Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, April 14, 1991 TAG: 9104140353
SECTION: HORIZON PAGE: B-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By DOROTHY REINHOLD LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS
DATELINE: SAN FRANCISCO LENGTH: Medium
It's easy to spend like there's no recession - power shopping in the elegant stores around Union Square, noshing at an Italian lunch spot in North Beach, browsing and buying at the myriad local art galleries and feasting at the latest chichi restaurant after drinks quaffed at a cloud-level cocktail lounge.
But although it is known as a city for shopping, restaurants and the arts, San Francisco is also perfect for those who want a vacation on the cheap - whether it is a mere weekend or an entire week.
One of the biggest reasons San Francisco is a great spot for those minding their money is its transportation, which is plentiful, mass and economical.
For starters, after you fly into San Francisco Airport, there is no need to rent a car, which eliminates a major expense. Shuttles swarm in circles around the airport, picking up passengers and depositing them at their hotel. At $6 for a one-way ride or $10 for a round-trip ride, the SFO Airporter shuttle is the cheapest; there are many others in the $8 one-way price range, though, so finding a shuttle is easy.
Once you are in the city (the airport is just outside of town, if you dare call San Francisco a town), there is a cheap, efficient bus system.
Tourists on a budget will want to use the electric and diesel buses or the trusty, kitschy cable cars. A Muni Passport ($6 for one day, $10 for three days) allows you unlimited riding on any of these vehicles. A $2 cable-car ticket buys you not only transport to another part of town, but a bell-clanging, herky-jerky, thigh-to-thigh ride that is a must for visitors.
There are three cable-car lines, and hopping one or another of them will take you to four of the most popular tourist areas in the city: Fisherman's Wharf (sample the local sourdough bread and seafood dispensed from icy carts on the sidewalk); Union Square (power shoppers concentrate on the blocks bounded by Geary, Powell, Post and Stockton streets; shoppers with more time widen the target to Market, Kearny, Sutter and Mason streets); Chinatown (browse through outdoor stalls for ginseng or lotus root, or munch dim sum treats); and North Beach ("Little Italy," where it would be a crime to ignore the espresso or cappuccino cafes).
A big part of the charm of The City, though, is getting above it all and looking around. There are reportedly some 40 hills in this 49-square-mile city; several are worth boasting about conquering.
Get off the cable car at California and Powell streets to enjoy a heart-stopping view from the top of Nob Hill all the way to San Francisco Bay. Russian Hill, also on the cable-car line, has three of the steepest streets in the city: Filbert Street between Leavenworth and Hyde streets (31.5 percent grade); Jones Street between Union and Filbert streets (29 percent); and Jones between Green and Union streets (26 percent).
Don't forget another great view of the city from Coit Tower, on Telegraph Hill. Take the No. 39 Coit bus at Washington Square for easy access. Ride the elevator to the tower's 210-foot observation platform for an awesome view. (If you have a car in San Francisco, Coit Tower is known for another purpose - as a make-out spot at night.)
But all that touring and looking is bound to make you thirsty. The Top of the Mark (the 19th floor of the landmark Mark Hopkins Inter-Continental Hotel) is, at 52, the oldest skyscraper nest around. Although it attracts a posh set, you needn't be a Coit or a Getty to hoist a few with the glitterati. A cup of coffee will set you back $3.50; the least expensive cocktail is $6, so you should be able to get out of there - with tip - for $15 for two. The dress is casual but neat (no shorts, no jeans), and it opens at 4 p.m. And, lucky for tourists on a budget, it, too, is convenient by cable car.
Of course, no trip to San Francisco is complete without a trip over the Golden Gate Bridge. If you are driving, there is no toll leaving the city; there is a $2 toll to return to San Francisco via the bridge. A stroll across the bridge is free, and offers its own perspective on the bay and the north edge of town.
Other areas of the city are worth exploring by foot, as well. Haight Ashbury - the seat of flower power in the '60s - today is swollen with hippie-wanna-be youngsters. There is still so much tie-dye that the Woodstock generation will feel right at home.
If you go
If your stay includes a night or more in a hotel and you want recommendations for places that won't break the bank, the San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau suggests you call two reservations agencies: San Francisco Reservations (800) 677-1550 and San Francisco Lodging (800) 356-7567.
Another helpful place is the San Francisco Visitor Information Center at Hallidie Plaza, Powell and Market streets. You can get a bus schedule, a one- or three-day Muni Passport and a copy of the helpful guidebook "The San Francisco Book." Telephone (415) 391-2000.
by CNB