mlm59

I found a good rate for the LaQuinta on the corner of Van Ness and Geary. The website says it is in the Civic Center-Cathedral Hill neighborhood. Is this a good location and a safe area of the city? Is public transportation easily accessible?

I am also considering the Columbus Motor Inn. Which would be a better location? We will have a car, but from what I read it is easier to leave the car parked and use public transporation. We will be in SF in mid Sept. and I am trying to finalize our plans and get reservations made.

Thanks for any advice.

jimshep

I do not know anything about the LaQuinta, but the area is perfectly safe and within a pleasant walk to Union Square. We have stayed at nearby Cathedral Hill Hotel, which, when you click Special Rates and Packages often has an offer which includes parking and a very big and tasty buffet breakfast served in a large, cheerful room.

We have stayed at Columbus Motor Inn which has a very dreary location half way between Fisherman's Wharf and North Beach.

Please go so Beach Blanket Babylon.

acwsf

Van Ness and Geary is fine and very central although you are only about 2 blocks west of the start of the Tenderloin. The Civic center is nearby, and while the buildings are impressive, it isn't such a destination place and there are a lot of homeless around (which we San Franciscans are used to, unfortunately).

The Columbus motor inn is near Fisherman's Wharf and walking distance to North Beach.

Both have easy bus access to Union Square.

I'm a native and if I had to refer a good friend to one of those two choices, I would tell them to go the Columbus Motor inn. ALthough it is slightly more touristy over there, the surrounding area is nicer and more attractive (NOrth Beach and Telegraph Hill) IMHO.

SAB

If I was advising as friend as between these two, I would also advise staying in the Columbus Motor Inn. The Van Ness and Geary location has a very city feel to it without much of the charm of SF and these are probably two of the busy streets in SF. The area surrounding the Columbus Motor Inn is as previous poster stated more attractive although the immediate area is very commercial.

johncharles

It's hard to square one poster's comments that the setting of the Columbus Motor Inn is dreary with the other favorable comments about it. I'm very familiar with thisa area as I often visited a girl friend who lived right next door to this motel, and the block it's located in is pretty nondescript, without much of any other businesses around, but on the other hand prime tourist locales (Fisherman's Wharf and North Beach) are within a couple of blocks walk. The situation at Geary and Van Ness (I worked within a couple of blocks for three years) is almost exactly the opposite--the intersection is bright and busy with many interesting restaurants, movie theaters and bars within two blocks or so, but beyond that there's not too much of high tourist interest to walk to and, to the south, high crime areas. However, although this is not really downtown, this is the intersection of the major east-west and north-south artery streets of the city, both with many buses, so for bus transportation it is an outstanding central location.

If you do stay at Geary and Van Ness, check out Tommy's Joynt, an inexpensive bar and hofbrau-style restaurant on the southeast corner (fine and fun for kids, open very late.) This place has been a local landmark for many years, and is quite something to see--every inch of walls and ceiling is full of stuff accumulated over the years. Check out the elaborate explanation they have posted of why it's OK for them to serve Buffalo Stew despite buffaloes being endangered (basically, their line is that if the ratio isn't kept at one male for every ten females, the males become so preoccuied with fighting that they tend to forget about helping to make little buffaloes.)

I think the LaQuinta is probably a very recent refurbishment of the old Richelieu hotel, which is where my ex-wife's parents liked to stay when they came to town. I don't remember seeing a LaQuinta the last time I was in the neighborhood, but it looked like the Richelieu had been closed for refurbishment. I have stayed in LaQuinta's a couple of times in other states, and they seemed like a pleasant mid-to-low-price chain with brighy decor and a good continental breakfast.

jimshep

Message: Johncharles did a good job of explaining why I prefer the Van Ness location--it is very urban--and that's what I like when I'm in a city. I enjoy sights such as the elderly who live near by dodging trucks as they try to get across the street and stores, movie houses, and other amenities such as johncharles stated so generously.