Midday Latte

'Tis I, House! I'm a happy designer-type.
Twitter  /  FB  /  Dribbble 
12 / 30 / 11

Things to Do in San Francisco

Here’s a big, ever-updating list of places I want to visit in San Francisco—everything from attractions to restaurants to tech companies. If you’re new to San Francisco, you may find this helpful! (And if you’ve been here awhile, I’d love to hear your top recommendations.)

The list and a few photos after the jump.

First, the spots I’ve already checked off my list. I highly recommend everything that’s starred—those are my favourites! (Keep scrolling for my to do list.)

Restaurants

Bars and Clubs

Offices

Giant Android phone found touring Google HQ with friends

Museums and public art

Other destinations

Beach view in Mendocino, CA, from a trip up and down the South Pacific Highway

My to-do list

  • Alcatraz Island, landmark
  • The Audium
  • Cable Cars, tour
  • California Academy of Sciences, museum
  • Cliff House, restaurant/view
  • Coit Tower, landmark
  • Computer History Museum, museum (Mountain View)
  • DISQUS HQ, company
  • East Bay Vivarium, pet store
  • El Rio, club/bar
  • Exploratorium After Dark, museum
  • House of Air
  • IGN HQ, company (I stood in the lobby once, but that doesn’t count!)
  • Lombard Street, landmark
  • Mama’s, restaurant
  • Mission Beach Cafe, restaurant
  • Mozilla, company (Mountain View)
  • Musee Mechanique, museum
  • Pika Pika, photobooth
  • Pixar, company (Emeryville)
  • Plow, restaurant
  • San Francisco Botanical Garden, park
  • Serpentine, restaurant
  • Seward Street Slides
  • Strawberry Hill, park
  • Supperclub, restaurant
  • Sushiritto, restaurant
  • Sutro Baths, landmark
  • Twin Peaks, landmark
  • The View Lounge, view
  • Walt Disney Family Museum, museum
  • Yahoo HQ, company (Sunnyvale)
  • Zazie, restaurant
14 notes
6 / 9 / 11

Apartment Hunting in San Francisco

After a couple days recovering from the sleepless nights leading up to my move (too excited; see My Cross-Country Move: Orlando to San Francisco), I serious’d about finding an apartment.

Looking for Available Apartments

My first step was to decide what I wanted in an apartment. In Orlando, I paid $895/mo. for a 975 sq. ft. 1-bedroom apartment in a “luxury” community. Here, I focused on finding a studio or 1-bedroom under $2200/mo., over 500 sq. ft., with a cool landlord in an area I liked. I used PadMapper, which I especially loved for its neighborhood overlay.

I was focusing on The Mission, Hayes Valley, Alamo Square, and Lower Haight, but was open to Haight-Ashbury, Nob Hill, Portero Hill, and Russian Hill as well. I selected these neighborhoods from walking around, reading descriptions online, and recommendations from friends.

Continue reading…

14 notes
6 / 7 / 11

My Cross-Country Move: Orlando to San Francisco

Since deciding to head out to San Francisco, I’ve received a lot of questions about the process of making a cross-country move alone. Here are some details that may be helpful to you if you’re thinking about taking the same big step.

Selling, Donating, and Giving Away (Almost) Everything

I considered shipping most of my things in a moving pod, but decided that the cost to do so (over $2000) wasn’t worth it. If you’re interested in a pod, I don’t recommend U-Haul—their customer support was really difficult about getting back to me on questions. My friend Zach Wood—who recently moved from Orlando to Salt Lake City to join welikesmall—had a good experience with Door to Door.

Instead of using a pod, I chose to pare my things down to a few boxes and ship those.

Continue reading…

7 notes
5 / 29 / 11

THIS IS IT.

I’ve come to terms with swapping hurricanes for earthquakes and kissed my in-apartment washer and dryer goodbye. When this post is published, I’ll be cozying into a window seat on an Airbus A320, eagerly waiting to see those California mountains appear on the other side of the acrylic. In six hours, I’ll be home. San Francisco, here I come!

—

Update:

6 notes
5 / 23 / 11

Leaving Florida

Some days I can't stop thinking about leaving Florida.

A couple months ago, I updated my Facebook status with the above realization. Then I asked myself what was stopping me, had no answer, and just started packing. I wasn’t sure where I was going yet, but there were a few things on my wishlist: better weather, bright minds, and mass transportation.

There was a time when I’d hoped to make a post-college home out of Orlando, if only for a few years. I settled in at my current residence pretty smitten with the hotel-style hallways, generous amenities, and reasonable rent. I thought I would stay awhile; keep working the same (pre-Carsonified) local gig. But as my sixth year in Orlando approached, a restlessness caught up to me.

I’ve moved around Florida for a decade, but it’s never felt like home. Meeting like-minded individuals has always been a struggle. Lots of cynics and unhappy folks here, not many young people outside college areas (and so few with spark and drive), and no shortage of backwards thinkers. And then there’s the usual complaints: lack of culture, interminable flat landscape, oppressive humidity and heat. (Great personal style is a near-impossibility in this weather. Alas!)

There are certainly smart, interesting people here (you know who you are!), but it’s hard to ignore that some of my brightest friends have already moved away. And the more I’ve traveled and met individuals from elsewhere, the more out of place I’ve felt here.

So, restlessness. Status update. Packing.

Despite our differences, Florida has been good to me. I say “y’all,” love sweet tea, and look as poorly put-together as the next Floridian when the temperature drops. It may not feel like home, but I’ve lived here plenty long. I’m sad to say goodbye to The City Beautiful.

I leave for San Francisco next Sunday. Bye, y’all.

14 notes