San Francisco - Proposing in San Fran...recommendations?

Hello all..
I am travelling with the gf…for a surprise 6 day vaca to SF at the end of august… We will be staying at the Hilton Union Square…. I have heard mixed reviews about this hotel… But money is somewhat a factor so It fits the bill (150/night mvp)… I am a Diamond member as of yesterday :-D

We are going for a vacation and also I am planning on popping the question!!!! (wish me luck)
I was wondering if any FTers had any recommendations… Eating… activities…Hotels (if someone tells me Hilton Union Sq is TERRIBLE, I would be willing to change hotels) I am also hoping diamond gets me an upgrade to a room in the “new tower”.
I have never been to SF and have heard great things.. We weren’t planning on renting a car…but I did want to travel to Napa and do wine tasting..but I assume we would NEED a car for that trip…
If anyone has any recos/reviews or insight that could make this trip even better, I would love to hear them. I would also love to know if anyone knows of a specific spot that would be great to get down on one knee as well…. I was thinking sunset at the golden gate bridge….but up for ANY ideas… thanks in advance for any help!!!
I3udfrog

I definitely recommend stopping for a couple drinks at Bourbon & Branch. This bar is run as a speak easy, and you have to make a reservation to get in the door. When you make a reservation, you will be given the password of the day (which changes daily).

The place isn't marked with a sign that says the name of the place anywhere, but it is on the corner, and is the building with the nice wooden doors. Above one of them you will notice a little sign that says something about must be 21 to enter, and there will be a call box next to that door. Press the button and when they speak, tell them your password.

Place is lit dimly and mostly in candlelight, and can be quite romantic. Drinks are a little pricey, but it is definitely something I recommend doing. They have some rules that you need to follow, and you can make reservations from the website:

http://www.bourbonandbranch.com/

Unfortunately, they do not allow cameras, or I would have gotten some pics when I was there last month.

I am moving it to the SF forum..please follow it there!

thx

squeakr

co mod HH

could be crowded with walkers could be windy.....it sounds romantic but it easily could wind up a mess.

Other suggestions

Top of Coit Tower...lovely views

A lot of places in GG Park itself...

The Conservatory of Flowers, the Shakespeare Garden, or nearby Stow Lake,

Top of the Mark - the resto at the top of the Mark Hopkins Hotel. I've celebrated many important events in my life there and it's awesome.

Outdoors here is tricky no matter when you plan it....

Good luck!

For wine tasting, be sure to check out this current thread in this forum, recommending Sonoma rather than Napa for wineries.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/san-francisco/1232713-napa-vs-sonoma-wine-tour.html

The Hilton Union Sq. is a good property and you can check the FT Hilton forum on it to see how any Diamonds report upgrade experiences. From the Hilton, you'll want to walk North or East as West and South (below O'Farrell and W. of Taylor can take you through some gritty areas of the Tenderloin.)

Choosing a "Pop the Q." place has a lot to do with your mutual preferences. You can go anywhere from Stanford U. to Muir Woods and I agree with squeakr that outdoors can be uncertain, esp. on August afternoons, esp. in the W. side of S.F. incl. around the G.G. Bridge

Consider combining the Pop the Q. venue with your planned wine trip. The grounds of some of the wineries, particularly Chateau St. Jean in Kenwood, would be great choices. For the City, if the weather cooperates, another suggestion is in front of the Lincoln Park Legion of Honor Museum, around the small round parking area. Just E. of the Museum front entrance area is a beautiful view of downtown S.F. If the fog is not in, there's also the remodeled Cliff House on the Ocean.

As most S.F. residents will attest, best to avoid having a car while planning to tour the City: very expensive overnight parking, hard to find daytime street parking, plus heavy traffic, plus S.F. has accessible public transit. There are car rental outlets near the Hilton for your trip(s) outside the City.

I would add that if you wanted to pop the question at a winery - particularly if if were on a weekday - if you contacted them in advance, the hospitality staff of almost any winery that's open to the public would be happy to arrange something special for you, in terms of maybe a private tour/barrel tasting. Obviously, they would charge you something, but I'm sure that you'd be happy to pay a nominal amount for something special, romantic, and private, rather than just pop it in the middle of the possibly rather crowded grounds and/or public tasting room.

Smaller wineries are certainly better for stuff like this.

First of all-congrats and here's to her saying yes :)

My most favorite spot in the bay area is the Marin Headlands as you have a wonderful view of the city but as others have posted, the weather can be a major factor but here's two shots courtesy of google....(and no, that's not me in the photo as he has more hair than I do ;))

http://www.gatetrails.com/photos/slackerhill.jpg
http://paquettesplace.com/gallery/d/1596-2/20080628-+Marin+Headlands.jpg

One more idea regarding wine country.. perhaps spend one night there and take the hot air balloon ride over the valley. Then you have 2 events which will take her breath away (and hopefully bring it back with a "YES").

Top of Coit Tower...lovely views

I proposed at the top of Coit Tower in the back, near the grass area, facing the Bay Bridge. The other side is the parking lot, not great.

Followed it with dinner at Acquerello. Lots of other great spots also.

Just for the sake of something different, more "urban," etc: If the weather is good, take her to the little park in the Hayes Valley neighborhood, basically at the intersection of Hayes St. and Octavia Blvd. Get ice cream at what looks like a fancy trailer (it is awesome - gourment ice cream made to order). Sit on a bench, watch the dogs play and the world go by. Propose there. This will NOT be a typical tourist experience, but a real live San Francisco neighborhood experience.

thank you to everyone for all the great suggestions. she is an amazing girl and i cant wait for the trip. I am going to try and google map all these locations. its tough to get a feel for them without a picture or some basic knowledge of the location. i really would prefer it to be quiet and private, as opposed to a large amount of people in the area.
another issue, is that i am going to be with her the entire trip, so its difficult for me to separate from her for enough time to "scope" out any of the places i would like to propose. i called the concierge at hilton sf union square, and spoke with her for quite a while(4 months ago) and she seemed very helpful and very eager to accomodate any of my requests..
i was recommended by a friend to do the hot air balloon ride and then head to a winery after and do it there.... i wanted to do it on the hot air balloon ride....but i didnt realize the typical basket holds about 15 ppl....haha not so isolated....

any other ideas on where to pop the q.... or even events to do...places to see... are all very much appreciated...

i am def down for

1.day trip to wineries...(not sure if i have the option of staying overnight...$ is a factor)

2.alcatraz (not so romantic...but i like history and i am involved w law enforcement)

3.hot air balloon (if i can afford it)
4.golden gate bridge (original spot i wanted to ask.... i liked the picture someone posted at dusk....)
5.chinatown....
6. some good restaurants.
7. someone told me to go to a place called salsalito....not sure if its worth it...bc i heard id have to either rent a car...or possibly take a ferry over there....anyone ever been?

again, thanks for your help....you guys have no idea how much it helps me out...and if anyone ever visits nyc or more specific, Long Island, NY.... please feel free to pm me and i will set you up with some great things to do!

i3udfrog16

i also thank fearfree for the reco on the bar....bourbon n branch....
we both enjoy or cocktails.... as we will probably also look up some local spots that have been on food network and such....

or anything irish....as we enjoy our heritage ;)

Sausalito is just north of the Golden Gate bridge. It's a nice little town, but not someplace I would use as a proposal point.

I immediately thought of Top of the Mark, though one of the romantic Italian restaurants in North Beach might be good, too. No one appreciates romance like the Italians. If you could call one in advance, I bet they could set up something nice for you.

I would be afraid to do it on the GG bridge, for fear of a fumbled handoff of the ring causing it to drop into the Bay. Maybe the Alcatraz thing could be done either on the ferry ride or as a presentation of the keys to the ball and chain to her, if she would appreciate that sort of humor. ;)

As far as good restaurants go, my favorite in the mid-price range is Johnny Foley's Irish Pub. It's a short walk from Union Square, on O'Farrell and Powell. Great lively atmosphere, good beer selection, and really good food - not just bar food, either. My favorite is the Lemon-Rosemary Chicken.

I agree with seaduck79 about Sausalito. We played tourist about two years ago and took the ferry there and found it so "touristy", we abandoned our plans to have dinner there and came back to S.F. on a much earlier ferry.

For a small but more interesting and less touristy town just a little north of Sausalito, I'd recommend Tiburon. I believe there's still ferry service there, (http://www.blueandgoldfleet.com/Ferry/Tiburon/tiburonsummerfall2010no51.cfm) as well as Golden Gate Transit public bus service.

For restaurant recommendations, tell us what cuisines you two like. Just volunteering seafood choices, the best is not at Fisherman's Wharf but in the SF Downtown Financial District, i.e., Sam's and Tadich Grill. If you must dine at Fisherman's Wharf, many believe Scoma's to be among the best. Many of the better Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and Thai restaurants are in different S.F. districts such as the Westside residential districts ("Richmond" and "Sunset" districts of S.F., easily accessible by public transit).

There is a S.F Muni public transit kiosk about 3 blocks south of the Hilton (just next to the Powell St. cable car turn-around), which sells discounted public transit passes for visitors for different numbers of days. These passes include cable car access.

You both look like nice people - but as a person who has done it twice- it is cheaper to rent than buy.

Then again, everyone is entitled to be happy for a while and make their own mistakes.

Best of luck and Coit Tower does have a nice view.
Alcatraz for a nice view and unusual place probably more appropriate.

Congrats! Here are some places where my friends have proposed.

On the ferry ride to Sausalito or on a boat under the GG bridge
At the end of the Aquatic Park pier (at the north end of Van Ness)
On top of Twin Peaks (need a car)
Julius' Castle Restaurant (some people love it, other hate it, has nice view)

I proposed to my now wife on a rooftop in Nob Hill. Bottom line is you want a beautiful view but it can get very windy so I'd do it during the day/early evening.

I agree about the view, and there are so many great ones in S.F. If the weather's good, I would pick an outdoors one from the ones mentioned so far. If not, the Top of the Mark has the best view in the city.

The pictures in this thread are taken from the Marin Headlands, which is not far from the aforementioned Sausalito. The problem with doing anything there is the weather. Fog and wind are regular regardless of the time of day or year, and if it's clear, wait a minute, because I have never seen fog roll in as fast as it does there.

If you like Thai food, there is a great place whose name escapes me right on the Embarcadero side of the Hyatt Regency. Great food and mid-price range.

......
4.golden gate bridge (original spot i wanted to ask.... i liked the picture someone posted at dusk....).....T'was me a few posts back but one other point....will you have a car as to get to the Marin Headlands*, you will need a car (and again, if that is the location you choose, please make sure you have another option as the weather (more specifically, the fog) may ruin your plans and I would feel awful if that happened and you didn't have another choice.


*getting to the Marin Headlands by car is a snap so don't worry about that part as if it is you choice, feel free to send me a pm and I'll give you directions

For the City, if the weather cooperates, another suggestion is in front of the Lincoln Park Legion of Honor Museum, around the small round parking area. Just E. of the Museum front entrance area is a beautiful view of downtown S.F.


That is almost exactly where my grandfather proposed. He actually did it in the parking lot around the west side of the museum, a tad more private with a partially obstructed (trees) ocean view.

all these suggestions are great...
to hit some of ur questions.
1. what we like to eat...
a. anything.. hehe i prefer any place that serves good food and true locals like to visit....not necessarily locations that are "famous"...although i dont prefer to spend a ton... i dont mind spending a lot the night i propose tho...
we both like italian...american/steakhouse....i LOVE thai, shes not a huge fan :(....

2. i like all the places...except for the top of the mark... From what I found online...it has a beautiful view and is a great spot....but i prefer to be a little more private.... isnt this a lounge on the roof of a hotel? Is there a way i can escape from the crowd?

3. I was NOT going to have a car, except for a day trip up to the wineries.... i wouldnt mind staying overnight somewhere in sonoma....but id hate to have to check out of the hilton..... unless i found a reasonable hotel in sonoma...

4. I think id prefer to pop-t-Q at one of these beautiful outdoor locations... but like so many of you pointed out... thats a big gamble....

So far I think I really like the Lincoln park Honor Museum (if the picture i saw is correct, it overlooks the bay and the bridge....) i also like the idea of the Coit Tower...but again, it seems like it will be quite busy on a friday evening....

The marin headlands,.... Can i take a taxi there from Union Square Hilton...? or is it cheaper to rent a car? haha

thanks
budfrog

i also was thinking that waking her up really early, and going to one of these locations at sunRISE as opposed to sunset...could give me an oppurtunity to have it be very private...
only two things
1. she is not an "early riser"....and she might suspect something, due to the fact that we dont wake up for sunrises ;)
and
2. im assuming fog/dew is much more prevalent earlier in the day than in the late afternoon....

It seems to require a car, but I think an outdoor proposal in Muir Woods among the giant trees would be inspiring. If you avoid weekends and other crowded times, it should be possible to find some privacy in a pretty spot in there.

The car could also take you to places like Half Moon Bay or Monterrey. A vantage point along the seventeen mile drive would be a nice proposal location too. (Entry price, but probably still free if you're going in to the hotel for a meal.) I would avoid Big Sur.

Across the Bay, there's Mount Tamilpias and Strawberry Canyon for some trials with views. If you drive above the UC Berkeley campus to the Lawrence Hall of Science, there are beautiful sunset views of the Golden Gate Bridge. The Berkeley Marina also has nice views and IMO indifferent and overpriced restaurants. Ask (Dr.) Cephid for more up to date specifics.

Please remember to keep in mind the weather. It maybe summer-like (foggy and cold), it may be spring/fall like. Alcatraz is always windy, GGB is more likely to be visible than not in august, but don't count on it.

all these suggestions are great...
to hit some of ur questions.
1. what we like to eat...
a. anything.. hehe i prefer any place that serves good food and true locals like to visit....not necessarily locations that are "famous"...although i dont prefer to spend a ton... i dont mind spending a lot the night i propose tho...
we both like italian...american/steakhouse....i LOVE thai, shes not a huge fan :(....

2. i like all the places...except for the top of the mark... From what I found online...it has a beautiful view and is a great spot....but i prefer to be a little more private.... isnt this a lounge on the roof of a hotel? Is there a way i can escape from the crowd?

3. I was NOT going to have a car, except for a day trip up to the wineries.... i wouldnt mind staying overnight somewhere in sonoma....but id hate to have to check out of the hilton..... unless i found a reasonable hotel in sonoma...

4. I think id prefer to pop-t-Q at one of these beautiful outdoor locations... but like so many of you pointed out... thats a big gamble....

So far I think I really like the Lincoln park Honor Museum (if the picture i saw is correct, it overlooks the bay and the bridge....) i also like the idea of the Coit Tower...but again, it seems like it will be quite busy on a friday evening....

The marin headlands,.... Can i take a taxi there from Union Square Hilton...? or is it cheaper to rent a car? haha

thanks
budfrogYou could "double-up" when driving to the wineries as you have to go over the GG Bridge and you pass the turn off for the Marin Headlands both going to and coming from the wineries and taking a cab would be very expensive as you'd have to have him wait as there are no phones to call a cab for the return trip

I would suggest proposing at a small winery, where you may be the only ones there, and they will take care of you if you call ahead. Arger-Martucci is one such example -- nice back yard area where they serve their wines.

Or stop for lunch or dinner at Brix in Napa. It has a nice backyard with walking paths through big vineyards. Romantic, private spot to pop the question.

all these suggestions are great...
to hit some of ur questions.
1. what we like to eat...
a. anything.. hehe i prefer any place that serves good food and true locals like to visit....not necessarily locations that are "famous"...although i dont prefer to spend a ton... i dont mind spending a lot the night i propose tho...
we both like italian...american/steakhouse....i LOVE thai, shes not a huge fan :(....

2. i like all the places...except for the top of the mark... From what I found online...it has a beautiful view and is a great spot....but i prefer to be a little more private.... isnt this a lounge on the roof of a hotel? Is there a way i can escape from the crowd?

3. I was NOT going to have a car, except for a day trip up to the wineries.... i wouldnt mind staying overnight somewhere in sonoma....but id hate to have to check out of the hilton..... unless i found a reasonable hotel in sonoma...

4. I think id prefer to pop-t-Q at one of these beautiful outdoor locations... but like so many of you pointed out... thats a big gamble....

So far I think I really like the Lincoln park Honor Museum (if the picture i saw is correct, it overlooks the bay and the bridge....) i also like the idea of the Coit Tower...but again, it seems like it will be quite busy on a friday evening....

The marin headlands,.... Can i take a taxi there from Union Square Hilton...? or is it cheaper to rent a car? haha

thanks
budfrog

Restaurant wise I would try to get reservations at the cafe at Chez Panisse and there is a very nice Italian place nearby as well called Corso. They are both in Berkeley but you can just BART it over from Montgomery or Powell Street stations and walk up Shattuck.

Hi i3udfrog16,

First of all congratulations - it's a big and scary moment for both of you. Based on the proposal that Mr. Duck made to me, I'd recommend

(a) bringing a camera. There's nothing like the inane grin you both will sport post-proposal... our photo of this event has pride of place in our downstairs loo :D

(b) Do it somewhere quiet. I know for sure that having to shout the question at her won't have the desired effect. She'll want to hear every word and will probably cry like a baby afterwards with the shock. Bring a packet of Kleenex with you to dry the tears.

(c) Have a lovely bar close to hand so you can both sit down & have a very large drink.

(d) Then go somewhere very beautiful and special for dinner.

C & D didn't really happen for us - we toasted our engagement (which happened on top of a ferris wheel) with pints of beer in the Tuileries Gardens in Paris & went to a chain restaurant called Bistro Romain for dinner. But it was the nicest pint of Kronenbourg and best faux Italian meal of our lives...

But it worked - we're going to San Francisco in 8 weeks to celebrate our 7th wedding anniversary^ Our posh dinner this time around will be at Chez Panisse (table already booked thanks to my lovely contacts!)

Sounds like an amazing trip! From the female perspective and also having been there, I'd vote "no" for proposing at Alcatraz. Nice place to visit...but you don't want the in prision theme to come up everytime you have a tiff. :(
It sounds like she is gonna marry a neat guy. Congrats and best wishes! :cool:

I agree with seaduck79 about Sausalito. We played tourist about two years ago and took the ferry there and found it so "touristy", we abandoned our plans to have dinner there and came back to S.F. on a much earlier ferry.

For a small but more interesting and less touristy town just a little north of Sausalito, I'd recommend Tiburon. I believe there's still ferry service there, (http://www.blueandgoldfleet.com/Ferry/Tiburon/tiburonsummerfall2010no51.cfm) as well as Golden Gate Transit public bus service.

For restaurant recommendations, tell us what cuisines you two like. Just volunteering seafood choices, the best is not at Fisherman's Wharf but in the SF Downtown Financial District, i.e., Sam's and Tadich Grill. If you must dine at Fisherman's Wharf, many believe Scoma's to be among the best. Many of the better Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and Thai restaurants are in different S.F. districts such as the Westside residential districts ("Richmond" and "Sunset" districts of S.F., easily accessible by public transit).

There is a S.F Muni public transit kiosk about 3 blocks south of the Hilton (just next to the Powell St. cable car turn-around), which sells discounted public transit passes for visitors for different numbers of days. These passes include cable car access.

The above is A+ advice for visitors -- especially the Tiburon instead of Sausalito ferry idea.

As for the proposal location, it's obviously a matter of personal preferences. But if a gorgeous vista is your thing, I recommend Hawk Hill, arguably the best vantage point in the SF Bay Area. http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=37.825484,-122.499417&spn=0.02,0.036993&z=15&layer=c&cbll=37.825484,-122.499417&cbp=13,0,,0,0&photoid=fr-1524779909

Just cross the GG Bridge, get off at Alexander, left turn back under the freeway and a right on Conzelman Road. Here's the exact spot: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=37.827336,-122.499117&spn=0.005042,0.009248&z=17&layer=c&cbll=37.827336,-122.499117&panoid=kx9xOcpmWiFMMfOVkZR4TQ&cbp=12,119.79,,0,3.65

In case anyone is still reading this thread, I just want to say Thanks for all the help!
We spent an amazing six days at SF and Sonoma, and could NOT have had a better time.

All the wineries were great, and everything went as planned. I couldnt have done it without all the recommendations and help. Thanks to all that replied and gave your input!

-BudFrog

.....by the way, she said yes ;)

In case anyone is still reading this thread, I just want to say Thanks for all the help!
We spent an amazing six days at SF and Sonoma, and could NOT have had a better time.

All the wineries were great, and everything went as planned. I couldnt have done it without all the recommendations and help. Thanks to all that replied and gave your input!

-BudFrog

.....by the way, she said yes ;)^^^^^^ Congratulations (and at least for me, I was very nervous as I hadn't seen any "updates" ;))

So if you don't mind me asking, where did you pop the question?