"Still there, still cheap: party on, Garth!" Top 5 Page for this destination Green Tortoise Hostel - San Francisco Tip by davequ

I'm relieved to know the Green Tortoise in North Beach was essentially unaffected by the landslide last night.

I actually had a reason ... a nice dude from Belgrade had asked me (via vtmail) about low-budget accomodations / hostels in North Beach, and I told him to check out the Tortoise based on funky-broadway location.

So I get up this morning and find out the hill behind it took a slide last night around 3am.
First thing I thought of was: " oh sh#, I wonder if the guy from Belgrade got buried because of me."

Luckily not so. I just called & spoke with them and (per the desk) all the Tortoise buildings were unaffected, as they were about 1/2 block west and sit on bedrock, not boulders & mud.

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At any rate, I like the location of this place for dirt-cheap / affordable beds
(GT is a 200-bed hostel) right in the middle of one of my fave parts of town.

You're right across the street from Enricos' - 1 block from Columbus and all the good North Beach restaurants & clubs; just a few blocks from Chinatown & the financial district as well as the Embarcadero; etc. ... in other words,
it's about location.

If anyone tells you the area isn't safe, they're full of bs: I literally live in this area day & night when I visit the City. Broadway is definitely a little funkified, but imo it is as safe as any other part of SF @ night.

Unique Qualities: I walk by here all the time, I have been inside & spoken with staff, but truth be told, I have never spent the night here (or in any hostel).

I recommend it for the SF / North Beach location; it's close to Chinatown; and it is definitley cheap (about $20/night).

Free breakfast, 2 or 3 free dinners / week, internet, sauna, organized house-parties etc. in what I would describe as a youthful & definitely communal atmosphere.

I checked all over the web, and you will find reviews varying from "great, loved it; can't wait to go back" - to "yuk" and "don't stay here ever" / "bedbugs" etc.

Most of the reviews I have read here at vt and other places are mostly positive.
so my advice is check out their WEBSITE and see what you think.

Their website surely doesn't try to hide anything.

My impression from dropping in, talking to them, and web research is:
if you're into partying in North Beach with a group of young & mostly foreign travelers, and your main SF objectives are location and to save money, you might want to check it out.
If you're in any way: into privacy / quiet / stuffy / constipated / obsessive / 'neat-freak' / light-sleeper / conservative, etc. ... then the Tortoise may be (for you) a gateway to hell.

Let me know what you think if you ever stay there.

Hey, at least if there is a landslide in North Beach
and if you're partying with everybody @ the Tortoise,
it's likely you'll live to party another day.

Address: 490 Broadway, , San Francisco, California 94110
Comparison: least expensive
Directions: Below Dunnes Alley on Broadway, right smack in the middle of North Beach. Across Kearny from Enrico's & the Broadway strip clubs ... just up the hill from the 'Lusty Lady'
othercontact: FAX 415-956-4900
Phone: 415.834-1000
Price: US$20-40
Theme: Hostel
Website: http://www.greentortoise.com/san-francisco-hostel/index.php