What's to do in San Francisco?

Unless something catastrophic happens between now and early June ...

... I fully expect to find myself in San Francisco, CA for ten days around that time.

Anyone have any suggestions regarding not-to-be-missed destinations? I'm especially keen on securing a few really good tips regarding record stores and places to eat. I think I can handle the mundane, Alcatraz-level stuff.

Thanks!

Amoeba's the obvious store choice. Havent been, but if it's anything like the LA one, it might be a bit overwhelming for the casual tourist. That place takes commitment.

Amoeba SF seemed slightly bigger than Hollywood, but I found more actual stuff on the want list in Hollywood. That's not to say I didn't dump $250 in SF. Amoeba Berkeley was small in comparison - more like Wuxtry Athens in feel, but it was possible to go through more inventory in detail there in about an hour. Unless you are a solo act, the investment necessary for SF or Hollywood would take long hours to properly scour the bins. When we visited SF we had Berkeley as our home base, so most of our eating was there. Saul's Deli [Berkeley] was a place we hit more than once!

If you like nature, hiking Muir Woods was a day well spent.



Post Edited (04-09-15 08:06)

Former TP subscriber [81, 82, 83, 84]

[postpunkmonk.com]
For further rumination on the Fresh New Sound of Yesterday®

If you go to Amoeba Records in SF you might want to drop by Memphis Minnie's (also on Haight St.) for some genuine barbecue. Note that lots of seedy, unkempt grifters hang out on Haight Street.

Oh yes, Dim Sum restaurants. If you haven't had Dim Sum check out Ton Kiang on Geary Blvd or Yank Sing on Post St. I can't get decent Dim Sum in San Diego and really miss these places.

I second PPM's recommendation of Saul's Deli in Berkeley. Of course there are tons of excellent restaurants in SF, but if you like food and wine you're less than an hour drive from Napa and Sonoma and some of the best wineries and restaurants in California. A pleasantly scenic drive, too.

Check the calendar of concerts at UC Berkeley's Greek Theater, The Fillmore in SF, Masonic Auditorium in SF, The Warfield in SF, Fox Theater in Oakland, and Bimbo's 365 in SF. With the variety there will be something that you'll probably like.

There's several great museums, countless gorgeous vistas, interesting neighborhoods and unique shopping opportunities. All packed in a city that is roughly 49 square miles.

=N=

In terms of shows/clubs, in SF alone there's also Bottom of the Hill, the Independent, Hemlock Tavern, Great American Music Hall, Slim's (not a great venue, but they have some good bands there), the Chapel, and DNA Lounge, and that's just off the top of my head.

This might also prove to be of use (though they probably won't list most June shows until around said month):

[jon.luini.com]

Other record stores of note are 1-2-3-4-Go! in Oakland, and Stranded (also in Oakland) is supposed to be good as well. And while I'm more of an Amoeba man, I have to admit that you can find some decent stuff at Rasputin's (1 store in Berkeley, 1 on Haight, and 1 on Powell) as well. (Should note that, if you've been in SF in the past but haven't been here for a while, you might find yourself shaking your head at some of the changes that happened/are happening in the Web 2.0 era)