That's funny, I remember getting from North Park to Sorrento Valley being sheer, utter hell on earth, most of it spent crawling up 805 at a snail's pace.
Also, downtown (well, the gaslamp at least) is kinda meh but North Park, South Park, and Golden Hill are probably the best neighborhoods in the city, and about 2 miles from DT.
DT does have one advantage though in that you can take the Coaster to Sorrento Valley.
They can also check out Hayes Valley, Cole Valley, Noe Valley, and even Inner Richmond near Lake. Add to that the Marina district and Pacific Heights and you've got yourself a tour safer than Disneyland.
Overall it's a sprawly mess (like most of the rest of the area), but there are a few cool hidden gems, like Alum Rock park or the rose garden. Good museums for kids.
Skyline Drive: avoid it on a bike, as he says, there are crazies. However there are 30,000 acres of parks and hundreds of miles of trails and roads off Skyline. El Corte Madera a few miles north of the 84 junction (Alice's Restaurant) which 10's of miles of old logging roads. Good hiking too.
+1 for going up to Skyline. Make a stop at Windy Hill, make the short hike up to the top of said hill, and you'll be rewarded with amazing views. On a clear day, you can see from San Francisco to San Jose, from the Diablo Range to the Pacific Ocean. Beautiful.
I'm, kinda thankfully, about 20 miles north of there so I'm close to a whole bunch of parks. It's still not ideal being the northern suburbs and all, but within 30 minutes drive I've got half a dozen nice green areas, and a few within 10.
Inner Richmond and Inner Sunset are both awesome - lots of great food, plus they're near the park. Outer parts are both so far away you can't get anything done.
I lived in Golden (where my first house design was built) for a while, and you simply can't beat the area there for outdoor activities. I was in amazing shape, rode my bike along the Continental divide, got a below freezing outfit to hit the road as soon as the snow was plowed in the winter, amazing skiing up Interstate 70. But if you're looking for fine art, symphony, theater, opera, great dining, etc, this is not a good place to be. For a shorter period though - a great experience.
It's definitely not perfect not the most pleasurable experience but if you find the right streets for your route it can become quite a relaxing ride. :)
I somewhat disagree. I rode around it on a motorcycle from the bay last year. It was my first time seeing it. I hate crowds just like everyone else, and there was a crap ton of buses with even more people there, but I have to say -- I didn't expect much... "big whoop, grand canyon..." but when I walked up to the side in person, the shear size and strange 3d illusion the sight put on my brain, I just couldn't comprehend. I was put in awe and literally couldn't turn away for 10 minutes... the people around hadn't detracted from that. But everyones different... the southside will always be crowded, if you want it to be remote, just plan a trip to the north side.
Hamilton has a gritty feel Cap Hill used to have in Seattle before it was ruined. Great nightlife but always a slight worry you might get robbed. It has density without the cost so you can see uniqueness you won't get elsewhere.
I was up at the top of nob hill. Great view, great city -- didn't mean to put it down. City living is just something you kinda need to get used to :)
I got a great workout everyday walking back and forth to work! At least, until I wussed out and started riding the cable cars. I'd go back anytime. Great location.
You can stay in this area for good rates in off season. I walked less than 2 blocks to the tree with great Airbnb hosts 2 times last year. Walking distance to lots of other things too. I walked pretty close to aki from there without thinking about it wondering over a 1/4 day.
Also, downtown (well, the gaslamp at least) is kinda meh but North Park, South Park, and Golden Hill are probably the best neighborhoods in the city, and about 2 miles from DT.
DT does have one advantage though in that you can take the Coaster to Sorrento Valley.
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