Chinatown to North Beach: I Love San Francisco
Written: Sep 07 '00 (Updated Jan 19 '03)
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Pros: Wonderful sites to see and places to eat
Cons: The hills and variable weather
The Bottom Line: This is a great city. North Beach is fun, there is a lot to do.
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| jo.com's Full Review: North Beach |
Review Topic: Sights & AttractionsThis is my 5th in a series of reviews of my trip to San Francisco.
For 3 nights we stayed at the Holiday Inn in Chinatown/the Financial District of San Francisco. The Holiday Inn was functional, expensive ($150-$300 per night) but in a terrific location. Not only is a car not necessary but it is a hindrance. The roads are congested. Parking is not easy – you can find parking lots but you’ll pay for them or you can try to park on a hill that is so steep there are warning signs to turn in your wheels to the curb!
I will point out places to see and things to do in both Chinatown and North Beach.
You will want to start touring Chinatown by going to the entrance to the “area” marked by two dragons. There are wonderful stores to go into, browse around, and look at both the American souvenirs and the authentic Chinese stores and grocery stores.
You will want to go into the Kowloon Vegetarian Restaurant on Grant Street and buy a red-bean fill fried ball covered in sesame seeds. It might sound awful but it wonderful. At only $.50 each, buy a few. In fact you will notice the pastries in this area are much less expensive than you will find elsewhere so stock up now. San Francisco is very expensive!
The Shaky Ground on the corner of Washington Street and Mason Street is a trendy little restaurant that offers breakfast and lunch. The egg croissant for $3.75 was excellent. This is right across the street from the San Francisco Cable Car Museum, a place the kids will enjoy visiting. It is open from 10am – 6pm and is free.
This is where you will get your pass to the cable cars and buses. A 3-day pass is $10.00. For $15.00 you’ll get a pass for a week. If you don’t have a car, this is the way to go. Public transportation in San Francisco is excellent. You can get anywhere on it. It isn’t expensive without a pass ($2.00 for the cable car; $1.00 for the bus), but if you have a pass you won’t think about getting on and off all day.
Our first day we decided to be brave and walk.
When I read that San Francisco is the city with the most hills in the country I pictured hills. These aren’t hills; these are mountains. Wear sneakers!! I can’t emphasize that enough. Even if you aren’t primarily walking wear very comfortable shoes. Trust me on this one.
The other thing to note is San Francisco’s weather. They say New England’s weather changes by the minute. Well the day we arrived it was 103 degrees! The following day it was in the 60’s but by mid-afternoon back up to the 80s. So dress in layers and be prepared for some cold weather. The hottest sellers at the sidewalk carts were the sweatshirts. By the way, they are a great buy. I bought a gray hooded zippered sweatshirt for $9.99. Fleece pullovers are very popular for $14.99.
From Chinatown you will walk into North Beach which is the Italian section of the city. It is also known as the place where the Beat generation got its start. You’ll find street-lined cafes and outdoor tables and chairs. Stop at City Lights Bookstore famous for being the author, Jack Kerouac's, hangout; the first paperback bookstore in America; and the publisher of Allen Ginsberg's works.
Have a café latte at Coffee Graco. Top it off with a pistachio raisin cookie or a homemade chocolate macadamia nut cookie for $1.75. This is a wonderful area consisting of just a few streets filled with restaurants and stores. This is a place where jazz clubs can and do coexist with nude dancing reviews.
You will then head to Telegraph Hill and Coit Tower. This is a must do. The view from here is spectacular of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz and the Crooked St, which is Lombard Street. You will want to visit all three places. I will post a review of Alcatraz at a later date.
For $3.95 you can walk up the tower to the top and along the way see beautiful murals on the walls. Even if you don’t want to pay the money or do the walk you can enter the lobby and see a sample of these murals. There are restrooms in this building also and an ice cream vendor outside which we needed on this hot day.
San Francisco is a wonderful, charming city. No wonder Tony Bennett left his heart here. I have only touched upon 2 sections. This city unfolds as you walk street by street and each area is distinctively different. I have commented to others that it is not unlike Boston in its unique areas so different yet so geographically close. San Francisco is a must do if you are planning a vacation. Don’t miss these two wonderful sections of the city.
Links to my series are below:
Haight Ashbury
National Car Rental, Do The Driving Yourself
I Am A Rock, I Am An Island: Alcatraz Island
Muir Woods, An I Wood Do
From Chinatown To North Beach
The Stinking Rose Restaurant
American Airlines
Santa Cruz Boulevard
Neptune's Palace Restaurant
Recommended:
Yes
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