SF things to do

[tom66]

I find myself at SPIE in San Fran in about a week.

I will be attending seminars and the exhibition, but may have some free time in the evenings - recommendations for interesting things to see or do in the evenings would be appreciated (outside of the normal touristy things).

[Analog Kid]

• The Exploratorium (down the Embarcadero just a bit from Fisherman's Wharf)
• Walk up some of the many "steps", sidewalks that are steps up hills, some with houses on the side:
  a good one is the Filbert Steps, leading up from Sansome St. in the Financial District.
  Goes all the way up to Telegraph Hill, where you can check out Coit Tower (WPA murals inside).
• The Musée Mécanique, alarmingly close to Fisherman's Wharf but much more rewarding than the usual touristy crap.

[Analog Kid]

One thing you won't find in The City, and indeed in the entire Bay Area for the most part:
electronics stores.
So far as I know, there's only San Mateo Electronics (in San Mateo), one little place up in Marin County, and that's about it.
Weird.

[Analog Kid]

Here's another fave spot of mine, the Wave Organ:

https://www.exploratorium.edu/visit/wave-organ

Not spectacular, but pleasingly funky, and affords a very nice view of the Golden Gate and the lands northwards. A nice little hike, through the St. Francis Yacht Club.

It's basically an art installation on a jetty in the Bay, constructed of old cemetery stonework with pipes stuck in the water than make interesting gurgling, bloop-blorp sounds at their open tops, especially at high tide.

[jpanhalt]

Most important, don't judge America by what you see in SF (aka SFO for the airport). 

[IanB]

I really liked the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, but it's only open during the day and at weekends, and it is closed for renovation until after the 28th. You would likely need a car to get there.

[Analog Kid]

I really liked the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, but it's only open during the day and at weekends, and it is closed for renovation until after the 28th. You would likely need a car to get there.

You could take Caltrain and maybe one bus (Santa Clara VTA) to get there. The downtown SF Caltrain station is a not-too-bad walk from downtown, south of Market St. by ~7-8 blocks.

[coppercone2]

wasent there a episode of the sopranos about what to do at a optics convention?

[RJSV]

   My recommended place is more of a daytime, half-day, but if you get extra time and have rental car:
   Try 50 minutes drive, over across bay, to GARIN REGIONAL PARK.  Similar to an undeveloped TILDEN Park, The GARIN - Dry Creek has many trails, and views !
   Views across to San Francisco skyline downtown, and South, to San Jose.
Definitely bring cameras !

- - - Rick-Jack

[themadhippy]

Dont forget the flowers for your hair

[andy3055]

Aquarium at pier 39.
Asian art museum.. if you are into history and art.
Cable car museum where you can see how this very old system works. Make a short trip from downtown SF to Fisherman's warf in a cable car.
Be careful with your wallet as there are pickpockets unlike in the past. Sadly, SF has gone down a lot in the last 30+ years. If you are a foodie, lots of great restaurants of all types of food.

[jpanhalt]

I agree w/ andy 3055.  Before the desecration of SF, you could walk a block or so from your downtown hotel and just drop in at very nice restaurant.  I found a nice piece of oil art for our home that way in the 70's.  Today, you have to be careful not to stumble over the homeless or step on discarded needles.  Charles Barkley (great American NBA player) just announce he is not going to the NBA All Star game because it is in SF.  As I said before, don't judge America by  what you see there.  Of course, there are probably some great attractions left, but be careful.

[phansel]

Put on a brave face and nobody will bother you.

[Analog Kid]

Put on a brave face and nobody will bother you.

Agreed. SF may be sufferring from what one Bay Area reporter used to call "people behaving badly", but it's not as if the zombie apocalypse has occurred. You might want to avoid some hot spots, like the Tenderloin and maybe even the mid-Market St. area. And if you have a car, don't leave anything in it that can be seen.

Otherwise, enjoy your visit.

San Francisco certainly isn't the only city in the world that's dealing with these kinds of problems. The SF "doom loop" story is a bit exaggerated. Not totally, but somewhat.

[tggzzz]

... but may have some free time in the evenings - recommendations for interesting things to see or do in the evenings would be appreciated (outside of the normal touristy things).

Consider staying over for a few days, but be careful of health insurance.

If walking, be aware of where/when it is less advisable to walk. It would be unwise to transfer UK expectations to the USA

If driving, look carefully at the map's scale. (The 100 years vs 100 miles joke is enlightening)

[nctnico]

... but may have some free time in the evenings - recommendations for interesting things to see or do in the evenings would be appreciated (outside of the normal touristy things).

Consider staying over for a few days, but be careful of health insurance.

When travelling to the US I'd make sure to have an extra healthcare insurance for travelling. Regular health insurances only cover costs up to what you'd pay at home. In the US hospital costs can spiral out of control quickly.

[tom66]

This trip is covered by my employer and I already have worldwide travel insurance (incl USA), but thanks for the advice.

I will be there for 1 week, as I'm attending the full photonics conference and a few courses.

[tggzzz]

This trip is covered by my employer and I already have worldwide travel insurance (incl USA), but thanks for the advice.

I will be there for 1 week, as I'm attending the full photonics conference and a few courses.

I once ensured meetings were spread across a weekend. That enabled me to piggy back off my employer's health insurance during the weekend.

BTW commuting to SF for one day is practical.

Rough timings from memory...
Leave UK noon, arrive SF 11pm body time 4pm local time. Eat and stay up till 8pm local time 3am body time.
Sleep until 7am (11hrs)
Have meeting.
Catch 4pm local flight back, sleeping on plane.
Arrive 4pm(?) local time.

[andy3055]

If you rent a vehicle, please get the damage waver. Fully worth ... even if it gets stolen.

I used to commute to SF daily for work till I retired in 2017. Try not to walk past 5th street as the area gets iffy to say the least.  From Embarcadero to 5th st. is where the action is anyway.  5th and Market is where you can catch the cable car to go to Fisherman's warf.  The cable runs underground. Have meal at Boudine... great tasting sea food and other stuff also.

[RJSV]

   Also, thanks to mention of 5th Street and security,  should give generic warning regarding BART subway travel:

   Don't flaunt a laptop on a train or platform,  ditto for expensive iPhones
Good shoes, rather than flip flops.
Plus all the other cautions, for any bad area, really.
   Expensive cameras go hidden away.  Keep ticket cash right in pocket.
No dozing off, with train in motion.

  Local folks are generally ok, on the BART, and maybe can provide more security related dialog, if you've started chatting there,  just be on lookout, for the 'psycosis' types, as the locals know about the severely ill that occasion the train system.

[porter]

Check out The Top of the Mark

The Top of the Mark is a penthouse level bar located on the nineteenth floor of the
 Mark Hopkins Hotel on Nob Hill at California and Mason Streets in San Francisco, California.
Located at the highest point of downtown San Francisco, on fog-free days the Top of the Mark
has views of the financial district, Chinatown, North Beach, The San Francisco Bay, and of Grace
 Cathedral and Huntington Park.(wikipedia)

https://www.topofthemark.com/

[Analog Kid]

Check out The Top of the Mark

The Top of the Mark is a penthouse level bar located on the nineteenth floor of the
 Mark Hopkins Hotel on Nob Hill at California and Mason Streets in San Francisco, California.
Located at the highest point of downtown San Francisco, on fog-free days the Top of the Mark
has views of the financial district, Chinatown, North Beach, The San Francisco Bay, and of Grace
 Cathedral and Huntington Park.(wikipedia)

https://www.topofthemark.com/

Or maybe not.
I remember going to that place as a total tourist (lived on the Peninsula at the time). Thought it would be kewl to have a drink so high up over The City.
Ordered a drink and got an overpriced, watered-down something served by a snobby bartender.
Never going there again.

[jpanhalt]

Same experience in the 80's on a business trip.  MUCH better places then to have a very nice dinner.

[Analog Kid]

If the OP is still about to go on their trip, a recommendation for a place to eat:
The Grubstake, which is a charming out-of-the way spot on Pine St., between Polk & Van Ness, in an old streetcar converted to a restaurant. One of the few places in SF that's open late at night (unlike NYC, they roll up the sidewalks there pretty early).

Although some caution here: I remember the place from the 2000's or so. It was founded and run at that time by a Portuguese family and actually had some Portuguese dishes. There were no problems that I remember.

However, they ran into trouble later on; they were in danger of being demolished to make way for one of those horrible piece-of-shit buildings they're so fond of putting up in the Bay Area these days. They somehow dodged that bullet, but the business has been taken over by new owners. And judging from the Yelp reviews, all is not well there; you have to pay in advance, for one thing.

Still in all, it's probably still a quite charming place, one of those few "only in San Francisco" places around. They're getting fewer and fewer as the city gets more gentrified, yuppified and overrun with snarky hipsters.

Few other places if you can manage to get there:
The St. Francis Fountain, on 24th St. just east of the Mission District:
Been there since the 1940s, and last I was there it looked like the decor hadn't changed since then.
American grill cuisine and yummy ice cream.

Pancho Villa, also on 24th but just west of Mission:
A great taqueria in the heart of The Mission (there are lots to choose from there but this one is particularly good).
They have the aguas frescas, like tamarindo and my favorite, sandia (watermelon), as well as great horchata (sweet rice drink).

And for a really out-of-the-way place:
The Tennessee Grill, on Taraval west of 19th Ave. in "the Avenues":
OK, this place will never win any awards for their cuisine, but it's one of my all-time favorite places to eat.
The food is not bad at all, just not anything that "foodies" would praise.
Simple stuff, like spaghetti and meatballs, meat loaf, burgers, fried chicken, etc.
All quite edible. And in an atmosphere that dates back to at least the 1950s.
You could take Muni to get there.

In fact, if you have any free time on your trip and want to explore the City and don't have a car, you could get a Muni pass that would get you on all the streetcars, the metro (subway) and buses, just not the cable cars.

Driving in San Francisco is a pain in the ass best avoided anyhow.

Or just pick a neighborhood and walk. (Maybe avoid the Tenderloin and Civic Center.)

[fourfathom]

SF in the daytime:  Walk across the Golden Gate Bridge.  This is "touristy", but worth it.  Drive out to the Point Bonita lighthouse.  Not usually crowded and very spectacular.