Ah - homework and wine on a Sunday night. It's been a crazy first week up here... I'm definitely getting my bearings about my immediate area. Overall, 5th & 6th Street are to be avoided after dark but everywhere else beyond 7th/Market is golden.
Some City Survival skillz I've learned:
1) Hailing a cab:
I've never really had to hail a cab before so this was definitely a new experience.. Luckily I live off of Mission and 7th so there's usually cabs nearby. Always remember to carry an extra $10 at the end of the night just in case
2) Street urchins and general riff raff:
Ignore them; if you say "sorry, fella; I don't have any change", that will spawn a conversation and usually result in them following you ranting for about half a block
3) Friday/Saturday nights:
Avoid popular bars in the Mission or Union Square if you want a drink in a timely manner. Also, I'm more into artsier/rocker/alternative/good tattooed girls and Union Square is definitely not where they're hanging out at. Seemed to be a bunch of Mountain View/Palo Alto girls dressed waaaaay sluttier than when they're down at the Sports Page in Palo Alto on a Friday night.
4) SF street map:
I have a map hanging up on a wall and I will highlight places I've been to. Also another easy rule to remember: if you're lost, go the exact opposite of where you think you should be and that is usually the right way. I've only been horribly lost once so far.
5) Carry cash:
After living in the South Bay and Peninsula, I was pretty accustomed to putting everything on my card. Up here, it seems that places make it a hassle to use a card - enforce minimum charges, no credit only debit, etc... - so it's best just to carry cash. Plus most places to eat during bar hours are little hole in the walls and aren't set up for cards.
I've been to different neighborhoods for 5 of the 7 nights I've been up here and am really loving the experience. I thought it would be more of a culture shock but I think I've adjusted. This is a total Noobie to SF post but these are things which I didn't really take into consideration since I rarely went to SF prior to moving here (aside from work).
Anyway, as mentioned - if you know of something going down in SF, feel free to drop me a line. I'm almost always up for whatever. Also, if anybody knows a drummer out in the SF area, our band really needs one! We're sort of a weird indie type band and have a ton of original content.
Have a great week - until next time!
Some City Survival skillz I've learned:
1) Hailing a cab:
I've never really had to hail a cab before so this was definitely a new experience.. Luckily I live off of Mission and 7th so there's usually cabs nearby. Always remember to carry an extra $10 at the end of the night just in case
2) Street urchins and general riff raff:
Ignore them; if you say "sorry, fella; I don't have any change", that will spawn a conversation and usually result in them following you ranting for about half a block
3) Friday/Saturday nights:
Avoid popular bars in the Mission or Union Square if you want a drink in a timely manner. Also, I'm more into artsier/rocker/alternative/good tattooed girls and Union Square is definitely not where they're hanging out at. Seemed to be a bunch of Mountain View/Palo Alto girls dressed waaaaay sluttier than when they're down at the Sports Page in Palo Alto on a Friday night.
4) SF street map:
I have a map hanging up on a wall and I will highlight places I've been to. Also another easy rule to remember: if you're lost, go the exact opposite of where you think you should be and that is usually the right way. I've only been horribly lost once so far.
5) Carry cash:
After living in the South Bay and Peninsula, I was pretty accustomed to putting everything on my card. Up here, it seems that places make it a hassle to use a card - enforce minimum charges, no credit only debit, etc... - so it's best just to carry cash. Plus most places to eat during bar hours are little hole in the walls and aren't set up for cards.
I've been to different neighborhoods for 5 of the 7 nights I've been up here and am really loving the experience. I thought it would be more of a culture shock but I think I've adjusted. This is a total Noobie to SF post but these are things which I didn't really take into consideration since I rarely went to SF prior to moving here (aside from work).
Anyway, as mentioned - if you know of something going down in SF, feel free to drop me a line. I'm almost always up for whatever. Also, if anybody knows a drummer out in the SF area, our band really needs one! We're sort of a weird indie type band and have a ton of original content.
Have a great week - until next time!