San Francisco Here We Come

I get really excited for trips to San Francisco because they always mean seeing a Golden State Warriors game and dinner at our favorite pizza place, Tony's.  My husband usually has to work on these trips so while he is driving around the city to appointments, I get to explore.  My favorite things to look for are unique boutiques and fun places to eat and drink.  I am really not very interesting in shopping at chain stores so this blog is about the unique shops I've discovered and a few places to eat as well.

My favorite area to shop is Hayes Valley where I love the vibe of unique shops and restaurants.  Reliquary is a boutique for men and women with a mixture of vintage items and new pieces that are high quality and high priced as well but they are unique.  Bulo Shoes, is also in this area, carrying high end shoes that are unique and great quality.  

Next, I love Ghirardelli Square for shopping.  Mashka is my favorite jewelry store because they carry unique, handmade jewelry and their store is merchandised in such an unusual way with old books and jewelry as art.  I have several pieces of jewelry from Mashka and I love its signature style.  Gigi + Rose is a boutique I've been shopping at for years.  It can be a little hit or miss but some of my favorite Z Supply pieces came from this boutique.  I love popping into Ghirardelli for a salted caramel hot fudge sundae or a salted caramel latte.  The views of the Golden Gate Bridge are amazing from this area.  

In the Marina District, Two Skirts is a fabulous boutique that's just a little out of my price range.  I love to browse but haven't made a purchase there yet.  Isalis in Pacific Heights is good and last time I was in San Francisco I enjoyed walking in the Pacific Heights area.  It's very hilly but there are some fabulous views of the Golden Gate Bridge.  

On our last trip to San Francisco, I found myself in Lower Pacific Heights where I enjoyed Sweet Maple for brunch with a delicious ube latte and I found a fun store, Marcella, which is a chain, but one I had not heard of previously, I found a fun pair of shoes perfect for my upcoming trip to Denmark.  I also liked the boutique vibe of No Rest For Bridget, which is also a chain.  

Finally, Japan Town is a great, safe place to shop and eat.  I enjoyed shopping at SF76 and trying several ramen restaurants in the area.  We also have stayed at Hotel Kabuki in this area which is a nice hotel.  Our favorite hotel in San Francisco is The Ritz Carlton, right on the edge of Chinatown.  We enjoy walking around Chinatown and have enjoyed restaurants in that area too.

Unfortunately the Union Square area of San Francisco has really changed.  I used to love the Nordstrom there, but it has closed.  We kind of avoid that area now and have found other areas that have fewer homeless people and feel safer.  

My favorite coffees in the bay are Philz and Bluestone Lane.  And the place you are sure to find us on every trip is Chase Center where we enjoy many Warriors games throughout the season.  I can't wait to start planning our next trip to San Francisco!  What do you love there?