Where to Stay in San Francisco, By an Area Local

23 Comments

1. Hi Laura, thanks for the article. We’re traveling from Australia at the end of August for a concert at Levi stadium. What area would you recommend staying in? Are we better off away from San Fran and just coming up to visit while we’re close?

   Reply

   1. G’day Paul! For a concert at Levi, you could stay in either San Francisco or San Jose. I’d recommend staying in SF — there’s more sightseeing to do in SF than in San Jose, so your trip will include fun things to do besides the concert. To get from SF to Levi Stadium, you can take the CalTrain down to the Mountain View station (45 min on the Express line, or 1 hour on the local line), and then either uber from Mountain View to Levi Stadium (15 min drive) or take the Orange Line (light rail train, ~25 min). The whole trip would take between 1-1.5 hours. If you do this, you should stay somewhere close to the SF CalTrain terminal, so I’d recommend the Mission Bay or South Beach neighborhoods. The Luma Hotel or Hyatt Place are both great hotels less than a 5 min walk from the CalTrain station, and it’s a very safe area. There’s a ton to do there — you can watch a Giants game if you’re into baseball, walk the oceanfront Embarcadero, and eat at great restaurants and bars. Lots going on, and easy public transit to get to the other areas of SF! 

      If you’d prefer to be closer to the stadium for your concert, then you should stay in San Jose or Santa Clara. The Hilton Santa Clara is right next door to the stadium, but there’s not much else to do — Santa Clara is not walkable, and most of the area around the stadium is residential (a bit boring). You might be better off staying in downtown San Jose at a place like Hotel de Anza, which is a 25-minute train ride from the stadium. There’s a lot less to do in San Jose than SF, but downtown San Jose is walkable with some cool museums and restaurants. 

      My advice is to stay in SF. It’s the better city for tourism and public transit. Hope this helps! 

      Reply

   2. G’day Paul! For a concert at Levi, you could stay in either San Francisco or San Jose. I’d recommend staying in SF — there’s more sightseeing to do in SF than in San Jose, so your trip will include fun things to do besides the concert. To get from SF to Levi Stadium, you can take the CalTrain down to the Mountain View station (45 min on the Express line, or 1 hour on the local line), and then either uber from Mountain View to Levi Stadium (15 min drive) or take the Orange Line (light rail train, ~25 min). The whole trip would take between 1-1.5 hours. If you do this, you should stay somewhere close to the SF CalTrain terminal, so I’d recommend the Mission Bay or South Beach neighborhoods. The Luma Hotel or Hyatt Place are both great hotels less than a 5 min walk from the CalTrain station, and it’s a very safe area. There’s a ton to do there — you can watch a Giants game if you’re into baseball, walk the oceanfront Embarcadero, and eat at great restaurants and bars. Lots going on, and easy public transit to get to the other areas of SF! 

      If you’d prefer to be closer to the stadium for your concert, then you should stay in San Jose or Santa Clara. The Hilton Santa Clara is right next door to the stadium, but there’s not much else to do — Santa Clara is not walkable, and most of the area around the stadium is residential (a bit boring). You might be better off staying in downtown San Jose at a place like Hotel de Anza, which is a 25-minute train ride from the stadium. There’s a lot less to do in San Jose than SF, but downtown San Jose is walkable with some cool museums and restaurants. 

      My advice is to stay in SF. It’s the better city for tourism and public transit. Hope this helps! 

      Reply

2. Hi there, thank you so much for your help. I’m going to see the outside lands concert in August this year. Do you have any recommendations for lodging?

   Reply

   1. Hi Bonnie, 

      Glad you’re coming to OSL! It’s one of my favorite music festivals, and I go every year — so I can definitely point you towards the best place to stay.

      The closest neighborhoods to the festival entrances are the Richmond and Sunset districts, between 25th and 35th Ave. Unfortunately, there are not a lot of hotel options here, but you could try finding an Airbnb if you really want to be within walking distance of the festival entrance. Otherwise, my best recommendation is to stay at a hotel along the 5R bus route, which is the most common bus that people take to and from the festival. It’s super safe, reliable, quick, and much cheaper than Uber/Lyft/Waymo. The Grove Inn is one of my recommended hotels, close to the bus route and the park, and in a great neighborhood. This will be about a 15 minute bus ride from the park. You could also stay in Union Square, which will give you more options for hotels. That is about a 30-40 minute bus ride from the park. 

      Reply

3. What are some restaurants with good vegetarian offerings? They don’t have to be 100% veggie restaurants just good places that have lots of healthy veggie forward dishes.

   Reply

   1. Hi Christin, sorry for the late reply! I used to be vegetarian, so I’ve found a lot of great veggie restaurants in SF. Some of my favorites are Shizen (vegetarian and vegan sushi, SO good), Beit Rima (Arabic food, lots of great vegetable-forward dishes), and Hinodeya Ramen (their creamy vegan ramen with tofu is out of this world). I haven’t had Rad Radish yet, but that’s also a hugely popular vegetarian place. 

      You can also check out my article on restaurants in SF for more recs. Thanks! 

      Reply

4. Hi Laura, I am travelling in September this year, I am a ceramist, will be doing a weekend workshop at Clayroom Soma 9th Ave, I live in a small coastal town in Australia so looking at staying in an area that is cosy, cafes, walking distance from accomodation, this is my second time to San Francisco,I am a little familiar but would love any further suggestion, your article is great.
   With thanks
   Rose

   Reply

   1. Hi Rose! Welcome back to San Francisco 🙂 If your workshop is in SoMa, I’d recommend staying in the Alamo Square or Hayes Valley neighborhoods. They are both very cute and cozy, with lots of restaurants, cafes, and boutiques. The Grove Inn (one of my recommended hotels in this guide) is on a cute residential street right between Alamo Square and Hayes Valley and about a 10-minute walk from each of those neighborhoods. Duboce Triangle (near Duboce Park) is also walking distance, and this area has my favorite cafes with sunny outdoor seating on beautiful tree-lined streets! Try Duboce Park Cafe, Cafe du Soleil, Cafe Reveille, or Cafe International. You’ll also be only a 10-minute drive or 20-minute bus ride from the Clayroom. Check it out! 

      If Alamo Square / Hayes Valley doesn’t work out, try North Beach or the Castro District. 

      Cheers, Laura 

      Reply

5. I am coming to SF by myself 8/1-8/4 for concerts at Golden Gate Park. I am looking to stay in a fun, safe neighborhood that also has the easiest route via muni (trains, not buses if possible) to & from the park at night.
   Thanks so much for any recommendations/advice.
   Denise

   Reply

   1. Hi Denise,

      Happy to help! The only Muni train that goes near Golden Gate Park is the N line, which runs through the Sunset District about 2 blocks south of the park. If you want to take the train home, then your best bet is staying in a neighborhood that the N goes near. I’d recommend Haight-Ashbury (near the Cole and Carl Street stop) or the Duboce Triangle, Alamo Square, and Lower Haight neighborhoods (all located close to the Duboce Park stop). All of these areas are fun and safe. Haight Street and Divisadero Street will have the best nightlife if you’re looking to keep the party going.

      These areas don’t have a ton of hotel options, but I’d recommend the Stanyan Park Hotel — it’s close to the park and to a train stop. Beck’s Motor Lodge is also in a fun area, though further from the park.

      P.S. — If you’re coming for the Dead shows, I’m hoping to be there too! It should be a great time.

      Reply

6. Hi there,
   Like your post.
   Do you have other suggestions? Two of us sisters looking for accommodations early October for several days, but want to spend less money

   Reply

   1. Hi Patricia,
      For a budget-friendly hotel in San Francisco, I always enjoy staying at the Cornell Hotel de France, located in Union Square. It’s in a central location and the interior decor is charming and French-inspired.

      You could also try La Casa Inn, in the Marina District, or the Hilton San Francisco in the Financial District. I haven’t stayed at either of these places but have heard good things, and they are each in good neighborhoods for tourists.

      All of the hotels listed above should be below $130 per night for a room for two, which is a pretty good price for SF. If you want something cheaper, you may need to stay at a hostel. Hope this helps!

      Reply

7. How is it to stay in Japantown for first time visitors? I’m debating that area or due to your post the Wharf area. My husband is traveling with out 16 year old daughter throughout CA for college visits. San Fran is their final destination tomorrow, 4/4. I have reserved a hotel in Japantown but have until 3pm today to cancel it. 🙂 Appreciate your advice. Your post is excellent – wish I had seen it sooner.

   Reply

   1. Hi Yasemin,

      So sorry I didn’t get to your comment sooner! I hope you had a lovely stay in SF. For future reference (and for any other curious readers), I LOVE the Japantown area. It’s very centrally located, pretty safe, and has such a unique vibe with tons of ramen restaurants, karaoke bars, and outdoor plazas. The only reason I don’t recommend it for first-time visitors is because there are not a lot of tourist attractions nearby. It also has limited public transportation — it’s really only serviced by bus lines, where other neighborhoods have cable cars or the Muni metro.

      I hope your daughter enjoyed her visits! I went to college in the Bay Area and can attest it’s a wonderful place to spend your young adult years.

      Reply

8. Wondering if I should rent a car at the airport or wait to rent the car until I leave for Yosemite

   Reply

   1. Hi Lynn,
      I would suggest waiting to rent a car until you leave for Yosemite. You can easily get around San Francisco without a car — there is a pretty robust public transportation system. Plus, then you won’t need to worry about expensive parking fees. Hope this helps!

      Reply

9. Hi Laura,
   It’s been very interesting to read your information; thank you for your explanations.
   I’m going to San Francisco in May this year and my accommodation is in “The Grant Hotel” in 753 Bush Street.
   I have been looking in the map and I see it’s pretty close to Tenderloin and by information I see in internet, that area is pretty dangerous. I’m getting worried and I would like to ask you if you know how safe is that area and if it would be better to change the accommodation (though I don’t know if it will be possible to change now).
   Thanks in advance

   Reply

   1. Hi Fatima,

      The Grant Hotel is in a great spot! It’s firmly in the Union Square neighborhood, which is much safer than the Tenderloin. You’re also only 2 blocks away from SF’s luxury hotels in Nob Hill, so you’re much more on the border of “super nice” than “super unsafe.” The Tenderloin is pretty much west of Taylor Street and south of O’Farrell, so you’ll be totally fine outside of those areas.

      Enjoy your trip!

      Reply

10. Hi Janet! Thanks for your comment. I have a few suggestions:

    #1 would be the SF Proper — an upscale hotel within a 5-minute walk of the Orpheum. They have a great bar and restaurant downstairs that I’ve frequented before shows, as well as a rooftop bar and restaurant (called Charmaine’s) with cozy fire pits and excellent views! I’d also recommend eating at Montesacro Pinseria, a fantastic restaurant right across the street. If you want a cool bar, the Pawn Shop is a few blocks away. It’s a speakeasy hidden inside an actual pawn shop, so make sure you bring something small to pawn in order to gain entrance.

    2. SF Marriott Marquis — a little further away, it would be a 20-25 minute walk from the theater or a 5-minute bus ride. If you want to be extra fancy, the Four Seasons is right next door (but about 2x the price). Most bars and restaurants in this area will be in Union Square, which is just a 5-10 minute walk away.

    3. Cornell Hotel de France — One of my favorite budget-friendly hotels in the city, full of charm. It’s a 25-minute walk from the theater, and not easily along a bus line, so I’d recommend ubering. But it’s surrounded by great restaurants: Bouche (my favorite), Ailment, E&O Kitchen. And bars: Pacific Cocktail Haven or Peacekeeper (young crowds, lively) or Starlite (an upscale rooftop lounge with expansive views).

    You can read more about the bars and restaurants I’ve mentioned above by reading my Best Bars or Best Restaurants articles.
    https://travellemming.com/bars-in-san-francisco/
    https://travellemming.com/san-francisco-restaurants/

    Have a wonderful night and enjoy the show! Let me know if you have any more questions.

    Reply

11. Hi! Thanks for this detailed article! Wondering where to stay thats close to the orpheum theatre? Have a 7:30 shoe and would love to go to a cool bar after with my husband( we are in our 60’s) and then back to hotel.
    Will prob grab dinner before show. Thanks!

    Reply

12. Very useful information… looking for a nice hotel but not very expensive… near to the most places . Almost 11days.
    a guide with a small car for the first 3 days ….

    Thank you
    Ali from Oman

    Reply

    1. Hi Ali!

       Have you checked out The Palace Hotel? It’s our top recommendation in the luxury category. Very central, highly rated, and relatively affordable for a 5 star hotel at around 250-350 dollars per night depending on dates.

       If you want something a little more affordable, maybe check out the Kimpton Alon?

       Not sure about the private driver. There is a service called Dryver you could look up, but we don’t have experience with it to be able to vouch for it.

       Enjoy SF!
       -Nate
       Founder, Travel Lemming

       Reply