Things to do around San Francisco/Bay Area

[Lana]

If you're getting into town early or staying a few extra days to enjoy the city, here is where you'll post suggestions for things to do around the San Francisco Bay Area.

Not sure how to get there? Check out our Subscribed '16 Transportation thread.

[AmyLee]

Shop in Union Square
Union Square is the place for serious shoppers. Major department stores and the most exclusive designer boutiques line streets like Post, Sutter, Geary, Grant, Stockton and Powell. The Westfield San Francisco Shopping Centre houses the largest Bloomingdale's outside of New York and the second largest Nordstrom in the U.S.

Explore North Beach
North Beach, the city’s Italian quarter, isn’t a beach at all. It’s a neighborhood of romantic European-style sidewalk cafes, restaurants and shops centered near Washington Square along Columbus and Grant avenues. The beautiful Church of Saints Peter and Paul is a beloved landmark. Coit Tower atop Telegraph Hill offers a splendid vantage point for photos of the bridges and the Bay. Inside the tower, floor-to-ceiling murals painted in the 1930s depict scenes of early San Francisco.

Walk Through the Oldest Chinatown
Inside are 24 blocks of hustle and bustle, most of it taking place along Grant Avenue, the oldest street in San Francisco. This city within a city is best explored on foot; exotic shops, renowned restaurants, food markets, temples and small museums comprise its boundaries. Visitors can buy ancient potions from herb shops, relax and enjoy a "dim sum" lunch or witness the making of fortune cookies.

PIER 39: Love walking through around the piers. You can try our famous clam chowder and whole crabs. Waterbar is also an awesome restaruant with a view of the bay bridge.  

If you are staying for the weeking you can also check this out:

APRIL 9-10, APRIL 16-17
Cherry Blossom Festival
Civic Center and Japantown, 415-563-2313
www.nccbf.org 
This annual festival is one of California’s most prominent celebrations of Asian traditions. Two consecutive weekends of performances, crafts, food, martial arts and exhibitions. A colorful parade will be held on Sunday, April 17 starting at the Civic Center and ending in Japantown.

[marlene]

If you are a nature love, you must check out Muir Woods - a short drive across the Golden Gate Bridge.

A Tree Lover's Monument

When John Muir learned that William and Elizabeth Kent were naming a redwood forest near San Francisco in his honor, he declared, "This is the best tree-lovers monument that could possibly be found in all the forests of the world." The couple had purchased the land to preserve its beauty and restful wilderness; and in 1908, they donated it to the federal government to protect it from destruction.

[joel_buaron]

 

Love to try Swan Oyster Depot! 

No-frills counter nook in a fish market is a bustling landmark for raw-bar fare & casual seafood.

Address: 1517 Polk St, San Francisco, CA 94109

[Lana]

If you're looking for inexpensive things to do in the SF Bay Area, check out Funcheap SF.

For example, if you're going ot arrive on Sunday, see what's happening on the weekend like the Cherry Blossom Festival, Sidewalk Arts & Crafts show, Free Pirates of the Caribbean Ship tours (Sausalito) or...if you're a big Hello Kitty fan, check out the Hello Kitty truck in Japantown.