From: jon@lindy.Stanford.EDU (Jon Corelis)
Subject: Re: San Francisco Sightseeing
Organization: Stanford University, California, USA
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1992 17:19:25 GMT

   It depends on what you want, of course, but if I had to choose only
one thing to advise visitors to do in San Francisco, it would be to
ditch your car and spend at least one day walking around the
Chinatown/North Beach/Financial District/ Embarcadero/Telegraph
Hill/Russian Hill district in the northeast quadrant of the city.  All
these neighborhoods are very close together, and they form one of the
most interesting urban landscapes in the world, offering superb and
ever-changing views, various architectural styles, nice "hidden-away"
parks, varied ethnic enclaves, numerous interesting shops, and one of
the most intense concentrations of restaurants, cafes, and bars in the
world. 

   A couple things to do in this area that maybe haven't been mentioned
yet:

     Go up into Coit Tower.  Costs a few bucks, but worth it for the
spectacular view from the top, and for the chance to get a close view of
the WPA murals on the inside walls.  The gift shop has this old machine
that for a price will convert a penny into an ellipsoid medallion
embossed with a picture of Telegraph Hill before your very eyes!  [Note:
DO NOT drive your car up to see the top of Telegraph Hill.  Due to very
limited parking at the top, the cars form a line up to the top and the
wait during tourist season can be an hour or more.  Walking up is steep,
but it's only a few blocks.]

     Take one of the commuter ferries from the Ferry Building.  Just as
nice as the fancy tourist cruises, and lots cheaper.

     Visit the Rincon Post Office on Spear Street near the Embarcadero.
This is an old post office with Art Deco-style architecture and
interesting murals showing the history of California, which has been
turned into a mall.  Part of it houses a small museum of San Francisco
history.  Good restaurants here, including Wu Kong (possibly the best
dim sum in the city) and Etrusca for Italian.

   Walk out on the new public fishing pier on the Embarcadero at the
foot of Broadway.  You can get way out on the Bay.  Spectacular view,
and lots of fresh air.

     Shop.  Some good specialty food stores are Ten Ren Tea Shop on
Grant in Chinatown, Graffeo Coffee on Columbus for fresh roasted beans,
Stella Pastry on Columbus for their unique Sacripantina cake, and
Molinari's spectacular Italian delicatessen on Columbus at Vallejo.
People who come from a place that doesn't have a really big record store
might be interested in the huge Tower Records at Columbus and Bay.  City
Lights on Columbus for books.  There's also a place on Grant in
Chinatown called The Wok Shop that has every conceivable type of Chinese
and Western kitchen implement.  Things that I've bought there include an
Avocarvo (a special knife for preparing avacados,) a Pineapple Prince (a
contraption for hollowing out pineapples,) and little glass squirt
bottles for soy sauce just like they have in cheap Chinese restaurants!

   Well, I could go on, but perhaps this makes the point that this area
is worth exploring.
--


Jon Corelis               jon@lindy.stanford.edu
Stanford University       BITNET:  BR.JGC@RLG.STANFORD.EDU 
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