The mild-weathered City by the Bay is a compact place, ranked number seven in the US for parks, with tasty food for even the most finicky eaters and with a commitment to accessibility.
San Francisco is an easy and exciting place for families to visit for many reasons – plenty of green space, tons of culture, never too hot, and relatively easy to get around, whether by public transportation, car or stroller.
Short answer: yes! SF's public art makes for extra-colorful neighborhood parks and walks. It's also consistently ranked as a top food city with plenty of affordable choices, from street-cart bacon-wrapped hot dogs to food-truck parks. Car-free weekends on the Great Hwy and JFK Dr in Golden Gate Park (GGP) are ideal for toddler trikes and safe urban exploration on foot. Public transportation infrastructure has improved and expanded in the past few years, including a new MUNI metro line extension to Chinatown and bus-only lanes along the busy Van Ness Ave – and don't forget about cable cars!
Nearly every establishment has wheel-friendly ramp entrances and family/accessible restrooms, most of which have changing tables. But depending on how hilly your itinerary is for the day, stashing a baby carrier is always a good idea.
While it has many affordable and free activities, San Francisco can still get expensive for a traveling family. City attraction passes save on admission fees for museums and other popular attractions. Check online for free admission days to museums and gardens. Several participate in reciprocal membership programs, so your hometown memberships may get you discounted or free admission to sister institutions in SF.
The 4000-plus acres of green and recreational space in San Francisco make much of the city kid-friendly – an obvious big hitter being the sprawling Golden Gate Park, with lesser-known pockets that can make each visit feel new. The former military area of The Presidio in the north part of the city has the buzziest new park in Presidio Tunnel Tops. Other fun outdoor spaces include the foggy Mt Davidson, walkable weekends on the Upper Great Hwy, the celebratory Stern Grove Festival, and Ocean Beach campfires. Add to that numerous vibrant farmers markets, delicious and historical Chinatown, storied and beautiful Angel Island, and cool Beatnik history around North Beach's City Lights bookstore.
With more than 220 neighborhood parks, San Francisco welcomed a new one in 2022. From the same design firm behind New York City's High Line, Tunnel Tops Park is not to be missed, resting on top of the Presidio Parkway Tunnels. Adults and children alike can appreciate the stunning, up-close views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the domed Palace of Fine Arts.
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San Francisco has long been a food city, once having had the highest restaurant density in the country. The pandemic upended the industry, and combined with the rising costs of Bay Area living, many beloved restaurants closed or moved to cheaper neighboring cities. However, the SF food scene is still kicking – even optimistic – and new restaurants are opening all the time.
Though her work on Saturday Night Live keeps her tethered to New York City, comedian Chloe Fineman can most often be found criss-crossing the country to film in Los Angeles or back to the Bay Area, where she grew up. Recently, for her campaign with Nütrl Vodka Seltzer, she got to see a new place: Mexico City. “First of all, my brain still can’t understand how it’s a three-hour flight from LA [and five hours from New York], so I could meet all my friends in the middle,” she says. “And it was the most beautiful city. We saw luchadores wrestling, and the food was unbelievable. Some of the best meals in my life were in Mexico City!”
With an average of 266 sunny days every year, 17 miles of world-class beaches, and adventures on tap year-round, San Diego is an ideal place for families to explore. Here are our top multi-generational picks in California’s second largest city.
Attention Marriott loyalists: It's time to start planning a trip to Hawaii because the Renaissance Honolulu Hotel & Spa, one of TPG's most exciting hotel openings of 2024, is set to open its doors Thursday — and we've got exclusive photos of the property that'll have you packing your bags.
While North America is home to its fair share of fascinating animals—the grizzly bear, American bison and American alligator, to name a few—this sprawling nation is no slouch when it comes to plantlife, either. Across the colder reaches of the continent, the icy grip of winter is beginning to thaw, ushering in a new round of colorful flowers for tourists to admire. From native superblooms to carefully-manicured lavender gardens, the following regions offer a spectacular array of flora that are perfect for a memorable spring vacation.
The San Francisco International Airport (SFO), which launched its “Quiet Airport” program in 2018 to reduce terminal noise, announced the debut of a Silent Disco, in which passengers are invited to dance along to San Francisco-themed music using their own headphones. Dubbed “San Fran-disco”, the silent dance party will run from February 14 – March 15, 2024 in the post-security area of Harvey Milk Terminal 1.
San Francisco has a long way to go before tourism, meetings and conferences fully return to the city. Its association with homelessness, public drug abuse and crime has done a lot to drag out its post-pandemic recovery.