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P. 44
5 DAYS
IN...
T he beauty of San Francisco goes beyond the Golden Gate Bridge, its
quaint boardwalk and iconic book and record stores; it is tangible
in the fact that residents recycle 80% of their waste, and that the
city is consistently recognized as one of the greenest in the United States.
DAY ONE
I take a taxi from the airport (€35) and head towards the brand new, so-
phisticated and environmentally friendly Hotel Zetta, located near Un-
ion Square (viceroyhotelgroup.com/en/zetta). What a pleasant surprise:
shopping behemoths Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s, as well as the West-
field Shopping Center, a veritable Mecca for fashionistas, are just on my
doorstep. After exploring the shops, I take the picturesque tram to Fish-
erman’s Wharf for a stroll and some delicious seafood – the crab chow-
der and sourdough bread at Boudin Bakery is simply divine. I rush to
the Coit Tower and climb to the top to enjoy the spectacular misty views
over Golden Gate Bridge. The tower itself is decorated with frescoes in-
spired by Diego Riviera. I stop at Gitane Retaurant for an atmospheric
dinner and then head straight to my hotel for some well-deserved rest.
DAY TWO
The area surrounding my hotel is brimming with museums, including the
impressive SFMOMA building that houses over 23,000 works of contem-
porary art, including masterpieces by Magritte, Mondrian and Rothko. But
soon I find myself next to the sea again at the Ghirardelli Chocolate Man-
ufactory, a former chocolate factory off Ghirardelli Square (ghirardelli.
com). I go for Alcatraz Rock, rocky road and vanilla ice cream “impris-
oned” in swirls of chocolate and whipped cream, before arriving at Pier
39 on Fisherman’s Wharf to meet the city’s most famous residents – the
lazy sea lions. I take the ferry to Alcatraz and tour one of the most icon-
ic prisons, “The Rock”. Thankful for my freedom, I indulge in dinner at
Atelier Crenn, the famed Michelin-starred restaurant.
DAY THREE
It is Saturday and everyone in the city gather to the Ferry Building Mar-
ketplace to purchase the finest local cheeses, cold cuts, wine and seafood
(ferrybuildingmarketplace.com). After a delicious lunch, I arrive at the
Golden Gate Bridge to admire this architectural marvel from up close.
Next stop, Golden Gate Park: almost 1017 acres of green, where peo-
ple have picnics, roller skate and read on the grass. The park also houses
the de Young Museum of Fine Arts, designed by Herzog & de Meuron
and Fong & Chan Architects. After a delightful afternoon, I visit the re-
cord store Amoeba, a veritable temple to indie music (amoeba.com). My
smartphone leads me to the nearby Del Popolo, the world’s most famous
mobile pizzeria for a potato and rosemary pizza (delpopolosf.com). A
dedicated Beatnik fan, I arrive at the legendary City Lights bookstore/
hangout (citylights.com), buy a copy of On The Road, and enjoy a glass
of wine across the street at Vesuvio, Jack Kerouac’s favorite bar-saloon.
D A Y FOUR
A serpentine tram ride brings me to Lombard St., the most famous twisted
street in the world. The breakfast at nearby Mama’s was not only worth
the wait, but the flight too (mamas-sf.com)! I walk along Columbus Av., CAN BALCIOGLU/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
admire the iconic Transamerica Pyramid skyscraper in the distance and
finally arrive at Chinatown, the largest Chinese community outside of
Asia with a population of over 2 million. After buying a pair of hand carved
chopsticks, I rush to one of the most alternative museums in town, the
44
IN...
T he beauty of San Francisco goes beyond the Golden Gate Bridge, its
quaint boardwalk and iconic book and record stores; it is tangible
in the fact that residents recycle 80% of their waste, and that the
city is consistently recognized as one of the greenest in the United States.
DAY ONE
I take a taxi from the airport (€35) and head towards the brand new, so-
phisticated and environmentally friendly Hotel Zetta, located near Un-
ion Square (viceroyhotelgroup.com/en/zetta). What a pleasant surprise:
shopping behemoths Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s, as well as the West-
field Shopping Center, a veritable Mecca for fashionistas, are just on my
doorstep. After exploring the shops, I take the picturesque tram to Fish-
erman’s Wharf for a stroll and some delicious seafood – the crab chow-
der and sourdough bread at Boudin Bakery is simply divine. I rush to
the Coit Tower and climb to the top to enjoy the spectacular misty views
over Golden Gate Bridge. The tower itself is decorated with frescoes in-
spired by Diego Riviera. I stop at Gitane Retaurant for an atmospheric
dinner and then head straight to my hotel for some well-deserved rest.
DAY TWO
The area surrounding my hotel is brimming with museums, including the
impressive SFMOMA building that houses over 23,000 works of contem-
porary art, including masterpieces by Magritte, Mondrian and Rothko. But
soon I find myself next to the sea again at the Ghirardelli Chocolate Man-
ufactory, a former chocolate factory off Ghirardelli Square (ghirardelli.
com). I go for Alcatraz Rock, rocky road and vanilla ice cream “impris-
oned” in swirls of chocolate and whipped cream, before arriving at Pier
39 on Fisherman’s Wharf to meet the city’s most famous residents – the
lazy sea lions. I take the ferry to Alcatraz and tour one of the most icon-
ic prisons, “The Rock”. Thankful for my freedom, I indulge in dinner at
Atelier Crenn, the famed Michelin-starred restaurant.
DAY THREE
It is Saturday and everyone in the city gather to the Ferry Building Mar-
ketplace to purchase the finest local cheeses, cold cuts, wine and seafood
(ferrybuildingmarketplace.com). After a delicious lunch, I arrive at the
Golden Gate Bridge to admire this architectural marvel from up close.
Next stop, Golden Gate Park: almost 1017 acres of green, where peo-
ple have picnics, roller skate and read on the grass. The park also houses
the de Young Museum of Fine Arts, designed by Herzog & de Meuron
and Fong & Chan Architects. After a delightful afternoon, I visit the re-
cord store Amoeba, a veritable temple to indie music (amoeba.com). My
smartphone leads me to the nearby Del Popolo, the world’s most famous
mobile pizzeria for a potato and rosemary pizza (delpopolosf.com). A
dedicated Beatnik fan, I arrive at the legendary City Lights bookstore/
hangout (citylights.com), buy a copy of On The Road, and enjoy a glass
of wine across the street at Vesuvio, Jack Kerouac’s favorite bar-saloon.
D A Y FOUR
A serpentine tram ride brings me to Lombard St., the most famous twisted
street in the world. The breakfast at nearby Mama’s was not only worth
the wait, but the flight too (mamas-sf.com)! I walk along Columbus Av., CAN BALCIOGLU/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
admire the iconic Transamerica Pyramid skyscraper in the distance and
finally arrive at Chinatown, the largest Chinese community outside of
Asia with a population of over 2 million. After buying a pair of hand carved
chopsticks, I rush to one of the most alternative museums in town, the
44
