20240323_174207Views of San Francisco from top of the hill (March 2024)

Last spring, my partner and I had an extended weekend break in San Francisco. We went to celebrate my birthday, and we chose this city, as it was close-ish to home, while also being far enough to really make it an adventure. That said, we spent four nights in town, exploring, eating, and riding a lot of public transport to get from place to place– if there’s one city in the US (besides NYC) with decent public transport, it is San Francisco!

San Francisco (or “SF,” for short) is located in Northern California and is the fourth most-populated city in the state. It is also the second most densely-populated city behind NYC, with over 800,000 residents inside a mere 47 squared miles (121 squared kilometers). SF is also situated right at the tip of the eponymous peninsula, overlooking the wild waves of the Pacific Ocean. Due to its unique location, temperatures remain very mild even in the summer, surpassing no more than 70°F (21°C). It also is perpetually foggy throughout much of the year, giving rise to the nickname “Karl the Fog.”

San Francisco has been getting a bad rep since the pandemic, with plenty of news and online media citing it being one of the “most dangerous” places in the US. From horrific accounts of anti-Asian hate crimes to increased homelessness and open drug use to looting and robbery at businesses, the city of SF is portrayed as having declined since its golden years in the 20th century, now depicted as unsafe and a deplorable third-world society.

That said, I was a bit worried about the potential dangers prior to visiting, but to be honest, I actually found SF perfectly fine and reasonably safe. Of course, we weren’t wandering the Tenderloin or Downtown late at night, but even sightseeing places like Chinatown, Fisherman’s Wharf, even the Mission District, were completely fine. Not to say that the news outlet is totally untrue about SF– after all, we still did see a lot of homelessness throughout town, but as long as you stay away and keep to yourself, it was okay. I think the worst of it was a year or two ago, and overall, I found that the city really cleaned up, and I saw plenty of tourists like ourselves all over the city.

While it would be possible to either drive or take the train to San Francisco from Los Angeles, we weren’t in the mood to drive and the train would take a whopping 10 hours to get there. We were also limited on time, so we decided just to pay more to fly and get there faster for a peace of mind. Our flight left at 13h00 and we arrived into SF an hour later– a short, but sweet journey over!

From the airport, we got an Uber to our hotel, located in Pacific Heights, a calm and residential neighborhood located at the top of one of the many hills that make up SF. We checked into our cozy room and headed out to explore a bit of the city for the afternoon. First part of the agenda was taking the bus all the way to Chinatown, where we got a late lunch at a Sichuan restaurant that served dan dan noodles. Portions were huge and piping hot, but delicious and very comforting.

20240323_152756Dan dan noodles

We wandered around Chinatown afterwards, stopping to grab an egg custard tart at one of the many bakeries. It was my partner’s first time trying an egg custard tart, and she absolutely loved it– I enjoyed it, too, as the one we got was extra crusty and flaky, with a delicate, silky egg custard filling. Perfection!

20240323_160315Egg custard tarts

Chinatown is a bustling and very compact neighborhood with plenty of shops and even outdoor wet markets that reminded me of being back in China or Taiwan. What makes SF’s Chinatown distinctive is that it’s predominantly Cantonese-speaking, as much of the population had immigrated from southern China. While many of the locals can also speak and understand Mandarin, much of casual conversations are in Cantonese. While I only speak Mandarin, I also appreciate the vibrant Cantonese culture throughout SF Chinatown, along with the good food!

20240323_160742Exploring Chinatown

We passed by the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory (the site where fortune cookies were first invented in the 1910’s), but the lines were long to enter, so we didn’t go inside. Instead, we headed out of Chinatown and to City Lights, a notable independent bookstore founded by American poet and social activist Lawrence Ferlinghetti in 1953. The bookstore became famous after the obscenity trials for publishing Allen Ginsberg’s Howl and Other Poems in 1956 and today is a tourist destination that sells books related to the Beat Generation, San Francisco culture, and progressive politics.

20240323_162450Inside City Lights

My partner and I took a look throughout City Lights before we headed out to explore the nearby Little Italy. It started to rain quite heavily, so we ducked into a bakery that sold Italian confections. We had a cannoli and some pastries as a small afternoon snack as we waited out the rain. Once the worst of it died down, we headed out, spotting a beautiful rainbow outside!

20240323_164743Italian sweets in Little Italy


20240323_172121Rainbow!

It was then a steep climb up Lombard Street to the eight, hair-pin turn landmark. When I’d last visited San Francisco with my family, we actually drove down the 27-degree incline at snail’s pace– this time, my partner and I simply observed the cars making the harrowing descent on the street, pausing to photograph this entertaining scene.

20240323_173227Lombard Street

Finally, we headed to Ghirardelli Square, home to the famous Ghirardelli chocolate shop. Established in 1852 by the eponymous Italian chocolate maker, Ghirardelli is one of the oldest chocolate shops in the US, and is local to the San Francisco area. We ended up not going inside the shop, as it looked absolutely packed with tourists– we were actually feeling rather tired after a long day of travel and sightseeing, so we ended up taking an Uber back to our hotel, where we rested for the remainder of the day. We would recharge for another day of sightseeing and onwards, to see as much of San Francisco as possible.

20240323_180941Ghirardelli Square


20240323_181049More rainbow!

More of our time in San Francisco coming soon! 🙂

— Rebecca

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Published by Rebecca

Blogger, world traveler, poet, foodie, part-time penguin. Welcome!

62 thoughts on “Destination: San Francisco, California (Visiting Chinatown, Climbing Lombard Street, and Exploring Ghirardelli Square– DAY 1)”

  2. Glad to hear you enjoyed San Francisco – exploring the food scene and watching cars crawl down Lombard Street sounds like a good way to ease into your time there. I have to say, SF was the one US city I visited where I felt a bit on edge (due largely to the volume of homeless people and the other issues you describe). I visited back in 2015, and from your experience it sounds as though things are looking up. Looking forward to hearing what else you both got up to!

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    1. I guess in any big city like SF, it comes with exercising precautions when out and about– even here in LA, I feel the same way! I’d last visited SF in 2010 and recall it was fine; I suppose between then and now, it got worse (especially with the pandemic). However, my second visit in 2024 wasn’t bad, as I think the city’s making efforts to clean up and handle the homeless situation. Thanks for reading, Rosie!

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  3. It’s good to read that the situation in SF has improved over the last couple of years as it was pretty bad when we visited two years ago. I wasn’t scared but found it unpleasant to have to swerve past people sprawled out over the street or screaming whilst high on drugs. The metro (subway) was the most scary as hardly anyone was using it and we often found ourselves in empty carriages except for undesirables crouched down low with their hoodies pulled over their heads. We visited Pacific Heights and thought it would be a good place to stay in the future. We were around Union Square. A great post Rebecca!

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    1. Thanks for the insight, Marion. I think the pandemic severely impacted SF, and therefore worsened the problems already in place. It’s unfortunate you had to experience the city at its worst, but I’m glad it didn’t deter you from enjoying the city as much as possible! Pacific Heights is definitely a calmer neighborhood, and I heard that neighborhoods situated on the hills are safer than at ground level. Thanks for reading, Marion!

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      1. In the 90s, friends and I, failing to find a cablecar that wasn’t overflowing, walked from pier 39, to the top of lombard, down lombard, and along union through the tunnel to union square. Quite an adventure!!
        I googled and it looks like I misunderstood the talk about *possibly* closing Lombard to cars. It was 10+ years ago, so I’mnot surprised that I got it wrong.
        Despite how often I’ve been to SF, I’ve never taken the Ghirardelli tour! Stupid!! One of our best adventures was paying for one of the little fishing boats (between Pier 39& the wharf) to take us on tour of the bay. Also, walking the GG bridge and laying down next to the center point of the walkway – the gap below the railing is just big enough to feel spooky.

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      2. Very cool! Sounds like you had some fun (and wild) times in SF with your friends. There’s so much to do on and off the beaten path, and perhaps this is a sign to return to SF soon!

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      3. No travel for me till late this year, at the earliest, due to pain & planned surgeries.

        I was also on the cover of The Bay Area Times after pride one year… just a huge pic of me and my transgender Ken doll, Kendra Mattel!! I got soooo many phone calls (and a couple copies).

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  6. One hour of travel vs. ten – you made the right decision! I recently did a puzzle of Lombard Street and it looks just like you picture! It’s so nice to have so many great getaway locations relatively close to your home. I’m glad to hear the homelessness/drug use problem wasn’t as bad as you were fearing. I’ve heard those things in recent years, too.

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    1. Yes, I’m glad we saved a lot of time with flying! California is such a big state that you could spend a lifetime exploring everything. The homeless issue was still apparent in the city center, but we exercised precautions and it turned out fine in the end.

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  8. I may be a little biased, but you made an excellent choice to celebrate your special day with your partner in San Francisco. 😊 I love egg tarts and cannoli, too and Chinatown and North Beach, respectively, make delicious ones. Ghirardelli Square is fun to visit because of its iconic sign and convenient location. Next time, consider visiting the Ghirardelli Ice Cream and Chocolate Factory Outlet in the East Bay city of San Leandro. It may not be as photogenic, but there are no crowds and they sell the same delicious chocolate with a sweet discount. 🍨 So happy you got to see some rainbows! I’m glad you didn’t let the ugly side (my words) put a damper on your trip. There’s a new SF mayor and people are counting on him to clean up The City. For starters, he wants to end remote work and bring people back into office buildings, so nearby businesses can thrive again. Looking forward to reading more about your visit!

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    1. I’m glad I was able to visit your city for my birthday, Darlene! SF is such an artistic and vibrant city with so many activities to do. I’ll have to consider checking out the Ghirardelli outlet in San Leandro next time. It’s great knowing that steps are being taken to improve SF, and here’s hoping it all goes up from here! Thanks for reading, and more of my time in SF to come soon this month!

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  9. It sounds like you had a delightful time despite the bad rep of the city. All those pastries look delightful. I’ve heard SF is also known for its sourdough. Looking forward to reading some more posts about it (and catching up on some others)!

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    1. Yes, SF is known for its sourdough bread, especially as bread bowls for chowder! The pastries were delicious and on-par with the ones I’ve had in France! Thanks for catching up, Camden, and more of SF to come soon!

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  10. It sounds like you had a wonderful time exploring San Francisco. I’ve read about San Francisco’s dirty streets, drug addicts and homelessness, but you just need to know which neighbourhoods, like The Tenderloin and parts of The Mission District, generate the most crimes and avoid them. Lombard Street looks like a fascinating attraction nestled in the heart of the city given its eight sharp turns. The addition of brick paving and lush gardens only enhances its charm – I scan see why tourists want to catch a glimpse of this picturesque landmark. Thanks for sharing, and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx

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    1. Thanks, Aiva! SF gets a bad rep for its homeless issue, but it tends to be concentrated in certain neighborhoods of the city– as long as you avoid them, you should be fine. Lombard Street is quite the trek, whether on foot or by car, but its views from the hilly top are certainly marvelous! More to come soon 🙂

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  11. I really like San Francisco and I can see it would be a great place to celebrate your birthday! Before we went (back) last year I’d heard stories of its decline since our previous visit but like you I didn’t feel unsafe there at all. Yes, we saw signs of homelessness but we’re sadly only too used to that in London and it didn’t make us fearful at all, just sorry for anyone forced to live like that.

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    1. Thanks for your insight, Sarah. It appears that homelessness is in every big city these days, not excluding SF or London (even LA, my hometown). Despite it all, I hope you had a good time visiting SF and good memories attached to it!

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  13. Lovely – San Francisco is a city with so much to offer visitors. It’s great to hear the media stories aren’t always the full picture and that it’s still nice to explore as a tourist. I don’t know if I’ll ever manage a trip there, but really hope I can one day. What a lovely birthday break 🙂

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    1. If you ever make it over to California, definitely check out SF! Despite its challenges, it’s still a gorgeous city with a rich, artistic history, along with a vibrant food scene worth exploring. Thanks for reading, Han! 🙂

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    1. Nice! I’m glad you like SF, enough to visit three times! I agree that some neighborhoods are sketchier than others, but as long as you avoid them, the city overall is decently safe

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      2. Nice! Do you recall the name of the sushi restaurant? I didn’t eat sushi near Ghirardelli Square, but I did eat sushi while in SF; I’ll recap that later!

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  16. I had no idea Ghirardelli or fortune cookies came out of SF. What a fun place to celebrate your birthday, and given how steep those streets are I’d say opting for public transit over driving and parking was a much better idea.

    I’m also glad to learn much of the media portrayals of SF aren’t accurate. I’ve never been to the city and I was disappointed to hear how it had fallen apart. Good to know it hasn’t.

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    1. Absolutely! SF is a hilly city, which makes for an excellent workout while sightseeing! Things were apparently pretty bad during and a few years following the worst of the pandemic, but thankfully, it appeared to be better by the time we visited last year. Thanks for reading, Diana, and more of SF coming soon!

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  18. I’m embarrassed to admit it, but I’ve never been to San Francisco except for the airport! I would like to visit it one day and am glad to hear it is rebounding from the problems it has experienced in recent years. Your egg custard tart looks delicious!

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  20. SF is such a vast city that there is indeed a lot to see. At the same time there are some typically touristy places, I also remember driving down Lombard St. and seeing a lot of the city.

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    1. SF might be small, but it is packed with so many things to do, see, and eat that a few days is not enough! Driving down Lombard Street is an experience worth trying at least once; I did it during my first trip to SF over a decade ago, and it was a harrowing, but fun time!

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  21. This has been a lovely nostalgic tour with you… I guess I haven’t been there since the early 90s or so, and was there in the 70s, hippie days. Glad to know that City Lights is still there doing well ❤ Sorry to hear about the crime rising, but as in most places, if you are reasonably careful, incidents are really very few.

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    1. Thanks, Ruth! I’m glad this post reminded you of your time in SF all those decades ago. SF does have crime, but I found that avoiding the seedy areas and keeping to yourself worked out. More of SF to come soon!

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  22. San Francisco is actually one of the cities I most want to see in the US, thanks to the plethora of images of its beautiful corners that I have come across online. However, I also read about the homelessness and drug problems. But it’s nice to hear from your account that the city has seemed to improve in recent years.

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    1. I hope you get to head over to SF sooner than later! Despite its problems with homelessness and crime, it’s still a beautiful city filled with history and great architecture throughout its hills. Just keep your wits about you, and you should be fine!

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  24. That sounds like a perfect day between restaurants and cafés, bookshop and a nice walk! I have never been to SF but it is on my list! I also didn’t realise that it was so far away from LA!!

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    1. California is a large state; it can take a full day (or two) to go from north to south (and vice versa). SF is a lovely city in California, and with a similar, yet different vibe from LA. I hope you can head over there some day!

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  25. I’d love to visit SF. Lombard Street looks amazing, my son used to have a toy tower where you put a wooden car at the top and it flew left to right and out of the bottom. Lombard street looks similar. Can’t be kind to the cars!

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    1. That toy sounds really cool! Lombard Street is definitely a harrowing, but thrilling street, and I can see how it’s inspired so much in media, architecture, even toys!

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  26. i had no idea about the downturn in SF’s reputation. sad to hear really especially about hate crimes. hard to know what to say. but still as you show a city with a lot to offer the visitor despite some less than ideal weather it seems

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