Short trip to San Francisco - report and comment
May 20th, 2016, 06:02 AM
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Short trip to San Francisco - report and comment
Hotel: the Mosser in SoMa on 4th near Market. A seriously mixed bag. Compared to area hotels, a very decent bargain at approx. $200 (everything else is $300 and up inc tax). Very close to Convention Center, newly re-opened Museum of Modern Art, Yerba Buena gardens, Union Sq., and the incredibly central Powell Station on Bart, Muni, and trolley lines. The hotel mixes rooms with en suite bathrooms and those sharing hall facilities - a heavy favorite of young Europeans (and if it's Bay-to-Breakers weekend, runners). We had a front (over 4th st.) room with bath, and it was noisy and very bright in the morning and at city-lights night, despite/because of clunky Venetian blinds. Ceiling fan worked but not enough to overcome a couple of very warm nights - no A/C. Only hope of cross-ventilation is to open bathroom window onto shaft between angles of the building. "Breakfast" is a platter of small muffins and hot coffee or water for tea. We went elsewhere. Still, it's clean and exceptionally central. Other nearby hotels were the Marriott Marquis (our choice to pick up breakfast 'to go,') and lux-boutique Zelos, which I'd guess would be much noisier given its location right on Market. .
Being 1/2 block from Market also brings home (so to speak) the overwhelming homeless problem the city is struggling with, which makes walking home, esp. late at night, grim and 'fragrant.' If you walk the entire length underground of the Powell Station to the exit nearest the hotel, you will walk by 30 or so homeless men sleeping along the hallway. The one night we did this, there were young volunteers bringing food to those who wanted it.
Food: Wasn't there for the restaurants so only reportable meal was at the Amber, 1/2 block away in a string along access to Yerba Buena gardens. Good Indian food in pleasant ambiance.
Sights: First, jumped at the chance to see the "new" SFMoMA, and glad we did, even with constraints of time. Wonderful building (but inscrutable map and insufficient signage inside), somewhat clunky cafe arrangement, but worth the trip unquestionably. Gems on every floor and interesting throughout. A "don't miss."
Having seen other "don't miss" sites on previous visits, went a little further afield this time. A friend took me to Point Cavallo for lovely lunch and stunning view, beneath the Golden Gate Bridge south of Sausalito. If we'd had time, we also would have gone up to Vista Point for the more obvious view from above, but we opted to take the short drive in to Sausalito and putter, always pleasant.
The next day, I met another friend living near "Inner Sunset" (ca. 9th-19th on Judah N muni line), a charming area offering good shop-puttering, a great lunch, and easy walking proximity to Golden Gate Park. The next day, I went back out on the same N line, got off at 9th, and took that easy walk to the deYoung and gardens thereabouts. Always worth sauntering through the deYoung and going up the tower for the incomparable view. But this time I also got to see an exhibit of Oscar de la Renta gowns - opulent, gorgeous, but maybe a little over-accessorized by the curator -- jewelry detracted from some of the best gowns.
Otherwise, it's always pleasant -- esp. on weekday mornings (forget weekends tho) -- to wander the Embarcadero Ferry Building (end of Market, on several Muni lines), pick up a nosh and sit watching the ferries.
Two caveats: 1. They're tearing up Stockton and several other blocks near Union Sq. to extend transit from Market into Chinatown, which will take years. It's a mess to walk around but a fricken nightmare to drive around, esp. with new rules that say you can't turn ONTO Market but only ACROSS it from feeder streets in the immediate area. Example: to get to 4th street, which is one-way away from Market, you have to go well north and know exactly how to back get to Ellis, which is the only street there that is considered to be across from Market.
2. See note re: the homeless above. The City is talking about the problem, taking many approaches to it, trying to do something, but it's clearly overwhelming, especially along Market but many other places as well. Sanitation suffers, because that's possibly the most intractable part of a many-sided intractable problem. Thanks to the afternoon sea breezes, the city often smells lovely - but when the wind dies down, you get the smells of pot (which isn't awful but makes me cough) and human waste/misery. Street cleaners go day and night, but......
So sorry this beautiful, largely graceful City by the Bay cannot find a 360-degree approach to this problem. It's not easy for the homeless or the residents or the tourists.
Hotel again - this time a "find." Hesitate to mention it for fear of raising patronage and prices, but if you have an early (or very late) flight at SFO and don't want to get up at 3 am to get there from downtown, you have many location-taxed expensive options near/on Bayshore or several cheaper places along El Camino in adjoining towns -- most of which are tired and back up on the CalTrain/Bart tracks so are noisy. Please don't tell anyone about Millwood Inn and Suites - very reasonable price for very comfortable, commodious, safe, QUIET, and friendly place in Millbrae. It's also a short cab ride from Bart/CalTrain station, and there's a prompt and efficient airport shuttle shared by only 2 other places (only one the morning we flew). We've stayed at several other places, including more expensive ones sharing shuttles with 4-5+ other hotels, and this is where we'll stay from now on. But SHHHHHHHH, don't tell anyone.
Being 1/2 block from Market also brings home (so to speak) the overwhelming homeless problem the city is struggling with, which makes walking home, esp. late at night, grim and 'fragrant.' If you walk the entire length underground of the Powell Station to the exit nearest the hotel, you will walk by 30 or so homeless men sleeping along the hallway. The one night we did this, there were young volunteers bringing food to those who wanted it.
Food: Wasn't there for the restaurants so only reportable meal was at the Amber, 1/2 block away in a string along access to Yerba Buena gardens. Good Indian food in pleasant ambiance.
Sights: First, jumped at the chance to see the "new" SFMoMA, and glad we did, even with constraints of time. Wonderful building (but inscrutable map and insufficient signage inside), somewhat clunky cafe arrangement, but worth the trip unquestionably. Gems on every floor and interesting throughout. A "don't miss."
Having seen other "don't miss" sites on previous visits, went a little further afield this time. A friend took me to Point Cavallo for lovely lunch and stunning view, beneath the Golden Gate Bridge south of Sausalito. If we'd had time, we also would have gone up to Vista Point for the more obvious view from above, but we opted to take the short drive in to Sausalito and putter, always pleasant.
The next day, I met another friend living near "Inner Sunset" (ca. 9th-19th on Judah N muni line), a charming area offering good shop-puttering, a great lunch, and easy walking proximity to Golden Gate Park. The next day, I went back out on the same N line, got off at 9th, and took that easy walk to the deYoung and gardens thereabouts. Always worth sauntering through the deYoung and going up the tower for the incomparable view. But this time I also got to see an exhibit of Oscar de la Renta gowns - opulent, gorgeous, but maybe a little over-accessorized by the curator -- jewelry detracted from some of the best gowns.
Otherwise, it's always pleasant -- esp. on weekday mornings (forget weekends tho) -- to wander the Embarcadero Ferry Building (end of Market, on several Muni lines), pick up a nosh and sit watching the ferries.
Two caveats: 1. They're tearing up Stockton and several other blocks near Union Sq. to extend transit from Market into Chinatown, which will take years. It's a mess to walk around but a fricken nightmare to drive around, esp. with new rules that say you can't turn ONTO Market but only ACROSS it from feeder streets in the immediate area. Example: to get to 4th street, which is one-way away from Market, you have to go well north and know exactly how to back get to Ellis, which is the only street there that is considered to be across from Market.
2. See note re: the homeless above. The City is talking about the problem, taking many approaches to it, trying to do something, but it's clearly overwhelming, especially along Market but many other places as well. Sanitation suffers, because that's possibly the most intractable part of a many-sided intractable problem. Thanks to the afternoon sea breezes, the city often smells lovely - but when the wind dies down, you get the smells of pot (which isn't awful but makes me cough) and human waste/misery. Street cleaners go day and night, but......
So sorry this beautiful, largely graceful City by the Bay cannot find a 360-degree approach to this problem. It's not easy for the homeless or the residents or the tourists.
Hotel again - this time a "find." Hesitate to mention it for fear of raising patronage and prices, but if you have an early (or very late) flight at SFO and don't want to get up at 3 am to get there from downtown, you have many location-taxed expensive options near/on Bayshore or several cheaper places along El Camino in adjoining towns -- most of which are tired and back up on the CalTrain/Bart tracks so are noisy. Please don't tell anyone about Millwood Inn and Suites - very reasonable price for very comfortable, commodious, safe, QUIET, and friendly place in Millbrae. It's also a short cab ride from Bart/CalTrain station, and there's a prompt and efficient airport shuttle shared by only 2 other places (only one the morning we flew). We've stayed at several other places, including more expensive ones sharing shuttles with 4-5+ other hotels, and this is where we'll stay from now on. But SHHHHHHHH, don't tell anyone.
May 20th, 2016, 07:41 AM
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I live in the area (downtown, near the Cal-Train station), about a mile from Union Square. Everything you said is spot on. Just a few comments:
The name of that restaurant is Amber India, rather than just Amber, in case anyone's looking for it.
My relatives stayed at the Millwood Inn when we lived in Burlingame and they came for my son's Bar Mitzvah. Nice.
The homeless problem hasn't just gotten incrementally "worse" each year, it's worse by leaps and bounds even over the 3 year period since I moved back to the city. The Powell Street station looks like Calcutta. You either walk with blinders on or you avoid the area altogether.
The "old" (pre-expansion) MOMA had an excellent café, but that space is being turned into an upscale restaurant - http://insitu.sfmoma.org/ Not sure what you found clunky about the new café.
The name of that restaurant is Amber India, rather than just Amber, in case anyone's looking for it.
My relatives stayed at the Millwood Inn when we lived in Burlingame and they came for my son's Bar Mitzvah. Nice.
The homeless problem hasn't just gotten incrementally "worse" each year, it's worse by leaps and bounds even over the 3 year period since I moved back to the city. The Powell Street station looks like Calcutta. You either walk with blinders on or you avoid the area altogether.
The "old" (pre-expansion) MOMA had an excellent café, but that space is being turned into an upscale restaurant - http://insitu.sfmoma.org/ Not sure what you found clunky about the new café.
May 20th, 2016, 07:45 AM
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From Downtown
J-Church to the Castro, Noe Valley, & Glen Park
K,L, or M to West Portal
1-Calif to Pacific Heights, Presidio Heights, Outer Sacramento St, Presidio south, start of the fabulous Coastal Trail, Lincoln Park (Golf) Palace of the Legion of Honor. 2 Sacramento pretty much parallels the 1 Calif.
38 - Geary to Richmond area, & Cliff House/Sutro baths, end of the Coastal Trail.
30 Stockton to Marina, Cow Hollow, Crissy Field/Ft Point, Presidio east where the Disney museum & other interesting places are located..
Cable Car to Russian Hill/Polk st area
Stu Dudley
J-Church to the Castro, Noe Valley, & Glen Park
K,L, or M to West Portal
1-Calif to Pacific Heights, Presidio Heights, Outer Sacramento St, Presidio south, start of the fabulous Coastal Trail, Lincoln Park (Golf) Palace of the Legion of Honor. 2 Sacramento pretty much parallels the 1 Calif.
38 - Geary to Richmond area, & Cliff House/Sutro baths, end of the Coastal Trail.
30 Stockton to Marina, Cow Hollow, Crissy Field/Ft Point, Presidio east where the Disney museum & other interesting places are located..
Cable Car to Russian Hill/Polk st area
Stu Dudley
May 20th, 2016, 08:30 AM
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Good report, cdc. We stayed at the Mosser in January pre- 7:30 am flight to Hawaii. As we live in the East Bay on a BART line, this hotel worked perfect for our 12 hour overnight stay. We were on the 4th floor, front corner with a lovely view of the Metreon sign. Missed the breakfast as we had to leave at 5:15, but did eat at the restaurant, as we knew the chef. We found the room small but adequate and quiet.
Happened to be at Macy's yesterday and yes, that area, is a mess. I always recommend the embarcadero and Ferry Building. Michelle Y - let us know if you need recommendations near the ballpark. Go Giants
Happened to be at Macy's yesterday and yes, that area, is a mess. I always recommend the embarcadero and Ferry Building. Michelle Y - let us know if you need recommendations near the ballpark. Go Giants
May 20th, 2016, 08:38 AM
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We stayed at The Mosser twice, several years back. It was clean and well located [DH went to conference at Moscone Convention Center].
We had a queen with private bath and it too faced 4th, almost directly across from the Marriott front door man!
For the price, I think it is a good option.
We had a queen with private bath and it too faced 4th, almost directly across from the Marriott front door man!
For the price, I think it is a good option.
May 20th, 2016, 09:09 AM
#11
Sf7307 and gailscout - we have tickets for the 11th! Section 121. This is for my 60th on the 12th. Our daughter lives near Russian Hill and we are staying nearby.. 2 nights, Saturday and Sunday. WooHoo!
May 20th, 2016, 09:27 AM
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I'm in Section 216. I'm going Monday and can scout out a good location on the promenade level where we can meet up. I do know all the trophies are on that level so perhaps that would be the site. I'll report back on Tuesday.
May 20th, 2016, 10:26 AM
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Thanks for added info (esp. Stu). Would never warn people away from Mosser, since it's entirely reasonable and a good value if you know ahead of time what you'll get.
On my last day, I "discovered" the Westfield Mall, which is large, upscale, with extensive food/cafe court plus Bloomingdales, Nordstroms (on top 3-4 floors), etc. BUT which is easy to miss unless you know exactly where the entrances are: from the BART level of Powell station, from Market Street about the middle of the 4th St -5th St. block, and - for Mosser-Dwellers, an entrance directly into Bloomingdales (among shoes) from the little street (Jessie St.) next to the Mosser and its attached restaurant (I didn't love it but it's handy, pub-style). I began to get to the hotel from the Powell station through the mall and past Bloomies' shoes - much nicer than the other way.
Re: MoMA's cafe - unclear where to order, choose between indoor or outdoor order-ing desks, how to line up, etc. There were a lot of anarchic criss-crossers and line-cutters. And the usual table-grabbers-before-ordering people. No signage to help guests, either.
On my last day, I "discovered" the Westfield Mall, which is large, upscale, with extensive food/cafe court plus Bloomingdales, Nordstroms (on top 3-4 floors), etc. BUT which is easy to miss unless you know exactly where the entrances are: from the BART level of Powell station, from Market Street about the middle of the 4th St -5th St. block, and - for Mosser-Dwellers, an entrance directly into Bloomingdales (among shoes) from the little street (Jessie St.) next to the Mosser and its attached restaurant (I didn't love it but it's handy, pub-style). I began to get to the hotel from the Powell station through the mall and past Bloomies' shoes - much nicer than the other way.
Re: MoMA's cafe - unclear where to order, choose between indoor or outdoor order-ing desks, how to line up, etc. There were a lot of anarchic criss-crossers and line-cutters. And the usual table-grabbers-before-ordering people. No signage to help guests, either.
May 20th, 2016, 06:21 PM
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Hah! We stay at Millwood every time we have an early flight out of SFO (we live about 75 miles from the airport). They also have a park-n-fly deal, so we leave our car while we're traveling. I really like that the parking lot is in sight of the office.
May 24th, 2016, 02:16 PM
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ok - I got confused, Sf7307 & MichelleY. You are both going the 11th and I am going the 12th. I did scout out the trophies on the promenade, but the 3 rings behind them are fabulous looking! Check them out.
