San Francisco Union Square or Fishermans Wharf
Replies: 21 - Last Post: Jan 21, 2013 3:59 PM Last Post By: kylie1603
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San Francisco Union Square or Fishermans Wharf
Hi,We will be travelling to San Francisco in September and have had different opinions on the best part of SF to stay in, we will be going to Alcatraz, hopefully a bike ride over the Golden Gate Bridge, and discovering the city by trolley cars. My Husband & I will have our 15 year old son with us, would it be better to stay at The Radisson in Fishermans Wharf or Handerley Hotel in Union Square. Any opinions/advice are welcomed,
Cheers,
Kylie
1
Kylie,Welcome to the Thorntree.
I would recommend Union Square over Fisherman's Wharf. There are more eating and sightseeing and travel options.
It's also very easy to get to FW from Union Square by trolley cars (buy a day pass it's cheaper than individual tickets, if you take 3 rides than you're ahead).
Happy travels!
2
Since you have Alcatraz, a bike ride over the Golden Gate Bridge (check out the Civil War Fort Pointdirectly below the bridge's southern tower) you'll do better by staying at Fisherman's Wharf. It is touristy,
but its location makes it easy to walk to historic North Beach, Coit Tower and the Jackson Square Historic
District where many 1800's buildings survive. The problem with Union Square is that it is the upscale downtown
shopping district which probably will bore your son to tears. But both Union Square and Fisherman's Wharf
are linked by the Cable Car routes.
3
^^ BTW, the pass allows you to travel on streetcars, buses, and cable cars. So it's a good deal.Alcatraz - prebook if you can, saves disappointment. I was there in Sept 2012 and saw quite a number of 'walk ups' who had to wait a while to get on a boat tour. Highly recommend the audio guide on Alcatraz.
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Arai wah!PhiMeow, you didn't PM me while in San Fran? I was actually visiting San Fran during late September for SF Giants baseball World Series game @ AT &T Park and Fleet week in earlier October.
Yes if you like shopping Union Square is great with food courts nearby. Fisherman's Wharf is great for walking distance to tourist attractions.
8
Union Square is not "just shopping" It has connections to all of the various types of public transportation in San Francisco. It is also walking distance from Chinatown, North Beach, Soma, etc. and has very good restaurants and bars within walking distance.Fisherman's Wharf is fine to 'visit', but not to 'live' unless you like schlocky tourist shops, overpriced and underwhelming restaurants, buskers in your face. For what it does offer, it is easily reached from Union Square.
9
From Union Square, you can't "walk" to Chinatown or North Beach without climbing Nob Hill. You won'tsee many people doing this for obvious reasons. Sure, you can take the Cable Car up over Nob Hill but
from Fisherman's Wharf, it's an easy flat walk to Ghiradelli Square, Chinatown, North Beach, etc. The OP named going
to Alcatraz and biking the GG Bridge as things they wanted to do. The Wharf puts them right there for
those activities. And a Union Square Hotel is going to charge you quite a bit to park a car, if that is a consideration. And the Wharf is not a culinary desert-- the City's top restaurant :"Gary Danko" is there.
12
I think it would be best to stay close to Fisherman's wharf, there is a lot going on in that area, and it is not far from the bridge, and the ferry to Alcatraz. I have been there in 2011, and 2012 and thoroughly enjoyed that area, it is an easy area to walk, as it is relatively flat in this area. I think a 15 year old would enjoy this area best.13
As you can tell by the points made above, it's a tough call. You'll be fine with either one. Fisherman's Wharf itself is pretty touristy, but it's by the water and it's walking distance to many residential neighborhoods. Union Square is more central to public transit if you're looking to go anywhere outside the city via the BART or getting into the city by public transit from the airport. I would probably lean towards Union Square for a first-time tourist as I don't think it's actually hard to walk to Chinatown etc unless you're not in good shape.14
One of the best things about San Francisco is walking amost everywhere. For every uphill walk, there's a downhill walk.
