San Francisco is shocking ! Prepare to be shocked

San Francisco luxury Hotels and Holiday

Not many places shock us… But San Francisco shocked us... In fact even now when we look back on our trip to San Francisco it still seems like a very surreal experience. Don’t get us wrong we really love San Francisco but there was an element of our trip where to this day we are still a bit shocked. Anyway more of that in a bit, first a little history and background. San Francisco was discovered by the Spanish in 1776 and boomed during the Gold Rush of 1849 but is probably most famous for the flower power movement of the 1960’s. In the 1970’s San Francisco became synonymous with gay rights movement. In the 1990’s and still today the Greater San Francisco Bay area is home to Silicon Valley and some of the most successful tech companies in the World.  Some people may say that San Francisco has perhaps lost a little bit of the edge that made it such an iconic City in the 1960’s and 1970’s. The locals will tell you that too many IT geeks have made it a less exciting place, and they joke that the City is closed at 11pm at night.  But as we weren’t there in the 60’s and 70’s we’ll make our mind up... There are so many things we love about San Francisco. The city is unique, from the cable car rides that shuttle you to Nob Hill and Fisherman’s Wharf – very touristy but still an absolute must do, the opportunity to explore Alcatraz, and of course the Golden Gate Bridge. Drive across, walk it, or our preferred option is to cycle over it.  The beautiful Golden Gate Park sits close to the bridge,

The main action takes place at Union Square – the epicentre of San Francisco. Within walking distance is the SFMoMA (San Francisco Museum of Modern art) as well as shops and restaurants.

The gay area of Castro is definitely worth a visit and has a laid back and relaxed atmosphere.., so relaxed that it is legal to walk around naked, although we hasten to add there is only a small minority of people who choose to do this, and chatting to some locals in the bars in Castro it would seem that their actions are not universally endorsed. To be honest it was a bit of a shock when we first saw it but then you remember that this is San Francisco and as there is no attitude then it doesn’t matter...

Only New York City is a more densely populated city in the US than San Francisco. There is less high rise in San Fran and it doesn’t feel like a crowded city but the geography of the destination means that the residents are more condensed, but that also makes it a relatively easy city to explore...

Many parts of San Francisco feel like you are on a film set. You’ll recognise many iconic areas and buildings. It’s a very global city with large Chinese and Vietnamese neighbourhoods.

But whatever you choose to do in San Francisco then we think it’s really important to make sure you book the right hotel. Visit www.boutixury.com for more information

10 Areas to Explore in San Francisco:
The Castro – San Francisco’s Main gay neighbourhood
Chinatown – The statistics say more tourist come her than visit the Golden Gate Bridge
Fisherman's Wharf - A bit of a tourist trap but still a great place to base yourself, or come and visit.
Golden Gate Park – Larger than Central Park in NYC, this is where to spend a Sunday jogging, cycling or strolling around the park
The Haight – Once the home of the hippies, more high end than “hey man” these days
The Marina – Great vibe, especially at weekends.. Bars restaurants...
Nob Hill – The wealthy area of San Francisco. Start at Huntingdon Square and head out from there. Close to China town and Union Square
North Beach – Also known as Little Italy so great for a lunch or dinner Italiano style
Russian Hill – Home to Lombard Street also known as the “Crookedest Street” in the World.
SoMa – Don’t they just love abbreviations! SoMa is short for South of Market. It doesn’t look very impressive but do your homework and there are some great bars, restaurants and clubs.

We think it is fair to say that San Francisco also has its fair share of less desirable area and delinquents, but do your research, keep your wits about you and enjoy this shockingly diverse city!