Everybody seems to reccomend stayining around Union area. What is the thought of N. Beach ? Is this a bad idea ? Thanks.

It's not bad, but the Union Square area is better situated for transport and sightseeing and it has many more hotels.

North Beach is a really fun area. Have you found a hotel there? There really aren't too many, and SF has some hotels you don't want to stay in, because they are really residence hotels.

I've been wanting to stay in the Hotel Boheme, because I love the Beat poets, but they don't have reasonable parking, and I hear the rooms are petite. I would feel safe there, but it might also be noisy.

http://www.hotelboheme.com/

There are great restaurants and clubs in North Beach, so you can go out, and have some drinks, and walk back to your hotel pretty safely, although it is also near the naked dancing girl area. I like City Lights bookstore, Spec's bar, Vesuvius for coffee, Café Trieste, and all the window shopping on Grant Ave. North Beach is right by Chinatown, and close to the Marina as well.

Beach Blanket Babylon is great fun, and you can often get half price seats for the late show through Goldstar.

Union Square is very nice, very convenient, and a safer choice for most people. North Beach is much more colorful and lively.

I'm pretty sure Union Square is mentioned most often for its central location and abundance of hotels.

>>North Beach is right by Chinatown, and close to the Marina as well.<<

The Marina Green is about a 15-20 block walk from Washington Sq in North Beach.

Stu Dudley

Oops, sorry. I thought I had walked there before.

Personally, my preference would be the Embarcadero area. It's close to everything and in the prime location for access for all kinds of transportation; BART, muni, F-Line, Cable Cars and Ferries.

If you like North Beach, it is an easy walk from Union Square, where you have more choices of hotels, and more choices of kinds of transportation. We also walk from there to the Embarcadero.

The Hotel Boheme looks cute, but be aware that it is more of a "bed and breakfast" and it is a "hotel" which you have to walk up one floor to enter.