I Left My Heart In San Francisco
I left my heart in San Francisco
High on a hill, it calls to me
To be where little cable cars climb halfway to the stars
The morning fog may chill the air, I don’t care
Originally recorded by Tony Bennett, ‘I Left My Heart in San Francisco’ perfectly captures how I felt after my first visit to one of the most iconic American cities. Perhaps I am being a bit melodramatic, but few would argue with the charm of San Francisco. Despite the very large number of homeless people sleeping on the streets of this Californian city, San Fran is the highest rated American city on world liveability rankings. But it is not only the locals who enjoy living there. As a first-time visitor, I had such a beautiful time that I knew it wouldn’t be my last time in San Fran. And it wasn’t.
If you have never been to San Francisco, I would recommend staying there for at least 3 days, and here’s how to make the most of them:
Day 1 – The Historic Center
Kick off your day with breakfast and coffee. I had buttermilk pancakes at Honey Honey Café & Crepery on Post Street, and then walked up the hill towards Chinatown. Dragon’s Gate (at the corner of Bush Street and Grand Avenue) is the landmark entrance into this iconic neighborhood. Continue further uphill to the historic Caffe Trieste on Vallejo Street. This is where Francis Ford Coppola drafted his script for The Godfather. Not far from there is the small but worth-visiting Jack Kerouac Alley, the famous bookstore City Lights Booksellers & Publishers, and the landmark bakery Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory.
Walk downhill towards the Financial District and from there to SoMa (South of Market Street). Make your way to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SF MoMA) on 3rd Street (closed on Wednesdays). I spent several hours fully immersed in art by Picasso, Matisse, Pollock, Mondrian, Warhol and Lichtenstein. On the third floor of the museum, there’s a recently opened Sightglass coffee bar.
Day 2 – To the Golden Gate Bridge
Even before my first visit to San Francisco, I’d already had an image or two in my head – thanks, of course, to all these movies filmed or taking place in San Fran. On the one hand, there was the iconic Golden Gate Bridge; on the other, those world-famous cable cars going up and down the hills with people hopping on and off. So, I simply had to look for these San Fran icons.
But first, I had coffee and breakfast (pancakes, again) at Dottie’s True Blue Café (on 6th Street). I would strongly recommend getting there early (i.e. 7.30) to beat the crowds and avoid queuing. Then, go to Powell and Market, and take the Powell-Hyde line. Boarding a cable car is not as easy as you might assume. First, there are only three lines operating today (Powell-Hyde, Powell-Mason, and California Street). Second, most of the passengers are tourists, who often queue for an hour or two (another reason to get up early). The single ride costs $7. The cable car will take you to the Hyde and Beach terminal; on the way there, you will be treated to some spectacular views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the Alcatraz.
Once you’ve ridden the cable car, head to the Original Ghirardelli Ice Cream & Chocolate Shop at Ghirardelli Square.
Continue to the Warming Hut Bookstore & Café, where you can enjoy close-up views of both the Golden Gate Bridge and the Alcatraz. It is about an hour’s walk from Ghirardelli Square (so you can burn off the pancakes and the ice cream). On your way there, make a small detour to admire the very fine Palace of Fine Arts.
If you haven’t had enough of the Golden Gate Bridge, you can make it to the other side, where there are several vista points. The Marin Headlands Vista Point is one of those, but make sure not to mix it up with the Marin Headlands Visitor Center. Unless you have a car, getting a taxi is highly recommended.
Day 3 – From the Mission District to Castro and to the Golden Gate Park
On your third day in San Francisco, you can explore some of the somewhat less central neighborhoods. Take the BART to the 24th St Mission. I personally did not find the Mission District particularly exciting (but perhaps I visited at the wrong time of the day); after a brief walk among the taquerias and the hipster hangouts, I walked up the 24th Street to Noe Valley, a beautiful family-friendly neighborhood. I then continued on Castro Street to the Castro District, synonymous with gay culture.
Walk past the Castro Theater, another landmark building, and continue on Divisadero Street making your way to the iconic Alamo Square Park. On your way there, have a coffee at the Mill, one of my favorite coffee shops in San Francisco; it is located on Divisadero Street, about 20-minutes walk from the Castro Theater.
Afterward, have a stroll at the Buena Vista Park and wander through the hippie neighborhood of Haight-Ashbury. Then, walk through the rectangular Golden Gate Park.
Getting there and around
Public transport in California is very rudimentary compared to European cities like London or Paris. In San Francisco, however, the situation is better than in LA, thanks to BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit). This railway system connects San Francisco with the neighboring cities and also with San Francisco International Airport. From there, I would highly recommend buying a return ticket, since you cannot buy one from most stations in the city (unless you buy them online, which is not that straightforward for those not having an American mobile, but is cheaper if you’re traveling in a group).
I personally found the whole way that ticketing for BART operates highly unusual. If you’re planning to use public transport to get around San Fran, I would advise you to buy a Clipper card, and allow some time until you get the hang of how it works.
Accommodation
If you visit San Francisco for the first time, I would recommend staying in Downtown. During my visits to San Fran, I have stayed in Serrano Hotel Union Square (on Taylor Street) and in Hotel Union Square (on Powell Street). They’re both within walking distance from Powell St Station, which made getting there easy and inexpensive (I just took BART from the airport). They’re also close to Powell and Market (where you can take the cable car), to the shops, and to most coffeehouses I have recommended. In the morning, they serve free coffee in the lobby. Although both hotels are located in the notorious Tenderloin area, frequented by homeless people, I felt safe even when walking on my own at night.
Food and drinks
San Francisco boasts a lively coffeehouse scene. In addition to the places I’ve already mentioned (Honey Honey Café & Crepery, Caffe Trieste, Dottie’s True Blue Café, and the Mill), these are some other favorites of mine:
Sightglass is a small San Francisco coffeehouse chain; their flagship store is located on 7th Street, where I had a ‘sparkling cascara shrub’. They also have stores in the Mission District (20th Street) and on Divisadero Street. As already mentioned, there’s also a coffee bar on the 3rd floor of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SF MoMA).
Beacon Coffee & Pantry is a unique coffee shop on Columbus Avenue in the North Beach neighborhood, not too far from the Hyde and Beach terminal.
Reveille Coffee Co is another small San Francisco coffeehouse chain; I’ve only been to the store in Castro.
Some of my favorite Californian coffeehouse chains, which I’ve mentioned in my previous post ‘Los Angeles: 3 days in La La Land’ also have stores in San Francisco. These are:
Blue Bottle Coffee: most of the stores are in SoMa and also east of Union Square.
Philz Coffee: most stores are east of Union Square, but there are also stores in the Mission District, in Noe Valley, and in Castro.
Verve Coffee Roasters: there’s only one store in San Francisco (on Market Street), but there are several more in the neighboring Palo Alto and in Santa Cruz.
Most of these coffeehouses also serve food. Personally, I prefer having a hearty breakfast, followed by a light lunch in a café, and dinner in the evening. In San Francisco, I often had dinner with friends who lived there, so I am not as well-rehearsed in the restaurant scene. When I did not have dinner with friends, I would have a burger or a pizza. For burgers and shakes, I would recommend Super Duper Burgers, a small San Francisco chain, with several stores in SoMa and elsewhere in the city.
When and how long to visit San Francisco for
San Francisco’s climate is very mild with little variation throughout the year. It doesn’t get either too cold or too hot with the temperatures ranging between 8 and 21 degrees Celsius. As expected, summers are warmer than winters (but not as warm as in Los Angeles) and chances of rain reduce. I would recommend spending at least three days there. You can easily combine San Francisco with a few days in Napa Valley, Big Sur, or the Yosemite National Park.
Further reading
Or, you can combine San Francisco with Los Angeles. You can read more about La La Land here.
To better prepare for my trip, I used the Lonely Planet California Travel Guide.
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Alex
(the Traveling Psychiatrist)
