Extranomical Adventures

Chinatown & North Beach are for many, the most interesting areas of San Francisco. Just blocks away from Union Square, Grant Street’s Chinatown Gate gives way to a different world: shops filled with imports from China, restaurants specializing in dim sum, and tiny alleyways filled with fluttering clothing drying on clothes lines strung between apartments. North Beach, once haunt of the Beats, is home to San Francisco’s Little Italy. Expect the legendary restaurants, clubs, and exotic fun you’ve heard about here.

While the rest of S.F. has a certain quaintness, a visit to Downtown is a reminder that the city is a metropolis, one with its share of skyscrapers and hoards of office dwellers scurrying to and from work. Downtown not only encompasses the Financial District, but also Union Square, the Embarcadero, Bayview restaurants, bars, and public spaces. Visitors will also want to see; City Hall, the Asian Art Museum, the Notre-Dame-des-Victoires Church, and the former Pacific Stock Exchange.

Like you may have imagined, visitors to Fisherman’s Wharf actually take lunch at Pier 39, gaze out at Alcatraz in the distance, and soak up the ambiance of Italian influence here. While gathering your own memorable moments, be sure and visit; the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, Cannery Shopping Center, Ghirardelli Square, a Ripley’s Believe it or Not museum, the Musée Mécanique, and dozens of other wharf attractions. This favorite American tourist spot has not lost its magic.

Famed as home of the city’s hippie population in the 1960s, Haight-Ashbury retains its counterculture aura, with a collection of head shops, bookstores, and cheap eats amid the renovated Victorians. Nearby Cole Valley is home to a darling retail stretch, while the Fillmore District is where the world-famous jazz club Yoshi’s and the Fillmore Auditorium are. Other famous area attractions include; The Red Victorian, Amoeba Music, I-Beam, and the Haight-Ashbury Street Fair held each Summer.

The Presidio & Pacific Heights area of San Francisco is noted for being the most scenic neighborhood, the park-like setting offering panoramic views of many landmarks. The idyllic location affords the best views of the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco Bay, Alcatraz, and of course, the Presidio is an attraction in itself. While visiting this pare of the city, be sure to see; the San Francisco National Cemetery, the homes along Bush Street and Presidio Avenue, Alta Plaza, and Fort Point, to name a few.

Not as famous as some other San Francisco neighborhoods, the Richmond district has its share of cultural and touristic value. Primarily a residential area, where diversity is concerned, visitors find the place fascinating. Inclusive of Golden Gate Park, and parts of the Sunset district, the Russian, Chinese, and Irish influences here are remarkable. Besides views of the city, other attractions include; Mallard Lake, Rainbow Falls, Lincoln Park. This area is famous for great restaurants too.

The Mission & Castro are two of San Francisco’s most interesting neighborhoods. The Mission District is known for delicious Latin food, hip bars, cool music clubs, and Castro is home to the city’s gay enclave and a slew of fancy eateries. Mission San Francisco de Asis, San Francisco’s oldest building, is but one of dozens of attractions in this area. The Castro Theater, GLBT History Museum, and the world famous Roxie Theater are other attractions that are a must, not to mention the enchiladas.