Being a household with a large extended family and friends in LA and more friends (and more family) living abroad means that we often find ourselves with a fair share of house guests throughout the year. One of our favorite things to do when company comes a-callin', is to take a few days off, grab our camera and join them as tourists right here in our very own city. We found a fantastic list of SF and Bay Area adventures that we're looking forward to working our way through (with or without the guests!). Check it out below the jump....
Though the list is entitled, "San Francisco: 50 Things to do with your children before they grow up", there's no way the kids get to keep this one to themselves. The list covers a fair share of what we keep on our tourist short-list but it also mentions a ton of great lesser-known hidden gems of the Bay Area.
See the list here.
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i love *staycations* and new york never runs out of things to do! fortunately, i often visit san fran and have already done a few things on the list and look forward to more.
if anyone knows of such a list(s) for nyc, please share. i have an informal one i keep, but always looking for more. in fact, i have a mini-staycation coming up at the end of next week!
some things on my nyc to do list:
explore greenwood cemetery
visit the ukranian museum in the east village
visit louie armstrong's house in flushing, queens
check out cool & modernist st. peter's church on the upper east side
buy tix to amateur nite at the apollo in harlem
explore inwood park
visit weeksville in brooklyn
get some of that famous key lime pie in redhook
on GP, explore more of my beloved brooklyn...
k in ditmas:
Eat Greek food in Astoria
Spend the day at the Cloisters
Visit Ellis Isle and/or statue of liberty
Go up the empire state building
Etc.
www.sfcityguides.com - discover tons of hidden gems in SF! Free, over 30 walking tours a week year-round, and even more tours in the summer. I loved taking the tours so much I now volunteer with them!
In NY: The transit museum in downtown Brooklyn is a must, especially if your group includes kids or subway fans. I still miss the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens ten years after moving away - the lilacs, wisteria, lily ponds, children's gardens, all wonderful.
In SF: I was surprised that Zeum wasn't on the list. On visits, my kids have loved creating claymation movies at this arts/technology wonderland.
First time in many years that my family and I decided to spend our two and a half weeks of summer vacation in the city. Happy to see that our list had pretty much the same items. Amazing how much there is to do. Since we know we only have a few more years of living in SF we have to cherish every single thing. It was great!
oh, was the exploratorium in san fran on the list? i love that place :)
yep, in nyc... already love the the cloisters & ft. tryon park, transit museum, brooklyn botanic gardens (live nearby), & all the islands within a stone's throw of manhattan (staten island actually has some cool spots & fab sri lankan food :).
i have, however, never been to the top of the empire state bldg!!
greek food in astoria would be so yummy. i have had egyptian food pretty nearby!
love nyc :)