Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
46
San Francisco. Newcomers quickly created havens within the city to support and sustain
their cultures. Neighborhoods emerged with pr edominant characteristics and, whether
by foresight or fate, over the decades they hav e managed to maintain their individuality
despite the forces of popular culture. San Franciscans, although there's no single accurate
description of that species, believ e in the vir tues of div ersity and self-expr ession. And
that's another r eason why, along with those hills and that vie w, you just hav e to love it
here.
VISITOR INFORMATION
The San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau operates the
Visitor Information
Center
on the lower level of Hallidie Plaza on Powell and Market streets (
&
415/391-
2000;
www.onlyinsanfrancisco.com). The staff is multilingual and genuinely helpful.
Visit the information center for topics; maps; Municipal Railway passes for buses, street-
cars, and cable cars; souv enirs; and tons of br ochures to guide y ou fur ther. I t's open
Monday through Friday 9am to 5pm and w eekends 9am to 3pm.
Warning:
Ar ound Fisherman's Wharf and else where, y ou may see manned booths
with signs proclaiming themselves tourist information centers. These booths are operated
by organizations such as the Fisherman's Wharf Merchants' Association or by tour com-
panies, boat lines, or other attractions, and, as such, ar e not the best sour ce of unbiased
advice. For that, y ou should phone or visit the Visitor Information Center mentioned
above.
THE LAY OF THE LAND
The city is divided up into neighborhoods as diverse and interesting as their inhabitants.
Streets, for the most part, are laid out in a traditional grid pattern, with two major excep-
tions: Market Street and Columbus Avenue. Market Street cuts through town from the
Embarcadero up toward Twin Peaks in the Sunset District. Columbus Avenue runs at an
angle through North Beach starting at the Transamerica Pyramid and ending near the
Hyde Street Pier. Another impor tant thoroughfare, Geary Boulevard, runs all the way
from Market Street through town to Ocean Beach.
Even the traditionally laid out roads are confusing when a hill gets in the way and the
street ends abr uptly only to emerge on the other side, which is par ticularly annoying if
you're driving. Travel with a map; I like the
San Francisco Transit Rider M ap and Guide
(see “Maps” in the “Fast Facts” section of the appendix for details on finding one). Num-
bered
streets,
by the way , ar e do wntown, south of M arket S treet. N umbered
avenues
(notice the subtle difference) are found in the Richmond and S unset districts southwest
of downtown.
3
NEIGHBORHOODS IN BRIEF
Union S quare
Named for the his-
toric plaza it encompasses, U nion
Square is the cultural and commer cial
heart of S an F rancisco. This is wher e
tourists, and plenty of r esidents, come
to shop. The roughly 22 squar e blocks
bordered by Market, Mason, Bush, and
Kearny str eets house S an F rancisco's
greatest concentration of hotels in every
rate categor y, clothing stor es, galleries,
and theaters. Equally plentiful in Union
Square ar e r estaurants, although they
cater mainly to tourists and business-
people. (With a few notable exceptions,
San Francisco's better dining options, at
