San Francisco in 50, 100 and 250 words

50 Words Famous for scenic beauty, cultural attractions, diverse communities and world-class cuisine, San Francisco’s landmarks include the Golden Gate Bridge, cable cars, Fisherman’s Wharf, Alcatraz, Chinatown, Union Square, North Beach, the Castro district and Mission Dolores. The much-celebrated fog creates a romantic mood in this most European of American cities. 100 Words San Francisco is...

San Francisco for beginners — What to see on the first visit

There is enough to experience and explore in San Francisco to fill a hundred itineraries but most visitors want to see the more famous sites right away. Here is a basic list of the “must see” attractions and areas of San Francisco, separated into weekend-length groups. For more information on any of these attractions and activities, visit www.onlyinsanfrancisco.com. Items marked with a star (*)...

San Francisco Don’ts

  Japanese Tea Garden, Golden Gate Park Reams have been written about San Francisco. Most travel pieces particularize about things to do in this ebullient city — i.e., ride a cable car, walk across the Pacific on the Golden Gate Bridge, sip jasmine tea in the Japanese Tea Garden, take a bay cruise, etc.   Here, for a change, are some San Francisco don’ts. Don’t pack a tropical wardrobe;...

Grant Avenue — Street of Four Faces

Grant Avenue, San Francisco’s oldest artery, has had three names. Nowadays it has four faces. The rutted original was laid out as Calle de la Fundacion (street of the founding) in 1845 in the pueblo of Yerba Buena. The name was changed to Dupont in honor of an American admiral when California was ceded to the Union in 1846. By the late 1800s “Du Pon Gai” as some Chinese still call it, had gained...

San Francisco Neighborhoods Claim Their Cocktails

Drink any kind of wine you like. Loaf around in the high-toned bars, or in the honky-tonks. It is a city in which the spirit can know refreshment every day.”– William Saroyan San Francisco is a city of neighborhoods, each with its own residents, gas stations, hardware stores and, drink of choice. The San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau, www.onlyinsanfrancisco.com, asked selected “representatives”...