San Francisco General Tips by peteralbert

Favorite Thing: Get yourself to the base of Telegraph Hill (try taking the F Market to Greenwich and the Embarcadero). Psyche yourself up for the climb by the tranquil gardens and waterfalls of Levis Plaza. Then head toward Telegraph Hill, via Filbert Street. Filbert dead-ends into a long stairway built into the side of a cliff. Take it.

If you are here in August, grab some wild blackberries draped over the railings. Mind the thorns.

Climbing this stairway, known as the Filbert steps, is one of the best ways to truly know San Francisco. As you ascend, the stairs become rickety and wooden, the gardens on either side amazingly lush, the cottages too quaint for words. The gardens were tended for years by Grace Marchant, a neighbor who had so much love to give the City and somewhere to give it. The homes on lanes like Napier and Darrell are among the oldest in the city.

Don't apologize for needing to break and catch you breath. The views behind you as you climb demand your attention.

At the very top of the hill take the trail toward Coit Tower and visit the Art Deco murals in the Tower lobby. The elevator ride to the top of the tower -- and the views from there -- are unforgettable.

NOW: you can head back down the way you came, or keep going, down the other side of Telegraph Hill. Filbert, Greenwich and Lombard Streets all lead into North Beach, the Italian neighborhood that served great coffee when Seattle was still pouring watered-down swill to Boeing employees. Try Caffe Trieste at 609 Vallejo at Grant, toward Downtown. There is no shame in sipping a latte. Sit for a while and listen: yes....that IS the beat of the Beatniks you hear.

All these streets lead to Columbus, which has buses, cabs and a cable car that can take you back downtown -- if you are too tired to walk.


Leave a Comment

Favorite Thing: Most tourists want to ride a cable car, and they should: cable cars are a lot of fun. However, most tourists catch the cable cars that go to Fisherman's Wharf on Powell Street. The line for these cars can wrap around the block and take an hour. It can take just as long to come back downtown, too.

As an alternative, catch the California Street Cable Car line at Market and California Streets (just above the Embarcadero BART station). These cable cars are almost never full, and there is seldom any line at all. They don't go to the Wharf, but they do go to Chinatown, Nob Hill, Polk Gulch and end at Van Ness Avenue. To see some grand old Victorians, cross Van Ness and walk a few blocks up California Street. These mansions are among the few in the area that survived the great earthquake and fire of 1906.

If you want to go to the Wharf, you can always catch the F streetcars on Market. They don't go up any hills, but the are charming in their own way and the ride along the Embarcadero is beautiful.


Leave a Comment