This place is so dangerous. I went there for a pride weekend event and 2 security guards jumped me…read morein the bathroom. One bear hugged me from behind and the other guy fought me for the leather bag. Then the called some other security and said I was drunk and to get me out of there and they got away with my bag When I returned the next night I called the police and the manager came out and nothing was done. The police just said that's what I get for getting drunk in the ghetto.

Take a stroll along this small plaza and sit one of its famous orange seats while you sip on a cup…read moreof coffee, choose to dine in one of its restaurants, or just kick your feet up from your shopping adventures across the street. This plaza is home to a strip of establishments ready to conquer your food and beverage needs, but it's also a place where you can sit and relax, and do nothing else if you wanted. Tucked away behind the old US Mint, it's a thriving breezeway serving people as an alternative way to get from point A to point B without a second thought in your mind. I always find myself cutting across Mint Plaza in my daily walks as if it were second nature. When the weather is great, it's a wonderful place to take in specific views of the buildings on its property, and those surrounding it. As it becomes later and the lights seems to disappear, I would advise a partner to walk around with you, just in case. Overall, I like this place, but you definitely have to come here yourself to find your own little happy place; possibly while sitting in an official orange chair.

Great location in Dogpatch. Walking distance to galleries and cool neighborhood stuff. Also,…read moreexcellent place for lunch and people watching!

Shopping: Dogpatch Style. This isn't your grannie's shopping mall. What you have is a converted…read morehorse stable circa 1841, now a yellow Victorian hiding a hipster co-op at 1001 - 1005 Minnesota @ 22nd Street. Behold Piccino Cafe, MAC, gift items, designer spices, and a lot of beautiful wood floors & high ceilings. The perfect afternoon would be placing your custom order around the corner at Rickshaw Bags and while you wait lose track of time in the Yellow Building. Don't tell Aunt Minnie, this is for Locals Only.

I can never figure out what will stick in San Francisco. I know what won't work almost immediately,…read moreas do most people I speak to, but the City goes ahead with ridiculously expensive public plans anyway, and many of those plans attract the same grime, dirt, graffiti, and destruction that everyone predicted they would, except now the taxpayers have to pay for maintaining things that are unprotected and falling apart. I really used to like the fountain. Yes, it was disgusting, and way too many people bathed and peed and laundered in it, but it felt like approachable, if run down, art. They turned it off, fenced it off, and now it just waits and collects more and more debris. Some places in the City are just destined to fail as public spaces, like Hallidie Plaza. (I like Hallidie Plaza and believe it could succeed, but it would require a great deal of public assistance to get businesses to open in and around it, money the city should probably spend on other things.) UN Plaza wasn't destined to fail, but once its failure began, the City didn't do enough to save it, and that's really a shame, because there are plenty of cultural institutions nearby that could (in theory) hold so many events here that the people who just want to set up their lives here wouldn't have a chance because of all the taking-their-stuff-down they'd have to do constantly. The farmers' market is wonderful. I really like the foosball tables, although there needs to be a go-to place to buy ping-pong balls nearby. The chessboards and the fitness stations? Meh. We'll see how those work out. Chessboards would work better near the cable-car turnaround on Powell Street, but not in Hallidie Plaza. I like the dog park, and on the few occasions since COVID that I've walked through UN Plaza, I've seen way more people walking their dogs here than I ever expected to see. There are very nice sight lines from Market Street through UN, Fulton, and Civic Center Plazas to city hall. Especially on a night when city hall is lit up in colors celebrating whatever team or cause, it's just gorgeous. And I love the Bolivar statue, as out of place as it can seem at times. But at night. I haven't been here at night since some sort of protest or rally or whatever years and years ago. It's really a perfect place for a protest, both visually and spatially, plus it's close to BART and a bunch of bus and train lines, and it's a pedestrian plaza, so you can cram thousands of protesters in here without anyone being endangered by cars. But at night again. Too shady. Too scary. Like a lot of Civic Center and the TL, it's probably more depressing than it is dangerous. There's also a way in which it serves no purpose at night as a pedestrian thoroughfare. Even if you're walking from the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium to BART, there's an entrance on Market Street before UN Plaza. There's just no reason to venture that far north when Market cuts down your walking-in-a-shady-area time because it's diagonal. I do like the shortcut from Market Street to Leavenworth, but again, unless you're a UC Law SF --what an atrocious name!--student, why would you be walking north on Leavenworth through Civic Center and/or the TL at night? It has so much potential, so I'm sticking with three stars.

Amazing place! They have chess tables, ping pong tables, foos ball tables, corn hole stands, and…read moreeven fitness areas!! Not to mention how pretty and clean the tables are, the chess table I played at looks brand new and shiny!! If you have friends and are lovers of the activities I mentioned above, then this would be a 5 star But in my purposes, this is just a 4 star experience

The Broadway Tunnel makes your life as a driver, bicyclist, and/or commuter easier by taking away…read morethe need to climb a hill to get somewhere. In this case, Chinatown/Northbeach to Van Ness/ Pacific Heights and beyond. Back in the old days, the old Embarcadero Freeway ended near the base of Broadway. All that traffic has to go somewhere, good thing SF built a tunnel to keep traffic moving. I use this tunnel at least once a month. It's a way to bypass traffic on Van Ness, and get to Lombard St faster. It's not a short tunnel, so not a good idea to walk thru it (because of car fumes). On a bike? Ride fast. It's usually dirty and poorly lit. Turn on headlights.

I saw a sign for this tunnel: "Robert C. Levy Tunnel",…read more but we were driving on Broadway. Also known as the Broadway Tunnel, it's not the most beautiful, but it's still functional. We were leaving San Francisco Chinatown and it got us to our next destination. We all have to go through ups and downs in life. That's the way it is. .. However, isn't it better traveling with a friend! ? Especially a Yelp friend? !

A quiet, cozy, off the beaten path, mini park with lovely flowers and trees in between busy areas…read more Recommend, especially if you can find parking.

Big things comes in small packages…read more There are several mini parks in almost every neighborhood in San Francisco, and Cottage Row is a historic district (#82000983) located in Japantown that stretches along the block of Bush and Sutter streets and flanked between Webster and Fillmore streets. I would often walk to my wife's work as part of my exercise after work. I'd start from New Montgomery & Market Street all the way to Pacific Heights, which is roughly about 3 1/2 miles or so depending on the route I take. I vary my route some days and have taken different streets that are more hilly depending how I feel that particular day. On one of my many routes, I discovered this gem of a place just a block from Japantown Center. From Sutter St., there are signs posted regarding the park in front of a brick steps and pathway that stretches one block ending on Bush St. Along the path are Victorian-era houses, which adds a unique charm to the park. The park itself is well manicured with beautiful flowers, plants and even lone Redwood tree standing tall and proudly in the center. It may be small, but this mini park actually feels very spacious due to the layout and brilliant design of the park. It definitely maximizes the space without feeling cluttered and it feels very relaxing just being here. The smell of flowers and different plants provides an illusion that you are in a forest garden. I can feel my stress levels diminish as I soak in the energy of the park. Doing some research, the brick pathway along the backside of the park used to be called Japan Street due to the families living there were primarily Japanese-Americans. Sadly, they were interned during WWII after the attack on Pearl Harbor. An unfortunate time in American history that must never be forgotten and repeated. Now the park is maintained by the city, and they do a wonderful job of doing so. I can imagine the people in the neighborhood utilize this space by sitting on the benches while reading a good book; playing with their kids or grandkids; walking and playing with their dogs or enjoying a casual stroll to get some sun. Either way, it's a charming little park that is worth a visit should you be in the area.

Why doesn't Cole Valley have any reviews? It's such a lovely little neighborhood…read more I love this place and spend way too much time here. The N-Judah emerges out of its little tunnel right near the intersection of Carl & Cole, which is also the northern ending of the single block of business action that is Cole Valley's commercial center. Yes, the restaurants and everything else are too expensive, but many of them have heart, and Gamble Memorial Park is so darn cute, as is--sadly, probably was--the huge furry white dog that was always in the park when I would ride the N-Judah from Embarcadero Station after work in order to walk to Free Gold Watch until March 2020. It's also where I used to walk Lori home after our grad-school classes ended around nine p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday nights even though it was out of my way. (She never visited my flat, so she didn't know exactly how far out of my way it was, and I would never tell her.) It's my brother's partner's dream neighborhood, or at least it was for the vast majority of the time she has lived in San Francisco. I haven't asked her lately, but I like to imagine it's still her dream neighborhood. Is it my dream neighborhood? I would live in many many many parts of San Francisco under the right conditions, so of course I would love to live here. But it's not my favorite San Francisco neighborhood to imagine living in--that would be Duboce Triangle--but I do love Cole Valley, and the fact that Gil used to live here as well is bittersweet and also makes me wonder. Parking isn't as bad as it always seems, but some of the periods on the residential-permit streets are absurd. Seven a.m. to nine p.m. every day of the week? Seriously? But you probably don't need to drive here. It's a tiny neighborhood, but it's transit rich. It has the N-Judah, the 37-Corbett, and the 43-Masonic. And maybe technically the 66-Quintara and the 7-Haight/Noriega, depending on which streets you believe serve as the neighborhood's borders. Did I mention the houses? They're almost universally cute and interesting. Not all pretty, well maintained, or safe; but you don't have to live in any of them. You're just strolling along, or at least you should. It has easy access to Golden Gate Park and The Haight without feeling like it's as close to either of those as it really and truly is. Yes, the green ice cream is a ripoff.

Plaza de California is a small but pleasant public space near Pier 39, just steps from the…read morewaterfront and next to the Pier 39 Marina. Despite being so close to one of the city's busiest tourist areas, it offers a surprisingly calm place to pause for a few minutes. I often walk by or around it, especially on a beautiful San Francisco day. The plaza has nice landscaping, shaded seating areas, and benches where you can relax while taking in partial views of the San Francisco Bay and the marina. There's also a small playground, which makes it a convenient stop for families exploring the waterfront. In the middle of the space stands Skygate, a beautiful sculpture by the late Roger Barr, a famous artist and sculptor. Because it sits right along the Embarcadero walking route between Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39, it's an easy place to step aside from the crowds and catch your breath. On a clear day, it's a nice spot to sit with a coffee, enjoy the sea breeze, and watch boats coming and going from the marina. Occasionally, you'll also find small pieces of public art or seasonal decorations that add a little extra character to the space. Plaza de California is part of the broader Fisherman's Wharf neighborhood, and it's maintained by the Fisherman's Wharf Community Benefit District (FWCBD), which helps keep the area clean, safe, and welcoming. It may not be a major destination on its own, but it's a thoughtful little pocket park that adds charm to the waterfront and gives both locals and visitors a quiet place to relax while exploring the area.

Quality/Quantity - Another city that has so much potential…read more Known for rent control and affordable living. Known for UC Berkeley - A higher affordable education. And a food scene. Another city that I do not visit often anymore, and I have been coming here all my younger adult life. Food Scene/Areas - Shattuck Ave., Fourth St., Solano Ave., West Berkeley, Gourmet Ghetto, and of course Telegraph Ave. Some of our favorite restaurants are: Gypsy's Trattoria Italiana, Fenton's Ice Cream (when my daughter was much younger), Angeline's Louisiana Kitchen (when we miss New Orleans), Skates on the Bay (when we entertain and host guests), Cholita Linda (but we have this in Alameda now), Marugame Udon (again, we have one in Alameda now), La Marcha Tapas Bar (when we miss Spain), etc. Also known for - Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, arts and culture, politics/protests, Elmwood, Peet's origins, Cheese board collective, COOPS in general, Chez Panisse, Berkeley Bowl (supermarket), Berkeley Marina, etc. Atmosphere - Back in the day, there were so many street vendors on Telegraph Ave. We would make a day just people watching. From the vendors, to the customers, tourists and students. Such joy. 17.7 square miles, 7.2 of which is water. Population - 124k. Nearby cities - Albany, Kensington, Orinda, Oakland, and Emeryville. Service - Depends on what you do, eat, or drink. Price - See above. Owner Comment - Congrats on your success since 1878. 1895 - Chartered.

Berkeley. Tons of great food, interesting community. They might have a university here, go Cal!read more