2016-12-04 01:00:55
SAN FRANCISCO PACKS A LOT OF APPEAL INTO 49 SQUARE MILES. No matter what your clients’ interests are, there are possibilities here that will always delight and entertain them. Whether you’re working on an itinerary for fickle foodies or first-time visitors in search of classic San Francisco experiences, here are suggestions for some of the many ways to experience the City by the Bay. Asian Art Museum THREE DAYS OF ARTS & CULTURE MUST-SEE MUSEUMS, WORLD-CLASS PERFORMING ARTS AND MORE. DAY ONE MORNING A great day can be spent at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, which are not only home to one of the country’s largest collections of art, they’re also located in some of its most scenic areas. Travelers can enjoy a morning stroll through Golden Gate Park before taking in the de Young museum and its collections of American painting, sculpture and decorative arts as well as art from Africa, Oceania and the Americas. The museum’s glass-walled observation tower has an amazing 360-degree view of the city. There are a number of lunch options along Ninth Avenue and Irving Street in the inner Sunset or to the north, Clement Street’s eclectic offerings. The de Young also has a café which offers espresso, pastries and alfresco lunch. AFTERNOON Take the scenic route via the Great Highway and Sutro Heights and enjoy stunning views of the Pacific. Lincoln Park which overlooks the Golden Gate is where the Legion of Honor, the de Young’s “sister” museum, is located. The core of the Legion of Honor’s collection was amassed by Adolph B. and Alma de Bretteville Spreckels, whose particular collecting focus was 18th- and 19th-century French art. Today its holdings span 4,000 years and include European painting, sculpture, and decorative arts, ancient art from the Mediterranean basin, and the largest collection of works on paper in the American West. DAY TWO MORNING Travelers can head to the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco where they can enjoy the museum’s unrivaled collection of 18,000 art treasures and antiquities from more than 6,000 years of Asian history. AFTERNOON Stop at the museum’s popular Café Asia and explore a menu that includes everything from noodle salad to salmon burgers. Be sure to save room for dessert; Humphry Slocombe has created a custom ice cream blend for them: Adzuki Almond Cookie. Other options include pho — silky noodles floating in a hearty broth — or banh mi, French-influenced sandwiches on a baguette from nearby cafes in Little Saigon. Once you’ve recharged, spend some more time exploring the museum’s impressive collection, or stroll around the Civic Center neighborhood to see its Beaux Arts architecture. EVENING To round out a full day of culture, travelers can take in a performance at one of the city’s many theaters. The San Francisco War Memorial and Performing Arts Center features opera, symphony classics and ballet. Or visit one of the SHN theaters — the SHN Orpheum and the SHN Golden Gate — where some of the city’s biggest theater productions are held. The Curran, which reopened in January after a major restoration and renovation, is becoming known for its mission to provide the Bay Area with a home for some of the most innovative stage works being conceived today. DAY THREE MORNING San Francisco Museum of Modern Art No trip to San Francisco would be complete without a visit to the new San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. The Snøhettadesigned expansion includes seven floors of new and renovated galleries tailored to the collection, enabling SFMOMA to display more of its 32,000 modern and contemporary artworks by Alexander Calder, Chuck Close, Frida Kahlo, Jackson Pollock, Gerhard Richter, Richard Serra, Cindy Sherman and numerous others. An entire floor is also dedicated to photography. Visitors will also want to linger on the six art-filled terraces, a new sculptural staircase and Roman steps. There’s also free access to 45,000 square feet of the ground floor galleries, and free admission for visitors ages 18 and under. AFTERNOON Throughout the day guests can refuel with an artisanal coffee at SFMOMA’s café or enjoy small afternoon bites in the tranquil sculpture garden. EVENING Programming at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA), located opposite SFMOMA, often includes evening performances. One of the most innovative contemporary art centers, YBCA offers an eclectic calendar of leading edge exhibitions, performances and films. Fog Point • Hanger One Vodka FOODIES FEAST FOR A DAY GET A TASTE OF WHY BON APPÉTIT RECENTLY DUBBED SAN FRANCISCO “THE BEST FOOD CITY IN THE COUNTRY RIGHT NOW.” MORNING Jump start a culinary adventure at the Ferry Building Marketplace. A foodie’s dream come true, the restored historic structure is home to artisan producers, specialty shops, local food and fun restaurants. For breakfast, visitors can enjoy everything from fresh baked pastries at Mariposa Baking Company, artisanal coffee at Blue Bottle or the renowned brunch at Boulette’s Larder. Or they can grab some treats for later such as the exquisite organic peaches at Frog Hollow or bento boxes from Delica. AFTERNOON Foodies can dig deeper into San Francisco’s local specialties with the city’s array of food tours. Tastebud Food Tours of San Francisco visits seven tempting locations in North Beach. There are plenty of ways for attendees to dig deeper into local specialties. To get a taste of Chinatown’s delicacies, recommend All About Chinatown Walking Tours or Wok Wiz Chinatown Walking Tours. Check out one of the tantalizing trips by Avital Food Tours’, Local Tastes of the City Tours or SF Adventure Tours Beers & Bites circuit to eat around more neighborhoods. Bento Box • Delica EVENING For some nighttime revelry, San Francisco offers an abundance of locally produced beer, wine and liquor. Visitors can head to 21st Amendment Brewery or Thirsty Bear for an ample variety of craft brews. Bluxome Street Winery, Eno Wine Bar, First Crush, Chateau Montelena Tasting Room and The Press Club offer tastings of local wines. To sample the hard stuff, Anchor Distilling Company on Potrero Hill and Hanger One Vodka headquarters in Alameda are the places to be. A DAY OF FAMILY FUN ACTIVITIES THAT APPEAL TO KIDS AND PARENTS. MORNING City Lights Bookstore Families can start their day in Golden Gate Park at the California Academy of Sciences. This massive, one-of-a-kind institution houses an aquarium, planetarium, natural history museum and four-story tropical rainforest all under one living roof that’s covered by 1.7 million native plants. Their Academy Café and The Terrace restaurant feature plenty of kid-friendly options, so lunch can be enjoyed without leaving the museum. California Academy of Sciences AFTERNOON For some Disney-style fun, the Presidio features a 40,000-square-foot museum celebrating the life, art and imagination of famed animator Walt Disney. Favorite exhibits at The Walt Disney Family Museum include a 13-foot model of Disneyland and a Fantasiathemed theater that screens Disney classics six days a week. In the late afternoon, families can head to the Exploratorium. Located on Pier 15, this interactive museum blends hands-on activities that will delight younger visitors with thought-provoking exhibits that will keep parents engaged, too. PIER 39 EVENING On Pier 39, families will enjoy watching the popular colony of sea lions with stunning waterfront views at sunset. There are also dozens of shops, restaurants and attractions including the Aquarium of the Bay. Or recommend an early evening tour of the bay departing from here as well. A DAY OF LGBTQ CULTURE SAN FRANCISCO IS A WORLD CAPITAL FOR LGBTQ CULTURE. MORNING Recommend kicking off the day with brunch and a morning stroll through the Castro District that has proudly dubbed itself the “Gayest Place on Earth.” Home to myriad businesses catering to the LGBTQ community, local landmarks include the historic Castro Theatre, Pink Triangle Park and Harvey Milk Plaza. For a more informed view of the community, opt for one of the many walking tours offered including FOOT! Fun Walking Tours’ “Come Out to the Castro.” AFTERNOON Visitors can head over to the GLBT History Museum. Affectionately known as the “Queer Smithsonian,” this archive is the first of its kind in the United States. Run by the GLBT Historical Society, the museum houses dynamic exhibits and hosts programs exploring a variety of topics. Leave an hour or so to browse the aisles of Cliff’s Variety, a Castro favorite since 1938. Castro District EVENING Travelers can catch a performance of the renowned San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus. The world’s first openly gay men’s chorus blends a season of local performances with ongoing social and political activism. Afterwards, LGBTQ visitors can discover the vibrant nightlife and popular clubs in the Castro district. A ONE-DAY SHOPPING SPREE SAN FRANCISCO FEATURES SOME OF THE BEST SHOPPING THE NATION HAS TO OFFER. Union Square MORNING Union Square is a shopper’s paradise and a great place to commence a full day of shopping. It’s home to big-name stores such as Macy’s, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Uniqlo and Bloomingdale’s as well as well-known local stores including Gump’s, Brooks and Tourbillon Boutique. Visitors can also enjoy one of the outdoor cafes on Maiden Lane for brunch and people watching. AFTERNOON Travelers looking for one-of-a-kind items will love the unique shops and chic boutiques in North Beach. Browse the aisles of City Lights Booksellers and Publishers, founded in 1953 by poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Peter D. Martin. It is a mecca for booklovers all over the world. A few blocks away on upper Grant Avenue visit Schein & Schein which is stocked with map collectibles from $5 to $5,000; located just three blocks from Coit Tower, they also offer items in their gift shop. For an abundance of apparel and gifts made in San Francisco, recommend SFMade. Their website is an exhaustive guide to more than 500 San Francisco-based manufacturers ranging from Rickshaw Bags in the Mission District to 3 Fish Studios in the Outer Sunset. EVENING With more than 200 stores and restaurants — including luxury retailers such as Kate Spade, Tiffany & Co. And Michael Kors — Westfield San Francisco Centre truly offers something for everyone. After a full day of shopping, travelers can rest their feet and catch a movie at the theater. 2017’S TOP ART MUSEUM EXHIBITIONS TOMB TREASURES: NEW DISCOVERIES FROM CHINA’S HAN DYNASTY Never before seen outside of their homeland, these outstandingly crafted burial goods survived more than 2,000 years underground. Together, they reveal how the early Han courts sought to glorify their statures in this life and in eternity. ASIAN ART MUSEUM FEB. 17 – MAY 14, 2017 MONET: THE EARLY YEARS Gathered from the Musee D’Orsay in Paris, Washington D.C.’s National Gallery, the New York Metropolitan Museum and private collections worldwide, this exhibit features 50 dazzling works from impressionist Claude Monet, many rarely exhibited. LEGION OF HONOR FEB. 25 – MAY 29, 2017 SUMMER OF LOVE Featuring a wide array of psychedelic art, iconic rock posters, interactive music and light shows, and out-of-this-world clothing produced by print studios, boutiques and workshops in the years surrounding the Summer of Love. DE YOUNG MUSEUM APRIL 15 – AUG. 20, 2017 EYVIND EARLE This first-ever comprehensive, museum retrospective of Earle’s distinctive style includes original artworks drawn from the full spectrum of his career which included work on such classics as “Peter Pan” and “Sleeping Beauty.” THE WALT DISNEY FAMILY MUSEUM MAY 16, 2017 – JAN. 8, 2018 EDVARD MUNCH: BETWEEN THE CLOCK AND THE BED Produced between the 1880s and the 1940s, approximately 45 landmark compositions reveal a truly singular modern artist and one largely unknown to audiences today. SFMOMA JUNE 24 – SEPT. 23, 2017
©San Francisco. View All Articles.