I recently found myself in San Francisco on business, spending quality time with one of my favorite towns. Something about San Fran feels familiar to me, like getting together with an old friend you haven’t seen in years, yet it feels like no time has passed at all.
Despite the impeding fog and steep hills, making 4 inch stilettos near impossible, I always manage to stumble upon something of interest. And this trip was no different.
I decided to hike up to Chinatown, one of my usual stops, to barter with the local vendors and track down some chicken satay street meat. Being just days before Chinese New Year, the streets were lined with bright red lanterns and gold, waving kitties. After scoring a cool $2 t-shirt from some elderly ladies that spoke no English with exception to ‘You buy? Good price for you’, I continued on in search of a nice meal.
I stumbled upon a quaint Italian bistro, where the patrons were as colorful as the décor. I love dining alone in foreign cities…people feel compelled to chat with you. I’m sure they were thinking ‘poor girl, eating alone’. Poor in company, maybe - rich in conversation, absolutely. The bartender told me that Sean Penn and his son had left moments before I arrived, and sat two tables away from mine.
If you haven’t been, you must go. If you have been, you completely relate to my affectionate ramblings.
The Urban Cowgirl’s San Fran Top 5
5. SFMOMA (San Francisco Museum of Modern Art) – blow your mind by perusing the innovative (or just plain weird) contemporary art exhibits.
4. Top of the Mark penthouse lounge in the Mark Hopkins Hotel on Nob Hill. Breathtaking views of the city and a menu of 100 martinis.
3. Haight Ashbury - the heart of the hippie movement and home to dozens of vintage shops. A people watchers paradise.
2. Fillmore Street – upscale shops and multicultural eateries, all housed in Victorian buildings.
1. Chinatown – the biggest in the Northern Hemisphere, and the best in my opinion!
Photo credit – San Fran Chinatown at night, Urban Cowgirl
Despite the impeding fog and steep hills, making 4 inch stilettos near impossible, I always manage to stumble upon something of interest. And this trip was no different.
I decided to hike up to Chinatown, one of my usual stops, to barter with the local vendors and track down some chicken satay street meat. Being just days before Chinese New Year, the streets were lined with bright red lanterns and gold, waving kitties. After scoring a cool $2 t-shirt from some elderly ladies that spoke no English with exception to ‘You buy? Good price for you’, I continued on in search of a nice meal.
I stumbled upon a quaint Italian bistro, where the patrons were as colorful as the décor. I love dining alone in foreign cities…people feel compelled to chat with you. I’m sure they were thinking ‘poor girl, eating alone’. Poor in company, maybe - rich in conversation, absolutely. The bartender told me that Sean Penn and his son had left moments before I arrived, and sat two tables away from mine.
If you haven’t been, you must go. If you have been, you completely relate to my affectionate ramblings.
The Urban Cowgirl’s San Fran Top 5
5. SFMOMA (San Francisco Museum of Modern Art) – blow your mind by perusing the innovative (or just plain weird) contemporary art exhibits.
4. Top of the Mark penthouse lounge in the Mark Hopkins Hotel on Nob Hill. Breathtaking views of the city and a menu of 100 martinis.
3. Haight Ashbury - the heart of the hippie movement and home to dozens of vintage shops. A people watchers paradise.
2. Fillmore Street – upscale shops and multicultural eateries, all housed in Victorian buildings.
1. Chinatown – the biggest in the Northern Hemisphere, and the best in my opinion!
Photo credit – San Fran Chinatown at night, Urban Cowgirl
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