My favorite area is North Beach. There are tons of restaurants and cafes in that area, as well as Coit Tower, which offers a fabulous view in all directions.

obviously chinatown and fisherman’s wharf. we went and ate some awesome just-off-the-boat seafood and it was great. we took the trolley everywhere and it was so much fun. we walked everywhere (w/ exception of the trolley) so be sure to pack some comfey shoes. and I second the sealions—so beautiful!

Uhg, north beach sucks, all the ugliest parts of the american tourist industrial complex.

Make sure you take at least one ferry ride, either to alcatraz, or angel island, marin, etc…

Check out the golden gate bridge, you can bike there or take a bus.

Make sure you eat a burrito in the mission. There are also lots of cool murals.

Go see Alamo square, pretty painted ladies, classic san francisco.

No one has yet mentioned the Museum of Modern Art, which I always try to get to. Check out Castro, lots of cool shops there, and the Mission district. Golden Gate park is pretty, and there are some great restaurants on the west end of Lombard.

I like the haight and china town… the Museum of Modern Art is really cool. I also enjoy going to Japan town. It’s not very big, but the Japan town center has some of the best food! Plus you can find fun Japanese stuff in the grocery stores. The pier is also fun, even if it is touriesty. They have a fun ripley’s belive it or not thing there. I’ve never been to Alcatraz, but Angel Island is really beautiful.

My favorite place to stay in San Fran is the Mossier Hotel, they have really reaonable rates.

Public transportation is definitely the way to go. The busses are not hard to figure out at all. You should be able to pick up a little pocket tourist map from your hotel.

I would definitely check out Golden Gate Park, very peaceful and calm.

1. SEALIONS!!!

2. go up to Coit Tower, but don’t pay to go to the top. just walk around.

Guess it depends on what you want to do..

I really enjoyed being in the center of the city. I think it was the Prescott Hotel. Right in the center of everything.. Good restaurants,etc..

Golden State Brige

ChinaTown

Exploratorium

Trying to remember this French Restaurant.. I think it’s Jardiniere

If it’s a sunny day, have a picnic at Marina Green right by Fort Mason. It’s a lovely little park where you can see the Bay, the GGB, and it’s not touristy.

Ok… most of the folks answering this question were tourists, so they recommend going where all the tourists go.

As a former local, I’d recommend:

(1) The Mission (Valencia St. between 16th & 21st) for good food, great book shops, the pirate store (www.826valencia.org), the exotic plant store (next door to the pirate store), and lots of other good spots. At 14th (I think) and Valencia is a great biker bar called Zeitgeist – good microbrews on tap and BBQ (the service sucks, but it’s supposed to).

(2) Golden Gate Park is great if it’s sunny. There’s a Japanese Tea Garden there, a natural history museaum, and lots of great natural spots to stroll around / throw a frisbee in. You can also walk out to the beach from there (great sunsets – take the N line out to the end if you don’t want to walk through the park).

(3) Check and see who’s playing at the Fillmore (thefillmore.com) and this other GREAT venue near Church & Market (the name escapes me, it’s on Market just west of the intersection).

Those are some of my top picks. Depends on what you’re up for…

I’ll throw out some random spots in case you are in any of these areas.

Mission (my hood)
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If you love coffee, you must go to Ritual on Valencia between 23rd & 22nd (in the Mission). It’s the best new Coffee/Espresso shop in SF. Awesome coffee roasted by Stumptown in Oregon.

For music, check out the Elbow Room (Valencia Street/19th) & the Make Out Room (23rd/Mission). Always great Music. Papa Tobys (across from Make Out Room always has good jazz or Blue grass at 8:30. I’m there right now!

For a view, check out the Sky Terrace at Majhool (Mission/21st). It closes at 11pm (due to noise) so go just after sunset. Goergeous view of downtown and always hot international & local women hanging out.

Downtown/Waterfront
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Check out the Ferry Building during the day: bunch of great gourmet shops for chocolates, tasting wine, cheese, flowers, etc..

The Sea Lions at pier 39 are a treat if they are lounging.

North Beach
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Always fun to walk around and check out. Steps of Rome is a cool place for a drink and environment. Stinking Rose (across the street) is a great popular restaurant. Cobbs comedy Club (up Columbus toward the water) is the best venue in town for consistantly good comics. Also down on Broadway (Broadway/Columbus) are the strip joints, if thats your thing.

Thats it off the top of my head. Have a great time!

Haight – for shopping (music, clothes, books, etc…)

N. Beach – I agree that for the most part it sucks. Do yourself a favor and stay off of Broadway. You’ll find much better bars, and restaurants on and off of Columbus.

Chinatown – right next to N. Beach so it’s worth a quick stroll

Union Sq – if shopping is your thing (big department store type that it) Union Sq is a must see. If you walk from N. Beach through Chinatown toward Market then you’ll hit Union Sq.

Castro – unique SF culture, nice shops and restaurants.

Mission – great place for Mexican and S. American food. Also some other great restaurants, shops, bars and clubs.

MoMa – if you’re into modern art or if it’s raining then you should check it out.

I’d skip pier 39, fisherman’s warf, etc… although the chowder, crab, etc is very tasty.

Okay, you asked. Here goes. Advice from the local girl:

1. Downtown: Go to SFMoMa, take in a show. Catch a Market bus to the Ferry Building. While waiting for bus, call Slanted Door and make reservations for within the hour. Call friends and brag like crazy. Walk off your daikon radish cake at Fisherman’s Wharf. NOTE: I know this is a tourist trap, but everyone and their mama has been there, so just walk through it to see it (hold your nose with the sea lions). Take Cable Car (can’t believe no one has yet said it yet) at Hayes Street back to Powell. Admire the beauty of it all. You’ll pass North Beach, the Financial District and Downtown too.

2. Indy SF: Take BART to 16th Street. Walk up one block. Eat a famed Silver Bullet: the burrito at Pancho Villa. Smile as you fit in with the locals. Walk off your beans and rice up 16th until Market. Hang a left until you reach Castro, the gayest little corner of the world. Dance with a cute boy at Cafe Flore. Catch the 37 bus at Castro and Market up to Twin Peaks. Take a picture with your camera phone and send it to your friends. Take the 37 down the hill towards Haight Street and see the 60’s leftovers and buy a tie-dyed shirt. Or a bong. Whatever floats your boat. If you’re feeling ambitious, go to Golden Gate Park and see the De Young or the famed Bison. Yes, they exist. You can try and tempt the fates with a visit to Stow Lake and see the mysterious White Lady by the Lake.

3. Take the 38 Geary to Japantown and feel like you’re in another country. Yes it’s touristy again, but check out the sushi boat bar! Walk down to Fillmore, see if there’s a show worth seeing. If not, hang a right and go north onto Fillmore and see the beautiful people who should be working waste the day away shopping and having coffee. Catch the 22 Fillmore towards Lombard. Get off on Lombard and catch the 28 towards the Golden Gate Bridge. Get off at the Toll Plaza and marvel that the bridge is not golden, it’s International Orange. Pause a moment and write a haiku on this. Send it to your friend who you never write to.

Well, that’s it for now. It’s ambitious, I know, but it’s also a lot of fun places I’d drive folks to when they come into town. At the very least, sample some fine cuisine. If you have time, go to Asia SF (one of my favorite joints in the city) and take some pics with the pretty ladies ;-)

Enjoy.

Beach Blanket Babylon – http://www.beachblanketbabylon.com/.

Probably the funniest show I’ve ever seen. My wife and I laughed till our faces hurt.