aztimm

Hi everyone--

I won free entry for an Alcatraz & Golden Gate Bridge swim in April. I prefer to stay at Airbnb's for these events...it is generally better to have my own fridge/freezer to deal with food, and some even have a washer/dryer. Both events will be in the bay, boat from near Aquatic Park to start (Alcatraz is a jump from boat start, finish at Aquatic Park, the bridge is jump from boat start, and boat finish, then boat back). I'll probably be there Wednesday to Monday (swims are on Sat/Sun), to give myself time to adjust before, get in a few swims, get a lay of the land, etc.

When I've been in the city before, I've always stayed at hotels, usually Hilton properties. I stayed at the Hilton Financial District for the first time back in 1989, when it was a Holiday Inn...then again in 2015, and it didn't seem like they did that much to it, other than routine maintenance. The other Hilton at Union Square is enormous--with a variety of rooms. Again, older property, and I've had some really nice rooms (almost a suite), and some not-so-nice. So I thought I'd try Airbnb this time, as the price is similar to better (for what should be a bigger place).

There's one property that looks almost too good to be true. 2 bedroom/1 bath, full kitchen, washer/dryer, and appears to be a full house. It says Mission District, as best as I can tell (I'll get the full address if I book), close to 16th Street and Guerrero Street. There is no a/c, but I don't think that will be a problem, not in April at least (I have been in the city when it was warm, and it can get pretty uncomfortable). Is that a decent area to stay? It says, "just around the corner from BART and Muni," but is that accurate? According to Google maps, it looks like a ~40 min straight shot on a bus, which isn't too bad. Anything else I should be aware of? Are there any decent restaurants nearby? I seem to always gravitate to Chinatown somehow when I'm in town, and I'm sure I will again, but convenience is always nice.


I haven't been to San Francisco since 2015, so I'm a bit rusty...

freeagent

16th and Guerrero is definitely the mission and is close to the 16th and mission Bart stop, about a block away. You could easily take Bart from SFO to the AirBnb if you choose that spot. Plenty of great restaurants around the area.

That being said the mission might not be the greatest location wise, as getting to Aquatic Park or Chinatown can be time consuming and aren’t accessible by Bart. You would have to use either muni or Uber/Lyft. The Mission, while not as unsafe as other places in SF, does see significantly more crime. I’d suggest looking at either North Beach, Russian Hill, fisherman’s wharf etc. as far as neighborhoods go.

Eastbay1K

Powell St Bart couldn't be more than what, a 10 minute walk from Grant Ave. Chinatown gate?

aztimm

Is Uber still a flat rate almost anywhere in the city? When I was last there (yea it was a while ago), I think it was $5 or so for Uber share almost anywhere in the city (the airport was more). I did take BART from the airport and over to meet a co-worker in Oakland, but otherwise I mostly either walked or used Uber.

Otherwise, you're right the Mission might not be the best area. I'm looking closer to Fisherman's Wharf and North Beach. The prices are either much higher for similar properties (like almost double), or significantly smaller with fewer amenities (1 bedroom, kitchenette, etc.).
On my last trip I stayed at the Hilton Financial Dist, work was paying, but it was fairly central both for work (Montgomery St) and a healthy walk or Uber most anywhere else.

rotnkornkid

If you want a true local experience, avoid north beach, fisherman’s wharf, downtown. The mission is great, but I prefer to be closer to Dolores park if you’re doing the mission. Duboce park is also a great neighborhood. Please stay as far away as possible from fisherman’s wharf- lived in SF for 8 years and avoided that entire part of town like the plague!

Generally being somewhere in the Mission or Duboce that is walkable to MUNI stations would be my recommendation.

Lastly, I recently was in SF and stayed at the Parker Guest House and really enjoyed it. It's a B&B, the rooms are nice, staff is amazing, and you have full access to the kitchen (aka the fridge, etc): https://www.parkerguesthouse.com

DutchessPDX

Added bonus is 16th and Guerrero is 2 blocks away from one of the best bakeries in the city. OP, if you need to carb load, please visit Tartine and grab a croissant or three.

Collierkr

uber Share died when COVId came. Not sure about current pricing but expect Uber/Lyft to be much higher than $5.

aztimm

you're right! I just checked the Uber app... from Guerrero St & 16th St to Aquatic Park is about $16. Not something I'd want to do twice a day, every day while I'm there...

gaobest

Guerrero & 16th intersection can be loud - there’s a shell at SW corner and two restaurants on northern corners. I drive on Guerrero as a throughway to get between north & south in San Francisco. It’s a flat area so nice for walking during the day. It’s a 2-block walk to the utterly ugly Bart and bus stops at 16/mission. Rideshare and taxi cost money and are worth it.

nnn

The Marina may be a good option.

gaobest

it’ll be a shorter distance to fisherman’s wharf for that race plus nice walking area. Close to Presidio for urban hiking.

aztimm

As I posted upthread, that area is either really expensive (like $500+ night), or very small, like a private room in a house with shared bathroom (no kitchen at all), and even those are $150+/night.

nnn

Gotcha. When in April is it? There’s a possibility that Van Ness BRT will be up and running by then. That may cut down Muni bus travel times from anyplace along the Van Ness corridor.

aztimm

I used that corner as a reference point, the actual location seems to be tucked into some smaller streets. It looks like Gaiser Ct, just south of 16th Street. But sometimes the location is off a bit, could be Camp St or even Albion St. But appears to be on that SE corner.

aztimm

I'm planning to be there April 6-11.