Upon deciding to attend UC Hastings for law school this coming fall, I decided that it was more than time to go and visit the city. San Francisco is only a quick one hour flight away from Southern California, but I have only been to the city a handful of times. Primarily, those trips were for Irish dance competitions when I was growing up, which meant that I likely only saw the hotel ballroom hosting the competition and maybe one site. I also made a few trips to the Bay Area to visit my friend at UC Berkeley and tour colleges when I was in high school. However, I have never been to San Francisco for just the city. Initially, this trip was just to look at apartments, but I found an apartment before my trip was even scheduled, so I took the opportunity to just scope out the city and get to know my new town 🙂
The day I landed, the only thing I had planned was dinner with an old friend of mine. After going to UC Berkeley, she stayed in the Bay and will only be one year ahead of me at UC Hastings! She has known me for almost my whole life, and it was so good to reconnect with such an old friend. We went to El Techo in the Mission, and I will most definitely be returning to this Mexican restaurant for more delicious tacos and tasty margaritas!
My second day in San Francisco started as a rigid to do list. I came to SF with a mission and I was determined to make sure I got those things done! The first thing I did was walk past my new apartment. Because I signed the lease before seeing the neighborhood myself, I really wanted check out the area and calm my nerves about the unknown. Much to my delight, I love my new neighborhood! There are loads of cute restaurants and bars in the area that I can’t wait to explore. It’s also far enough from the Tenderloin (where school is), where I’m in a safe neighborhood, but it’s still close enough to school that I have a reasonable commute. In fact, the next thing I did was put that commute to the test! UC Hastings is located in the Tenderloin, a less than stellar neighborhood in San Francisco. This part of the city is notorious for the quantity of homeless, which can understandably make people uncomfortable. One of the reasons, I wanted to test the commute on this trip was to see how safe I felt walking to campus. I am happy to report that while I was naturally cautious in the Tenderloin, I did not feel unsafe. In fact, I have felt much less safe in areas of Downtown LA.
After checking out my new apartment and my new school, I was off to explore the city! I was most excited to see Chinatown, so that is where I started. San Francisco is home to the largest Chinatown outside of Asia. Walking around, I was very quickly charmed by all of the lovely smells coming from the restaurants, the way the lampposts changed, and the quaint markets lining the streets. A visit to Chinatown is an absolute must for anyone visiting San Francisco. After my stroll through Chinatown, I realized I had made a decent amount of progress heading north, and I was fairly close to Pier 39. I know that it is a tourist trap, but I have always loved watching the sea lions. I could stand on the pier and watch them for hours if I really wanted. My visit to Pier 39 was the last thing I did that day, for one of my old dance injuries was starting to aggravate me from all the walking. On the bright side, I took advantage of the amazing food in San Francisco and ordered Jin Mi for dinner. Being that I am part Korean, I am always searching for amazing Korean food, and Jin Mi was nothing but delightful. I ordered a tasty bibimbap that I have been daydreaming about ever since. The even better news is that Jin Mi is close to UC Hastings, which will make for a great lunch spot!
On my third day in San Francisco, I tried to fit in as many popular sites as I could. I started my day in Hayes Valley, which I have nothing but wonderful things to say about. I had heard that the neighborhood was trendy and developing, and that is exactly how I would describe it. There are new shops and restaurants covering the area, and the streets are lined with classic Victorian homes. If I weren’t living in Nob Hill, I would definitely aim for Hayes Valley. From Hayes Valley, I took Hayes Street to Alamo Square Park to see the Painted Ladies. Quite frankly, the area is just as cute as it is in all of the pictures. It is definitely a must see. From this part of town, I then began the trek to the Marina. It isn’t a short walk, but I was able to walk through quite a few different neighborhoods, including Pacific Heights and Cow Hollow.
I have mixed feelings on the Marina. It is inarguably a nice neighborhood, but it reminds me a great deal of Orange County, where I grew up. While there is nothing wrong with that kind of vibe, I personally don’t think that is the point of living in a city. Geographically, the Marina is isolated by a massive hill that is so steep the sidewalk is carved into stairs. But with all of that aside, the Marina is gorgeous and very well kept. I primarily came to the Marina to see the Palace of Fine Arts. However, I also came to see if I had made a mistake regarding my living situation, for I almost decided to move to this part of the city. Much to my relief, I was far more impressed by the liveliness and diversity of my neighborhood compared to the Marina. I am confident that I made the right decision. While the Marina may not be for me, it is still a beautiful area, and I was awestruck by the Palace of Fine Arts, which is nearby Crissy Field. While I have not yet been to Italy, it reminds me a great deal of what so much of the ancient architecture would look like. It is far more grand than you can quite capture in pictures. It almost gives the impression of it being some sort of temple, but people are walking their dogs all around the park!
I finished off my day with a trip to Alcatraz. Now this was something I had been dying to do for years! The tour was shorter than I was expecting, but it’s pretty awesome just walking through all those halls and seeing the cells. The audio tour that accompanies your visit really gives you a great feel for what it was like when the prison was still operating. If you do this tour, it is much like visiting Ellis Island in that you catch a ferry at Pier 33 that takes you to the island. Be sure to bring a warm jacket because there aren’t buildings to block the wind like in the city.
While I was disappointed that my trip to SF was over for now, I was immensely relieved to find that I absolutely loved the city. I was nervous at first because I had committed to UC Hastings before truly seeing San Francisco for myself. At the worst, I told myself that I can always find summer jobs in LA and move back there after I graduate. Now that I’ve been to SF, I actually have a feeling I may not be moving back to LA. LA will always be my backup plan, but I was pleasantly surprised with SF and how wonderful it really is. It’s an expensive city full of lots of educated people, yet it lacks the flashy overtone that washes over LA. The city felt far less pretentious and appearances-oriented than LA. Quite frankly, the people there just seemed happier, and it was a breath of fresh air.
I hope to post one more time before I move, but I am not making any commitments because I am rather busy right now. I will be in Vegas for the 4th of July, and then I have to start hustling on my packing! Overall, I have so many exciting things on the horizon, and I cannot wait to bring the blog with me to San Francisco!
xx
Emily
