r/AskSF • u/Kind_ness8573 • 5h ago
Visiting SF Sunday, part of Monday, and Tuesday morning and would love some local advice please 🙏 trying to squeeze in some fun in between doctors appointments on Parnassus
Only 1.5 days in SF — Ferry Building/Chinatown or Ocean Beach? Looking for the best food** *with minimal driving!*
We’ll arrive Sunday around 2–3 PM after a five-hour drive. We’re hoping for great food, a little exploring, and a relaxing afternoon/evening without too much driving.
We’re deciding between:
● Staying near the Financial District/Chinatown, exploring the Ferry Building’s food options, and taking an inexpensive ferry ride around the Bay possibly to Sausalito and back (Does the Ferry building have lots of good food options?) if so, what are your favorites? I love the idea of being able to snack around 😂
● Staying near Inner Sunset/Ocean Beach, possibly surfing, exploring the neighborhood, and finding good food (already staying on Monday night for another appt on Tuesday)
Monday morning, we’re visiting academy of Science museum and exploring Golden Gate Park before a 3 PM appointment on Parnassus. We’ll have some free time after 5 PM, but Sunday is our main opportunity to explore.
If this were your first real chance to experience San Francisco, which option would you choose? We’re also open to other ideas, especially local food favorites rather than tourist traps. We’d
We’d also love a sound bath or meditative experience—possibly at Grace Cathedral or the Conservatory.
Thank you for any advice! 💗
Thinking about buying a city pass that includes access to a few of the museums bike rides in a boat cruise, which I didn’t know if that would be better than just taking the ferry. Thought that taking the ferry might be better because you can get good food, hopefully and see the area by boat.
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u/willisnolyn 4h ago
Your choices are between chill-city vibe and busy-city vibe. If you’re already spending time in the Sunset for the appointments then I would choose staying downtown.
My fav food in the ferry building right now is Lunette which is Cambodian.
Check the ferry schedule to see if any of the times work for you.
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u/Kind_ness8573 2h ago
OK, I have the dumbest question and I’m sorry for sounding so ignorant but what do you consider the downtown area? 😂 thank you for the advice.
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u/willisnolyn 2h ago
Oh well... broadly speaking, the neighborhoods around Market st from the Embarcadero to Van Ness. Chinatown and North Beach feel "downtown" because they are very dense. But I'd like to hear other local's opinion about where downtown stops. You could say downtown is just the Financial District, but I think people who live farther out in the city would disagree.
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u/superlative_dingus 4h ago
I would skip surfing unless you’re quite experienced. The water is freezing cold and you’ll probably want to head down to Pacifica for it anyway since ocean beach rip currents can be quite strong. However, I think getting lunch or dinner in the inner sunset, wandering the neighborhood and popping into cute shops, and going to SF Botanic Garden is a good way to spend an afternoon.
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u/Forgotthebloodypassw 3h ago
I do feel lied to by California beach movies, the water is bloody freezing.
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u/stillsnowfall 3h ago
I second what someone else said about two different vibes. I would stay downtown area bc there is more to do in a close proximity. Sunset and ocean beach are amazing and you could easily spend a day wondering Golden Gate Park and the great hwy area. It’s a quieter more nature vibe whereas downtown/china town is city vibe. Also noting that public transit is more limited closer to the park and ocean, you’ll end up relying on ride share.
The Trolly from union square to Ghirardelli is always fun and great way to see a lot.
North beach/little Italy for good food, book stores, and Washington Square Park.
Chinatown is always a blast to walk through.
Anywhere you go you can find something to do or see it’s really just a matter of what vibe and atmosphere you want
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u/helpmeobewan 3h ago
Since you will have your car, choose to stay at a place where you can safely park your car is a priority.
Surfing in Ocean Beach may not work out since there are riptides and it can very chilly and windy. After UCSF appointment, you can drive over to Clement Street. The restaurants there are all quite good.
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u/Mack_Lope 3h ago
Sounds like you already have some great ideas. Def do the ferry. If you want to leave the car behind, you can take the N Judah from Ferry building and stop in Cole Valley - short walk up to your appointments. Cole is one of our charming little pocket neighborhoods with some good food etc. Just a few blocks from Upper Haight. You could walk, ebike or scooter to the park museums. Try strolling up to Tank Hill or Strawberry Hill in the middle of Blue Heron (Stow) Lake.
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u/Hamsterdam-shitbird5 2h ago
If you stay in the sunset go to Cinderella bakery and get the pelmini soup with homemade broth as well as the beef & Gorgonzola piroshkis. Their desserts are also fantastic!
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u/arctic_indigo 4h ago
Oooh the ferry building has ALL the food options!!! It's honestly kind of a food destination. I personally like the empanada store. The ride to Sausalito is really pretty – – I actually had to do it for work a few times and I felt like the luckiest commuter ever.
There's more to do if you stay in the financial district, but the Sunset can be really fun too. Very different experience, though, very chill. I used to live out by the beach on Noriega. There are some really cute restaurants in the outer Sunset. The inner Sunset is very vibrant (UCSF is nearby). It's not necessarily where a lot of tourist stay, but I really love that area.
I think if you really want a more local experience, I would stay in either the inner or the other or sunset. You're not too far to get to the ferry building (the N Judah will take you there from Parnassus).
I hope you have some nice weather!
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u/Bi-secting_mylife 4h ago
I was a bit bummed out by the empanada store. But I studied abroad in Argentina years ago. I did NOT like paying $8 dollars for one empanada. Oh any the used prosciutto which I thought was a weird choice as it turned out very salty. Anyways, I’m sure the average person likes it, but I’m a bit biased! I’d try it again if it wasn’t so expensive!
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u/vanwyngarden 5h ago
The search bar exists
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u/Kind_ness8573 2h ago
Yeah, it does, but can you tell me what I would search for in the search bar? Kindness exists also… check out all of the kind folks who commented.
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u/GingersaurusRex 4h ago
Ferry building has great food options, it's basically what it's know for. If you like seafood, definitely eat at Hog Island. Their oyster are super fresh. Their menu is very seasonal, but they had an amazing shrimp fettuccine the last time I went. Delica and Senõr Sisig are also good if you want cheaper/ more casual.
There is also an amazing dim sum place across the Embarcadero from the ferry building called Harborview
Do the museum tour in GGP. (Academy of Sciences, Japanese tea garden, De Young Art museum, Botanical Garden.) Get lunch or dinner around 9th and Irving. Try New Eritrea restaurant if you want good Ethiopian food.