Category Archives: New York Times

Oct 15, 2006

AS befits a city that is both a major tourist and business destination, and one that draws lots of families in for a visit — 65 percent of its population was born outside California — San Francisco’s range of hotels is at once profuse and varied. The city has more than 32,000 hotel rooms, ranging from $12,500-dollar-a-night suites that are more like mansions to bedbug-infested S.R.O.’s that have always held a certain Bukowskian charm better read about than experienced.

While it’s easy to come here and spend $60 for a cellblock out by the airport, it’s also totally unnecessary: with a little planning, you can find a hotel that is affordable yet also embodies the eclectic charm that has always been San Francisco’s appeal. (more…)

Oct 15, 2006

SAN FRANCISCO is justifiably famous for the variety and the excellence of its restaurants. But as a visitor, particularly one looking for both a great meal and a good deal, it’s hard to avoid the feeling that you’ve somehow not quite found what you’re looking for. The tourist traps near Fisherman’s Wharf and most of the dizzying array of restaurants in visitor-heavy areas like North Beach rely on a stream of out-of-towners, most of whom will never come again. Instead, head for San Francisco’s eclectic neighborhoods, where restaurants have to compete for repeat customers in one of the country’s most restaurant-savvy cities.

Read it on the NYT site…

May 21, 2006

San Francisco may be grown up and cultivated, but its sophistication has a playful, even childlike side. It’s not unusual to see a man dressed in a pink bodysuit riding a unicycle, or to find oneself engulfed in a giggly crowd of partygoers dressed up as nuns.

Its quirky sensibility, liberal culture and thriving gay scene breed a nonjudgmental and creative streak that children may find inviting. That’s not to say that San Francisco is a magnet for raising families: only a fifth of households have children. Mayberry this is not. Rather, San Francisco is like a favorite aunt or uncle, always ready to spoil the little ones.

Read the rest on the NYT site…