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
  

  San Francisco's signature International Orange entryway is the city's majestic background, and about 10 million people a year head to the bridge... read more

• What 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 Walking Tours in San Francisco
  

  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 Waterfront Walk: the Ferry Building to Fisherman's Wharf
  

  One of the great pleasures of San Francisco is a stroll along the bay, with its briny scent, the cry of the gulls, and boats bobbing on the waves... read more

• Free 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

• 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

• Touring the Mission's Murals
  

  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

• Top 3 Espresso Spots in North Beach
  

  Caffè Trieste. The Giotta family celebrates the art of a good espresso as well as a good tune at Caffè Trieste. Every Saturday... read more

• The Parrots of Telegraph Hill
  

  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

• Alcatraz as 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

• 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

• San Francisco on Film
  

  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

• Arts and Culture Beyond the City
  

  Although most folks from outlying areas drive into San Francisco to enjoy the performing arts, there are plenty of reasons to head out of the... read more

• San Francisco's Top Spas
  

  Earthbody. You'll begin relaxing the moment you enter Earthbody. A destination for organic products, cleansing, and relaxation—not to mention... read more

• 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

• 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

• The Evolution of Gay San Francisco
  

  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

• AT&T Park: 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

• 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
  

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

• Room for the Kids
  

  With some luck and a little planning, the family trip to San Francisco will be something you and your kids will always remember … in a... read more

• Best Hotel Bars
  

  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

• 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

• Cool Local Souvenirs
  

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

• Gay and Lesbian Nightlife in San Francisco
  

  In the days before the gay liberation movement, bars were more than mere watering holes—they also served as community centers where members... read more