SCO picks out his highlights UNION SQUARE FISHERMAN’S WHARF
WHY GO? San Francisco’s soul may lie elsewhere, but Union Square is unmistakably its heart. Bars, restaurants and hotels huddle close to each other, but it’s the shopping that people really come for.
WHAT TO DO All the big department stores can be found here – including Bloomingdales, Macy’s and Nieman Marcus. There’s also the big Westfield showpiece mall, while top-name designers such as Jimmy Choo, Paul Smith and Alexander McQueen spread out along Geary Street. For those not wishing to put too much strain on the credit
card, the Museum of Ice Cream (
museumoficecream.com) pulls in big queues of those wanting to learn more about the world’s favourite cold treat.
Union Square is at the centre
of several of San Francisco’s most interesting neighbourhoods – from the hubbub of Chinatown and its much-photographed dragon gate to the northeast, to the grandeur of Nob Hill to the northwest, and the still-seedy Tenderloin, which firmly resists gentrification at all costs. Powell Street is the end point for
two of San Francisco’s much-loved cable car routes. These cars, in place since 1873, clank up San Fran’s notoriously steep hills, powered by cables running beneath the street – but good luck getting a seat.
WHY GO? It’s shamelessly touristy, sure, but people come to Fisherman’s Wharf for a reason. Most city tours and cruises leave from here – Do Something Different sells several – and it’s also the departure point for the notorious (and riveting) prison island, Alcatraz.
WHAT TO DO The Aquarium of the Bay (
aquariumofthebay.org) is found at Pier
39 – although tickets for that are best sold as part of the CityPass (
citypass.com; $89), which includes entry to three big-hitter attractions, a bay cruise and three days of public transport. Pier 39 has plenty of places to eat and shop too, but its most
lovable feature is the honking, grunting, fighting collection of sea lions which turned up on the docks in 1989 – and never left. Watching them squabble is superlative entertainment.
DESTINATIONS SAN FRANCISCO | US
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