San Francisco is a city for dreamers. Maybe it’s the ethereal wisps of fog swirling about. Maybe it’s those 43 oh-so-steep hills, or the plucky cable-cars-that-could that nimbly climb them.
Welcome to San Francisco
Whatever it is, the city that rushed its way onto the American scene when a bunch of adventurers and outcasts came searching for “gold in them there hills” has attracted eccentrics ever since. Poets and inventors, visionaries and weirdos... even the lazy sea lions that sun themselves on Pier 39 know they have a place in this crazy city.
Clocking in at just seven miles by seven miles, the “city by the bay” is not large, but it packs in a lot between the Bay and the breakers. This includes a buzzing literary scene, the crookedest street in the world (Lombard between Hyde and Leavenworth) and the largest Chinatown outside of Asia. The Castro wears its colorful and cheeky personality on its sleeve (and flagpoles), the Mission mingles grit and hip and Latin flavor, and over in the Sunset quixotic windmills, one of world’s largest (and greenest) science museums and shaggy bison all keep company at Golden Gate Park. Yep, it’s no wonder folks croon about leaving their hearts here.
We hunted down the best budget hotels by the bay. Check out our favorites, and get help planning your trip with our budget guide to San Francisco.
From our San Francisco blog
As one of the most popular destinations in the U.S., it’s no surprise that San Francisco is full of popular tourist attractions, some of which are best avoided. Some are decidedly underwhelming and some are overpri ... read
By Spencer Spellman in San Francisco— While San Francisco may be one of the most expensive cities to visit in the U.S., it certainly doesn’t have to be. Whether it’s eating street food or enjoying an aftern ... read
If you’ve never been to San Francisco, expect the unexpected, especially when it comes to the weather. In any given day you may experience a couple different seasons, as the weather can change drastically. Because ... read
By Suzanne Russo— The eclectic Mission District is somehow both quintessential San Francisco and a world apart. Like the hip Marina and tony Pacific Heights, the Mission has a large population of ravishing Victorian ... read
By Spencer Spellman— If you’re spending most of your time in San Francisco itself, you’re not likely to be renting a car. The expense of parking mixed with the difficulty of finding a parking spot are reaso ... read
