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San Francisco

San Francisco

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San Francisco is one of the few US cities that pulls off a resemblance to its European counterparts. Its manageable size, fabled history and dreamy cityscapes lend San Francisco the sort of quaint charm that attract Americans to cities such as Florence. But San Francisco still retains its own identity, fixed as it may in the 60s free love movement and Beat counter culture.

Aside from being one of the highest educated, athletic cities in America, San Francisco is also home to great food movements by the likes of Alice Waters and a growing number of artisan chefs and bakers that are elevating food and the process behind it to high art. For sweet and savoury snacks like oak-bourbon caramels, drop in to the Tell Tale Preserve Company. Meanwhile, the Trouble Coffee Company on Judah Street is breakfast heaven; and Polly Ann Ice Cream will send you over the moon.

The San Francisco state of mind is mostly about eating, sourcing and building locally. Handmade crafts and clothing are big in San Francisco for this reason, and shops like Woodshop, selling heirloom-looking furnishings and graphic art, are all the rage.

Thankfully the city has escapes like Golden Gate Park where you can relax, read a book and take in the impressive landscape architecture and planning by Fredrick Olmstead, the creative genius behind New York’s Central Park.

Travel Tips

  1. The last weekend of each month in San Francisco means Treasure Island Flea Market, a giant market selling home and garden décor, antique and used bikes, vintage clothing and loads of fresh salads and unctuous treats. Admission is $3 and children under 12 receive free entrance.
  2. A trip to San Francisco should include a visit to the cradle of the American sexual revolution, Haight Ashbury. Gone are the long-haired hippies and runaway idealists, and in their place are a good selection of coffee houses, bookshops and bistros. Haight Ashbury is worth a visit if you are on your way to Golden Gate Park.
  3. San Francisco’s climate vacillates between temperate and frigid and foggy extremes, especially in the summer months. Sunny and warm week days are great for exploring some of the city’s nearby beaches, like Ocean Beach. September and October are the warmest, sunniest months, though be mindful of the strong ocean currents, territorial surfers and fragile plants growing in the sand dunes.
  4. Though it may be one of San Francisco’s biggest clichés, cable car tours are a perfect way to see the city and get your bearings on where you are. Cable car routes and fares vary, but they are exceptionally handy when tackling steep cliffside communities like Telegraph Hill.
  5. Wines from the nearby Napa and Sonoma Valleys tend to hog all the attention in San Francisco. But California and San Francisco in particular have a rich history and large following of micro-brewed beers. To get a sense of the what the region has to offer try reserving a space on Bay Area Brewery Tours, a whirlwind culinary sojourn of the Bay Area's premier craft breweries.

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