EDIT: WHOOPS! Thought this was the landscape forum. Can a mod please move this? Thanks!
Hey folks,
I'll be in San Francisco for about 2 days and was wondering if any of you could recommend places to visit. This will be my third trip to San Francisco, but to be honest, I've only stayed in the city for a day or two for each trip. On my trips, I've visited:
Sausalito
Golden Gate/Bay Bridge
Crissy Fields
Union Square
Fisherman's Wharf
Palace of Fine Arts (never been in the Exploratorium though. Is it worth visiting?)
I'd like to visit some newer places, but since I'm traveling with a few people who've never been, we'll be doing some of these things again (I don't mind, but would like to see at least a few new things on this trip).
The Exploratorium is worth visiting for about an hour.
The locations you mentioned is enough for the two day trip. It isn't just the location, it's also time of day. There are also multiple locations to shoot the GG bridge from Sausalito and the Marin Headlands.
You can also hit the Legend of Honor Museum at Clement and 45th. There are also great street ops on Clement between 4th and 10th Ave in Richmond, Irving between 8th and 10th St, and Irving between 22nd and 25th ave. Historic Chinatown is also great for street photos.
Ahh the Legion of Honor! I always wanted to visit but never found the time. Perhaps I'll have the chance this time!
Thanks for the street photo ops Elton. I've done most of the landmarks (forgot about Coit, but didn't go up), so I may save my film for the lesser known things or some details I haven't caught before. Should be fun and I'm excited to eat some good food (like Mama's breakfast!).
Some other places to try Chinatown, Nob Hill, China Beach. Then there is everything in the Marin headlands and Fort Cronkite as on the other side of the Golden Gate..
- Baker Beach for beachy stuff and the best view of the GG bridge (pm only) if you walk north down the beach. Wrap up, however, because it's usually cold (get there by car).
- Twin Peaks for good views in all directions, assuming no fog, but nothing much else to experience except bus-loads of tourists (car needed)
- Treasure Island for the best view of downtown SF, but only if you happen to be heading back over the Bay Bridge from the east bay in the morning or around sunset, otherwise you're shooting into the sun (car again). FYI, if you're heading east over the bridge, the TI exit is on the left so be sure to be in the far left lane then work your way back over the freeway and down to the shore.
- Ferry Building on a Saturday morning when the farmer's market is alive and kicking. If you're feeling energetic, walk from the Ferry Building all the way aroun the embarcadero to Fisherman's Wharf. Long walk but goes past all the historic piers and you can hop on a historic F-line streetcar anywhere along the way if you get tired.
- Chinatown... Stockton Street and the alleys off it, down to Columbus Ave., for some Chinese cultural and culinary insanity (live toads, anyone?) Avoid Grant St.... tourist hell.
- Telegraph and/or Russian hill on foot, exploring the secret hillside stairs that make you feel like you're in another world and give killer views.
- Glen Park Canyon -- a real California canyon complete with creek, marsh, forests and rock climbing, right in the city.
- If you want a brunch to remember, look up a place called The Ramp. Right on the water, low-key, cool part of town (South Beach).
Chinatown was interesting, but I guess I was expecting it to be more like New York. Still a very cultural and cool place to visit! Thanks for the suggestions guys!
No I have not! Can't believe I missed that one! I've always wanted to shoot there, but it seems like its very crowded during the tours. I've heard of some people having exclusive photo sessions there, which would be very cool. I'll have to look into the Alcatraz tours.
Hope I'm not too late (and hope it's not too expensive!). Thanks for the suggestion oasis!
"Don't call it Frisco." It's a mantra heard more frequently than the "ahms" coming from yoga studios. Just a heads up-- the locals really dislike the term "Frisco."
I'd say skip some of the touristy stuff (like Fisherman's Wharf... yuck, I hate that place) and spend a day in the Marin Headlands. Tennessee Beach or Rodeo Beach. Or, if you want to stay in the city, take a look at the Sutro Baths and the outcrop of cliffs around that part of the city.
Have a meal at the "Cliff House" and take a walk though the "lands End" trail to the Leigion of Honor. The photo OPs are great. If you have time the LOH is worth the experience. http://www.pbase.com/sjprg/image/20812894
Few things in this world more beautiful than an old growth redwood forest and while in SF you will be awfully close to Muir Woods, which is just over the Golden Gate Bridge to the north. If you go late in the day, you can avoid most of the crowds. Our family lived for many years in Larkspur and I used to regularly run and hike in the Muir Woods area after work. If the park closed at 8 (as it does during the summer. I think it is 7pm this time of year) I'd arrive about an hour before and have the place mostly to myself.
Definitely hit Muir Woods. Alamo Square for the classic Victorians/Transamerica building view. Golden Gate Park has a number of cool areas to photograph. I agree on skipping Fisherman's Wharf for photography, it was rather disappointing, more of an outdoor mall now. Same goes for Pier 39.
justruss wrote:
"Don't call it Frisco." It's a mantra heard more frequently than the "ahms" coming from yoga studios. Just a heads up-- the locals really dislike the term "Frisco."
I've never understood this... Frisco is actually quite a historic moniker for the city. No idea why it's become so hated.
Most Bay Area locals refer to San Francisco as either "The City" (which is odd because it's not the largest city in the Bay Area) or simply "SF" (which seems like homage to LA to me), with the occasional "San Fran" thrown in for good measure.
Alamo Square Victorians
Haight-Ashbury murals
Strybing Arboretum - lots blooming now
Conservatory of Flowers - very exotic colorful flowers; a delight
for the macro shooter
Museums which allow photography: Asian Art Museum,
Palace of Legion of Honor, DeYoung
Parrots of Telegraph Hill
Paul Gardner wrote:
Have a meal at the "Cliff House" and take a walk though the "lands End" trail to the Leigion of Honor. The photo OPs are great. If you have time the LOH is worth the experience. http://www.pbase.com/sjprg/image/20812894
Agreed. The Cliff House can be a good place to eat when you check out the ruins of the Sutro Baths which was a pretty cool place a hundred years ago.
pipspeak wrote:
I've never understood this... Frisco is actually quite a historic moniker for the city. No idea why it's become so hated.
Most Bay Area locals refer to San Francisco as either "The City" (which is odd because it's not the largest city in the Bay Area) or simply "SF" (which seems like homage to LA to me), with the occasional "San Fran" thrown in for good measure.
"The City" originated before San Jose surpassed it in population but SF remains far more of a "City" than SJ. As to SF, I think it as likely that it was called that before Los Angeles was called LA. LA didn't begin booming until fifty years after SF took off.
Destinations - Fort Point under GGBridge is a great photo op. On the first Sat of the month IIRC you can tour the Nike missile facility in the headlands near Pt. Bonita and actually ride the elevator with a Nike missile into and out of the missile magazine.
