San Francisco Things to Do Tips by goshawk301

San Francisco is a city to explore on foot, and your approach to the top of Telegraph Hill should be done so also - perhaps from the west, up cobbled, steeply inclined sidewalks; or from the east, up a suite of steep staircases, on your way peeking into living rooms of houses of people who are lucky enough to live on the hill!

The view from the top of Telegraph Hill is sweeping - especially that of the San Francisco Bay, from Golden Gate to the Bay Bridge, with Alcatraz as a mid-point. The hill is capped with Coit Tower, a 210ft tall white tower that is a monument for the city's firefighters.

Inside Coit Tower is a beautiful set of WPA murals depicting the lives of Californian workers from the pre-WWII era, in a style reminiscent of Diego Rivera. The subject matter is as sweeping as the city view outside. You can take an elevator to the top of the tower; however, the view from down below is almost as good, and there you can stroll around as you take in the view, adding to the pleasure of the experience.

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Phone: (415) 362- 0808
Address: 1 Telegraph Hill Blvd
Website: http://www.coittower.org/

My favorite Chinatown culinary delights are small bakery/tea shops that sell cakes and tortes in small portions. One of these exquisitely made morsels, together with a cup of jasmine or oolong tea, is just the right kind of late-afternoon pick-up after a day of walking around and exploring the city.

Grant Avenue is the main thoroughfare of the San Francisco Chinatown, but Stockton is much more interesting, with more groceries and stores catering to people's everyday lives. There are, however, more recent immigrant enclaves around the city (Richmond for instance), where much of the vital multicultural life of the city takes place. I'm yet to explore such areas to any significant extent.

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Address: Bordered by Broadway, Bush, Kearny, Stockton sts.
Directions: Ornamental gate at Grant and Bush intersection.
Website: http://www.sfchinatown.com/

Yes! The Cable Car Ride is worth doing. There is the thrill of riding on a semi-open car, perhaps hanging precariously from the poles (the best eay), there is the beauty of the wood- and metalwork of the trolleys themselves, and the personality of the trolley conductor. It affords a unique and unforgettable view of the city. It is, also, a practical means of getting across the city - until the lines at the terminals get so long, your wait time would be longer than the ride!

So, if I were staying in the Union Square area and wanted to ride the cable car, I would do it as the first thing in the morning on a day when I plan to explore the northern waterfront of the city.

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Address: 1201 Mason St. at Washington
Directions: There are 4 cable car lines (Hyde, California, Mason and Powell).
Website: http://www.sfcablecar.com

The Asian Art Museum has recently moved from its old Golden Gate Park site to this new location next to the UN Plaza in Civic Center. It has taken up the old Public Library - a sumptuous space, and it still has a feel of not being quite filled-in.

Currently there are over thirty galleries; I got through only two of them in the first hour! These were devoted to art of India and every object was beautiful and fascinating, representing all regions and religious traditions of India - Buddhist, Hindu and Jainist statues as well as illustrations created under Muslim reigns. This museum is worthy of multiple visits, and it's best to devote each visit to exploring just one or two cultures.

Being Japanese I have to say I was a little disappointed by the section on Japanese art. The museum has a very good collection of prehistoric art from the Jomon and the Yayoi periods, but the rest of the collection seemed sketchy. Certainly not up to the par with, say, Bostom MFA. If I recall right they had more stuff on display at the old location, so this could be still evolving.

By the way the museum's cafeteria serves very good asian food.

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Phone: (415) 379-8800
Address: 200 Larkin Street
Directions: Overlooking Civic Center Plaza
Website: http://www.asianart.org