leave your heart in san francisco


i moved to san francisco in 2013 and have loved living in this beautiful and quirky city. as i'm starting to wrap up my time here, i wanted to write down some of my fav things about this wonderful city for those stopping by or spending time here.

sf specific stuff
  • alamo drafthouse (super cool old movie theater where you can order food - highly recommend)
  • the emporium: a theater turned into a really cool arcade. nearby there is lots of good food and ice cream (see recs below) 
  • see if there's a daybreaker morning dance party (https://www.daybreaker.com/city/sf/) 
  • the market on market (super fancy but awesome market. they have good tacos and my favorite poke in town)
  • church of 8 wheels (really fun roller rink) 
  • ferry building: cute shops and food, very sf 
  • mission bowling club (unique bowling alley)
things to eat:
  • the mill: super trendy coffee + thick yummy toast OR pizza at nighttime
  • trouble coffee: lots of history
  • breakfast/brunch at kitchen story! get millionares bacon
  • cookies at hot cookie
  • uva enoteca (italian) 
  • souvla: really popular "greek" place
  • marlowe (hard to get a reso so try to walk in early) 
  • jane on fillmore: breakfast/brunch
  • reveille on waller - really good breakfast and coffee shop
  • tartine manufactory (amazing space with delicious pastries) 
  • nabe - delicious japanese hot pot 
  • arlequin - good food with cute back patio in hayes valley 
  • nabe stonepot - good korean stonepot on divisadero
  • gracias madre - REALLY good vegan mexican food
  • dumpling time - nom dumplings near the airbnb office 
things to do:
  • mosaic stairs/grandview park (amazing views of the city)
  • amoba record store (upper haight) 
  • hike to top of corona heights (my fav view of the city) - like 25 min hike
  • picnic/hang in dolores park (if weather is nice) 
  • lands end hike (start at sutro baths and go towards golden gate bridge)
  • hang with dogs and views in alamo square park 
where to drink:
  • white chapel (gin bar)
  • madrone (my favorite bar in the city)
  • high tops (gay sports bar but very friendly to everyone, super good food) 
  • brewcade, coin-op or the emporium (arcade bars)
  • el techo de lolinda (rooftop bar, sometimes long line)
  • the bear vs bull bar (inside alamo drafthouse) 
  • black sands
  • club deluxe - awesome jazz club in upper haight 
ice cream (my favorite thing in the world):
  • garden creamery in the mission
  • salt & straw (two locations - recommend hayes valley) 
  • bi-rite (recommend the one on divisadero)
  • mr & mrs miscellaneous (check their hours)
  • loving cup (claims to be froyo but i think its just ice cream, it's delicious though!) 
neighborhoods to check out:
  • nopa/divisadero (recommend starting from haight/divisadero and walking north... lots of shops/bars/food)
  • hayes valley (cute shops, eateries and cafes) 
  • lower haight (grungy but cool area)
  • mission (both by flour+water area and by 16th/valencia) 
  • sunset 
  • pac heights (cute shopping street) 
  • bernal heights 

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