San Francisco & Miscellaneous Info

Meet Karl the Fog & the Hills

SF has many micro climates, that are mainly dictated by our local firework ruiner, Karl the Fog, who comes and goes as he pleases. In general, our “summer” is in October. The climate tends to be warmer, but please bring layers! Karl may show up at anytime. The weather can be cold in the morning, hot in the afternoon, then cold again before the sun sets. The wind here tends to be bone chilling, unlike anywhere else. Here, 50-60 degrees, with wind, can feel like winter.

If you plan to explore the city by foot, get ready to work your glutes - this city is full of hills! Bring comfy walking shoes and remember to stretch, the hills can be brutal.

Neighborhoods To See

SF is beautiful and all about neighborhoods. Like all cities, there are areas to explore and areas to avoid. The city is small, so neighborhoods will tranform from super wealthy to kinda sketchy within a block or two. If you are meandering about and notice the neighborhood is start getting weird - turn around! Your spidey senses are probably right.

Neighborhoods/sites we recommend exploring:

  • North Beach (Miday’s party will be here)

  • Chinatown

  • The Marina (Friday after party will be here)

  • Pacific Heights

  • Japantown

  • Ghirardelli Square (Dumplings will be here)

  • The Ferry Building and anywhere along the Embarcadero (Friday Welcome Party will be here)

  • Golden Gate Park

  • The Presidio (Sunday picnic will be here)

  • The Castro (Miday’s birthday dinner will be here)

  • NoPa

  • Nob Hill

  • Northern Part of Polk Street (away from the Tenderloin)

  • Hayes Valley

  • Palace of Fine Arts

  • Salesforce Park

  • many more, just ask us!

Neighborhoods to Avoid

Neighborhoods to avoid like the plague:

  • The Tenderloin (AKA The TL). You want to pretty much stay clear of the red area on the map the the left

  • Parts of the Mission (ask Andrea and Noelle)

Getting Around

Uber / Lyft /Flywheel

Rideshare and taxis apps. All are plentiful in the city, but be wary of surgepricing with Uber and Lyft.

Waymo

Robo taxis that are great, just download the app! These rides tend to be a little pricier than Uber/Lyft, but the ride is super smooth, very safe, and quite serene. Only disclaimer is that the pick ups/drop offs are not quite precise, the cars will stop and pull over where it deems to be the safest spot near your destination.

Muni Bus & Train System

Public transportation in SF is an easy and convenient, and is sometimes the fastest way to get to your destination. There are buses and trains that connect to every part of the city. The historic streetcar and cable car systems are a super unique way to sightsee and also a part of Muni.

You can download the MuniMobile app, pick up a prepaid Clipper Card or buy a 1, 3, or 7 consecutive day Visitor Day Pass. Fares for all modes are discounted when purchasing a Visitor Day Pass.

Car

We do not recommend renting a car while in SF. Parking is difficult and expensive, unless your accommodations include parking and you can easily find street parking.

If you do rent a car, please DO NOT LEAVE anything in the car, especially valuables - it will get broken into! This is especially true if you’re parked in a tourist heavy area like Ghiradelli Square, Palace of Fine Arts, Fishermans Wharf, Lombard Street, etc.

While you can pay your meter by phone, parking can also be a bit of a pain; make sure you read the street signs carefully for restrictions and parking meter times as these vary throughout the city.

General Safety Info

Like any big city, SF has it’s challenges. SF Travel has great tips for visitors to ensure you have a great and safe time here (in addition to all the fun we’ll have together!