8 ms·

Good lord, so much snark in this thread, so here's some actual suggestions if you want to enjoy yourself (note: I moved out 3.5 years ago). Get coffee at Four

by _w7am 9y ago

Good lord, so much snark in this thread, so here's some actual suggestions if you want to enjoy yourself (note: I moved out 3.5 years ago). Get coffee at Four Barrel, Ritual, Sightglass, Blue Bottle, Philz Get tacos in the Missions at Taqueria Vallarta, Taqueria Cancun Go to Noisebridge, Sudo Room, Hacker Dojo Hike at Hawk Hill, Skeggs, Muir Woods, Mt. Tam Look up local concerts at funcheapsf.com. There's so many fantastic gargage bands that should have record deals. $5 can get you an amazing show Have a picnic at Lake Merrit Walk around some of the university campuses (I quite like Berkeley) Look at the street art on Clarion Alley Go to Nightlife at the California Academy of Sciences To the Conservatory of Flowers Drive up Twin Peaks on a foggy day and watch Carl roll over the city Walk around Haight-Ashbury (possibly buy drugs) and check out the shops and food Walk around Telegraph Ave in Berkeley (possibly buy drugs) and check out the shops and food Drive CA-1 to Monterey. Stop in Santa Cruz.

shlant 9y ago
+1 Taqueria Cancun Hit up Boba Guys if you like bubble tea Do the Lands End walk (https://goo.gl/maps/UGC651a1Cvt https://goo.gl/maps/UGC651a1Cvt). Some great bridge photos there
- codemac 9y ago
  There is better bubble tea further south in the valley with no line. I don't get the boba guys craze except for the fact that the amount of boba in SF is lower than necessary.
solidr53 9y ago
(possibly buy drugs)
- nickpsecurity 9y ago
  I'm sure it was intended as a, uh, warning to avoid those areas if 100% committed to avoiding being anywhere around drugs. Alternatively, a tip off for those employed in the War on Drugs. Never under any circumstances an encouragement to buy drugs. Not here.
ghaff 9y ago
Good list. I'd add the Rodins at Stanford (which is also a nice campus to walk around) and, for hiking, the Santa Cruz mountains (Big Basin, etc.) Also free guided walking tours in SF and the boat trip to Alcatraz (touristy but worthwhile--book ahead). While the Computer History Museum in [EDIT: Mountain View] is great, if I were visiting the Bay area from halfway around the world, I really wouldn't spend much time in Silicon Valley proper, tech events, etc. I suppose I get the mystique but there are so many more interesting things to experience on a short visit.
- kzisme 9y ago
  Would a week or a week and a half be long enough to visit and see a good amount of stuff?
  - ghaff 9y ago
    Certainly not everything--especially if you're talking the whole region from Pt. Reyes through Sonoma/Napa to San Francisco, the South Bay, and Santa Cruz/Santa Cruz mountains/Monterey. But 1-2 weeks is enough to give you a nice flavor of the area. I'd probably pick SF and maybe a couple select things to see/do in the Valley and then spend some time either north or south from there.
    - kzisme 9y ago
      I just have a lot of vacation days to burn still and I've ALWAYS wanted to visit SF (other than the airport).
      - ghaff 9y ago
        SF is one of my favorite cities (to visit :-)). And there's tons of other great stuff to do within driving distance from 1-2 hours on up. (You can reach the Sierras but I probably wouldn't recommend that for a first time visit of limited duration.) IMO, great choice for a vacation of just about any length.
wtvanhest 9y ago
Id also recommend checking out Detour.com and some coworking spaces.
pattycakes 9y ago
I will add, if you like watching live music, a more extensive list is here: http://www.foopee.com/punk/the-list/ http://www.foopee.com/punk/the-list/
kzisme 9y ago
I'm curious what made you move out. As someone who haven't made it out to SF I've always wanted to see if it lived up to the hype. (if even for nicer weather)
- rco8786 9y ago
  > if even for nicer weather Ahh the legend lives, I see. Unless you live somewhere with unbearable winters it's doubtful that the weather is actually "nicer" in SF. ~60 nearly every day, ~50 nearly every night. Just cold enough to make you wear jeans and a hoodie (what, we just thought that getup looked cool?) and rarely warm enough to take advantage of a pool.
  - samcheng 9y ago
    Silicon Valley, on the other hand, just 45 minutes south of SF, has a great climate. It's remarkable what a few mountains between city and ocean can do.
  - sbov 9y ago
    Yes, the light jacket is the official uniform of the west coast. Even if the days are warm where you are, the nights are cold. But it's also why it isn't humid in summer.
  - tkxxx7 9y ago
    Sounds perfect for me. There's a lot less to consider walking in 60-65 than 70+ - half the time I don't walk to work because I don't want to show up sweaty and have to change. I'm from Michigan, though (SoCal now) so maybe your point stands haha.
  - kzisme 9y ago
    Ohio winters aren't super fun 50-60F daily sounds like a dream, and it's also wonderful sleeping weather!
- heartsucker 9y ago
  Berlin was calling to me. There were somethings about SF I didn't like, but it wasn't so much "I moved out of SF" as "I moved in to a new city."
cwal37 9y ago
Piggybacking off of your Monterey suggestion, take the slight detour there to check out Point Lobos, a particularly beautiful state park. Also, strongly second Nightlife at the Cal Academy of Sciences. I try to design my trips to the bay area such that I'll be there on a the day of the week those are so I can go (Thursday I think?). It's a great museum, very hands on, and those nights have always had a really enjoyable vibe when I've been. Oh, and taking 1 north of the city along Point Reyes for a ways is also an excellent drive. You can cut back inland through some rolling hills and get a very different vibe than the city and coast going south towards Big Sur
nickpsecurity 9y ago
Bookmarking this. Appreciate it.
peterhunt 9y ago
Hang out in Dolores Park for the authentic SF experience. Also, El Farolito is the superior Mission burrito ducks
- crawdog 9y ago
  El Farolito for the torta. Cancun for the burrito!
  - itomato 9y ago
    Zorro.
- mistersquid 9y ago
  To my taste, the best burrito in SF can be found at La Corneta in Glen Park. I lean toward the super carne asada, but the fish (salmon) burrito is also amazing. The Glen Park La Corneta has amazing food in general and if you go there, you will not be disappointed. Be advised that La Corneta also has a location in SoMa (on Mission) but the taste of the food is entirely different, not bad, but not as much to my liking.
- nicolashahn 9y ago
  Came here to say these two things. Dolores park is my trump card for showing off SF to (20 something) out of towners. There's usually nothing even remotely like it (when it gets crowded and boozy) wherever they came from. And I'm in it for the al pastor and so far El Farolito has my favorite. I love Guadalajara too though, because you can get a burrito that's just two different (huge) portions of meat, and they also have some very spicy and delicious salsa. I've strained friendships arguing whether Cancun or El Farolito was better though.
lisper 9y ago
> possibly buy drugs That would be unwise. It's not a particularly auspicious time to be a foreigner in the U.S., and the Trump administration just announced a crack down on even minor drug offenses. The Haight is pretty relaxed and the odds of getting caught are low, but the consequences at the moment could be particularly severe. Not a risk worth taking. But do go to the Haight and watch people buying drugs :-)
- itomato 9y ago
  Prop 65 much?
  - lisper 9y ago
    Huh??? What does prop 65 (or any California state proposition for that matter) have do to with someone on a tourist visa getting in trouble with the federal government for buying illegal drugs?
vforgione 9y ago
Thank you for this. As someone interviewing with a handful of companies in SV and considering relocating, this whole thread reenforces a whole host of misgivings I have of the area. Maybe I'm too Midwestern, but most of the comments read as a big "eff you - don't even bother." Does everyone hate it there so much? I know it isn't perfect, but what city/metro area is?
- jngreenlee 9y ago
  For a midwesterner, Denver is pretty sweet and techie.
  - leesalminen 9y ago
    No way. Colorado sucks. It snows all year here. Don't come here. Go to Utah. Utah is awesome. /s
    - _ao789 9y ago
      Lol
- malnourish 9y ago
  This is 100% anecdotal. I'm from Minneapolis as are a number of my friends. Some of them moved out to CA (Irvine) and some later moved to Seattle. They /can't wait/ to move back to MN. For a while, I didn't understand them (usually, when they tell me this in the winter). But the music scene, culture, and comparative lack of traffic make a big difference. I've yet to go to CA outside of layovers, but I still want to experience it for myself.
  - WalterGR 9y ago
    Some of them moved out to CA (Irvine) Irvine is in Southern California. Southern California is a different state than Northern California, which is where San Francisco and Silicon Valley are.
  - DaniloDias 9y ago
nohat00 9y ago
There is literally nothing in this list that is in Silicon Valley.
- heartsucker 9y ago
  Philz and Skeggs are both in SV, and I was contributing what I could because OP said "SF and SV."
pella 9y ago
+ "Meetups in San Francisco" https://www.meetup.com/cities/us/ca/san_francisco/ https://www.meetup.com/cities/us/ca/san_francisco/
discordianfish 9y ago
+ Get truffle from the truffle man
itomato 9y ago
The drive on 1 also includes a drive on 17. Big Sur is not accessible due to landslides.
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
mattnewton 9y ago
If you go to Santa Cruz, I recommend sea kayaking off the warf next to the boardwalk. It's a great way to get some sun, enjoy the ocean without being a surfer and see sea lions and aborable sea otters (but be careful not to get too close and disturb them). I also highly recommend night life at the Academy of Sciences, and I think the exploratorium does something similar.
indescions_2017 9y ago
While the experts are chiming in: any recommendations for A). Sushi and B). Healthy Vegetarian / Wellness / Vegan / Juice Bar / Poke Bowl type spots? Thanks in advance!
- ejcx 9y ago
  I like ichi sushi. It's very small, a bit out of the way, and very good.
- jakegarelick 9y ago
  Sushi - Not a huge sushi fan but have good things about Shizen and Cha-Ya Healthy - Project Juice, Gracias Madre, Mixt (have heard good things), Nourish Cafe Also Ike's, it's not very healthy but they make great sandwiches.
- mistersquid 9y ago
  Hinata on Van Ness is omekase (chef's choice) and is among the best sushi I've had outside Japan. It'll set you back at least $90 (prix fixe, more if you drink the delicious sake), abd requires a reservation, but you'll be synced with two other couples if you sit at the chef's counter where you will get a detailed description of exactly what you're eating, why it's interesting, and what to look for. Schedule your reservation to start before 7 and ask to sit at the Chef's counter with Dave (he's the owner, in his twenties and quite knowledgeable). If you like Hawaiian/Asian fusion, for about the same price range, there's Liholiho in Lower Nob Hill. Liholiho has blown up for a year, so get there at 4:30 on a weekday to make sure you get a seat in the first wave. Otherwise, reservations are a 4-week wait (last I checked). You can get good healthy vegetarian at just about any restaurant in SF (minus steakhouses and shabu shabu). For a quick delicious vegetarian lunch, check out Plant in the FiDi. EDIT: typos, readability.
- krausejj 9y ago
  The Poke Bar at the Market at 10th and Market. It's by the Twitter building... so you get to experience the tech bubble at its apex plus amazing fish :-) If you want the opposite of tech bubble, Ninki sushi in the Sunset has half price rolls many weeknights... instead of the tech bubble bursting, you'll be the one bursting because you'll be so full (and it's so cheap!)
cs-student 9y ago
What time and dates do you recommend to be above the clouds on twin peaks?
krausejj 9y ago
This is a great list! If you really want the city vibe, though, you should check out non-touristy spots as well, and witness some of the insane differences between neighborhoods: - Check out Union Street in the Marina, then compare that to the Tenderloin (there are good restaurants around Geary/Hyde) - Go to the Creamery in Soma (tech ground zero), and then take an Uber to Market & Castro, the historical center of the gay community - Eat amazing Asian food on Clement Street, and then decent Italian in North Beach You might find that "SF" is actually dozens of different towns fused into one. There are a few overarching similarities, but the most striking thing to me are the differences -- even the weather is different across neighborhoods.

by _w7am 9y ago

shlant 9y ago

+1 Taqueria Cancun Hit up Boba Guys if you like bubble tea Do the Lands End walk (https://goo.gl/maps/UGC651a1Cvt https://goo.gl/maps/UGC651a1Cvt). Some great bridge photos there

codemac 9y ago
There is better bubble tea further south in the valley with no line. I don't get the boba guys craze except for the fact that the amount of boba in SF is lower than necessary.

solidr53 9y ago

(possibly buy drugs)

nickpsecurity 9y ago
I'm sure it was intended as a, uh, warning to avoid those areas if 100% committed to avoiding being anywhere around drugs. Alternatively, a tip off for those employed in the War on Drugs. Never under any circumstances an encouragement to buy drugs. Not here.

ghaff 9y ago

Good list. I'd add the Rodins at Stanford (which is also a nice campus to walk around) and, for hiking, the Santa Cruz mountains (Big Basin, etc.) Also free guided walking tours in SF and the boat trip to Alcatraz (touristy but worthwhile--book ahead). While the Computer History Museum in [EDIT: Mountain View] is great, if I were visiting the Bay area from halfway around the world, I really wouldn't spend much time in Silicon Valley proper, tech events, etc. I suppose I get the mystique but there are so many more interesting things to experience on a short visit.

kzisme 9y ago
Would a week or a week and a half be long enough to visit and see a good amount of stuff?
- ghaff 9y ago
  Certainly not everything--especially if you're talking the whole region from Pt. Reyes through Sonoma/Napa to San Francisco, the South Bay, and Santa Cruz/Santa Cruz mountains/Monterey. But 1-2 weeks is enough to give you a nice flavor of the area. I'd probably pick SF and maybe a couple select things to see/do in the Valley and then spend some time either north or south from there.
  - kzisme 9y ago
    I just have a lot of vacation days to burn still and I've ALWAYS wanted to visit SF (other than the airport).
    - ghaff 9y ago
      SF is one of my favorite cities (to visit :-)). And there's tons of other great stuff to do within driving distance from 1-2 hours on up. (You can reach the Sierras but I probably wouldn't recommend that for a first time visit of limited duration.) IMO, great choice for a vacation of just about any length.

wtvanhest 9y ago

Id also recommend checking out Detour.com and some coworking spaces.

pattycakes 9y ago

I will add, if you like watching live music, a more extensive list is here: http://www.foopee.com/punk/the-list/ http://www.foopee.com/punk/the-list/

kzisme 9y ago

I'm curious what made you move out. As someone who haven't made it out to SF I've always wanted to see if it lived up to the hype. (if even for nicer weather)

rco8786 9y ago
> if even for nicer weather Ahh the legend lives, I see. Unless you live somewhere with unbearable winters it's doubtful that the weather is actually "nicer" in SF. ~60 nearly every day, ~50 nearly every night. Just cold enough to make you wear jeans and a hoodie (what, we just thought that getup looked cool?) and rarely warm enough to take advantage of a pool.
- samcheng 9y ago
  Silicon Valley, on the other hand, just 45 minutes south of SF, has a great climate. It's remarkable what a few mountains between city and ocean can do.
- sbov 9y ago
  Yes, the light jacket is the official uniform of the west coast. Even if the days are warm where you are, the nights are cold. But it's also why it isn't humid in summer.
- tkxxx7 9y ago
  Sounds perfect for me. There's a lot less to consider walking in 60-65 than 70+ - half the time I don't walk to work because I don't want to show up sweaty and have to change. I'm from Michigan, though (SoCal now) so maybe your point stands haha.
- kzisme 9y ago
  Ohio winters aren't super fun 50-60F daily sounds like a dream, and it's also wonderful sleeping weather!
heartsucker 9y ago
Berlin was calling to me. There were somethings about SF I didn't like, but it wasn't so much "I moved out of SF" as "I moved in to a new city."

cwal37 9y ago

Piggybacking off of your Monterey suggestion, take the slight detour there to check out Point Lobos, a particularly beautiful state park. Also, strongly second Nightlife at the Cal Academy of Sciences. I try to design my trips to the bay area such that I'll be there on a the day of the week those are so I can go (Thursday I think?). It's a great museum, very hands on, and those nights have always had a really enjoyable vibe when I've been. Oh, and taking 1 north of the city along Point Reyes for a ways is also an excellent drive. You can cut back inland through some rolling hills and get a very different vibe than the city and coast going south towards Big Sur

nickpsecurity 9y ago

Bookmarking this. Appreciate it.

peterhunt 9y ago

Hang out in Dolores Park for the authentic SF experience. Also, El Farolito is the superior Mission burrito ducks

crawdog 9y ago
El Farolito for the torta. Cancun for the burrito!
- itomato 9y ago
  Zorro.
mistersquid 9y ago
To my taste, the best burrito in SF can be found at La Corneta in Glen Park. I lean toward the super carne asada, but the fish (salmon) burrito is also amazing. The Glen Park La Corneta has amazing food in general and if you go there, you will not be disappointed. Be advised that La Corneta also has a location in SoMa (on Mission) but the taste of the food is entirely different, not bad, but not as much to my liking.
nicolashahn 9y ago
Came here to say these two things. Dolores park is my trump card for showing off SF to (20 something) out of towners. There's usually nothing even remotely like it (when it gets crowded and boozy) wherever they came from. And I'm in it for the al pastor and so far El Farolito has my favorite. I love Guadalajara too though, because you can get a burrito that's just two different (huge) portions of meat, and they also have some very spicy and delicious salsa. I've strained friendships arguing whether Cancun or El Farolito was better though.

lisper 9y ago

> possibly buy drugs That would be unwise. It's not a particularly auspicious time to be a foreigner in the U.S., and the Trump administration just announced a crack down on even minor drug offenses. The Haight is pretty relaxed and the odds of getting caught are low, but the consequences at the moment could be particularly severe. Not a risk worth taking. But do go to the Haight and watch people buying drugs :-)

itomato 9y ago
Prop 65 much?
- lisper 9y ago
  Huh??? What does prop 65 (or any California state proposition for that matter) have do to with someone on a tourist visa getting in trouble with the federal government for buying illegal drugs?

vforgione 9y ago

Thank you for this. As someone interviewing with a handful of companies in SV and considering relocating, this whole thread reenforces a whole host of misgivings I have of the area. Maybe I'm too Midwestern, but most of the comments read as a big "eff you - don't even bother." Does everyone hate it there so much? I know it isn't perfect, but what city/metro area is?

jngreenlee 9y ago
For a midwesterner, Denver is pretty sweet and techie.
- leesalminen 9y ago
  No way. Colorado sucks. It snows all year here. Don't come here. Go to Utah. Utah is awesome. /s
  - _ao789 9y ago
    Lol
malnourish 9y ago
This is 100% anecdotal. I'm from Minneapolis as are a number of my friends. Some of them moved out to CA (Irvine) and some later moved to Seattle. They /can't wait/ to move back to MN. For a while, I didn't understand them (usually, when they tell me this in the winter). But the music scene, culture, and comparative lack of traffic make a big difference. I've yet to go to CA outside of layovers, but I still want to experience it for myself.
- WalterGR 9y ago
  Some of them moved out to CA (Irvine) Irvine is in Southern California. Southern California is a different state than Northern California, which is where San Francisco and Silicon Valley are.
- DaniloDias 9y ago

nohat00 9y ago

There is literally nothing in this list that is in Silicon Valley.

heartsucker 9y ago
Philz and Skeggs are both in SV, and I was contributing what I could because OP said "SF and SV."

pella 9y ago

+ "Meetups in San Francisco" https://www.meetup.com/cities/us/ca/san_francisco/ https://www.meetup.com/cities/us/ca/san_francisco/

discordianfish 9y ago

+ Get truffle from the truffle man

itomato 9y ago

The drive on 1 also includes a drive on 17. Big Sur is not accessible due to landslides.

deleted 9y ago
[deleted]

mattnewton 9y ago

If you go to Santa Cruz, I recommend sea kayaking off the warf next to the boardwalk. It's a great way to get some sun, enjoy the ocean without being a surfer and see sea lions and aborable sea otters (but be careful not to get too close and disturb them). I also highly recommend night life at the Academy of Sciences, and I think the exploratorium does something similar.

indescions_2017 9y ago

While the experts are chiming in: any recommendations for A). Sushi and B). Healthy Vegetarian / Wellness / Vegan / Juice Bar / Poke Bowl type spots? Thanks in advance!

ejcx 9y ago
I like ichi sushi. It's very small, a bit out of the way, and very good.
jakegarelick 9y ago
Sushi - Not a huge sushi fan but have good things about Shizen and Cha-Ya Healthy - Project Juice, Gracias Madre, Mixt (have heard good things), Nourish Cafe Also Ike's, it's not very healthy but they make great sandwiches.
mistersquid 9y ago
Hinata on Van Ness is omekase (chef's choice) and is among the best sushi I've had outside Japan. It'll set you back at least $90 (prix fixe, more if you drink the delicious sake), abd requires a reservation, but you'll be synced with two other couples if you sit at the chef's counter where you will get a detailed description of exactly what you're eating, why it's interesting, and what to look for. Schedule your reservation to start before 7 and ask to sit at the Chef's counter with Dave (he's the owner, in his twenties and quite knowledgeable). If you like Hawaiian/Asian fusion, for about the same price range, there's Liholiho in Lower Nob Hill. Liholiho has blown up for a year, so get there at 4:30 on a weekday to make sure you get a seat in the first wave. Otherwise, reservations are a 4-week wait (last I checked). You can get good healthy vegetarian at just about any restaurant in SF (minus steakhouses and shabu shabu). For a quick delicious vegetarian lunch, check out Plant in the FiDi. EDIT: typos, readability.
krausejj 9y ago
The Poke Bar at the Market at 10th and Market. It's by the Twitter building... so you get to experience the tech bubble at its apex plus amazing fish :-) If you want the opposite of tech bubble, Ninki sushi in the Sunset has half price rolls many weeknights... instead of the tech bubble bursting, you'll be the one bursting because you'll be so full (and it's so cheap!)

cs-student 9y ago

What time and dates do you recommend to be above the clouds on twin peaks?

krausejj 9y ago

This is a great list! If you really want the city vibe, though, you should check out non-touristy spots as well, and witness some of the insane differences between neighborhoods: - Check out Union Street in the Marina, then compare that to the Tenderloin (there are good restaurants around Geary/Hyde) - Go to the Creamery in Soma (tech ground zero), and then take an Uber to Market & Castro, the historical center of the gay community - Eat amazing Asian food on Clement Street, and then decent Italian in North Beach You might find that "SF" is actually dozens of different towns fused into one. There are a few overarching similarities, but the most striking thing to me are the differences -- even the weather is different across neighborhoods.