San Francisco on a Budget

Our Local Expert Says:

The park is home to the architecturally striking De Young museum, with notable collections of American painters and South American, Oceanic and African indigenous art. Across the Music Concourse is the stunning new LEED Platinum certified home of the California Academy of Sciences, the greenest museum building in the world. Check out its living roof!

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Spanning three miles from the edge of Haight-Ashbury all the way to the Pacific Ocean, Golden Gate Park contains so many mini-universes and attractions you'll want to (literally) stop and smell the roses on several occasions. Die-hard nature lovers can check out the Rose Garden, the Conservatory of Flowers, or the famous Japanese Tea Garden, featuring a classic pagoda, cherry blossoms, and landscaping straight out of the Land of the Rising Sun. Golden Gate Park's natural highlight, however, is the San Francisco Botanical Garden, which features a horticultural trip around the world (don't miss the redwood grove and succulents section).
Don't miss Golden Gate Park's two world-class museums, the California Academy of Sciences and the De Young Museum. Both were completely rebuilt in their original locations in the past decade, and are worth a visit for their architecture alone. The park is also the perfect place to get active. There are tons of walking paths, several public tennis courts, an affordable pitch and put nine-hole golf course, sport fields, and picnic grounds. You can even rent a boat and head out for a delightful row on Stow Lake. Spring, summer, and fall bring a number of... read more

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This is a living museum in Golden Gate Park that is home to a wide array of rare and exotic plant life from around the world. Visit the 70-acre garden and explore seemingly endless trails with duck ponds, an arbor, herbs, flowers, blooming trees and redwoods, and smaller, specialized gardens with names like the Garden of Fragrance. Also on hand is an education center that provides different gardening, horticulture, botany, and environmental classes for adults and children, plus a horticulture library and bookstore. The public is allowed to stroll through the garden anytime, although they are asked to keep on the paths.

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Built in the late 1870s, the oldest building in the park is the last remaining wood-frame Victorian conservatory in the country. It's also a copy of the conservatory in the Royal Botanical Gardens in Kew, England, with a spectacular, 14-ton glass dome atop its perch. The gardens in front of the conservatory are planted seasonally, with the flowers often fashioned like billboards depicting the Golden Gate Bridge or other city sights. On the east side of the conservatory (to the right as you face the building), cypress, pine, and redwood trees surround the Dahlia Garden, which blooms in summer and fall. To the west several hundred feet on John F. Kennedy Drive is the Rhododendron Dell. The dell contains the most varieties -- 850 in all -- of any garden in the country. It's especially beautiful in March, when many of the flowers bloom, and is a favorite spot of locals for Mother's Day picnics.

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This center of '60s psychedelic activity to this day retains counterculture credentials with a proliferation of piercing salons, bookstores brimming with hippie nostalgia, and off-beat shops set amid Victorian architecture.

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The menu of this eatery proudly proclaims "Absolutely Mexican, Absolutely Fresh". Regular patrons happily agree to this. Located right in the middle of the Haight Street shopping district, this place offers authentic Mexican food cooked with fresh vegetables from California farms. Menu items include the Burrito Vallarta, which is a burrito filled with fresh prawns, California cactus and red peppers and the Super Vegetarian Nachos, covered with zucchini, mushrooms, carrots and onions.

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When you're a starving writer you quickly discover that the cheapest, healthiest, and most satisfying things to eat in San Francisco are burritos and noodles. Citrus Club does noodles. Large, heaping bowls of thick Asian noodles, served hot in bone-warming broth or cool, minty, and refreshing. In typical Upper Haight fashion, the Club has sort of a cheap-Polynesian-chic feel -- love those Vietnamese straw hat lamps -- a young, hip staff and clientele, and the omnipresent world beat rhythms. Most items on the menu are unlike anything you've seen before, so take my advice and walk around the two dining rooms to see what looks good before ordering. A refreshing starter is the citrus salad made with mixed greens, mint, fried noodles, and a tangy citrus vinaigrette. Popular cold noodle selections are the spicy lime and coconut, and the orange-mint. For hot noodles, try the marmalade shrimp or sweet chile-glazed tofu and greens. If you're in a party mood, order a sake margarita; otherwise, a big pot of ginger tea goes well with any of the noodle dishes.

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The Grateful Dead are always playing in the background, but they are often drowned out by the crowds of people, from 20 and 30 something professionals to artsy hipsters to not-so-burned-out hippies, who congregate here for fantastic beer and delicious food designed to complement the brew. The menu changes daily, and the cuisine is sensibly seasonal and local, which pleases the locals and shows off the possibilities of Bay Area farming. Wait, why the constant stream of Grateful Dead, you ask? This historic Haight-Ashbury location was once the site of the infamous Magnolia Thunderpussy bakery/restaurant, run by the eponymous burlesque dancer, free love pioneer, restaurateur and favorite friend of many of the musicians who came to record in San Francisco. If you don't know about Magnolia Thunderpussy, well, you shouldn't leave San Francisco until you do. Good beer will help, making Magnolia a great place to start, or continue, your investigation.

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The loyal regulars of this brunch mecca know that the often-long waits are worth it. While hungry couples and eager families order at the counter prior to being seated, and the outdoor bathroom can seem daunting, the ever-smiling service will brighten any mood--even before morning coffee. The sparse country-style decor belies the gourmet goods--this place caters to the breakfast epicure with a big appetite. Fluffy "m'omelettes" are perfectly cooked without a speck of brown, bulging with fillers like pancetta and garlicky cheese. Made with freshly baked breads, the many French toast offerings--Kugelpuph, with cinnamon-swirled brioche, or Apple Pan Dore, crispy baguette slices and warm apples in a light butter-lemon sauce, are equally tempting.

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The landmark Coit Tower was built in the 1930's as a tribute to the city's firefighters, at the behest of eccentric local celebrity Lillie Hitchcock Coit, an honorary firefighter herself. Today, Coit Tower stands proudly on the northeastern edge of the city in the scenic Telegraph Hill district. Although Coit Tower is accessed by an entirely uphill climb, visitors who brave it are treated to unparalleled views of the Bay and its bridges, Marin County, the East Bay, and the undulating San Francisco cityscape. Plus there's an incredible Art Deco mural that covers the entire circumference of the tower's interior ground-floor walls. Painted by 26 artists, this masterpiece depicts many aspects of '30's California industry and labor. Remember, the walk back is all downhill; head southwest into the nearby Italian-American enclave of North Beach for a cappuccino and gelato and some fabulous shopping on Grant Avenue.

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Famed as the "crookedest street in the world," the swath of Lombard Street between Hyde and Leavenworth streets in San Francisco's Russian Hill district is indeed full of twists and turns. Lombard Street was designed as a series of switchbacks in order to make its steep grade navigable by automobile. Today, you'll almost definitely see Lombard Street congested with cars making the celebrated drive down. Therefore, we recommend hoofing it-you'll be able to admire all the more slowly the lovely, brightly-colored houses flanked with bougainvillea and all manner of flowers, as well as the gorgeous view of North Beach, Telegraph Hill, and the bay. After winding down Lombard Street, head east to nearby North Beach for serious Italian eats, or north to the maritime delights of Fisherman's Wharf and Ghiradelli Square.

Our Local Expert Says:

You can find everything from slippers, chicken's feet, porcelain statues of buddha, and fire-works in San Francisco's Chinatown.

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Red lanterns waving in the breeze. Incense wafting out of small temples. Esoteric medicinal herbs dangling in shop windows. Some aspects of San Francisco's Chinatown, the oldest in America, hardly seem worlds apart from the motherland and haven't changed much from when the neighborhood was first built in the mid-19th century. Enter at the dragon-flanked gate on Bush Street at Grant Avenue and get lost in a wonderland of bustling produce markets, touches of ancient Chinese architecture, quirky gift and houseware shops, art galleries, clothing stores, dim sum eateries, and serene tea houses, the densest concentration of which are on Grant Avenue and Stockton Street. Some hot spots are Portsmouth Square, where you can admire the graceful movements of Tai Chi practitioners and the strategy of elderly chess players, and the Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco, where Sinophiles can take in art exhibits, be led on an informative, guided Heritage Walking Tour (excellent for those wishing to pick up on the area's rich history), or take a brush painting or traditional Chinese music workshop.

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If you want to know how a cable car works, this is the place to learn. The world's first cable car rests here and with it a concise explanation of how those little cable cars go halfway to the stars. In an underground viewing area, you can look at the system's enormous cable wheels, which pull 11 miles of cable at 9.5 miles per hour. The cable cars move by clamping onto it and stop by their release. Examine closely the steel cables, gears, and pulleys that bring this city's most famous transportation to life. Don't miss the gift store. Admission is free.

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You just might not be able to stop yourself from singing the old Rice-a-Roni jingle each time you ride a gleaming, red San Francisco Cable Car. Although it's mostly tourists who ride these iconic streetcars, even locals who live near the cable lines get in on the action just because it's the most fun way to experience the hilly, roller-coaster ride that is San Francisco topography. Hold on tight and boldly lean outside the Cable Car for unparalleled views of the cityscape and the Bay rising and fading. For the best Cable Car ride the city has to offer, brave the line at Powell and Market and take the Powell Street line up some of the city's steepest hills, all the way to its terminus at Fisherman's Wharf. For an alternative, take the Hyde Street line to the top of twisty-turny Lombard Street. The California Street line takes you through the Financial District to the more elegant residential turf of the Nob Hill district, home to some of the city's most luxurious hotels.

Our Local Expert Says:

There's no better view of the Bay than from the top of Mt. Tam

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From its exposed 2,751-foot peak boasting panoramic views of the Bay Area to the redwood-, fir-, and oak- sheltered hiking and mountain biking trails meandering down to its base, Mount Tamalpais State Park is a paragon of Northern California natural beauty. Home to over 73 native plant species and a host of wildlife, Mount Tam is the ideal place to bask in the great outdoors. After all, visitors can not only hike or bike, but also go horseback riding or camping; overnight cabins are onsite and two quaint inns are nearby to provide more comfort to those who aren't crazy about tents. Although nature is the main attraction at Mount Tamalpais State Park, locals also hike in with a picnic to attend the annual springtime open-air Broadway revival performance at the Mountain Theater, which has natural-stone amphitheatre seating.

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This visitor center contains exhibits on lighthouses, wild flowers,geology and marine life. It is closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

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This bistro, which is more like a bakery, has gained loads of recognition since its opening in 2002. This little place, consisting of a few tables with vases of fresh flowers, lends a countryside ambience. To add to this experience, the aroma of freshly baked cakes and buns fills the air. The mouth-watering lemon cream tarts and delightful Morning Buns with cinnamon and orange are a must have. Here you'll find a wide range of delectable pastries.

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The northernmost of the California missions founded by Father Junipero Serra, this mission is the oldest structure in San Francisco, dating from 1788. Walk inside and it is like Spanish-colonial San Francisco beneath roof beams held together with rawhide strips. The graveyard includes the remains of both noble colonial families and the Native Americans who were conscripted to build and then serve the Mission. The museum houses artifacts and manuscripts.

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The food here can be summed up in six words: really big, really good, really cheap. That is why Pancho Villa is so popular. The place is huge, offering plenty of room to sit and savor your meal. Enjoy the local artwork displays as you eat your taco, quesedilla, burritto, nachos, or special platter. Chicken, beef, beans, tofu, pork, chile verde, chili colorado, tongue, seafood, cheese, vegetables are your options. Take your pick of fillings for your entrees. Toppings include sour cream, guacamole, lettuce, and a variety of home made salsas. The service is friendly and quick.

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These tours are sponsored by the San Francisco Public Library. Over 25 tours focus on different aspects of San Francisco culture, including the city's history and architecture. Recent tours have included a walking tour of the Mission District's murals and an Art Deco tour of the Marina. All tours are free, though donations to benefit the library are requested. Departure locations and times vary. Call or write the main library branch for information.