Introducing San Francisco and Downtown Area

SFWanderlust October 3, 2018

The good news about San Francisco is that it’s a small city by area. Whhhaat? Yes. We’re only about 120 square kilometers big, and approximately 10×10 km, which means you can walk from one side of the city to the other in less then a day. But, who’d have time for that? In order to get the most out of your San Francisco trip, first determine what your ultimate goal is, how much time you have, and how much you plan to spend. In this post, we’ll cover the downtown area, which is located on the northeast side of the city.

North Beach, San Francisco

In our experience

Based on our experience over the past 10 years or so living here in San Francisco, there are a few “cliche” locations and experiences you’d want to try. Let’s start off with some basic info. There are about 120 neighborhoods in San Francisco, some as small as a large football field, some as big as 1/10th of the city. Each neighborhood has its own unique sets of characteristics. SF is a diverse city in any way you can imagine – culture, ethnicity, food, languages, etc. For example, in the Financial District (where all the skyscrapers are), you’ll find the city’s entrepreneurial spirit by surrounding yourself with professionals in suits and countless amount of innovative startups.

The Financial district is also great for those who are interested in shopping. Inside the Westfield Mall on Market and Powell, you’ll find more than 200 boutique stores ranging from affordable items to Nike, Adidas, and all the way up to the Guccis Louis Vuittons. On the very bottom floor is a food court, which offers all kinds of cuisines of the world. We typically don’t recommended mall food places merely because they operate in “bulk” and you can find similar in most fast food chains. We’ll share some food tips as we go.

Union Square, San Francisco

A few steps aways is Union Square, which is a public plaza. Here you’ll find even more shopping places, including United States’ second largest Macy’s department store. Also most of European’s high-end brands like LV, Gucci, Lacoste, Prada, Burberry live here. You’ll find just about anything in this store ranging from clothing, accessories, to home appliances.

What else ?

At Union Square, you’ll also find access to San Francisco’s famous cable car rides. Hop on one here and avoid waiting at Powell and 4th because that’s where people get on and off – very busy and you might have to wait up to hours.

The cable car will take you directly to the largest Chinatown in the US. Chinatown was established by Chinese immigrants dated all the way back to the 19th century. You will feel like you’ve visited the actual country of China after passing Grant Ave. or Stockton St. Lanterns, famous Chinese street food, message services, and souvenir shops are top destinations among visitors.

Cable car on California St.

Next destination in this area would be North Beach and Telegraph Hill, which neighbour one another. Have a walk around San Francisco’s famous Piers and snap some great photographs of the city’s skyline filled with modern skyscrapers at Pier 7. Don’t forget to check out the Ferry Building Farmer’s Market. You can get fresh and locally sourced fruits and vegetables, as well as dairy products and chocolate.

SF Bae-Area

Afterwards, take a walk around Fisherman’s Wharf and experience California’s coastal life. This is one of the busiest areas in San Francisco so be careful of your surroundings. This is a great opportunity to take a cruise to Alcatraz (famous federal prison in the 1930s) or to the bottom of Golden Gate Bridge (which we will cover in the upcoming posts). Also, don’t forget to get yourself or your family a bowl of clam chowder, San Francisco’s famous cheese and seafood soup inside a loaf of sourdough bread.

If your feet still have strength, walk over to the top of Coit Tower to view San Francisco from the very top. It’s one of SF’s highest points, which gives you a 360 view of the city. Towards the east side, you can see the Golden Gate Bridge, towards the west are the gorgeous skyscrapers and the Bay Bridge. You turn around, and there’s Pier 39 (Fisherman’s Wharf). It’s $6 per person, but totally worth it.

n the next post, we’ll cover the Presidio neighborhood. And also provide some ideas based on several criteria set by different types of travelers. Please stay tuned.

Ps: Our blog has grown and we’ve got many other neighborhoods covered. You can read our destinations section here. You’ll also find tips and tricks to make the most out of your visit in San Francisco.

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