Places to see in San Francisco?

[winter]

Yo. General enquiry here:

Female Parental Unit is going to be in San Francisco in two weeks, with a day or two free. She doesn't drive, though cabs are a possibility, and her interests mostly mirror mine apart from manga/anime. What's there for her to see, visit and/or shop at?

(And if anyone can point out good comic stores there, I would very much like to prepare a shopping list for her ^_^)

Also, I may possibly have a kitten. 300 km away, stripey, undertermined sex, apparently very cute. Lestat for a boy, Esme for a girl?

Comments

[wateriswine.livejournal.com]

The bus and feet are probably the best ways to get around San Francisco anyway. Traffic is insane.

I don't know any comic shops there, I'm afraid. I'm almost always there looking for manga-related stuff. ^_^; If she has any interest in more traditional Japanese arts and crafts, Japantown/Nihonmachi center is great shopping. The big Kinokuniya Japanese bookstore is there too.

For general shopping, Union Square has three department stores including Neiman Marcus and lots of high-end fashion (Betsy Johnson, Armani, etc.) There is a large Borders bookstore, and Rizzoli (art books) used to be around there too. If Cafe de la Presse is still around, it was a fairly decent place to eat/drink (and read magazines).

Chinatown and Haight Ashbury are both great places to explore, even though they are likely to be filled with other tourists. (I'd be surprised if there wasn't at least one good comic book store in the Haight...)

Golden Gate Park has a really beautiful Japanese tea garden, and the science museum there was pretty good as far as I can remember (been ten years).

I like the cafes in North Beach, the old Italian neighborhood on the edge of Chinatown. City Lights bookstore there is kind of interesting to poke around in, and historic.


People tell me Cliff House has the best view, but I've never been there.

[winter]

I'll pass that on - thanks for the list :)