I'm less than an hour away!

and if your there on sunday...make sure to stop by the end-up for cocktail....it is *the* best club in the country.....junior vasquez told me that it has the best music handsdown...

go at 4pm..take a shot of tequila and shake your tailfeather for two hours.....then go about the rest of your stay...its the perfect way to start your week..

You'll probably want to avoid Blow Buddies but you might wanna try the End up

The food....yum-um-ummy There are so many delicious ways to eat. Try Chinatown and the wharf....and everything in between!

I LOVE San Francisco.

.
[This message was edited Mon Mar 22 17:23:10 2004 by SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy]

sosgemini said:

We both said End up

INSATIABLE said:

Don't worry! I was only talking about food...if it wasn't for food, New Orleans would be a shithole, IMO. No arts/culture to be found...deserted museums...shitty bookstores...great people, but no arts community other than street musicians...

INSATIABLE said:

Whoa....all these generous .Orgers in the area...very kind of you all!!!

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

heh heh heh....


I'll be there May 13-17 most likely...

KingSausage said:

You won't encounter that problem in SF. LOTS of culture and class. Like every large city, there are some scary areas, but overall it's an amazing place. I'd live there if it wasn't too expensive! Where's my sugardaddy? I sure could use one right about now

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

Now, is it called the End Up because everyone ends up there, or becasue it's some kind of innuendo about being a gay bar. I've heard it both ways.

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

Okay, okay. But if I were a dude and had cash, I'd strap a saddle on my ass and you could ride me all the way up 101!~

INSATIABLE said:

You could strap the saddle on anyway

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

It sounds like a fucking great city...my wife (then girlfriend) went there a few years ago, and fell in love with it...

KingSausage said:

You can't help it. The food, the people, the music, the weather, the geography. It's all so perfect. So much to do and never enough time to do it.