July 11, 2008
30 Days in San Francisco
Being amongst friends here at SFist, I'm going to drop the "we" and let you in on some news: I am moving to Los Angeles in a month for graduate school (Feel free to send hate mail to UC Berkeley Department of Journalism -- I have). I wouldn't normally post about this very boring, non-piece of news, but I thought that this would be a perfect time to turn to readers and ask:
What piece of San Francisco perfection should I experience before I move?
I have about 30 days left and I will definitely be back and forth a lot between LA and SF, but I want to go out in style. So, my challenge to you all: give me a list of to-do's in San Francisco. I created my own, but feel it's missing something. I'll post the list on my personal blog for anyone to check out and take pics of the items I do. I'll just have to find that darned digital cam transfer cord first.
Pic by Flickr/osbornb.
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Ride a Suzuki Hayabusa GSX1300R through the Broadway tunnel at 160mph.
Buy Giants gear, so you can wear it to Giants-Dodgers games in LA.
first off, congrats dianne! best of luck at grad school.
second, if you rollerblade you should join us at the friday night skate for a kickass fun time! and even if you don't skate, bust out the bicycle and join us :)
http://www.cora.org/friday.phtml
Go to bolinas ridge on Mt. Tam for a sunsiet (West Ridgecrest Blvd.). It's friggin amazing, warm in the summer, beautiful as hell, and rolling golden hills all the way down to the sea.
are you only staying in sf? if yes: burmasuperstarr, asian art museum, deyoung fridays...
obviously you're going wine touring, hiking, and beach picnicking? and if you go to the east bay, gotta grab sat farmers market at lake merritt and a drink at the paragon (spa treatment if you can afford it!)
Seward Street Slides. Don't forget to bring cardboard.
http://piefurcation.blogspot.com/2007/09/seward-street-slides.html
Stab someone at Ritmo Latino.
For my last night in town, I would climb Nob Hill just to watch it get dark from the Top of the Mark.
(and travel via cable car)
But that's just me, I revel in the touristy (with some restrictions, of course)
@DJTennessee: HA.
Lunch at Sam Wo's (813 Washington Street)
Be sure to bring your own Tsing Tao from across the street as they can't sell beer. Sit upstairs near the window if you can.
DJTennessee-- I haven't laughed so hard in days.
Make sweet sweet love to Frank Chu.
After you move away, run for office, say, like a San Francisco supervisor.
Walk the length of Golden Gate park, from Stanyan St. to Ocean Beach.
I agree with DJTennessee!
masturbate while blacked out in the Lusty Lady. extra points for filming those dirty whores behind the glass window and not getting thrown out.
tip: cover the red light on your camcorder/camera.
Try all the "weird" flavor ice creams at Mitchells.
Walk the labyrinth at Grace Cathedral at sunrise.
Feed the wild parrots of Telegraph Hill.
Go to Sunday services at St. John Coltrane and/or Glide.
Get a cha-cha bowl and watch the Giants from the bleacher seats.
See the SF Mime Troupe this Sunday at Yerba Buena.
And I heartily agree about Sam Wo's as above.
Plug1 -
You and I seem to have the same event planner.
take the n to ocean beach on a weekday. it's oddly quiet out there but nice.
then walk back to civilization via the park.
do NOT feed the f**king parrots. Mark Bittner should be kicked in the ass for "taming" them.
Thanks for all the suggestions! I'm going to try out as many of these as possible.
@plug1: I don't think anyone should be subjected to footage of me doing that -- ever.
Here's the link to my awful blog: prepare to be underwhelmed. Feel free to leave me messages there as well..
I agree with others re: Sam Wu. Hint: donut spill your beer or propose to the waitress' daughter as there WILL be physical reprocussions.
Also: pack up all of your worldly belongings into a van and park it overnight (and unattended) at 8th & Mission.
To add to all the excellent suggestions, be sure to take a bike ride up to the Wave Organ. Research when you can hear it. I've done it twice, and never heard much, but let me tell you, the ride is very fun and it's a cool spot to hang out.
One other really nice ride is through the Presidio to Golden Gate bridge. Just don't ride across the bridge on a weekend, all these agro people dressed in spandex on road bikes get mad at all the slow tourists with their Blazing Saddle bikes and it's not a good vibe.
It's not only-in-SF but a night at Do-Re-Mi in a private karaoke room is a blast and I always take visitors there for a night of debauchery.
this comment thread makes me happy.
1. Sure, grab a cone at Mitchell's or Bi-Rite, then go way out west to the Sunset for some Polly Ann's. Not the same ambiance since they redid the joint, but still, they have the most Asian-y of flavors. Lychee, baby!
2. Sophie's Crepes. It's in the mall at J-town, right by the bookstore. Get the "E" (vanilla ice cream, strawberries, whipped cream, and chocolate syrup) and add Nutella. Thank me later.
3. Dinner at Tommy's Joynt. There ain't no place quite like this place so this must be the place. Nuff sed.
4. A drink at Whiskey Thieves. A bar you can smoke in. That means a lot to me.
5. Fuck it, why not? A Giants game.
6. Walk down the Embarcadero, walk down Hayes Valley, and enjoy what life is like sans freeways. Do this while thinking about "the" 101, 405, 10, 105, 605, 710, 5, and so on and so forth.
7. Stroll through North Beach with Tony Bennett singing our song on your iPod. I know, I know, but c'mon, it's still the best song ever sung about our little City. Get nostalgic. Shed a tear. Let out a sigh. And feel that melancholy that thousands upon millions have felt whenver they said goodbye to San Francisco.
Best of luck and we wish you well. Mind your manners and write home often. And take heart in the knowledge that one day you'll be back.
watch the sunset at crissy field and walk to the bridge and back in the dark. i left sf in february after 20 years. that was one of the best things i did.
(find the hidden dumpsters in the presidio for illegal dumping
Here's one of my favorites but I presumes you ride a bike and like to eat (drink optional).
Pick a friend. Or two...
Pack picnic supplies.
Ride your bikes to the ferry building and buy prepared food, wine, etc.*
Take ferry to Angel Island.
Ride 3/4s the way around the island.
Pick a spot for a picnic with a view of SF.
Eat/drink to excess.
Return by ferry.
Sleep.
* If you're so inclined, get high before the ferry building purchases.
1. get a lap dance at Crazy Horse.
2. eat dinner at the House of Prime Rib.
3. call in sick and take the Anchor Steam Brewery Tour. (FREE!!! But make sure to book a week or two in advance.)
4. ride the 14-Mission from end to end :D
5. say goodbye to the parrots from telegraph hill.
Seriously....go out for the night in North Beach, traditional pasta dinner then be at the bars till 2am. Once closed, walk up to Coit Tower and stare out at the night. Listen to all the early morning noises. Look at ships in the night on the bay. Feel life all around you.
Also, I do find it strange that I've done four of the five that TE Lawrence suggests. I'm going for my end to end ride on the 14 soon!
When in LA, go immediately to the Grand Central Market for tacos and then across the street to the Bradbury building. And learn to ride the Rapid Bus and the subway... that freaks Angelenos out!
Pick up some blackberries @ Twin Peaks, they are delicious!
Drive across the bay to Berkeley and enjoy free sake tasting at the Sho Chiku Bai sake brewery. And if you like it, buy their brews on the cheap. Might I recommend the organic junmai nama and the Sierra Cold junmai ginjo. Mmmm, delicious.
Take the 6, N or 43 to UCSF Parnassus campus, grab a sandwich at il fornaio, subway downstairs, or some other such in their food court (hint: the korean food in the nurses building cafeteria is amazing) and then head up the stairs to the right of the library, enjoy the 180 view from ocean to east bay.
It's also a most excellent place to watch 4th fireworks, when you can see them.
aunt charlie's on a friday or saturday night.
Golden Gate Heights stairs for the views, El Farolito for the burritos, Bombay & Marco Polo for the ice cream. Mitchells who? Movie at the Victoria (city) or Parkway (East Bay)... or Midnight Mass. People watching at Dolores Park. Visit Ed Jew's house.
go to a doctor (find one in the back of either weekly paper), complain about headaches or whatever.. get a club card and come down to the lower haight and get high legally, then get a pint at Toranado and a sausage next door.
a coupla hot dogs at pier 39 before getting on either the blue or gold for a bay cruz under the golden gate. you can leave your heart there.