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St. Patrick’s Church – Free Sightseeing

St. Patrick’s Church is one of SOMAs best free sightseeing opportunities.  A Roman Catholic church founded in 1851, it is located at 756 Mission Street, between 3rd and 4th streets, across the street from Yerba Buena Gardens in the heart of the South of Market district.

The church features Gothic Revival architecture, with ribbed vaults, pointed arches, a central nave and two side aisles of lower height. The nave follows the basic Gothic pattern with a triforium and clerestory-like top tier.

The church is said to be the “most Irish church in the United States”.  Accented by the Irish national colors with green, white and gold marble.  Each of the patron saints of the thirty-two counties of Ireland is proudly showcased on the Tiffany-style stained-glass windows, which also depict the rich heritage and traditions of the Irish.

The church has served many and survived much during its over 150-year history.  It served the miners on their way to Gold country, the Irish when they immigrated to San Francisco, it withstood the earthquake of 1906 and the subsequent fires, it has served the Spanish-speaking and now serves the Filipino community and tourists. The church is unchanged amidst an ever-changing landscape.  St. Patrick’s Church is not to be missed as one of the best free sightseeing opportunities in SOMA.

St. Patrick’s Church is opened until 6:15 pm on weekdays and 6:45 pm on weekends. Step inside and enjoy this beautiful and peaceful respite in the heart of San Francisco.  To see more free sightseeing in San Francisco, visit the Free By District area of this website.

 

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3 Critical Travel Tips For San Francisco

When touring San Francisco (or just traveling in general), there are a few things that can make the experience more enjoyable.  I’ve put together the following list of travel tips for San Francisco.  If you haven’t already done so, check out the 5 Awesome Free Things to do in San Francisco article on this site and be sure to follow these tips to make your experience the best travel experience you’ve had yet.

The basics of enjoyable travel are namely: water, food, and restrooms.  I’m going to add one to this list for SF, a shag-bag.  With that in mind, I’ve come up with the following travel tips for San Francisco:

Water

Bring a water bottle.  Plastic bottles are not only bad for the environment, they are really expensive.  Bring a water bottle and fill it at Drink Tap stations or whenever you see a water fountain.  A map of the Drink Tap stations around the City can be found here (click the link and scroll down to see the map).  https://sfwater.org/index.aspx?page=447

Food

Bring a snack or even lunch!  Although San Francisco has amazing food, it can be very expensive.  You will be seeing some amazing sights in the City; pack a lunch along and enjoy it while taking in the sights.

Restrooms

This is a big one.  Most restaurants in the City will only let customers use their facilities.  When I travel around the City, I make note of the nicer hotels.  Usually, these will have restrooms in the lobby of and they are a far more enjoyable experience than public bathrooms (which are few and far between).    I understand there are a few apps that serve the purpose of bathroom finding such as SitOrSquat,  Where to Wee and Flush.  I’ve not yet had a chance to test these.  Let me know if you’ve tried any of these or have another one that you’ve found to be useful.  For now, I’ve started the following list of facilities, please let me know if you know of any that should be added to the list.

  • Westfield Shopping Center – Nordstroms and Bloomingdales.
  • Union Square – Macy’s
  • Ferry Building – public restrooms are located inside on the first floor.
  • Beach Chalet – downstairs from the first floor.   Look right when you enter the front doors, you will see a set of stairs that lead down to the restrooms.
  • Presidio Visitor Center  – This is one of the main stops for the PresidiGo bus.  Clean and convenient restrooms.

Shag Bag

Okay, I have to add one more tip for traveling around San Francisco.  A bag – I prefer to carry a thin, collapsible bag with me, no matter where I’m going.  San Francisco passed a city ordinance that requires retailers to charge 10 cents for bags.  It’s better for the environment and cheaper to carry your own.  I carry one that can fit in my pocket when not in use.

I hope these travel tips for San Francisco make your trip more enjoyable.  Hit me up if you think something else should be added to the list.

Have fun touring!!!

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7 Fast Ways to Get Around San Francisco

There are several options on how to get around San Francisco.   If you haven’t already done so, check out my list of 5 Awesome Free Things to do in San Francisco on this site and be sure to follow these getting around tips to make your visit the best travel experience you’ve had yet.

Here are a few of my favorite ways to get around San Francisco using public transportation.  I’ve listed them from my most to least favorite.

Walk –

Obviously.  SF is only 7 miles by 7 miles.  Although there are plenty of hills in the North East quadrant, much of the city is easily accessible by walking.  Most of the things visitors want to see are within walking distance of each other.  Frankly, walking here is often faster than any other means of transportation due to the traffic, navigation and parking challenges.

MUNI (bus) –

https://www.sfmta.com

MUNI is San Francisco’s city buses (some are trains). For $2.50 you can ride muni which traverses most of the city.  Be sure to get your transfer pass from the bus driver/train operator.  The transfer is good for 4 hours; you won’t have to pay for rides on muni during that time, just show the driver your transfer the next time you get on.  Some of my faves are:

  • Bus #30 – The best deal going, bus #30 takes you from ATT, Union Square, China Town and the Marina.
  • F Line –This is a muni train. This train will take you to the Castro, down town (Market Street), the Ferry Building and Fisherman’s Wharf / Pier 39.  I love, love, love these trains.  These are historic trains that run the length of Market Street.  Each of the train cars are from a different city, pay attention to the name of the city of origin which is posted on the outside of the car.  They are a real treat to ride.  Very clean and fascinating!
  • N Judah – train goes from down town to the ocean! This train will take you within blocks of Ocean Beach and has several stops along the way.

Bike –

https://www.fordgobike.com/

For about $10 per day, you can use one of the city’s ride share bikes.  Here’s the catch, each ride can only be for minutes.  Then you have to check it in at one of the bike stations. Truth be told, you probably won’t need to ride for more than 30 minutes at a time since the city is quite condense.

I have to admit, I’ve not yet used the bike share program.  Let me know if you use it and what you think of it.

Cable Cars    –

https://www.sfmta.com/getting-around/muni/cable-cars

Cable Cars are iconic to San Francisco.  Although I really do enjoy riding them and encourage anyone who wants, to do so.  Unfortunately, the Cable Cars are expensive, last I checked a one way ride will cost you $7.   My advice is to just take a one way trip to or from Fisherman’s Wharf if you’re coming from downtown (Powell Street).  Then, take the F Line (MUNI) the other direction for $2.25.  I love the F Line.

Ferries –

http://sanfranciscobayferry.com/

Ferries will take you to other parts of the Bay Area.  I gotta say, I’d take the ferry just for the ride; it is beautiful!  If you’re contemplating a Bay Cruise but just can’t stomach the cost, take a ferry to Jack London Square in Oakland or Sausalito.  These are both wonderful places to visit.  You could plan to have lunch by the bay then take the ferry back to SF.  Sounds like a lovely day to me!

BART –

https://www.bart.gov/

Although not my favorite way to travel, if your destination is BARTable (meaning if your start and stop points are near a BART station), it is cheap and convenient.  See the BART’s website for routes.  Most trains run every 20 minutes or so.  Check the schedule if you are pressed for time.

Coming from the airport, BART is your best (only) bet, it costs between $8 and $9.  If you have a large party, a shuttle or Lyft may be a better option.

Lyft –

https://www.lyft.com/

Not nearly as interesting as the above options, but sometimes we need a car.  Lyft has become very popular in SF and can be quite economical if you use share ride.

*Please note, driving a car is not on the list for a reason.  This is no place for a car.  Traffic, parking, getting tickets, getting towed or even worse getting broken into; no thanks.

Let me how you like to get around San Francisco.  I’ll be happy to add other options.  Sharing is caring. 🙂

 

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Chinatown – One Of My Favorite Free Things To Do In San Francisco

Take a walk around Chinatown, experience the sights, smells and sounds of one of our city’s most important and certainly most interesting neighborhoods. Be sure to check out Portsmouth square. This is the “living room” of the community where residents come to play, socialize and build the strong relationships that tie them to each other and the rest of San Francisco.  I enjoy many free things to do in San Francisco, but Chinatown is definitely one of my favorite.

Experience Chinatown

I love the colors – red and gold everywhere. The din of sound coming from a community shopping and chatting with neighbors and the distinct notes of an erhu (a one string violin) playing down the street.  The unbelievable bargains to be had for a variety of things from tourist souvenirs (I still buy them when I go, I can’t help myself) to Chinese grocers carrying all sorts of curious ingredients you won’t see in commercial chain stores.  The sights and smells of these grocers will transport you to another world.  You will be immersed into one of the best parts of San Francisco, its Chinese heritage.

Visiting Chinatown

I’ve spent hours walking around Chinatown submerging myself in this uniquely distinct community.  City Guides has a few tours of Chinatown that shed light on the storied past of this community.  They cover the events that brought Chinese people to San Francisco, how this community engages with the rest of the city and the rise of many successful entrepreneurs, professionals, and politicians that are important to the fabric, history, and future this city.  You can visit City Guides’ calendar here.

Take a walk around Chinatown and experience the sights, smells and sounds of one of our city’s most valuable communities.

To learn about more free things to do in San Francisco, see the Free By District area of this website.

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Federal Building

FREE self-guided tours of the fascinating Federal Building at 7th and Mission every day. So many awesome free opportunities in the city!

The Federal Building is a landmark in SOMA.  At 18-stories tall, it was designed to maximize airflow for natural cooling and ventilation as well as daylight.  The building was completed in 2007 and consists of several government agencies including, the U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, USDA, SSA, U.S. Department of Transportation, and the office of Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi.

It is open 8 a.m.– 6 p.m. Monday through Friday (except federal holidays).

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How to Have a Blast in SF for FREE!

I absolutely, positively LOVE San Francisco.  Unfortunately, SF can be a wicked expensive place to live or visit.  Fortunately, there are countless ways to enjoy the city without breaking your bank.  Following is a list of FREE things to do and see in SF:

  • City Guide Tours (Sponsored by SF Public Library)
  • Golden Gate Bridge
  • Fisherman’s Wharf and Pier 39 (walk or the F-Line which cost $2.25)
    • Be sure to see the Sea Lions (my favorite part of SF and free!)
  • SF Giants – walk around ATT and if a game is on there is free standing room only viewing!!!
  • Civic Center – United Nations
  • Grace Cathedral (Interfaith AIDS Memorial Chapel, Ghiberti doors, Labyrinths)
  • Free walking tours
  • China Town
  • Union Square (artists display their work, xmas tree and ice skating in the winter)

Transportation once you are in SF:

SF is a very walking friendly city.  In fact, I highly recommend NOT bringing a car into the city.  Cars can be very expensive to park (over $50 per night at most hotels, not the mention the inevitable parking ticket – if you ever find a spot to park it  and good luck if you get towed.  Which is not unlikely.

If you want to go to wine country, I’d suggest either booking a bus/car or renting a car for the day and returning it to the rental company the same day, or next day if you plan to stay the night in wine country.  Parking in the City is cost prohibitive and a pain in the *ss.