I have been to SF 3 times in the last 10 years and love it. I usually get Lonely Planet Guide and Time Out Guide. LP is good for details like ferry timetables and stuff like that. TO is very good for up to date bars, clubs, restaurants.
The Tenderloin ares which is couth of Union Square is a bit dodgy but North Beach, China Town, Nob Hill, Pacific Heights are lovely. I have never had any bother in SF and I have walked around all of it, even the rough areas.
My favourite restaurant ever is The Stinking Rose which is in North Beach. They use a lot of garlic in everythng. A really nice bar is Tosca also in North Beach and Vesuvio where the beat poets used to drink. You could also try to get tickets for Beach Beach Blanket Babylon which is a bit difficult to describe - a bit like a cross between a pantomime and a drag show. It has been running for over 20 years and is an institution. They have a website.
I usually stay in the Sheehan hotel which although is slightly shabby it is right near Union Square and two trolley stops. Its very central and does have a pool. You can get cheaper hotels, though.
I normally go in May - the weather is usually fairly good then and not too misty.
I dont know if I would go to San Francisco on my own. We went there as part of our honeymoon touring the West Coast of America in 1996. I would love to go back there. We visited Alcatraz, Golden Gate Bridge, Chinatown and went on one of the tram rides. We were also brought out for an evening meal where they made the series 'Hotel' if anybody remembers that. We dined in the penthouse and the place was amazing.
I suppose going anywhere on your own you have to be extra careful and vigilant. I would say so long as you have access to a mobile phone and avoid any dodgy areas you could have a good enough time there.
I'd just like to say to anyone potentially venturing out on their own, pay no regard to such people as Distoney and their views on 'being safe'.
I've been to many places in the US, Africa, Asia and Europe on my own, as many young travellers do, and the benefits of going solo far outweigh the drawbacks. It is simply an amazing experience. Certainly don't avoid any 'dodgy areas'.
Originally posted by micky: I'd just like to say to anyone potentially venturing out on their own, pay no regard to such people as Distoney and their views on 'being safe'.
I've been to many places in the US, Africa, Asia and Europe on my own, as many young travellers do, and the benefits of going solo far outweigh the drawbacks. It is simply an amazing experience. Certainly don't avoid any 'dodgy areas'.
I have also holidayed on my own twice and yes, it does have its good points. I didnt have trouble meeting people and I learned a lot about how much of a survivor I was. I still stand by what I say about being aware of going into dodgy areas because you dont know how territorial these areas might be. By all means it does no harm to take some risks but it also does no harm to err on the side of caution.
I don't know if anyone else noticed it...but I found there were quite a lot of homeless people in San Francisco, with a fair percentage of them having mental health problems.Don't know whether it was all the drugs they took in the 60's!!?? We stayed in the centre of the city and it was quite intimidating coming out of the hotel as there were so many people lurking on the streets.
Although not always the case I know, but single travellers tend to be careful with their money ( or just plain tight, like me ) and will therfore end up at the Youth Hostel in...ah, can't remember but it is just the other side of the Golden Gate bridge.
Now that's not a bad starting place at all. Usually loads of contacts and people visiting the same places as you.
If you want to go - GO. Beautiful place, beautiful country.
Originally posted by CATALINA-MEOW: I don't know if anyone else noticed it...but I found there were quite a lot of homeless people in San Francisco, with a fair percentage of them having mental health problems.Don't know whether it was all the drugs they took in the 60's!!?? We stayed in the centre of the city and it was quite intimidating coming out of the hotel as there were so many people lurking on the streets.
I stayed on Powell St (right at cable car terminus) with Market to the south & Tenderloin to the east, both directly. We had a lot of homeless in the immediate vicinity of our Hotel but they were always polite and, if anything, intimidated, rather than the usual aggressive nature of a lot of homeless people you encounter.
That said, Great City.
"If I'd never loved, I never would have cried".
Winner of last poster 28/11/06, 22/02/07 & 17/04/07.
I had to travel to San Fran also for work and I noticed the homeless issue as well. These homeless seemed to be by-and-large mentally ill (as homeless in the US usually are from my observation). While they never presented me with any trouble, it did take away from the experience. As a political aside, the government in that city appears to want to "respect" the rights of the homeless by allowing them to stay on the streets. Most US cities have correctly realized that such people need to be institutionalized in order to get help.
Originally posted by micky: I'd just like to say to anyone potentially venturing out on their own, pay no regard to such people as Distoney and their views on 'being safe'.
I've been to many places in the US, Africa, Asia and Europe on my own, as many young travellers do, and the benefits of going solo far outweigh the drawbacks. It is simply an amazing experience. Certainly don't avoid any 'dodgy areas'.
You can't in my view use a sweeping statement like "certainly don't avoid any dodgy areas". Single as well as group travellers could be at risk by doing this. Fair enough it may have been ok where you were and you were safe... it could be a totally different story for someone else.
