Which Neighbourhood?

I%26#39;m planning a trip to SF in March and I%26#39;m having trouble deciding where I need to be. I would like easy access to public transport and a hotel in a safe neighbourhood with shops and restaurants within walking distance - but where I would feel comfortable walking around by myself in the evenings.

I thought Union Square would be a good bet as its central etc .. but several of the Hotel reviews I%26#39;ve read mention areas to avoid nearby!!

Any suggestions welcome.

Which Neighbourhood?

Union Sq is a fine area to locate. Close to transportation, you can walk to Embarcadero, Modern Art Museum or Chinatown, or bus or cab. Many visitors stay at Fishermans wharf, but I think that is very touristy and not really close to most sights.

The hotel staff will let you know how far not to walk if you are alone. Some areas are a little %26#39;seamy%26#39; but not really dangerous if you have a companion.

Union Sq has a few large hotels and many smaller boutique hotels, depends what you like/need.

Which Neighbourhood?

I stayed at the Grant Plaza in June, on a last-minute business trip to SF. It%26#39;s a block up from the main gate of Chinatown and, in my opinion, a bargain. Clean, small rooms (ok, it ain%26#39;t the Pan Pacific, Mark Hopkins or St. Francis, but...it did for what I needed, and that was a clean and safe place to sleep and have a shower!), central location and a nice clientele (my next door neighbors were from New York and were enjoying their first visit). The drawbacks: it is right IN Chinatown, so can be noisy, bustling, etc. and the rooms are on the small side...very small.

I stayed on the top floor---away from the Grant street side---and was fine (I live next to LA Airport so traffic noise does not bother me much), I walked everywhere----through North Beach, down to the Wharf, up to Coit Tower, to Lombard Street, Union Square, the Financial District, Museum of Modern Art, Moscone Center, even the ';Theatre District'; (aka the tenderloin, but only during the day) and felt perfectly safe---although I had lived there years ago in grad school so know the city fairly well. Still, as a single woman travelling alone, I was ok.

The buses are everywhere, the cable cars are close by, and the MUNI (SF%26#39;s under and overground streetcars) and BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) stop is within a short walk---BART now travels direct to the airport, which is great. Chinatown and North Beach are full of great places to eat.

I am sure you%26#39;ll get other suggestions too, have a wonderful time when you do go. Just pack good walking shoes and a waterproof jacket (my old Barbour does just fine there in the cooler months, with a sweater if need be). If you are walking through North Beach, there is a tiny homemade foccacia place just up from St. Peter and Paul Church (the one in all the films, like ';When A Man Loves a Woman';) that sells huge, delicious slabs for very reasonable prices. I bought a big piece of garlic foccacia and munched all the way up to Coit Tower. Anyone know the name?

I like Lombard Street for staying in better than Union Square - it%26#39;s mainly cheap motels but it%26#39;s fine for walking around and easy for getting buses to everywhere else. There%26#39;s lots of shops and restaurants nearby.

However, it depends also on the style of accommodation you prefer.

Union Square could be anywhere to me.

Luci

Hi celi36,

I have stayed by myself a number of times in Union Square area hotels and have not only minor concerns when staying there. A general rule I would suggest, is the further north of Market St. and East of Taylor St. your hotel is, the safer you will be. Any hotel North of Geary St. and West of Taylor is in a very safe area. However, the Theater District is in an area with a lot of homeless people so you may want to be careful and try and walk in the company of others going to and from any shows you are attending there.

I stayed on hotels by Market and Powell and felt fine although there were a lot of homeless in the area and sometimes they can get aggressive or are not mentally stable and that can be scary.

Hi, celi36

In my previous post, I meant to say that I have had only minor concerns--please ignore the ';not'; in the first sentence. I hope I didn%26#39;t confuse you!

As you can see, with this question, you get all sorts of responses. However, based on your written question, Union Square meets ALL your needs. It is central and the Heart of the City. It is the premier area. The transit could not be easier getting in and out to ALL areas of the City. Buses, Street Cars, Taxis, Cable Cars and BART are all at your fingertips. Walking is easy and safe to Chinatown, Theatres and more. Union Square is the main shopping and dining district. Yes, next to Union Square is an area called the Tenderloin. You have no reason to go there and ask the hotel to mark your map when you arrive. You%26#39;ll never know it is there. The Wharf is not the best place in the world to be at night either. A lot closes down at night. Once you walk a block or two off the Bay, the streets are quiet and desserted. Other than a few hotels, most are a block or two off the Wharf. Safety in numbers and the more people on the street walking around, the safer the street in my book. There are bad areas outside the French Quarter in New Orleans, but I wouldn%26#39;t let that stop me from wanting to stay in the French Quarter since it is the best place to stay in New Orleans.

Going by what you said you want, I would highly recommend staying in Union Square. If you search well, you%26#39;ll find good deals on hotels in the area and the price difference (in my opinion) isn%26#39;t worth some of the ';motels'; you may get in other parts of the city.

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