San Francisco
 

Looking up past threads on SF, and looking at areas to stay, there is recommendations to stay away from the Tenderloin area, but when i check expedia for hotels, it seems like the majority of the hotels are here. Is Geary street considered Tenderloin?
What about Lombard Street, is this a nice area? Is this considered Marina District? Funny; Expedia shows only 1 hotel on Lombard street, but Google maps shows over 20. Just shows you should never look at just one source for hotels.

Moved from Europe to US and tagged for California

Geary Blvd west of about Mason is at the northern edge of the Tenderloin. I'm not a big fan of the Union Square/Tenderloin area. If I wanted to stay downtown - I would stay close to the Embarcadero at Market St. And as a 45 year "local", the farther I get from Union Square - the more I enjoy San Francisco.

Lombard west of Franklin splits the Marina District & Cow Hollow. Places to stay there are almost exclusively Motor Hotels (Motels). This area has a completely different "look & feel" than the Union Square area. Union Square/Financial district is high rises, office buildings, tourists, vagrants, and big department stores (but vanishing), and some chain stores. Along Union Street (different from Square) in Cow Hollow between Gough & Steiner, on Fillmore between Union St and Chestnut, and on Chestnut (in the Marina Dist) between Fillmore and Divisadero - there are hundreds of small boutiques, limited chain stores, restaurants, cafes, coffee places, exercise studios, etc. One of the very best restaurants in the US is on Fillmore between Union & Chestnut (woman chef/owner). Also, from Cow Hollow it is an easy walk to the Marina Green, beautiful Crissy Field along the bay, and even to Fort Point beneath the Golden Gate Bridge where you can watch the surfers if the surf is cooperative. You might guess that my wife & I spend more time in the Cow Hollow/Marina Dist and Crissy Field/Ft Point area than we do near Union Square.

Here is a post I made many years ago about things to do & see in Saf Francisco & surrounds.
https://www.fodors.com/community/uni...ations-356478/


Stu Dudley

" it seems like the majority of the hotels are here. Is Geary street considered Tenderloin? "

Geary is a long street -- part of it is indeed in the Tenderloin. Union Square is not in the Tenderloin - - though you will see many homeless there as you will in many parts of the city. Union Sq is a perfectly OK area to stay -- I would not stay more than a block west of Powell Street though. On Powell, around the Square itself, or to the east are all better.

Lombard street is also a long street. There are MANY hotels along or just off Lombard Street - many are of the 'motel' variety which is good if one has a car since most have parking. Many Lombard Street properties are good value and decent quality . . . and some are pretty schlocky.

OK, here's a possibility: the Hyatt at the Embarcadero. MUNI/BART right outside the front door; California Street cable car ditto; Ferry Bldg a block or so away. Yes, the place can get pricey when there is a "convention" or a group has the place semi-booked solid.

When I travel to SF for business I stay in the Union Sq/borderline Tenderloin area as that's near or where meetings are held. I've never felt uncomfortable anywhere around there, but with a large population of people who are less fortunate I can see how others may feel that way.

When I travel to SF for pleasure I stay along the Embarcadero. My last trip we stayed (splurged) at the Griffin, near the Ferry Building Farmers Market. Loved the location - easy to get around the city by foot, bike, taxi, or public transportation. Near the waterfront with lots of open space for long walks.

Yeah - stay away from the Tenderloin area. I know there are a few "cheap" hotel options that are too good to be true. Well, don't stay there. Your best bet will be in the Marina and North Beach. Lombard Street is there, but try not to take one especially on Lombard Street. Try e.g. the Hotel Zephyr, or the Argonaut Hotel.

We've stayed all over SF the 40 or so times we've visited, but I'd say in the last 10 years (unless we're stuck at some conference), we found the Cow Hollow/Marina area as our favorite home base for a variety of reasons. Mostly because when we travel up to SF by car, the motels along Lombard Street have free parking. And if we drive, we usually like to pack a few bikes with us, and ride our bikes down to Crissy Field and take a million photos of the Golden Gate Bridge from there! We like the area because it's upscale, walkable, with plenty of restaurants and boutiques lining Chestnut Street and Union (which I think has more people walking and dining with their dogs than anywhere else in the City!).

There's also the number 30 Bus on Chestnut that takes us to the wharf, down Columbus to North Beach area (more great restaurants), China Town, Telegraph Hill, and all the way to Union Square. Day passes on all Muni buses are $5.00. Single trips 2.50; Senior $1.25.

I agree with Surfergirl. We always stay in the Marina District, mainly because we drive into the city and get free parking. But, we've really come to love the area at night. Really good restaurants just steps from the hotel and a neighborhood feeling, not so much a touristy feeling. We explore the city all day and then come "home" to the Marina District in time for happy hour and dinner. I'm on TripAdvisor too and I will say that 99% of the members there recommend Union Square for first-time visitors, which I understand do to its location to sightseeing, but it just doesn't resonate with me.

How is a Fulton Street location? Address is 333.

Inn at the Opera? Perfectly good location, very near Hayes Street (another area with loads of nice restaurants and shopping). Also very near [duh] the Opera House, City Hall, Asian Art Museum, Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, and reasonably close to downtown (although the walk along that part of Market Street is still somewhat unpleasant for a few blocks).

Lots of vagrants in the Civic Center/BART area to the east of the Inn at the Opera. Wander west of it in the Hayes Valley - and things are fine - mostly. We dined at the Inn at the Opera a month or two ago. Very nice restaurant. But if you take too may trips using BART, and you feel uncomfortable around homeless & other vagrants - this might not be the area for you.

Stu Dudley

sf7307 and Stu, thank you! Very helpful.

I have another question. I am looking on MapQuest and see the location and directions to Embarcadero. We will be taking the ferry to Sausalito several times. Would it be about a 15 minute walk to the ferry? OK at night or not so much?

I'll make some assumptions
- That you are staying at the Inn at the Opera
- That you take BART from your hotel and enter BART at the entrance next to the library, and exit at the Embarcadero station at the foot of Market St. As you leave the BART train, you will be disoriented when you get above ground.

On your first trip It will be about a 15-20 min walk to the BART station from the hotel. Then it is a 5-10 min walk to the place where the ferries depart. For your subsequent trips, use the shorter time estimate. There are several entrances & exits for a single BART station. You'll need to go through the process once or twice to figure out the correct one to take which are closest to your hotel & the Ferry Bldg.

Stu Dudley

You can also take Muni Metro from the Civic Center station to the Embarcadero station. Same station entrances as BART. BART is probably faster, but may be SRO during commute times.

Stu Dudley

It's 2 miles from Inn at the opera to the Ferry building. A 15min walk is a 7:30 min/mile walking pace.

Stu and J62,, thank you. This is very helpful.

Stu, I had printed your SF detailed info several years ago when we had a trip planned. We stayed with family in Sausalito and only took the ferry into SF once and did not spend any time there. I remember the great information and will print it again.

mdinbc, I am sorry for the highjack.

Thanks all, good info. Sorry have been busy since i posted and hadn't returned. I will look at Cow Hollow/ Marina area.