San Francisco recommendation 2: Yerba Buena Gardens
An urban oasis and great place to meet up with friends for an afternoon of not-expensive hanging out. Walkable from hotel-just about exactly 1 mile. The center spans two blocks between Mission and Folsom, 3rd and 4th and streets South of Market. It has the Metreon (a weird sort of cineplex built in the boom times of Web 1.0), gallery and art center, a children’s art/tech museum called the Zeum, a carousel, ice skating rink, playground, bowling alley, lawns aplenty. You could go in the food court at the Metreon and toddle outside to sit on the grass (or sally over to New Montgomery to Lee’s Deli for cheap deli sandwiches for your picnic, or to the corner of Mission and 4th to the US outpost of Jollibee-the Phillipines’ answer to McDonalds). You can go to the Metreon and watch Star Trek or HBP (again!!), possibly on the IMAX screen. Close to a lot of museums, including Jewish Museum and Museum of Modern Art. http://www.yerbabuenagardens.com/index.html. SoMa