San Francisco Features

San Francisco Features

• San Francisco Today
  

  The quintessential boomtown, San Francisco has been alternately riding high and crashing since the gold rush. Those bearish during the heady days... read more

• Top Things to Do in San Francisco
  

  Considering how many movies have been set here, you might feel like you've already "been there, done that"—but you really shouldn't miss... read more

• What the Locals Do in San Francisco
  

  Want to get a slice of local life by just hanging out, skipping the sightseeing? These experiences will let you pretend you're a San Franciscan... read more

• San Francisco with Kids
  

  Cable Cars. This one's a no-brainer. But don't miss the Cable Car Terminus at Powell and Market streets, where conductors push the iconic cars... read more

• Top San Francisco Walking Tours
  

  All About Chinatown. A delightful "behind-the-scenes" look at the neighborhood. Owner Linda Lee and her guides stop in Ross Alley and at a Buddhist... read more

• A Walking Tour of North Beach
  

  Beyond the aroma of cappuccino and focaccia, the café tables spilling onto the sidewalk, and the convivial air, North Beach is alive with... read more

• Cheap Things to Do in San Francisco
  

  Despite—or perhaps because of—the astronomical cost of living here, San Francisco offers loads of free diversions. Here are our picks... read more

• Offbeat San Francisco
  

  Looking for an unusual San Francisco experience that'll give you bragging rights? Try one of these quirky choices—even a local would be... read more

• Get Outta Town
  

  Marin County beckons from the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge—the ultimate playground for anyone who likes being outdoors. Hordes... read more

• Festivals and Parades
  

  San Francisco's major parades and festivals are notoriously creative, energetic, and often off-the-wall. Among the hundreds of events on the... read more

• Hippie History
  

  The eternal lure for twentysomethings, cheap rent, first helped spawn an indelible part of SF's history and public image. In the early 1960s... read more

• Murals with a Mission
  

  San Francisco fairly teems with murals. Since the 1970s, groups of artists have worked to transform the city's walls into canvases, art accessible... read more

• The Food Scene in Union Square, Financial District, and Chinatown
  

  Fashion, business, and history collide in this broad swatch of the city, where you can eat for pennies or spend your rent in a single sitting... read more

• The Food Scene in Union Square, Financial District, and Chinatown
  

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• The Food Scene in SoMa, Civic Center, and Hayes Valley
  

  These areas prove that terrific restaurants can spring up in gritty surroundings—and often, they'll help spur a general neighborhood improvement... read more

• The Food Scene in SoMa, Civic Center, and Hayes Valley
  

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• The Food Scene in the Waterfront
  

  Locals and visitors alike flock here for gorgeous bay views, a world-class waterfront esplanade, and a ferry building that is much better known... read more

• The Food Scene in the Waterfront
  

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• The Food Scene in North Beach, Nob Hill, and Russian Hill
  

  One of the city's oldest neighborhoods, North Beach continues to speak Italian, albeit in fewer households than it did when Joe DiMaggio was... read more

• The Food Scene in North Beach, Nob Hill, and Russian Hill
  

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• The Food Scene in the Mission, the Castro, and Noe Valley
  

  You'll never go hungry here, in some of San Francisco's most jam-packed restaurant neighborhoods. From dirt-cheap taquerías to hip tapas... read more

• The Food Scene in the Mission, the Castro, and Noe Valley
  

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• The Food Scene in Pacific Heights, the Marina, and Japantown
  

  One of the city's best public transit rides is on the 22-Fillmore trolley, from the edge of Japantown at Geary Boulevard and Fillmore Street... read more

• The Food Scene in Pacific Heights, the Marina, and Japantown
  

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• The Food Scene in Haight, Richmond, and Sunset
  

  The Haight-Ashbury was home base for the country's famed 1960s counterculture, and its café scene still reflects that colorful past. For... read more

• The Food Scene in Haight, Richmond, and Sunset
  

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• Chinatown Tongs
  

  If you take it from Hollywood, Chinese tongs (secretive fraternal associations) rank right up there with the Italian Mafia and the Japanese yakuza... read more

• 3 Reasons To Love the Espresso in North Beach
  

  Cafés are a way of life in North Beach, and if you're as serious about your coffee as the average San Franciscan (or Fodor's editor)... read more

• The Birds
  

  While on Telegraph Hill, you might be startled by a chorus of piercing squawks and a rushing sound of wings. No, you're not about to have a Hitchcock... read more

• Native Land
  

  In the 1960s Native Americans attempted to reclaim Alcatraz, citing an 1868 treaty that granted Native Americans any surplus federal land. Their... read more

• The Presidio with Kids
  

  If you're in town with children (and you have a car), the sprawling, bayside Presidio offers enough kid-friendly diversions for one very full... read more

• Creating Golden Gate Park
  

  In the 1860s, San Francisco was booming. The California gold rush and the transcontinental railroad had swelled the city's population, and San... read more

• Children of the Rainbow Revolution
  

  San Francisco's gay community has been a part of the city since its earliest days. As a port city and a major hub during the 19th-century gold... read more

• Reel-Life San Francisco
  

  With its spectacular cityscape, atmospheric fog, and a camera-ready iconic bridge, it's little wonder that San Francisco has been the setting... read more

• The Best Day Spas in San Francisco
  

  Traditional sit-down Japanese showers and communal bathing are two out-of-the-ordinary features of Kabuki Springs & Spa. The renowned $155... read more

• Great San Francisco Souvenirs
  

  Something from McEvoy Ranch's body-care line, like their olive mud soap or their gardener's hand salve, all made with locally produced, organic... read more

• A Shore Thing
  

  Taking in a beachside sunset is the perfect way to end a busy day in the city (assuming the fog hasn't blown in for the afternoon). Always bring... read more

• Where Giants Tread
  

  The size of AT&T Park hits you immediately—the field, McCovey Cove, and the Lefty O'Doul drawbridge all look like miniature models... read more

• A Concierge's Top Tips
  

  Concierges can be the Great Finesser of your trip: finding hard-to-get reservations or tickets, helping with business matters, and generally... read more

• Eating with Kids
  

  Kids can be fussy eaters, but parents can be, too, so picking places that will satisfy both is important. Fortunately, there are plenty of excellent... read more

• Coffee with a Shot of Local Flavor
  

  North Beach may have the highest coffee profile, but fantastic brews can be found all over town. Tear yourself away from Columbus Avenue and... read more

• The Best Hotel Bars in San Francisco
  

  Big 4 Bar. Dark-wood paneling and green leather banquettes lend a masculine feel to the bar at the Huntington Hotel, where the over-30 crowd... read more