San Francisco Trip Thread

I littered last week's ride report with discussion about SF. This is a better area to ask.

I'll be there from Saturday (9/27) evening to Thursday (10/2) night. Most of my days I'll be in a hotel convention center with a bunch of geeks geeking out over technology. When I'm out of the conference, where should I go, what should I do, where should I eat and drink? I'm staying in the Lower Pacific Heights area - around Bush and Fillmore. I'll be traveling with 2 really good friends/co-workers who have similar interests to me (good food, good drinks, etc).

Bike riding is doubtful, but I'm still considering it. I'll likely be running through the streets towards the presidio trail in the wee hours of the morning to stay sane.

I haven't been to SF in over 7 years, but saw all the tourist sights while I was there, so I'm looking for "fun like a local" suggestions. No streaking through the streets recommendations please.

Should we have a VSalon Meetup? I'll pass on the Conference sponsored Macklemore and Aerosmith concerts to meet-up with some awesome folks. Matt S will be there for a night or two while I'm there so SoFla will be well represented.

- Brandon

Caution: I like dive bars.

Bush/Fillmore isn't really my kind of area but if you walk down Fillmore past Geary you'll hit the Fat Angel which has good beer and decent food. State Bird Provisions is nearby and insanely popular - I haven't eaten there, but it gets rave reviews and is tough to get into. Elite Cafe on Fillmore is as Fillmore as bars come these days - decent drinks at OK prices in a classier atmosphere than the clientele. I dont even know what that means, and I wrote it.

Downtown, check out House of Shields, Dave's, Rickhouse (gets crowded), the Pied Piper (inside the Palace Hotel, and named for the huge Maxfield Parrish painting above the bar) or walk up Kearny to North Beach and head to Mario's for a beer and a sandwich or 15 Romolo or Specs or Mr Bing's or Vesuvio. Forget Tosca, it's a classic but they got sold and it's not the same. Don't eat the food at Rogue Brewing but they do have Dead Guy on draft so it's OK. Park Tavern is good too, and so is Tony's Pizza, but get it to go and eat it in the park down the block.

Chinatown - Li Po and Buddha are the best spots. Also Grasslands on Kearny on the way to North Beach.

Check out Emperor Norton's Boozeland on Larkin, or the Hemlock on Polk. Lots of good stuff around there too. Get a pile of meat on a plate at Tommy's Joynt until 1am or so and it'll soak up the booze. They also have a decent beer list. Edinburgh Castle is down the street and has the best selection of Scotch whisky in the city, and the most knowledgeable bartenders, and after 11 or so the waitress from the fish and chips joint down the street comes in and takes orders.

Mission - go to Kilowatt, Delirium, the Phoenix, Giordano Bros. Go to Bender's and eat tater tots and swill PBR with messengers and wannabes (indoor bike parking and a punk rock jukebox a plus.) Get a California Burrito at Taqueria Los Coyotes (carne asada, avocado, french fries) and cram the whole thing in your face in five seconds. Four Barrel Coffee.

Rapha Cycle Club is cool and is waaaay up Fillmore in the Marina, but all the bars up there suck.

I don't expect you to end up in the Richmond but if you do, let me know and I'll shower you with recommendations.

Food and drink is fine but I am waiting for the riding piece of this ;-)

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Originally Posted by Lionel

Food and drink is fine but I am waiting for the riding piece of this ;-)

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Seriously. I'm going to hijack velobran's thread so I don't have to start my own. I'll be there with bike. Other than two days in Santa Clara for work (and thrill rides at Great America), I'll be splitting my time between San Francisco and Napa Valley with my wife. Where's the best place to stay in the city to make it easy to get out and ride? Easy is key so I can maximize my time while my wife is sleeping.

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Originally Posted by zetroc

Caution: I like dive bars.
snip for ease of reading.

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Thanks for this. Lower Pac Heights was kind of process of elimination. Something close enough to the conference and had 3 beds. We had to go with a vacation rental since hotel prices were more than what my company wanted to pay. We can duck down to Mission pretty easily from the conference too so that's convenient.

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Originally Posted by Matthew Strongin

Seriously. I'm going to hijack velobran's thread so I don't have to start my own. I'll be there with bike. Other than two days in Santa Clara for work (and thrill rides at Great America), I'll be splitting my time between San Francisco and Napa Valley with my wife. Where's the best place to stay in the city to make it easy to get out and ride? Easy is key so I can maximize my time while my wife is sleeping.

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This was intended as a multi-purpose "florida guys in SF" thread. 2 guys 1 thread....

Also - weather. When it says it's "65 degrees", it feels more like 50, right?

I'm up for whatever, just a short hop across the bay for me these days.

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Originally Posted by Matthew Strongin

Seriously. I'm going to hijack velobran's thread so I don't have to start my own. I'll be there with bike. Other than two days in Santa Clara for work (and thrill rides at Great America), I'll be splitting my time between San Francisco and Napa Valley with my wife. Where's the best place to stay in the city to make it easy to get out and ride? Easy is key so I can maximize my time while my wife is sleeping.

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Look for a place in the Richmond (try for something near Arguello, which takes you right through the Presidio to the bridge) or somewhere in the Marina so you can zip over the Golden Gate and be in Marin. Anywhere near upper Fillmore or Divisadero makes it pretty easy to get there.

I suggest we meet up for a ride on the Saturday morning (9/27).

-Brandon just fly in on Friday night. I would be happly to let you crash at my place. We will find you a bike. I will drop you off in SF on Saturday. We will find you a bike.
-Matt if you are around. Then maybe have your wife go to a spa (if she is into that) while you go ride.
-Lionel we will go up to Mt Tam if you like too. We can do the classic fairfax to Bolinas-Fairfax to Ridgecrest to either HWY 1 or straight to Milly Valley ride. The more the merrier.

if that does not work then I am up of a few beers Sunday night.

What size are you? I've got a spare 58cm top tube bike someone can use.

OK sounds like things are starting to look real.

BTW Matt for the days in Santa Clara, great riding is very close by as well...

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Originally Posted by joosttx

I suggest we meet up for a ride on the Saturday morning (9/27).

-Brandon just fly in on Friday night. I would be happly to let you crash at my place. We will find you a bike. I will drop you off in SF on Saturday. We will find you a bike.
-Matt if you are around. Then maybe have your wife go to a spa (if she is into that) while you go ride.
-Lionel we will go up to Mt Tam if you like too. We can do the classic fairfax to Bolinas-Fairfax to Ridgecrest to either HWY 1 or straight to Milly Valley ride. The more the merrier.

if that does not work then I am up of a few beers Sunday night.

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I can ride Sat morning and/or Sunday morning

Have jitahs take you on a tour of taco trucks in his cheerleader car.

Lionel, you can fly five hours to the west and we can go for a ride and a swim after.

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Originally Posted by maunahaole

Lionel, you can fly five hours to the west and we can go for a ride and a swim after.

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sounds fun. Have not been to Hawaii in a long while...

Lemme know. Pretty sure I have a bike that will fit you. Bring sunscreen, you will need it.

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Originally Posted by Lionel

I can ride Sat morning and/or Sunday morning

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Great. Once I hear back from Team FLA. I will post this as a ride event.

Thanks for the tips, guys.

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Originally Posted by Lionel

OK sounds like things are starting to look real.

BTW Matt for the days in Santa Clara, great riding is very close by as well...

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Yep. I usually go a few times a year. That's actually why I got a coupled bike in the first place. All the work trips and early mornings with nothing to do. Now I ride.

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Originally Posted by joosttx

Great. Once I hear back from Team FLA. I will post this as a ride event.

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I'll start booking things this weekend and will let you know my plans for sure. I really hope we can work this out. And my wife is down with the spa. And she's a runner who likes to sleep. So a day where she wakes up late, runs, and goes to a spa is right up her alley. Her travel dates may be the only sticking point. I don't know if we can get there by Sunday morning.

I'm fat with tendinitis, enjoy lads.

flash, welcome to the faux Dub Nation.

maunastationwagon, as luck would have it a couple thousand cheerleader cars are assembling at mrls right now, preparing to beat down naysayers with pom poms. Fair warning.

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Originally Posted by theflashunc

I'm up for whatever, just a short hop across the bay for me these days.

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hey, welcome. Didn't notice your location changed.