Cow Hollow in San Francisco???
Dec 5th, 2004 | 06:18 AM
#3
Joined: Jan 2003
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I've been to SF probably about 15 times over the years, and still love the vibrant city atmosphere of Union Square for short stays. But I've rented twice for a month each and numerous other times for a week or less in the Cow Hollow area. I love it. The area is primarily a trendy 30 somethings place bordering the Marina District filled with apartments mainly rented by young professionals. The shops, bars, and restaurants reflect that as well -- think Pottery Barn, Victoria's Secret, and small boutiques. You won't find many big expensive restaurants there like SF is noted for, but you will find dozens of really good and popular local places. I also like it because we usually park the car there and leave it. We prefer to take the main bus line which stops there and goes directly to Fisherman's Wharf, through North Beach and Chinatown, to Union Square and then Market Street. So easy and frequent and avoids the hassle of driving and parking.
You didn't ask, but our favorite place to stay is Cow Hollow Suites, beautiful fully furnished apartments right in the thick of things. Adjoining it is the much less expensive Cow Hollow Motor Inn, plain, but clean and large rooms. Both properties share a big FREE underground parking garage.
You didn't ask, but our favorite place to stay is Cow Hollow Suites, beautiful fully furnished apartments right in the thick of things. Adjoining it is the much less expensive Cow Hollow Motor Inn, plain, but clean and large rooms. Both properties share a big FREE underground parking garage.
Dec 5th, 2004 | 07:53 AM
#5
Joined: Jan 2003
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Gee, Surfergirl, the garage is two full levels (were you aware there is a second entrance to the lower level?). We've never had any problem finding a parking space in there -- but especially liked parking on the lowest level where we had a keyed elevator up to our apartment in the Suites.
Dec 5th, 2004 | 03:11 PM
#6
Joined: Nov 2004
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>>>love the vibrant city atmosphere of Union Square for short stays. But I've rented twice for a month each and numerous other times for a week or less in the Cow Hollow area. I love it<<<
It really depends on what day of the week you visit Union Sq vs. Union St/Fillmore/Chestnut (Cow Hollow & Marina). On Sundays, the latter will be much more vibrant, and possibly on Saturdays too. It's really vibrant Saturday nights because there are probably 30 restaurants in the Cow Hollow/Marina area that attract lots of locals & students (30s crowds, like you said - but there are many non 30s places too). My wife & I are well past our 30s and we dine in Cow Hollow/Marina about 10 times more often than in the Union Sq area.
Union Sq has a definate downtown feeling - lots of tall buildings, large department stores, designer shops, art shops, upscale (expensive) restaurants, etc. Cow Hollow/Marina has mostly 2 story buildings, lots of single family dwellings & smaller apartment buildings, some Victorians (Cow Hollow only), smaller shops, & less concrete. The hotels are mostly motor inns along Lombard St.
Stu Dudley
San Mateo (San Francisco), Ca
It really depends on what day of the week you visit Union Sq vs. Union St/Fillmore/Chestnut (Cow Hollow & Marina). On Sundays, the latter will be much more vibrant, and possibly on Saturdays too. It's really vibrant Saturday nights because there are probably 30 restaurants in the Cow Hollow/Marina area that attract lots of locals & students (30s crowds, like you said - but there are many non 30s places too). My wife & I are well past our 30s and we dine in Cow Hollow/Marina about 10 times more often than in the Union Sq area.
Union Sq has a definate downtown feeling - lots of tall buildings, large department stores, designer shops, art shops, upscale (expensive) restaurants, etc. Cow Hollow/Marina has mostly 2 story buildings, lots of single family dwellings & smaller apartment buildings, some Victorians (Cow Hollow only), smaller shops, & less concrete. The hotels are mostly motor inns along Lombard St.
Stu Dudley
San Mateo (San Francisco), Ca
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Dec 6th, 2004 | 02:30 AM
#9
Joined: Jan 2003
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Two summers ago, I took Patrick's advise and stayed in the suites at Cow Hollow. It was an EXCELLENT choice! The appartment was beautiful, and overlooked Chestnut Street. Great little restaurants, stores, coffee shops, etc. as mentioned. From this starting point, one day we walked to the GG Bridge, through The Wharf, through North Beach, then China Town, up the crooked section of Lambard, then continuing up Lambard - back to our room.
The bed was awesome and to this day, I wish I would have stripped it to see what all they used to make my rest one of the most comfortable ever!
The bed was awesome and to this day, I wish I would have stripped it to see what all they used to make my rest one of the most comfortable ever!
Dec 6th, 2004 | 08:24 AM
#11
Joined: Feb 2004
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I think everyone has pretty much summed up how I would describe Cow Hollow. I always recommend to my out of town friends that they stay in Cow Hollow rather than Fisherman's Wharf and Union Square because you really get a sense of a local San Francisco neighborhood. Of course, there are many different neighborhoods in SF, all with their own flavor, and Cow Hollow is only one of those.
Most people in SF don't live in Union Square/Financial District but in the outlying residential neighborhoods. Union Square is a great for shopping at chain stores of all price points, but it is not really the hub of SF restaurant life or SF life in general. This doesn't mean that Union Square isn't a great place to stay, but if you want to really see a side of local life, Cow Hollow is a great choice.
Most people in SF don't live in Union Square/Financial District but in the outlying residential neighborhoods. Union Square is a great for shopping at chain stores of all price points, but it is not really the hub of SF restaurant life or SF life in general. This doesn't mean that Union Square isn't a great place to stay, but if you want to really see a side of local life, Cow Hollow is a great choice.
Dec 6th, 2004 | 11:37 AM
#12
Joined: Apr 2004
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When I went, both times, I went to a suite rental in Pacific Heights near Union Street (not Union Square) and just loved it. Felt like I was in the neighborhood and not a tourist downtown. Never needed a car and the car was parked free where we stayed also.
We saw the Cow Hollow suites and they were in a good location. We had quite a bit of hilly walking to do and Cow Hollow was much closer to the waterfront areas, but not too far from we were either. Great location. You are better off without a car in SF. And SF is really so small that you have no need to be in Union Square- easy to get anyway.
We saw the Cow Hollow suites and they were in a good location. We had quite a bit of hilly walking to do and Cow Hollow was much closer to the waterfront areas, but not too far from we were either. Great location. You are better off without a car in SF. And SF is really so small that you have no need to be in Union Square- easy to get anyway.
Dec 6th, 2004 | 12:33 PM
#13
Joined: Nov 2004
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>>>suite rental in Pacific Heights near Union Street<<<
Most people in SF would say that Union St is in Cow Hollow, not Pacific Heights.
Here is what I consider the different areas to be:
If you stand on the Marina Green next to the Bay and start walking south on Fillmore St, you will be in the Marina district until you get to the very busy Lombard St. The "shopping center" of the Marina district is Chestnut St, where there are many restaurants, bars, shops, and perhaps every coffee chain in the US is represented there. This street is very active on weekends because there are lots of outdoor restaurants.
Lombard is what I consider the dividing line between the Marina District, and Cow Hollow. About 50% of the buildings on Lombard St are motels (or at least it seems that way). Lombard is the street you take to get over the GG Bridge, so it has lots of traffic.
Continue south on Fillmore (shops, restaurants, & bars on Fillmore too - home of the "Bermuda Triangle"). You are walking through Cow Hollow now until you get to about Vallejo St. There used to be lots of cow farms in this area - hence the name. The main shopping St is Union St.
As you cross Green St on Fillmore St heading south and before you get to Vallejo and the start of Pacific Heights, Fillmore St will become VERY steep (Pacific Heights must be named "heights" for some reason). There are actually steps on Fillmore from Green to Broadway to make walking uphill easier. During the '01 Tour de San Francisco bike race, Lance Armstrong complained about the ascent on Fillmore St. As you walk south of Vallejo on Fillmore St & into Pacific Heights, the first street you will cross will be Broadway. This street is where several of the wealthiest people in the US live. As you continue up "literally" Fillmore, when you cross Jackson St you will be in the main shopping district of Pacific Heights. This is my wife's favorite shopping area in SF. Many restaurants, bars, coffee shops, etc.
Continuing south on Fillmore, when you cross about Bush St (not named for our current President), you will get into "lower" Pacific Heights - at least that's what the realtors call it.
Stu Dudley
San Mateo (San Francisco), Ca
Most people in SF would say that Union St is in Cow Hollow, not Pacific Heights.
Here is what I consider the different areas to be:
If you stand on the Marina Green next to the Bay and start walking south on Fillmore St, you will be in the Marina district until you get to the very busy Lombard St. The "shopping center" of the Marina district is Chestnut St, where there are many restaurants, bars, shops, and perhaps every coffee chain in the US is represented there. This street is very active on weekends because there are lots of outdoor restaurants.
Lombard is what I consider the dividing line between the Marina District, and Cow Hollow. About 50% of the buildings on Lombard St are motels (or at least it seems that way). Lombard is the street you take to get over the GG Bridge, so it has lots of traffic.
Continue south on Fillmore (shops, restaurants, & bars on Fillmore too - home of the "Bermuda Triangle"). You are walking through Cow Hollow now until you get to about Vallejo St. There used to be lots of cow farms in this area - hence the name. The main shopping St is Union St.
As you cross Green St on Fillmore St heading south and before you get to Vallejo and the start of Pacific Heights, Fillmore St will become VERY steep (Pacific Heights must be named "heights" for some reason). There are actually steps on Fillmore from Green to Broadway to make walking uphill easier. During the '01 Tour de San Francisco bike race, Lance Armstrong complained about the ascent on Fillmore St. As you walk south of Vallejo on Fillmore St & into Pacific Heights, the first street you will cross will be Broadway. This street is where several of the wealthiest people in the US live. As you continue up "literally" Fillmore, when you cross Jackson St you will be in the main shopping district of Pacific Heights. This is my wife's favorite shopping area in SF. Many restaurants, bars, coffee shops, etc.
Continuing south on Fillmore, when you cross about Bush St (not named for our current President), you will get into "lower" Pacific Heights - at least that's what the realtors call it.
Stu Dudley
San Mateo (San Francisco), Ca
Dec 7th, 2004 | 07:11 AM
#17
Joined: Apr 2004
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Yes, but it was still in Pacific Heights- and not in Cow Hollow. It was just on the edge of the streets you describe, but on the P. Heights side. Union Street was about a 5 or 6 block walk away down the hills. Coming back home at night was mostly uphill. It had Pacific Heights as part of its name and was in a section that was not commericial. I loved looking at the painted ladies (Victorians- not live ones) that we passed every day. Most were in pretty good shape.
San Francisco is small. I never "got" how small until I really spent some time there. You could put the whole thing in a fractional 2 or 3 neighborhood/precinct section of the southwest side of Chicago. And that's even counting all the extra space you get vertically, by building up/ down the hill- if you where "magic" and could flatten the entire thing out. When they call it "the city" - I'm sure that they mean it sincerely. But it is not a city on the scale of many millions and with hundreds of square miles as I am used to.
San Francisco is small. I never "got" how small until I really spent some time there. You could put the whole thing in a fractional 2 or 3 neighborhood/precinct section of the southwest side of Chicago. And that's even counting all the extra space you get vertically, by building up/ down the hill- if you where "magic" and could flatten the entire thing out. When they call it "the city" - I'm sure that they mean it sincerely. But it is not a city on the scale of many millions and with hundreds of square miles as I am used to.
Dec 7th, 2004 | 12:02 PM
#19
Joined: Apr 2004
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I just googled it to make sure, because I could give it a thumb's up also. It was called Pacific Heights Inn. It is kitchenettes. We had a great price and were there over a week, the last time. Never used the kitchenette either, just the wine glasses. It's not 4 or 5 star, barely 3 star but the people are GREAT. Someone from Fodors who lives in SF, told me about it. I think it was KAL. Not fancy/dancy but clean and NOT like being a tourist.
Best part of all was also very, very funny. My engineer loves his BIG CARS. Lincolns, Cadillacs, or Roadmaster Classics- you get the picture.
The owners have a German accent or Swiss maybe?? Didn't ask. But anyway every night when we did go on drives to wine country or whatever, and returned with the car- there he would be standing in our spot to keep it open or in some way manipulating all the other vechicles. The man was priceless. He was so GLAD on our days in SF when we stayed in city and didn't use the car.
NO charge for the parking either.
Every time, he would see us coming and sounded like Sargeant Schulz yelling direction to the other incoming drivers or his staff. He was really funny and good natured about this car overall. Next time, we will not rent the big car for SF- that I can tell you.
It's a great city to visit. But to me it's way way too expensive to live there. Never will forget that the last time I visited I saw the following on Union St. in one of the restaurants- a family of about 7 or 8 (three generations at least) and FIVE were on separate cell phone conversations with people that were NOT at their table. It has stayed in my mind. I have never seen that anywhere else. The five year old was playing with some bread dough, or she probably would have been on a cell phone too.
Best part of all was also very, very funny. My engineer loves his BIG CARS. Lincolns, Cadillacs, or Roadmaster Classics- you get the picture.
The owners have a German accent or Swiss maybe?? Didn't ask. But anyway every night when we did go on drives to wine country or whatever, and returned with the car- there he would be standing in our spot to keep it open or in some way manipulating all the other vechicles. The man was priceless. He was so GLAD on our days in SF when we stayed in city and didn't use the car.
NO charge for the parking either.
Every time, he would see us coming and sounded like Sargeant Schulz yelling direction to the other incoming drivers or his staff. He was really funny and good natured about this car overall. Next time, we will not rent the big car for SF- that I can tell you.
It's a great city to visit. But to me it's way way too expensive to live there. Never will forget that the last time I visited I saw the following on Union St. in one of the restaurants- a family of about 7 or 8 (three generations at least) and FIVE were on separate cell phone conversations with people that were NOT at their table. It has stayed in my mind. I have never seen that anywhere else. The five year old was playing with some bread dough, or she probably would have been on a cell phone too.
