San Francisco

[Misfit]

Going to be out that way for a few days in October, including one afternoon/night on my own. I'll be staying on University Ave in Berkeley. Anyone have advice on "must-sees" or know anything I'll be close to in the area? I'm doing a little research, but I'd like some first-hand advice.

[EdHocken]

Golden Gate obviously. And Coit Tower was a nice find. I heard Fisherman's Warf is an out and outright tourist trap. Also I've been told to stay the hell out of the tenderloin.

[devincf]

The Presidio. You can go into the lobby of ILM and see the statues.

[EdHocken]

Not to mention an amazing park to boot.

[Moltisanti]

I hate most of the big spots in SF, mainly because I endured so many field trips to all of them and just got sick of them.

That being said, The Exploratorium is a fun place to check out:

http://www.exploratorium.edu/

[Tieman]

Chinatown is a lot of fun to wander through.

[EdHocken]

There are cool streetcars on Market Street.

[Misfit]

Great suggestions, guys. Thanks.

[Cylon Baby]

If you are into hiking you should walk across the Golden Gate then up into the Marin Headlands. Great scenary all the way, and a lot of old WW II bunkers and gun emplacements too.

Fun Fact: Ben Burt recorded the sounds of a rudty metal door oepning and closing in one of those bunkers ( I think the one right above the GG) and it was used in one of the Star Wars movies (can't remember which one though)

[Litmus Configuration]

North Beach can be a lot of fun. It's basically Little Italy. Lots of restaurants and bars and people. Avoid the strip clubs on Broadway, though. Total rip-off. If you're into that sort of thing, you MUST go to the legendary O'Farrell Theater (where Marilyn Chambers was discovered and the likes of Jack Nicholson and Jack Kerouac used to hang out) and the nearby New Century. Just be careful at night if you go down to the Tenderloin.

Just down the street from North Beach, you can also check out Francis Coppola's San Francisco office, where his Cafe Zoetrope is. It's in the Sentinel building (seen in the "double dumb ass on you" scene in STAR TREK IV!) which is SF's answer to NYC's Flatiron Building.

For cleaner fun, there's always Market Street leading towards the Embarcadero. More high end yuppie (but strangely cool) shops and food markets there. And there's also the Meteron, which is basically like a cross between a shopping mall and EPCOT, only a little "five years ago."

Avoid Fisherman's Wharf unlike you like tourist traps. The Presidio itself is quite nice, however.

And if you feel like trekking up to San Rafael...there's always 5858 Lucas Valley Road in Nicasio. You'll be able to get as far as the security shack before you're turned away. But at least you'll be able to exaggerate to your friends that you've been "there."

San Francisco is a pretty weird, awesome city. It's kind of hard to go wrong.

[Yando]

I cannot recommend Muir Woods or Point Reyes (if you can afford leaving the city for a day) enough.

[Fafhrd]

For cleaner fun, there's always Market Street leading towards the Embarcadero. More high end yuppie (but strangely cool) shops and food markets there. The high end yuppie shops alternate with porn shops and run down strip joints from block to block on Market.

Avoid Fisherman's Wharf unlike you like tourist traps. What sucks is Fisherman's Wharf didn't used to be so fucking godawful, I went to San Fran last year for the first time in years and was shocked by how terrible the Wharf was. All human statues and crusty jugglers.

[Litmus Configuration]

Double post.

[Litmus Configuration]

The high end yuppie shops alternate with porn shops and run down strip joints from block to block on Market.

That's certainly true in the middle of Market. There's definitely a porn zone closer to City Hall where the Market Street Cinema is but the closer you get to the Embarcadero, the nicer it gets. (And by the way, the final scenes of both RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK and TUCKER were shot at City Hall.)

Oh yeah, and another touristy thing that's kind of cool: Alcatraz.

[ElCapitanAmerica]

Let me know if you encounter a foul mouthed, broken English, Chinese homophobic taxi driver. Met him last time I went there, and couldn't believe this guy cracking explicit gay jokes to random strangers in San Francisco, somebody should make a movie about him.

[Misfit]

You're all great. It's going to be tough to narrow this down.

[Diva]

I had the best burrito ever in The Mission. It was a fun neighborhood to just walk around and see some local flavor.

Alcatraz is great, particularly if you run though it screaming lines from The Rock.

[Misfit]

"Bald, pale doofus arrested for running through Alcatraz screaming about fucking the prom queen. Film at 11."

[Diva]

Entertainment for everyone. Make it happen, good sir!

[Misfit]

This happens week after next. One more question: As a book nerd, is it worth my time to make a trip to City Lights?

[nekkerbee]

If you're a fan of horror, science fiction, or fantasy, a trip to Borderland Books (http://www.borderlands-books.com/) is essential.

[The Nid Hog]

This happens week after next. One more question: As a book nerd, is it worth my time to make a trip to City Lights?

City Lights is a must stop. Even without the history of the Beats, it's still one of the better indy bookstores in the country. Grab a book and go next door to Vesuvio for a couple of drinks.

[Nick Nunziata]

I hear they have Rice-a-Roni and gays. Check 'em out, but don't get arrested by Karl Malden. Again.

[Misfit]

Thanks again for the info, everyone. Nick, I'll bring you back some Rice-A-Roni and/or a gay.

[nekkerbee]

Oh, if you're a stoner I recommend going to Golden Gate Park and buying weed from a homeless kid.