Some San Francisco Questions
 

Just a weekend visit the end of July to see ds and I have a few questions:

Has anyone taken the 'Rising Steel: Two Centuries of SF Architecture' walking tour thru the SF Library? Is it one of the 'don't miss' tours?

Is there really an entrance to the parking garage in GGPark outside the park on the north side?

Is it always a very long wait to have lunch at Pizzeria Delfino in the Mission District? I was thinking of a Fri afternoon. If it's always impossible to get in, I'd appreciate a heads up and we'll plan something else.

Has anyone recently stayed at Le Meridien? I got a very good rate there as well as at the Hyatt Regency Embarcadero (stayed there last Sept), but Le Meridien includes a full breakfast.

Parking in the Embarcadero area - in case we decide to keep the car (coming from Sonoma), are there any reasonable garages with comparable rates to those in the USq area?

Had a wonderful dim sum brunch at Yank Sing last visit. Is there another dim sum restaurant that takes reservations that you would highly recommend or should we go back to Yank Sing?

As always, thank you for your help!

<<<Is it always a very long wait to have lunch at Pizzeria Delfino in the Mission District? I was thinking of a Fri afternoon. If it's always impossible to get in, I'd appreciate a heads up and we'll plan something else.>>>

Depends on how many of you there are and whether you want to sit at the bar. We were there, just two of us, recently on a Friday, fairly early - around 6:00 - and waited less than 1/2 hour and had our choice of a table outside or the bar (we chose the bar). If you're there "off-hours", obviously less of a problem. Last time, we waited 45 minutes for a seat at the bar, also on a Friday night, but a little later.

<<<Parking in the Embarcadero area - in case we decide to keep the car (coming from Sonoma), are there any reasonable garages with comparable rates to those in the USq area? >>>

What kind of price are you talking about? The least expensive indoor garages in the Embarcadero area would be 1) Embarcadero Center ($32.50 per day), 2) Maritime Plaza, 3) Portsmouth Square Garage, 4) St. Mary's Square Garage. They're all in the high $20s-low $30s for 24 hours.

I wouldn't mind sitting at the bar if that's all there is. My guess is that I would be there sometime between 12:30 and 2:00. There will be two of us. I don't think that is "off hours," do you?

As for parking, I was thinking high $20's as opposed to $50.

My favorite dim sum place in the City--Harbor Village, does not take reservations. I actually don't know any that do. Maybe that is why my Chinese friends refer to Yank Sing as the best dim sum place for round eyes. :) Other places that have been recommended to me New Asia Garden and Gold Mountain and Koi Palace in Daly City, don't take reservations either.

I have never used a parking lot entrance on the N side of GGP since I usually walk over to the Concourse--but I think it's at 10th Ave, off Fulton.

Is this the same Harbor Village that used to be in 4 Embarcadero? If so, it's very very good (or was).

<I>"Is there really an entrance to the parking garage in GGPark outside the park on the north side?"</I>

Yes, CPG, we use this when driving
down from Sonoma COunty and visiting the park.

http://www.famsf.org/deyoung/visitin...subpagekey=575

Otherwise, SF is best done without a car :)

R5

When you google Harbor Village, a few sites say it's closed. How long ago did you dine there?

r5, thanks for that link. While you're here, have you eaten in El Dorado in Sonoma? How does it compare to Cafe la Haye? I've eaten in neither.

Sorry about that, it has been awhile since I went there--I should have checked it was still open. Too bad it was good. Most of my dim sum eating friends go to Koi Palace, but the lines and wait are too long for me, so I gave up going with them.

I don't want to wait on a long line either. I don't like it at home and especially when I'm visiting someplace for such a short time. There are too many good places to eat on this little planet of ours. That's why I asked about reservations. Yank Sing might not be authentic and might be pricier, but it was delicious. It won't be a bad choice if we end up there.

Similar to Yank Sing is City View on a small alley in Chinatown. Although Yank Sing is still my favorite!

Cafe La Haye is a small, casual restaurant with very good food, while El Dorado Kitchen is much more ambitious and upscale.

Susan

PS - I agree that having a car in SF isn't optimal, similar to Manhattan. There will be very few places near your hotel where you can take the car in and out for less than $30/day.

We parked at the Embarcadero garage when we stayed at the Hyatt Regency. It was safe and easy to use. Beware that some other cheaper options may be just an open lot; and some are NOT open on weekends. The Embarcadero garage is open 7 days/week; but it's closed between MN-7am (I think - double check to be sure).

Yes, as waldrons has said, Cafe la Haye is small, intimate
with about 30 tables on different levels. The small kitchen
amazes at what it turns out. Simple preparations. I'd call it Sonoma/CA/American cuisine. Lots of local used here.

EDK is in it's 3rd rebirth since it was a Piatti.
A big room with partitions-Dark wood floors. There's a large communal table in one area and in another you can watch the goings on in the kitchen. Also, there's possible seating by the pool.

Check out one of my favorites -Harvest Moon Cafe -especially the back patio !

R5

<<<There will be very few places near your hotel where you can take the car in and out for less than $30/day.>>>

There will be ZERO places where you can take the car <i>in and out</i> for less than $30/day. The garages I mentioned are NOT in-and-out.

I second City View for dim sum; we've been there 3 times now and really like it.

I was considering Yank Sing because they take reservations (and I had a good experience before). We will be coming from a walking tour that I think ends about 1 pm and I want to be sure that I don't have a problem being seated. How large is City View. Is it always packed or not so bad on a summer weekend?

City View is a good sized place; have never been on weekend. I did notice they have a lower floor, but not sure it is used for public or is for private functions.

The fact that it is on a small side street and most tourists would never even see it might make it easier to get in. We went in about 15 minutes before noon and it wasn't crowded so we got right in. Not sure about weekends. Google it and read some of the comments; all good.

The carts a plentiful, fresh and come out at a good pace.

Re: Pizzeria Delfina, we went on a Sunday morning, got there just as the place opened. We got right in and sat at the small bar. It was fun and it was delish.

Would love opinions about the car in SF:

I may want the car for flexibility because:
a)don't know where ds will be living, but it won't be near my hotel near the Embarcadero.
b)itinerary example: I might want to go to a timed exhibit at the De Young the first thing in the am on Sat, lunch somewhere else and then to the Paris exhibit (free the same day as the Impressionist exhibit at the DY) at the Legion of Honor.

The only public transportation in SF that I've used has been buses - kind of slow like in NY. What would you do?

be aware parking is at a premium in San Francisco so some locations have "stickered" parking where you have to be a resident to park more than 2 hrs; or meters with 2 hr limits. Meters can be as high a a dollar a minute. (I say this in case you are wanting to park near DS)

If you factor in parking per day you'd be better off taking cabs from the de young to the legion of Honor.

mztery - are you serious about meters $1 per minute? That is outrageous!

I'm not against cabs. My impression of SF is that they're not plentiful like in NY. How likely would it be to find a cab at the Legion of Honor or even from the DY to LOH? Would it just be getting lucky that someone was dropped off there?

not all meters but some...

if you are at one of the museums it will be easier...and with
the downturn in tourism cabs are easier to get generally, esp downtown and in tourist areas.

Cabs are not as plentiful like in NY, but ---I see drop offs and pick up at the DeYoung all the time, so you can probably get the info/services desk at the DeYoung or Legion to call for one.

BTW I have never heard of $1 a minute parking meter anywhere in SF--that is more than a slight exaggeration. The highest rate is $3.50 per hour in downtown; $3 per hour at the Wharf.

Legion of Honor is in a remote location. If you are lucky to see somebody took a taxi TO the museum... like twice a day :)

I think they will call a cab for you, but who knows how long is the wait?

Bus 18 runs every 25' on weekends, should be more often on weekdays - and if you go downtown from there, you can switch to line 1.

"Sticker parking" doesn't apply on weekends in most areas (perhaps all areas), and usually ends at 6PM or so (some areas later). You can park at GG Park to visit the DeYoung (difficult on Sundays), and I've never had problems parking at the Palace of the Legion of Honor. The Sunset & Richmond areas (around GG park) may not even have sticker parking - yet.

Stu Dudley

my bad on the dollar a minute. I don't know where my brain was. Sorry. Top fees are now $3.50/hr downtown at meters.

RE cabs...if i only had a weekend I would not want to take the 1 (too slow) or wait for the 18. Just a matter of preference, but if you get a cab from the De Young to the LOH, you can tell the driver to come back for you or give you his/her cell # to call when you are done.And even if you wait 10 min for a cab it's still quicker than a bus.

(I live here so I use MUNI all the time, I just don't always use public transport if I am on a short visit somewhere)

Again w / tourism down getting cabs are easier than in a long time.

I am only suggesting cabs as opposed to renting a car and paying the crazy downtown parking fees - even at $3.50/hr oyu can't leave a car anywhere for more than 2 hrs at a metered spot.

fPS altho it will not afect oyu if oyu are only here on the weekend many city areas incl inner richmond, sunset etc now require permit parking.

Yes, having a car to get between the deYoung and the Legion is the easiest solution. But could you keep the car just for one day to do this, then return it? Or rent a car just for the day?

The northern parking entrance to the GG Park garage is at 10th Avenue from Fulton Street. It is not easy to see from Fulton, so be prepared to turn into the garage at 10th. You will be on the DeYoung Museum side of the garage.

You will need a car for Legion of Honor. The easiest way to get from the DeYoung Museum to the Legion of Honor is to exit the Deyoung Museum at that 10th and Fulton Street exit on the north side and head straight up 10th for four blocks to Geary. Make a LEFT turn on Geary and go all the way down to 34th Avenue. RIGHT turn at 34th will put you on the way into Lincoln Park. Just stay on this road and you'll end up at the Legion of Honor. There's usually no parking available at the circle in front of the Legion of Honor, just drive a bit further and there will be plenty of roadside parking.

Keep the ticket sticker from the DeYoung on your jacket, it will let you into the Legion of Honor for free (same day). Otherwise, you have to buy another entry ticket at the L/Honor.


Dim Sum: The Harbor View, unfortunately, closed a number of years ago. It was a wonderful dim sum restaurant.

You could catch a dim sum restaurant on your museum day. There is a very good and very convenient dim sum restaurant on Geary, which would be on your way between the DeYoung and the Legion of Honor. The MAYFLOWER Restaurant is on the corner of Geary and 27th Avenue (6255 Geary Blvd). When you see the onion domes of the Russian Church on Geary (26th and Geary), look for street parking. The Mayflower is across the street from the church, look for green awning. No carts, but excellent dim sum which are brought out on trays. The traditional tea that is drunk with dim sum is KOK BOW tea. If you want a non-caffeinated flower tea, ask for KOK FA tea.

KOI PALACE is way south of San Francisco in Daly City and is not worth a Saturday trip for you. It is extremely popular and you will have a very long wait. One Saturday we arrived at 9:30 in the morning and had to wait an hour. For an out-of-town visitor, it's not worth the long drive nor the long wait.

In Chinatown, ASIA GARDEN (on Pacific one block uphill from Grant) is better than GOLD PALACE (on Broadway). Parking in Chinatown is usually under Portsmouth Square. The entrance to the garage is on Kearney Street, but you have to curve around and access the entrance from Clay Street.

Whereas DebitNM is usually infallible in her food recommendations, I have to disagree about City View in Chinatown. It is expensive, for round-eyes only, and the dim sum is not fresh. It is, however, like Yank Sing, very clean. If hyper-cleanliness is important to you, then I would suggest returning to Yank Sing.

The MAYFLOWER is also great for dinner - Cantonese seafood. The dungeness crab is quite good.

However, the best Chinese dungeness crab is at R&G Lounge (on Kearney Street, one block from the entrance to the Portsmouth Square garage) in Chinatown.

Hope this helps a bit. Welcome back to California!

I thought there is now a new ART BUS in San Francisco which goes between Legion of Honor and deYoung?

[Oh, I see that it's been discontinued due to low ridership. Such a shame. http://www.sfmta.com/cms/mfares/Cult...mber202008.htm ]

The last 2 times we went to Legion of Honor (on weekend mornings), it took a while before we could find an empty spot to park. There were lots of locals who go there for hiking/cycling etc on weekends.

<<<Yes, having a car to get between the deYoung and the Legion is the easiest solution. But could you keep the car just for one day to do this, then return it? Or rent a car just for the day?>>>

There's always zipcar and Cityshare:

http://www.zipcar.com/sf/find-cars

http://www.citycarshare.org/

You could rent a car and use it to go to the DeYoung, the Legion of Honor and a non-downtown dim sum restaurant, and then return it the same day.

zipcar and citycarshare you have to sign up for in advance and pay a monthly fee.

Thank you all for the many suggestions. I now have some options because ds is not interested in seeing the exhibit (his loss!). So I can go to the DY Friday after driving from Sonoma or Sat the first thing in the morning coming from the Embarcadero area. I like the idea of driving right to the museum on Fri, but in general, when I see a special timed exhibit, I prefer to go early in the morning when it is less crowded than later in the day. Any thoughts about that? Will it be tougher to get into the garage on Fri? Dh and I actually spoke about a zip car and I thought it would be INSANE with some of the hills (was it California St that traumatized me?). I think being in a tank would be just right for me! Meanwhile rental rates are very high, much higher than my last visits; I'll keep looking.

are you confusing zipcar with smartcar? zip car is a car sharing service; smartcars arew those tiny cars you can rent by the hour.

Yes, you're right mztery. I prefer a dumbcar!

<<<zip car is a car sharing service; smartcars arew those tiny cars you can rent by the hour>>>

No. Zipcar rents cars -- all different models -- by the hour. Smartcars are just tiny little cars, not necessarily for rent at all.

zipcar does rent by the hour BUT YOU HAVE TO JOIN! It's $50 to join and $25 signup fee. Then it's $7/hr and some amount per mile.

What I thing CPG is thinking of (due to her comment about the size of the car) was the GO Car , not smart car *(my mistake) - a tiny car you can drive around the city w./ built in GPS for tourist sites.

early in the a.m. is what i prefer for the timed exhibits also.
i tend to go to the museums in the middle of the week and i have always found street parking in the park a block or two away from the de young.
parking at the legion can be a bit worse but if you are patient and willing to walk a little, it is not impossible.
as far as dim sum, i still think yank sing is the best around especially since you do not want to wait for a table.
my personal favourite (with a wait) is ton kiang on geary between 22nd and 23rd.
i was taken to city view by chinese friends but i didn't think the quality was as good as yank sing or ton kiang.

<< No. Zipcar rents cars -- all different models -- by the hour. Smartcars are just tiny little cars, not necessarily for rent at all.>>

I think sf got it right.

I don't think the zipcar makes sense for me (joining for one time use). If I can find a cheap weekly rental (which I haven't yet), I would just 'eat' the cost of 3 days of garaging it in SF.

I also think Yank Sing makes sense because we liked it and they take reservations.

do you need the car for a week or just a weekend? entrerprise has some good weekend specials?

Oh, if you were thinking of the "GO car", not in a million years would I drive one of those things in San Francisco!