Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
48
however, it's not a gr eat area for hotels,
so stay elsewhere.
Fisherman's Wharf
This is one of the
country's most popular tourist attrac-
tions, just behind D isneyworld and
Disneyland. D epending on wher e y ou
are in F isherman's Wharf, it can feel a
lot like D isneyland as w ell. S tretching
from Van Ness Avenue to Kearny Street,
and fr om the piers to B ay S treet, the
wharf is home to
PIER 39,
a conglom-
eration of tacky tourist shops and o ver-
priced r estaurants. The pier cer tainly
has a lot for kids to lo ve, including an
aquarium; a carousel; playful stores like
Puppets on the Pier; an endless array of
chocolate, ice cream, and cookie shops;
and the noisy, smelly, but irresistible sea
lions. S teps away fr om the pier , the
cheesy attractions continue, with places
like
Rainforest Cafe
offering lackluster
food in a gimmicky environment.
Now that I've dampened your expec-
tations, let me say that the w estern side
of F isherman's Wharf, opposite P IER
39, is actually quite nice, getting better
every year, and wor th a visit. G limpses
of the area's maritime past are visible in
the wonder ful antique boats of the
Hyde Street Pier.
Here you'll also find
an upscale shopping mall at
Ghirardelli
Square,
a pleasant str etch of lawn for
kids to r un ar ound, a tiny beach, The
Cannery courtyard, and the M unicipal
Pier, with its sweeping views of the Bay
and the Golden Gate Bridge.
With all the tourists, it 's no surprise
most of the national chains hav e hotels
here, many with pools. U nfortunately,
except for the
Argonaut Hotel,
most of
the area's lodging is not very inspiring—
but it is all quite family-friendly.
North Beach
Landfill came betw een
the waves and N orth Beach more than
100 years ago, just one of many changes
this historic neighborhood has experi-
enced. Situated roughly from Broadway
to Lombard and Grant to Taylor streets,
it rubs shoulders with Telegraph Hill to
the east and R ussian H ill to the w est.
Columbus A venue, the main ar tery,
cuts thr ough at an angle, br ushing up
against Washington S quare P ark, the
village squar e. O nce populated b y the
Italian immigrants fr om G enoa and
Sicily who founded the ar ea's fishing
industry, North Beach is slo wly giving
way to Chinato wn—at least on its
southern edge, as Chinese shops cr eep
up Stockton Street past Broadway.
There's still plenty of M editerranean
warmth, lots of pasta, and cafes galor e.
Although no good family accommoda-
tions exist in North Beach, it's a delight-
ful spot to come to str
oll, shop , and
dine.
The Embarcadero
If one can use the
term “idyllic ” to describe an urban
amble, then a walk along the E mbarca-
dero anywher e betw een B each S treet
and A T&T P ark cer tainly qualifies.
Although the 1989 Loma P rieta earth-
quake wr eaked hav oc on homes and
lives thr oughout the B ay Ar ea, one
positive outcome was the r elease of the
waterfront from the ugly shadow of the
Embarcadero Freeway, which was dam-
aged and subsequently demolished. The
area's renewal has been astonishing and
has added immeasurably to the beauty
of the city . I n the past fe w y ears, an
extension to the M unicipal Railway
lines has brought streetcar service to the
entire E mbarcadero as far as F
3
isher-
man's Wharf.
Most recently, the 1896
Ferry Build-
ing
at the foot of M arket S treet was
completely rehabilitated. The attractive
building now contains an array of gour-
met food stor es and ex cellent r estau-
rants. O utside, y ou can br owse the
Ferry P laza F armer's M arket twice a
week; ex cursions to the S aturday mar-
ket ar e a r egular par t of many a S an
Franciscan's schedule. N ot far fr om
the F erry B uilding, the
Embarcadero
