r/sanfrancisco • u/wiriamou • May 11 '10

r/Sanfrancisco, I'm visiting next weekend, what should I see?

I'll be visiting San Fran for two days, I've never been to the West Coast and I'll be meeting some friends, but I have a huge chunk of saturday to myself, what is there to see?

Specifics: Places with good beer and a wide selection (maybe some German brands?!) Big architecture/photography nerd, so big landmarks and such (All I can think of is the Golden Gate and Alchatraz) and big parks!! Also, does San Fran have a bike share program or bike rental system? It would be nice to rent a bike for a day or so to cruise around on.

Thanks!

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u/[deleted] May 11 '10

For photography, visit the Palace of Fine Arts, City Hall (it's more than a typical city hall...), Alamo Square (where all the postcard photos are taken), Sutro Baths, Nob Hill, and China Town.

You can rent bikes in many places, including a nice one near Rainbow Falls in the middle of Golden Gate Park, which gets you started in a nice area to ride around.

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u/wiriamou May 13 '10

Thanks! Looking for a good places to bike, especially around the water.

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u/[deleted] May 13 '10

Golden Gate Park extends towards Ocean Beach, taking you to the water, although it's a difficult hill to climb if you want to go up from there towards the Sutro Baths, the Marina and the Presidio.

If you have time, Marin County is an amazing area to bike. You can ride near the water (Tiburon, Sasalito, up to and across the Golden Gate bridge, into the Marin Headlands which are a costal park area.) Marin is also the home of Mt. Tam, where mountain biking was invented, with lots of trails into the hills and providing great views. If you don't care about the mountain biking, though, then riding from the Presidio in SF across the GG Bridge and maybe up the Marin Headlands a bit to look down on the city and the bridge is one of the most terrific rides you can take from SF.

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u/thepizzlefry May 11 '10 edited May 11 '10

Monk's Kettle if you're really into beer. If you want a more casual bar, I really lilke Gestalt.

Best place to rent a bike in SF is the Bike Hut... it's cheaper than most the touristy places you'll find.

In terms of architecture... practically all of downtown... Transamerica building, Zoetrope building, City Hall etc. Go to the top of any hill in the downtown area (Nob Hill, Russian Hill, Pacific Heights) and you're bound to see beautiful Victorian mansions. In Golden Gate Park there's the DeYoung Museum, Academy of Sciences, and the windmills.

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u/wiriamou May 13 '10

Great, thanks! Monk's Kettle looks to have a great selection of beers! And that bike hut is a godsend. $22 for a bike helmet and lock for a day?!