San Francisco/Marina
From World travel guide
The Marina district is in the north section of San Francisco, bordering San Francisco Bay, east of the Presidio, west of Fisherman's Wharf, Russian Hill, and North Beach, and immediately north of Pacific Heights and Divisadero hill. It includes Fort Mason. Fort Mason's buildings are now used mainly for exhibits.
The district was built on landfill -- some of it wreckage of the 1906 earthquake -- in the early 20th century to provide a fairgrounds for the 1915 World's Fair (also called the Panama-Pacific Exhibition). Its poor foundation made it the focus of most of the damage (and media attention) in the Loma Prieta Earthquake of 1989. Both the Presidio at its West side and Fort Mason, at its East side, are part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area [1].
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Get in
Van Ness Avenue is the main entryway from the south, and Bay Street from the East. From the north and west, take Highway 101 to Lombard Street. Chestnut, the main shopping and restaurant street, is one block north of Lombard. Parking is scarce. The best choice for parking may be the free area in Fort Mason, its entrance is at Beach and Buchanan streets, another 4 short blocks north of Chestnut.
Public transportation is plentiful and frequent. The Muni `Stockton' bus #30 (runs about every 6 minutes during the day, up to 1 am) gets you to Chestnut street and near the Palace of fine Arts from the CalTrain station, traveling through downtown past the Powell Street BART station. Muni bus #22 (24-hour service), from the 16th Street BART Station goes right up north on Fillmore street all the way to the Marina Green. Muni bus #28 gets you along Lombard street into Fort Mason from the Daly City BART station, traveling a long way up 19th Avenue and through the Presidio by the Golden Gate Bridge. Buses #29 and #43 traverse much of the western part of San Francisco before terminating in the Marina district. If you enjoy walking you can take the Historic F-line street car from downtown, along the Embarcadero, to Fisherman's Wharf, and then continue along San Francisco Bay past Fort Mason -- it's a bit of hill -- to the Marina Green.
Get around
With six lanes, going east-west, Lombard Street is the main road, considered (along with north-south Van Ness) to be part of Highway 101. The winding section of Lombard street is due east, on Russian Hill. Chestnut St is the business section of the Marina - considered among the most posh of San Francisco's neighborhoods. At the north. along San Francisco Bay, runs Marina Green. Your walk can continue along the bay to the West, through the Presdio, along the restored Crissy field marshes, all the way to the Golden Gate Bridge; or to the East, a short climb through Fort Mason and down into Fisherman's Wharf.
See
- Exploratorium. http://www.exploratorium.edu/, a place to spend all day with your kids, at the rear of the
- Palace of Fine Arts. http://www.palaceoffinearts.org/, the only structure remaining from the 1915 World's Fair, with a theater offering a variety of shows, musical and cultural events
The small specialized museums in Fort Mason [2]:
- Museo ItaloAmericano hosts photo exhibits and art of modern Italian artists
- African American Historical and Cultural Society displays historical and contemporary African arts.
The new Lucas studios in the Presidio at the Lombard street entrance.
Do
Walk along Marina Green and watch the sailboats, the freighters coming in under the Golden Gate, and the tour boats going to Alcatraz and other places. Fly a Kite.
Check out what's going on at Fort Mason [3]. Join a Friday evening talk about the far future presented by the Long-now Foundation [4].
Take a slow walk down Chestnut St during any weekend. Be sure to pick up a coffee at Starbuck's (or Peet's), poke your head into the many great boutiques and check out all the beautiful people as they pass you by. And watch out for all the double-wide and double-decker baby strollers... they'll run you down.
Buy
Anything and everything.
A large supermarket is at Beach and Laguna, near Fort Mason.
Eat
Most eateries are on Chestnut Street, running East-West. For instance:
Fuzio's - Worldwide pasta is how it bills. The modern and affordable restaurant has some unique flavors, such as in the Barbwire Chicken. Also serves many martinis.
Homeplate - Wonderful brunch place on Lombard. Always busy on weekends. Great homemade scones with homemade jam. Can't go wrong here.
Green's - located in Fort Mason, perhaps the best vegetarian restaurant anywhere.
Isa - Isa is located on Steiner just off of Chestnut. Comfortable environment with an innovative menu made up of small plates that blend french style with asian flavors. Owner Luke Sung is one of San Francisco's most celebrated young chefs.
Lux - Luke Sung's other restaurant in the Marina. This one is less french and more asian, but it sticks to the small plate theme. Very tasty menu.
Hahn's Hibachi - Nobody can confuse this restaurant with fancy dining, but man is it good. Everything is cheap, fast, and really tasty. Go for the grilled chicken, mountain of meat, or saute chicken.
Pacific Catch - There isn't much seating in this place, but that doesn't seem to matter. The food is fresh and tasty. The tune bowl is fantastic.
Bistro Aix - Intimate and comfortable. Great date restaurant.
Eastside West Restaurant - Perfect for appetizers and drinks on a weekend afternoon.
Izzy's Steaks & Chops - Classic steak restaurant... wood floors, saw dust, booths, steak sauces, and all. Their pricing is fantastic and their steaks big and tasty.
Dragon Well Restaurant - Light, modern chinese food. Not the typical oily dishes you ordinarily think of in Chinese.
Andale Taqueria - A chain mexican restaurant, but it is really good.
Drink
Nectar Wine Lounge - Sleek wine bar just off Chestnut St (on Steiner). Great stop off point before or after dinner. Read more about it on Citysearch
California Wine Merchant - Formerly just a wine retail shop when it was located further down Chestnut, the California Wine Merchant is now a hip little spot where you can enjoy a few glasses of wine, watch people go by on Chestnut, or pick up a few bottles to bring home.
Sleep
- Fitzgerald Hotel. http://www.fitzgeraldhotel.com/
In Fort Mason is a Youth Hostel.
The marina neighborhood is really just that, a neighborhood. As such, you won't find many larger luxury hotels. Many of the accomodations are located along busy Lombard St, which runs East from Russion Hill to the Presidio in the West. Lombard St actually forms an informal boundary between the Marina and Cow Hollow. Most of the accomodations along Lombard are not that nice, ranging from run down motor lodges, to slightly more respectable bed and breakfasts. If you were pressed to stay in the Marina itself (rather than downtown), I would suggest one of the following.
Hotel Del Sol (415) 921-5520 http://www.jdvhospitality.com/hotels/hotel/5 Part of the fancy Joie de Vivre hotel group. This formerly nondiscript motor lodge was revitalized with some cool colors, interior design, and upgraded management. It's not a bad place to stay.
Chelsea Motor Inn (415) 563-5600 Nothing special. But it is certainly centrally located.
External links
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