Recommendations for San Francisco

[LGatton]

I am taking my first real trip in over a year to San Francisco. My first time in the city so anybody have suggestions and recommendations? I like niche museums and other weird and quirky stuff that's off the usual tourist beaten path.

[+ Axiom2001]

I visited SFMOMA this past Sunday.  ...think it would be worth a visit, for the exhibits are unusual as well as poignant, esp. the ones created during the pandemic.  ...loved the museum store as well.  

...sorry that I can't recommend anything else, for I've been to "The City" almost monthly (hair cut) during the pandemic.  It "aint nothing" as it was pre-COVID.  I've been troubled by this; thus I have not explored the various neighborhoods, etc.

[+ azdr0710]

I like off-beat stuff, too......a walk thru the famously-tough Tenderloin neighborhood might be an eye-opener......I was surprised at its very central location and immediate proximity to the upscale hotels and stores of Union Square......walk west on Geary from the "safety" of the St. Francis Hotel just a couple blocks and notice the very quick change....then wander south of Geary and east of Van Ness and see what you find.....not as rough as many years ago (it's been discovered to some extent), but still a big piece of SF history and culture.......

[nate_sf]

I was in the Castro today, and with it being a warm sunny day it was very active. Though the City is still not what it was pre-Covid, it seems to be bouncing back pretty definitively as everyone has had cabin fever. Plus the parklets (impromptu dining areas in the parking spaces) are fun and creative, and are being well utilized.

Though it's warm today, that could change tomorrow if the fog rolls in. Be sure to bring some layers, as weather can get chilly and windy in the summer. Hoodies are great to have along with you.

A museum experience that is fun and a bit offbeat is to go to "NightLife" at the California Academy of Sciences on Thursday nights. It's just for adults (21 and over), bars are set up around the museum, and there is music and cool light displays. You get the run of the place, and can bring your cocktail with you as you check out the exhibits. You need to make reservations, and right now it's only every couple of weeks, so check your calendar and make reservations if it would fit with your trip: https://www.calacademy.org/nightlife

Edited June 12, 2021 by nate_sf

[LaffingBear]

Might be al little better now.  June 15 was statewide elimination of most mask restrictions. 

Agree with comments above, particularly about calacademy at night.

Remains a great dining city... 

If you've never been, a few tourist traps are worth visiting.   Like Alcatraz.  Walking around Ferry Building, particularly Saturday morning Farmers Market.  View from Twin Peaks.  Palace of Fine Arts.  Taking a ride across GG Bridge for Muir Woods 

[+ Vegas_Millennial]

On 6/2/2021 at 4:28 PM, LGatton said:

I am taking my first real trip in over a year to San Francisco. My first time in the city so anybody have suggestions and recommendations? I like niche museums and other weird and quirky stuff that's off the usual tourist beaten path.

The Walt Disney Family museum, located near the Golden Gate Bridge, is fantastic for anyone who even remotely likes Walt Disney.

Baker Beach is a clothing optional gay beach, especially the further north you go on the beach towards the Golden Gate Bridge.

[David1024]

Golden Gate Park and Ocean Beach are worth a visit if you enjoy walking. The Great Highway is now closed to vehicle traffic, so gives an opportunity to walk south from Ocean Beach without having to watch where you’re going. GG Park is a beautiful spot, and if you go wandering around the windmills, you’ll find that there’s still an active cruising scene. 

[+ Axiom2001]

On 6/20/2021 at 7:48 PM, LaffingBear said:

Might be al little better now.  June 15 was statewide elimination of most mask restrictions. 

Agree with comments above, particularly about calacademy at night.

Remains a great dining city... 

If you've never been, a few tourist traps are worth visiting.   Like Alcatraz.  Walking around Ferry Building, particularly Saturday morning Farmers Market.  View from Twin Peaks.  Palace of Fine Arts.  Taking a ride across GG Bridge for Muir Woods 

I think I'll play semi-tourist in September.  By that time many of the tourists would have visited the famous "City-by-the-Bay."  I'll take in (for the very first time in fifty+ years) what's suggested in your post.  ...strange I have not been to four of the places to which you alluded in your post.  It hasn't been that I was NOT interested, other features and events have occupied my time as a "semi-tourist" since I live on the Monterey Peninsula some 1 hour and 45 to 50 minutes away from me.