I will be staying in SF for 6 nights for work. The days will be tied up but there will be the odd afternoon and evening I can explore SF. I will be seeing SF via foot, street car etc. I will not be renting a vehicle.
With that, I have some questions.
1) Potentially, I will be staying at the Radisson Miyako Hotel on Post Street, in the Japanese community. Has anyone stayed there? Any comments? What is the neighbourhood like? Is it safe to walk around in the evening?
2) Are there any recommendations for late February/early March SF "must sees" with limited time?
3) Does anyone know of clear SF maps that can be viewed on the internet?
Thank you for your help.

San Francisco's public transportation system is great. You can even purchase a "Muni Pass" which will give you access to several different modes of transportation. The trollys are a great way to see the city. I'm sorry I can't help you with your hotel, but I can offer a few other suggestions.
Personally, I would not walk around San Francisco at night. Taking a cab or other transportation would be a lot safer. Take time to go to Fisherman's Wharf, Peir 39, an Alcatraz tour, Chinatown, etc. The list is endless.
I would try and splurge and rent a car for a day or two, if you're able, and drive down Lombard Street (crookedist street in the world) and leave the city and go up the California coast to Bodega Bay or Point Reyes. (Not all that far from San Francisco).
Have a great time. Oh, by the way, if you're able--every time we're in SF, we always bring back authentic San Francisco sourdough bread from Fisherman's Wharf to some of our friends. It's always a hit.

SFgate.com has a maps and will answer most of your questions.

San Francisco is one of the safest cities to walk around in at night - we do it all the time. There are only a few areas that are a little dicy. I have never walked through Japantown, but I would expect that to be safe. The only area near your hotel that you might consider avoiding if you are not comfortable walking in cities at night, is west of Webster & south of Sutter & west as far as Divisadero. Just a block from there, however, is one of our most exclusive shopping & dining areas - the Fillmore between Bush & Jackson St. Lots of activity day & night - especially on a sunny Sunday. The area just north around Lafayette park is Pacific Heights - the high rent district. Danielle Steele lives there in the old Sprekels Mansion.

On Sundays at 2:00 there is a free "Victorian San Francisco" walking tour. It starts at the southwest corner of Bush & Octavia. It's offered by City Guides, which is sponsored by the SF Public Library. My wife is one of the volunteer tour guides. Schedules & other tours can be found at ww.sfcityguides.org

On the northwest corner of Bush & Octavia is Quince Restaurant, which is a very popular place to dine.

Best map of SF is from AAA

Stu Dudley

ww.sfcityguides.org should be www.sfcityguides.org

Stu Dudley

Thank you for your help tcapp, 1JAR and StuDudley. It is much easier planning time in SF based on what other travellers and people living in the area know.

Wow, I haven't felt so stupid since high school.

MUNI map is the best, I advise to buy it with the bus routes marked in color. Or you can print off the Internet.

The hotel is on bus line 3 - 24 hrs, line 2 runs till 7 or 8 pm, and line 4 runs Mon-Fri, not sure all day or peak time only.

Don't know much about the hotel, only that Elderhostel groups stay there. It means it's not 5*.

What does edhodge mean by feeling stupid?

They Miyako is fine. The neighborhood is tame, but a little boring. Unless you wander far afield, it is safe.

For your odd afternoon, I might take public transportation downtown...wander around Union Square.. get your self to the Embarcadero. Take a cable car, but don't waste time at Fisherman's Wharf. If you like museums, the brand new DeYoung in Golden Gate park is awesome.

Thank you everyone for the helpful tips. It turns out that the Radisson is now booked for the time I will be in SF. With that, I would now like to ask if there is a nearby hotel that you would recommend? I will need to be close to the Radisson Mitako hotel as there is a conference there I will be attending. I know that a hotel called Cathedral Hill on Van Ness Ave. has rooms available. Has anyone heard of it? Are there other recommended hotels instead?

I would stay at the Queen Anne hotel on Octavia & Sutter. It's a delightful old Victorian and only a few blocks from your meeting site. A lot more "charm" than anything you've mentioned so far.

Stu Dudley

There are some smaller hotels in the area. I haven't stayed at any of these, but I've driven by many times. Maybe someone has some feedback on these?

The Queen Anne Hotel - http://www.queenanne.com/ (one block away from Quince, a great restaurant).

Hotel Majestic - http://www.thehotelmajestic.com/

The Cathedral Hill hotel is on a super busy street (doesn't mean that it won't be quiet). It doesn't look super nice from the outside, but it is a large hotel and I'm sure it would be fine in a pinch. The other two hotels I mentioned are closer to the Radisson.

I've only stayed in 3 hotels in my home town in the last 30 years - and one was the Queen Anne - just last month. Our closest friends were celebrating her 60th birthday and asked us to select a hotel with a dining room they could rent for the Gala. We were already quite familiar with the Queen Anne, since my wife's SF City Guides "Victorian San Francisco" walk starts 1 block from there. The people at the Queen Anne let "walkers" use their restrooms, so we've been in the Queene Anne many times just to say "hellow" to the staff.

For the Gala, our friends paid for rooms for all 8 couples attending the event - she didn't want us to drive home with soooo much wine consumed at the party.

The room we stayed in was huge - and it had a 3 sided Victorian "bay" type window that looked out on Octavia street. We were on the 3rd floor (it has a lift). They had a very nice continental breakfast, and their two parlors that you can relax in are very cozy & romantic. This is almost more of a B&B than a hotel, although there is a consergerie (sp) and someone that will carry your bags up to the room.

The hotel was an old girls school. My wife know all this history about it because she often gives a "history" of the hotel before her tour. The Tour, BTW is free & is offered on Sundays - they meet at 2:00 one block north on the southwest corner of Bush & Octavia. My wife is only 1 of the 6 or so volunteer guides.

If you want to stay in a "non-commercial" hotel and something typically San Francisco, stay at the Queene Anne.

Stu Dudley

Cathedral is a huge hotel on the 101 hwy, but it's like 1/2 block away from Van Ness. There was (maybe still is?) the office of Parlor Car tours if you want to take a tour to Yosemite or such. Buses run along Van Ness, Geary and Sutter/Post, some 24 hrs.