Always wanted to visit San Francisco.. but can't?

At one time I lived in a San Francisco apartment across an alley from a large multi story parking garage. Years after I moved I learned that the homeless had taken over the top floor. Then instead of cars it housed tents.
 

Teacher Terry said:
David777, I’m glad to hear that some places in San Francisco have been cleaned up. Because of living so close I used to go once a year for 3-4 days. I was so disgusted the last time I was there in 2018 that I haven’t been back.
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Certain areas are still troubling that is an ongoing cleanup process that will require time. Drive into the city and park for free safely during day hours at Marina Green with large numbers of tourists eyes always about. Since you enjoy walking, from there, use public transit to reach anywhere in the rest of the city. Anyone else want to visit San Francisco frugally, relatively safely just ask me.

Using SFMTA public transit with one of the most diverse modes to do so on the planet:

Muni

Key for visiting San Francisco, parking freely, safely requires homework. One always needs to carefully read all street signs as some may be temporary. I've never been ticketed or towed nor use parking garages though am not afraid to walk a mile:

Drive & Park

How to park avoiding tickets and towing:

How to Park Legally in San Francisco

Use this map to park for free in allowed residential areas, even overnight, and copy its map pdf:

Residential Parking Permits (RPP)

Avoiding metered parking areas:

Demand-Responsive Parking Pricing

Use this map to park in green and olive low property crime zones:

https://crimegrade.org/property-crime-san-francisco-ca/
 
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I was there last in march. Stayed by the fisherman’s wharf. From there I xan walk all over. Chinatown, Coit’s tower, snob hill, financial, Presidio…ect. I know the areas pretty well and can make a great day or week visiting my favorite restaurants. I am a walker….so that helps I also have gotten familiar with the area…I would move there in a heartbeat.
 

Muskrat said:
I was there last in march. Stayed by the fisherman’s wharf. From there I xan walk all over. Chinatown, Coit’s tower, snob hill, financial, Presidio…ect. I know the areas pretty well and can make a great day or week visiting my favorite restaurants. I am a walker….so that helps I also have gotten familiar with the area…I would move there in a heartbeat.
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If you are thinking of moving here, have you considered southern Marin, maybe Mill Valley or Larkspur?
 
seadoug said:
We visited San Francisco a couple of times, before Big Tech moved in and decimated all the quaint store-front businesses. It was fantastic! We now have friends that live right outside the city but when we last visited they didn't even take us into San Francisco proper. They said it just isn't that interesting and lively anymore.

Thanks for the memories!
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I was stationed at Ft. Ord in the 70s and went to San Francisco and the Bay Area on the weekends. Had great times back then. Except once when I almost got robbed downtown. I saw a few guys setting me up and quickly let the area. Military training.
 
Oldeagle66 said:
I was stationed at Ft. Ord in the 70s and went to San Francisco and the Bay Area on the weekends. Had great times back then. Except once when I almost got robbed downtown. I saw a few guys setting me up and quickly let the area. Military training.
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A San Francisco 49er football player, Ricky Pearsall, was shot in the chest last year in a well known San Francisco shopping district when he resisted a thief. Miraculously the bullet passed through his chest and out his back without injuring any organs.
 
seadoug said:
We visited San Francisco a couple of times, before Big Tech moved in and decimated all the quaint store-front businesses. It was fantastic! We now have friends that live right outside the city but when we last visited they didn't even take us into San Francisco proper. They said it just isn't that interesting and lively anymore.

Thanks for the memories!
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Many California stores, including some in San Francisco, were forced out of business by an idiotic State law that defined shop lifting of store merchandise valued at less than $950 as a misdemeanor, a crime equivalent to Jay Walking. Fortunately that will change as a result of the last election.
 
I was just telling about our first date in another thread when we went to San Francisco. We actually went there all the time on dates-mostly to the Avalon Ballroom. Back then you could walk all those areas with not a thought (1965) but I wouldn`t today.

My niece lives in a very upscale neighborhood in San Francisc,yet there is a homeless encampment on her street. My grandniece is a runner and before she left for college last Fall she ran around the neighborhoods all the time. But she had Zen by her side-her close to 100 pound Doberman Pinscher so wasn`t worried. Still worried me a bit though.
 
View from top of Lyon Street Stairs along Vallejo Street northward, September 2022 on someone's wedding day visit. Am 320 feet above the bay at slightly more than 1 mile distance.

Lyon-Street-north.jpg


On below Caltop map, at the right edge of the Presidio Park boundary is Lyon Street per the above photo. Many excellent safe spots to park on inclined streets. Due north at the shore, is the Yacht Harbor and just east is Marina Green where I recommend day parking for free in the city. Note there are also plenty of well marked restricted parking spots amongst the free slots say for the boat owners.

CalTopo - Backcountry Mapping Evolved

Mouse drag the map left to view more of that shore east to see beyond to Gashouse Cove, then Fort Mason, Aquatic Cove, then popular tourist pier areas. I walk these areas more than any others. Those areas are best viewed on a smartphone via Google Maps at:

San Francisco · California
 
Mrs. Robinson said:
My niece lives in a very upscale neighborhood in San Francisc,yet there is a homeless encampment on her street. My grandniece is a runner and before she left for college last Fall she ran around the neighborhoods all the time. But she had Zen by her side-her close to 100 pound Doberman Pinscher so wasn`t worried. Still worried me a bit though.
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I have told this story before … My now deceased Brother In-law, a San Francisco cop, patrolled Market Street, a main drag, and was equipped with free vouchers for rooms In the area. He was frustrated by his inability to give those vouchers away. The homeless preferred a rule free life on the sidewalks and alleys.
 
David777 said:
View from top of Lyon Street Stairs along Vallejo Street northward, September 2022 on someone's wedding day visit. Am 320 feet above the bay at slightly more than 1 mile distance.

Lyon-Street-north.jpg


On below Caltop map, at the right edge of the Presidio Park boundary is Lyon Street per the above photo. Many excellent safe spots to park on inclined streets. Due north at the shore, is the Yacht Harbor and just east is Marina Green where I recommend day parking for free in the city. Note there are also plenty of well marked restricted parking spots amongst the free slots say for the boat owners.

CalTopo - Backcountry Mapping Evolved

Mouse drag the map left to view more of that shore east to see beyond to Gashouse Cove, then Fort Mason, Aquatic Cove, then popular tourist pier areas. I walk these areas more than any others. Those areas are best viewed on a smartphone via Google Maps at:

San Francisco · California
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Now that's beautiful isn't it ?
 
hollydolly said:
My daughter has friends in Fremont.. whom she visits every few years and they do the same..they don't bother visiting San Francisco when she goes over there no... but she did enjoy her first visit when they visited Chintown
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I had some relatives down in northern California, and when I was there at age 14 they took me to a well paved, fully and officially constructed & provisioned drag strip. At that time, the fastest of the specially built, enormously powerful dragsters were able to sometimes exceed 190mph, and cover the straight quarter-mile run in around 7 seconds.

Watching those was very exciting for an early-teenage boy, and it was incredibly loud! A US national star name Don Garlits set a record for the Fremont track that day. I guess he was pretty young still, at that time, because he continued building cars and setting records for decades, and (I've read) eventually reached speeds over 300mph.

I didn't see that much of San Francisco, but did enjoy visiting nearby Sausalito.
 
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Teacher Terry said:
Yes all large cities have a homeless problem but there's has exploded. It’s sad but it’s much worse and the city has gotten to be incredibly dirty with garbage on the streets and sidewalks. The governor moved all the homeless out when world leaders were coming to the city so that should tell you how bad it’s become.
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I agree. Its an open sewer.
Addicts get money for their fix by shoplifting while law enforcement looks the other way.
 
I was briefly there in the summer of '80 - rode the hill trams ; saw the large red wood trees and visited dysneyland maybe? - It looked clean then and orderly
 
I lived near San Francisco for 4 years and it was always a nice visit, especially for family to take and show the sites. I liked Fisherman's Wharf, the crookedest street, riding the cable cars and fancy restaurants. I have not been there since the late 60's, so do not know what has changed.
 
Yes they gave me the greatest kick - the rest of the family weren't interested - I did consider trying for an Island crossing to the prison island [what do you can that now?] but it was too complicated and again family not interested - sharen't take them next time hahaha!!
 
I've never been to that part of the US, though my daughter has been to San Francisco a couple of times. She says here favourite city is Chicago, but I've only been there on a stop over on the way to Minnesota. I don't think I'll be back in the US - long haul flights have no appeal.
 

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