The Ten Places You Have To See in San Francisco
Growing up in the City by the Water I took a lot for granted. Our weather is perfect; if you don’t like it, you can either wait five minutes or hop on a bus. The food is SO good here, and you can find cuisine from every corner of the world somewhere in the seven-by-seven realm. My hometown is the birthplace of civil rights movements, monstrous tech companies, and people who have been written into history with permanent ink.
And the City itself is stunning. Magnificently, breathtakingly, beautiful.
Yes, I knew I lived in a special City, but it wasn’t until I became a tour guide that I really gained an appreciation for everything San Francisco has to offer.
This was not an easy list to make! I sought to create a decent balance of accessibility, nature, and variety. Here are the ten places you MUST see when you visit the best City in the World:
Cow Hollow has a quaint charm that leaves you forgetting you’re in San Francisco. Another plus is that it’s largely flat!
1. Dolores Park is my favorite place in the entire City. The views of the skyline are amazing and the vibes are always great (which is pretty crazy considering Dolores Park used to be a cemetery! Until 1900 that is, when it became illegal to be buried in San Francisco). And after the 1906 earthquake and fires, people who had lost their homes pitched tents in Dolores. My idea of a nice day trip would be to take a ride on the historic F-line (streetcar) which has a beautiful route along the Embarcadero and ends at Fisherman’s Wharf. You’ll pass by the Ferry Building, Pier 39, Downtown, Civic Center, and upper Market. The other end of the F-line is in the Castro, which is 4 blocks away from Dolores- walk a few more blocks into the Mission, grab a burrito, head back to Dolores, and enjoy the view!
There is no “best view” in San Francisco; there are only “best views”
2. The Lyon St Steps are at the end of the “Gold Coast”, also known as Billionaire’s Row, in upper Pacific Heights. The views from the top of the steps are spectacular, and the mansions on the end of Broadway St will blow your mind. The steps are at the corner of Lyon and Broadway; it’s a residential neighborhood with lots of hills so plan accordingly. After you reach the bottom of the steps (the second set is a little steep) you’ll be just a couple blocks away from the Lyon St entrance of…
3. The Presidio, which is humongous (1,500 acres!). You will forget you are in San Francisco. Originally the Presidio was a military base. It is home to the Walt Disney Family Museum, Lucasfilm, and Baker Beach (which has some parts where people go unclothed, just a heads up). The Presidio also has miles of hiking trails and one leads to the Golden Gate Bridge! And you absolutely cannot stop by this corner of town without paying a visit to…
If you only have time to see ONE thing during your visit to San Francisco, do yourself a favor and head over to the Palace of Fine Arts. It will take your breath away
4. The Palace of Fine Arts! I never get tired of seeing people’s reaction when they see the Palace of Fine Arts for the first time. Created for the nine month festival celebrating the creation of the Panama Canal, it was originally one of twelve temporary exhibits! The Palace of Fine Arts was designed as a resting place between exhibits; it’s meant to look like the ruins in Rome. It also has a lagoon with native plants and tons of water fowl, including ducks, geese, and a majestic swan or two. After observing the wonder of the Palace of Fine Arts, you can grab brunch in the nearby Marina District or have a picnic in Crissy Field.
Did you know San Francisco was incorporated as a City April 15, 1850? It’s also where our area code comes from (415!)
5. 24th St is known as El Corazon de la Mision- The Heart of the Mission. It’s also one of San Francisco’s 10 cultural districts. Grab a burrito at one of the incredible taquerias (you really can’t go wrong in the Mission), pan dulce (sweet bread) at one of the panaderias, or pupusas at one of the stands or Salvadoran restaurants. To explore the heart of the Mission, start at 24th St and Mission St, then walk down (south) on 24th towards Capp St (past the McDonald’s). Go the other way (up the hill) and you’ll end up in…
I hope this list is useful! If you’re feeling generous today, you can buy me a cup of coffee here. Thanks in advance!
6. Noe Valley, also known as Stroller Valley! I loved walking up 24th St to get ice cream from our church on 24th and Valencia. Noe Valley is a quiet, family neighborhood, with lots of nice shops, offices, and places to eat. The weather is usually pretty nice too, because Twin Peaks blocks the coastal fog and cool winds from the Pacific. I love that it isn’t too far away from civilization but you still feel like you’ve escaped the City for a bit. Noe Valley is also home to San Francisco’s first pet shop, The Animal Company!
San Francisco’s Chinatown is home to the largest population of Chinese people on the West Coast.
7. Chinatown has a bustling energy with a thriving senior population, beautiful architecture, and incredible food. There’s a reason all the other Chinatowns are modeled after ours! The Dragon Gate (main entrance) is located on Bush St and Grant St. You’ve gotta walk down Grant St (the main strip), visit Portsmouth Square, the Fortune Cookie Factory, and head over to Waverly Place. Pro tip: this is where you want to buy all your souvenirs when you visit San Francisco!
Lotta’s Fountain, on Kearny & Market, is where City residents meet at 5:12am on April 18th- the Anniversary of the Great 1906 Earthquake and fires
8. Ocean Beach is the perfect spot for a bonfire and an excellent place to go for a walk. The waves can get a little crazy so I wouldn’t recommend going too far out if you’re an inexperienced swimmer (the beach at Aquatic Park is much calmer) but it’s a beautiful and clean beach otherwise. Layers is the name of the game when you visit San Francisco, but you want to take a jacket or two when you visit Ocean Beach, especially in the evening.
9. Union Street is one of my favorite streets in San Francisco. It’s the main street in Cow Hollow, a swanky neighborhood filled with boutique stores, breweries, day spas, and brunch spots. Historically Cow Hollow was where San Francisco’s cows grazed, and when they went home at night, they were led down Lombard Street, because cows can’t go downhill in a straight line.
The view from the top of the Lyon St steps
10. Fisherman’s Wharf is where it all began! The area was hidden for thousands of years by the fog- it wasn’t discovered until Don Gaspar de Portola came up the California coast on horseback. Fisherman’s Wharf is between Fort Mason and Pier 39; Aquatic Park is the name of the included beach where you’ll see people swimming year-round, no matter how cold it is. Fisherman’s Wharf is also home to Boudin’s (our world famous sourdough and San Francisco’s longest continuously running business) and Angel Island, Alcatraz, and Ghirardelli Square.