How to Find San Francisco's Hidden Treasures

As a native San Franciscan, who now lives a couple of states away from California, I really try to stay away from all of the tourist sites, e.g., parts of Chinatown, Fisherman's Wharf and other tourist traps whenever I visit and show my kids around town. If you really want to see The City, try some of these local favorites.

By the way, if you plan to visit San Francisco during the summer, bring warm clothing. Mark Twain once said, "The coldest winter I've experienced was a summer in San Francisco". Want to visit when it's warm? Do it during the first couple of weeks in October when the temperature reaches the 80s.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Adventurous attitude

1. Cable car museum - Just outside of Chinatown at 1201 Mason Street (on the corner of Washington Street) is one of my favorite hangouts as a kid. I used to love to watch the gigantic wheels pulling the cables that made the cable cars move through the city. If you walk up Washington Street, about half a block, you can peek into the cable car barn and see where all the cable cars are stored at night. Unfortunately, it's not open to the public for safety reasons.

2. Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park - When school is in session, this place can be packed with kids on field trips and for good reason. This is THE place in San Francisco for science buffs. The Academy of Sciences has exhibits on astronomy, reptiles, fish, prehistoric life, physics and much more. Plan on taking an entire day to really see everything.
   
   TIP: Get there early so you can find a parking space.

3. The Exploratorium - Some science exhibits are made so they are "look but don't touch." This is the complete opposite. This place is packed on the weekends as families bring their kids to this kid-friendly place. Everyone is encouraged to participate in science exhibits that are designed to make science fun and exciting. The Exploratorium is located at 3601 Lyon Street which is on the very south end of Highway 101 that leads to the Golden Gate bridge.
   
   SIDE NOTE: The Exploratorium was created by Dr. Frank Oppenheimer - a member of the Manhattan Project whose goal was to develop the atomic bomb. He was director of the Exploratorium from 1965 until his death in 1985.

4. Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory - When my parents used to go grocery shopping in Chinatown, they would invariably bring me to this little fortune cookie factory where I could watch the workers manually fold the cookies. This place is located on the north end of Ross Alley (encompassed by Grant Ave and Stockton and Washington and Jackson) in a little nondescript storefront. Just follow the aroma of freshly baked cookies.

5. Chinatown - During college, I worked as a tour guide in Chinatown so I could earn some mad money. Here's a secret. Don't buy stuff in the tourist shops because it's garbage. Sorry, but it's true. If you want to see the locals in action, get off Grant Avenue where all the tourist shops are and travel up a block to Stockton Street. This is where all the action takes place for locals shopping for fresh veggies and other types of food. Grant Avenue does represent a great deal of history for Chinatown but much of the street has been taken over by businesses that specifically target tourists.

6. Chinatown number 2 - Now how many of you knew there was a second Chinatown in San Francisco? Now you do. It's located on Clement Street and runs from 3rd Avenue to 9th Avenue. This Chinatown is less crowded than it's original counterpart. That's a bonus because it makes parking easier. There are also many fine restaurants in this area and virtually no tourist shops.

7. Golden Gate Park on a Sunday afternoon - Besides the Academy of Sciences, the park is home to The Japanese Tea Garden, Stow Lake, The Golden Gate Equestrian Stadium and the Golden Gate Municipal Golf Course. During the summer, you'll find open air concerts in various locations of the park.
   
   WARNING - The park is closed to vehicle traffic on Sundays so you'll have to park outside of the park. When I lived there, I used to park along Fulton right around 8th Avenue and then walk into the park.

8. Restaurants - While I was living there, one of the local newspapers stated that the city had more restaurants per square mile than any other city in the United States. This can lead to some major confusion when deciding where to eat, especially if you want to eat where the locals eat. I would encourage you to use Yelp.com to read restaurant reviews before deciding where to dine. San Franciscans are spoiled by the wide variety of food that is available and will make it known if they don't like a particular restaurant.
   
   Avoid restaurants around Fisherman's Wharf because they are overpriced and the food is lousy.

Tips & Warnings

• Be adventurous and stray off the beaten path. You'll see the real San Francisco away from the tourist traps.
• If you are driving, carefully study maps so you don't get lost.
• If you are really adventurous, try the public transportation. Takes a little longer to get to your destination but you don't have to worry about parking.

[amylaine]

on 10/8/2009 I will be going to SF soon so I will be excited to use your tips, thanks.

[MommyBear]

on 2/24/2009 I love SF! I'm always looking for good places to eat when I visit SF. Thanks for the tip about avoiding restaurants on Fisherman's Wharf. Great article! :) 5*****

[Rockney]

on 11/30/2008 Great Article ! tons of information ! Can't wait to visit SF again!!

[HairCrazy]

on 11/20/2008 Great Article on SF hidden secrets. Thanks!

[jimdris]

on 11/20/2008 Excellent article - thanks for sharing these secrets.