|
San Francisco may be one of the most expensive cities to
live in, but that doesn’t mean you can’t see the city
without busting your budget. If you visit San Francisco in
the off-season (winter, early spring or late fall), $250 is
enough to enjoy a weekend stay.
If you’re flying into San Francisco, take a Southwest
flight to Oakland Airport. Take a shuttle ($2) to the Bay
Area Rapid Transit (BART) station where you’ll buy a pass
($3.15) to take BART to the Powell Street Station downtown.
You can also purchase a roundtrip AirBART Travel Pack online
before you leave. (bart.gov) If you’re driving into San
Francisco you’ll need to pay a toll ($4) to use the Bay
Bridge.
Locals may have paid $600,000 for their one-bedroom
condo, but you can stay downtown for around $60 a night.
Check out the Grant Plaza Hotel, located at the edge of
Chinatown, where you can get a room with a twin ($57) or
double bed ($67). (grantplaza.com)
The city is full of upscale French, Italian and fusion
restaurants. But, if you want to eat more than one meal
during your stay, you’ll be better off eating in the city’s
myriad of Asian restaurants. You can eat well the whole
weekend for $75. In Chinatown, try going off the main drag
and find City View Restaurant. The bill will meet your
budget, but the food and the white linen tablecloths will
make you feel like you’re splurging.
During the day there is plenty to do for little cash.
Near the hotel explore the sights and smells of Chinatown,
then window shop for couture at Union Square. See the new
exhibits at SFMOMA ($10) or learn something new at the Cable
Car Museum ($0). Take the Muni ($1.25) down to the ocean
beaches, then have a picnic lunch in the beautiful Golden
Gate Park. Take a streetcar ($1.25) from downtown to kitschy
Fisherman’s Wharf where you can crack open fresh Dungeness
Crab ($5) then have a brilliant ice-cream sundae at
Ghiradelli Square ($7). No trip to San Francisco would be
complete without a harrowing cable car ride ($3) up and down
the city’s steep hills. Take the line from Ghiradelli
Square to downtown. Board on the left side of the car for
the best views of the city and Lombard Street. Climb Coit
Tower ($3.75) for an even better view of the city and the
surrounding area. Admire the WPA frescoes on the ground
floor and stop by the gift shop for a cute snow globe ($5).
Pick up a copy of the free SF Weekly to check out the
music scene and see a show while you’re in town. But, if
you want to truly experience San Francisco nightlife, do as
the homos do! Take the Muni from Montgomery Station to
Castro Station ($1.25). Get trashed on cheap and strong Long
Islands ($15) with a bunch of queens at Harvey’s, then
stumble up 18th to the Badlands ($10) and dance with the
hotties ‘til close.
In San Francisco you could blow $250 on a single meal,
but there are plenty of ways to stretch that $250 into a
satisfying weekend jaunt.
BOTTOM LINE: TROLLIES AND MUSEUMS, ICE CREAM AND HOTTIES,
AND A BUNCH OF QUEENS ARE ALL YOU NEED TO HAVE FUN IN THE
CITY BY THE BAY.
|
