New values and movements were the driving forces behind a youth fed up with the conservative values of older generations. Years have passed, the Hippies of yester years have become older and are now retired, but the neighborhood retains its gentle, casual athmosphere thanks to its decorated façade. There are a lot of things to enjoy in Haight-Ashbury: the ethnic food, trendy shops, and bars are sure to please everyone. When you’re done with all this, enjoy the view on Downtown’s Painted Ladies from Alamo Square.

Haight-Ashbury history

This San Francisco neighborhood used to be a collection of isolated farms. In 1883, the Haight cable car line was completed, giving people access to this newly developed neighborhood. Due to the availability of inexpensive apartments and rooms and vacant properties for rent or sale in the district, Haight-Ashbury appealed to a new type of crowd in the 1960′s, the hippies. In 1967, Haight-Ashbury became the center of a cultural but also political rebellion; where as many as 100,000 people converged toward the area. A phenomenon called the Summer of Love. Following this phenomenon, in 1967, this district became the haven of famous psychedelic rock performers. Among the impressive list we find Janis Joplin Haight-Ashbury, Grateful Dead Haight-Ashbury and Jefferson Airplane who all lived in the neighborhood.

Culture
As of today, the district has retained some of that bohemian ambiance. In the Haight-Ashbury area, you can find numerous restaurants and bars, many boutiques, booksellers, and record stores. A mix of many cultures, many generations gives this neighborhood a unique and different look and ambiance. On the second Sunday of June, between Stanyan and Masonic, the streets are closed, with one sound stage on each end, an even called the Haight-Ashbury Street Fair is held on the second Sunday of June each year, during which Haight Street is closed down between Stanyan and Masonic, with one sound stage at each end. This event brings lots of tourists and crowds in the area.

The famous intersection

Haight-Ashbury pictures

Magnificient mix of cultures

Janis Joplin

Haight-Ashbury map

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For more information about SF, its attractions and hotels, visit San Francisco Hotel Reservations.

Fleeing famine and the Opium war in Asia, the first Chinese immigrants came to San Francisco in 1849, lured by the promises of California’s “Gold Mountain”. They owned laundries and restaurants, and later built the railroads, most notably the Central Pacific, working in poor conditions and facing constant prejudice. America said thank you by voting the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882, which halted all Chinese immigration for 10 years and severely limited it thereafter until it was repealed in 1943. Chinese people were also denied the right to buy homes outside the Chinatown ghetto until the 1950’s. Despite the restrictions, the Chinese community continued to thrive.

Today, Chinatown is a major tourist attraction, drawing more visitors than the Golden Gate Bridge, another popular destination. More than 80 000 people live there, but the majority of Chinese people have moved to the suburbs and the San Francisco bay. The entrance of Chinatown is marked by a gateway at Grant Avenue and Bush Street. A few blocks west of Grant Avenue, is Stockton Street, the community’s main shopping street, where herb markets, restaurants, and shops line up.

The heart of Chinatown is Portsmouth Square, where you will find locals playing card or board games. On Waverly Place, where the Chinese celebratory colors of red, yellow, and green are in full display, you will find three temples that give the neighborhood its distinctive Chinese character: Jeng Sen (Buddhist and Taoist), Tien Hou (Buddhist), and Norras (Buddhist). Make sure to spend some time in Chinatown, explore its alleys, visit its temples and bazaars, and rest in one of its many squares. You won’t regret it.

5 great hotels near or in Chinatown, San Francisco hotel reservations

• The luxurious Mandarin Oriental San Francisco – Rates starting at 250$/night
• The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco – Rates starting at 199$/night
• Omni San Francisco Hotel – Rates starting at 161$/night
• InterContinental Mark Hopkins – Rates starting at 99$/night
• Baldwin Hotel – Rates starting at 90$/night

The first Japanese immigrants came to San Francisco in the early 1860’s. They settled in Chinatown and south of Market, but after the devastating earthquake in 1906, moved to the site of today’s Japantown, between Van Ness Avenue and Fillmore Street, where they built temples and ran restaurants and stores. By 1940, it covered about 30 blocks.

Like the Chinese community, Japanese people in San Francisco were not always treated fairly. During World War II, when the American government declared war on Japan, Japanese Americans were rounded up and transferred to internment camps in California, Utah, and Idaho. It was a devastating blow for the Japanese community, and it took years to the U.S. government to fully rehabilitate them. By 1945, Japantown had shrunk to a mere 6 blocks or so, but after their release, the Japanese slowly returned to the neighborhood.

Today, more than 12 000 Japanese live in San Francisco, but only a small percentage of the city’s Japanese community actually live in Japantown. Still, exploring the neighborhood few square blocks and the shops and restaurants within them is a cultural experience not to be missed. Notable sights include religious shrines like the Buddhist Church of San Francisco, the Konko Church of San Francisco, the Sokoji-Soto Zen Buddhist Temple, and the Cathedral of St-Mary of the Assumption, and shopping mal Nihonmachi mall, and Japan Center, an Asian-oriented shopping mall. At the center of Japan Center is Peace Pagoda, designed by Japanese architect Yoshiro Tariguchi, a sign of friendship of the Japanese to the people of the United States. You can also explore the center’s shops and showrooms, or spend some time in its numerous restaurants, teahouses and multiplex movie theater.

There are often cultural events in Japantown, including Japanese music and dance performances, tea ceremonies, and flower-arranging demonstration. If you’re planning to visit San Francisco in April, don’t miss the Cherry Blossom Festival, the biggest Japanese cultural event in California.

Looking to book a San Francisco Hotel Reservations? Here are 5 great hotels in Japantown :

• Hotel Carlton, a Joie de Vivre Boutique Hotel – Rates starting at 126$/night
• Castle Inn – Rates starting at 83$/night
• Hotel Kabuki – a Joie de Vivre Boutique Hotel $149/night
• Nob Hill Motor Inn – Rates starting at 68$/night
• Inn at the Opera – Rates starting at 115$/night

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In the late 19th Century, a massive influx of Italian immigrants turned North Beach into San Francisco’s “Little Italy”, the center of the city’s Italian community. North Beach is well known for the Italian restaurants and cafés that continue to flourish there. There are also nice shops and bookstores in the area that are definitely worth visiting. If you walk down the Columbus Avenue, you will find all sorts of restaurants and coffee shops that give North Beach its distinctive Bohemian-Italian character.

5 great hotels in North Beach San Francisco

• Hotel Boheme – Rates starting at $207/night
• Hilton San Francisco Downtown/Financial District – Rates starting at $194/night
• Washington Square Inn – Rates starting at $189/night
• Argonaut Hotel at Fisherman’s Wharf – a Kimpton Hotel – Rates starting at $276/night
• Marriott San Francisco Fisherman’s Wharf – Rates starting at $159/night

Mike, for www.san-francisco-hotel-reservations.com.

Penguins at the Steinhart Aquarium

 picture from travel2.nytimes.com

South of Market Street is the South of Market neighborhood, also known as SoMa. It was originally a district of hangars and old warehouses, but thanks to the Internet bubble, known as the dot.com era, it became the home of young computer engineers working in the neighboring Silicon Valley.

A building boom followed: it was during this period, from the 1990’s to the early 2000’s, that big museums, like the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Yerba Buena Center and the Contemporary Jewish Museum were built. Big convention centers like the Moscone Convention Center, nightclubs, trendy restaurants and high-tech labs were also built during the dot.com era.

But with the burst of the Internet bubble in the early 2000’s, activities in the area slowed down to a crawl: many start-up ventures closed down or declared bankruptcy and soaring prices became unaffordable for many. Compared to the glorious years of the dot.com era, SoMa is not so trendy anymore, but with its museums and nightclubs, it is still worth a visit.

Five great hotels in SoMa San Francisco

• W Hotel San Francisco – Rate starting at $209/night
• Marriott Courtyard San Francisco Downtown – Rate starting at $109/night
• Hotel Palomar – a Kimpton Hotel – Rate starting at $129/night
• San Francisco Marriott Union Square – Rate starting at $139/night
• The Pickwick Hotel – Rate starting at $84/night

Mike – author for San Francisco Hotel Reservations.

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Nob Hill

picture by http://www.californyann.com/

This hill is famous for its cable cars (a cable car is a public transportation that is propelled by a continuously moving cable and stop and start by gripping or releasing the cable). Cable cars were designed for hills that horses couldn’t climb, and from the top of Nob Hill, you get a nice view of the entire city, including the bay and the Golden Gate Bridge.

Four railways magnates, known as “The Big Four”, built their mansions on the top of Nob Hill, where millionaires live today. Nob Hill holds the city’s luxury hotel: the Huntington Hotel, the Mark Hopkins Intercontinental, the Stanford Court Hotel, the Fairmont Hotel, the Ritz Carlton and spectacular Grace Cathedral. Nob Hill is definitely worth a visit to walk around Huntington Park, attend a Sunday service at the Cathedral, or admire The Fairmont’s spectacular lobby.

Five great hotels in Nob Hill San Francisco:

• The St. Regis San Francisco – Rate starting at $329/night
• White Swan Inn, a Joie de Vivre Boutique Hotel – Rate starting at $159/night
• The Huntington Hotel – Rate starting at $185/night
• Nob Hill Hotel – Rate starting at $69/night
• The Stanford Court, a Renaissance Hotel – Rate starting at 149$/night

Mike – Author for http://www.san-francisco-hotel-reservations.com/. Happy visit!

San Francisco hotel packages and vacation packages
When booking a San Francisco hotel reservations, many people also want to take advantage of what their hotel or the nearby restaurants, spas and attraction have to offer. For example, if you are going on vacation, you may want to add a spa addition, or if you are going on a business trip, a luxury car rental or a golf day could be a good addition to your stay. If this is the case for you, then San Francisco Hotel Packages are the way to go.

By booking San Francisco Hotel Packages, you will get premium rates on your room and on another feature of your choice, whether it is golf, a luxury car, the hotel spa, a complimentary massage or a tour of the city. San Francisco Hotel Packages allow you to make the most out of your trip. Hotel and vacation packages allow you to go on your trip or holiday knowing that you’ll have at least something interesting to look forward to.

Booking your car rental or your spa separately can be a lot more expensive. Hence, many people decide to opt for San Francisco Hotel Packages. You have to be aware that the selection of San Francisco Hotel Packages will differ with each San Francisco hotel reservations.

This is why it is important to do some research before booking your San Francisco hotel reservations. If your priority is to spend a day at a spa, you may want to look for hotels that have renown spas.

Often, luxury San Francisco hotels are the ideal destination for wealthier vacationers and corporate travelers because they offer San Francisco Hotel Packages and vacation packages. If you are staying at a five stars hotel, it would be a shame to pass on their hot San Francisco Hotel Packages!

Some of the most popular packages

Spa packages
So you can wrap yourself in absolute bliss! San Francisco Hotel Packages and Spa often offer continental breakfast, tea, cocktails, hors-d’oeuvres, champagne on top of the large selection of treatments available.

Body restoration packages
Perfect for the business traveler always on the road! Those San Francisco Hotel Packages and Body Restoration will revitalize your body and mind before your next long ride, flight or after a tough meeting. Stunning San Francisco Hotel and Spa Packages are a must if you feel like you need to treat yourself to something relaxing, away from the clubs and the big crowds.

Golf packages
Whether you are away for 2 days or for 2 weeks, you can always find some time for golf! Tee off on a the beautiful San Francisco golf courses.

Gas packages
Too few people have heard about those San Francisco Hotel Packages. They consist in gas gift certificate for every night or few nights of stay. A great package to cut back on travel costs if you are planning on driving around a lot!

Sight-Seeing packages
Those San Francisco Hotel Packages are the families’ favorite. They give your free access or discount to some of the greatest attractions, museums, art galleries and transportation around San Francisco.

And many more packages…
There are a lot of different San Francisco hotel packages available. Yoga, meditation, pets package, restaurant discounts, valet parking, even cruises packages… Check with your San Francisco hotel reservations or do some research. You will be amaze by the types of San Francisco Hotel Packages you can find, and will probably find one that suits your needs and likes!

Find all the information you need about San Francisco hotel packages and San Francisco hotel reservations here.

If you think San Francisco attraction, San Francisco Hotel Reservation has two words for you: Alcatraz Island. Not visiting Alcatraz Island is like visiting skipping on the Eiffel Tower in Paris or the Liberty Statue in New York. If you are touring San Fran, Alcatraz is definitely a must, because of its history and the charm of the old prison itself. Also called The Rock, the island has served for many purposes. First it was a lighthouse, then a military fortification, then turned in to a military prison to a federal prison. The island was unused between 1963 and 1972, and then became a national recreation area. The old prison has been the center of many TV shows, movies, comics, cartoons, books, and even video games! If you are looking in visiting Alcatraz, a ferry will bring your from Pier 33 to Alcatraz.

Alcatraz

San Francisco Hotel Reservations # 2 attraction : Chinatown
San Francisco Hotel Reservation highly recommends you visiting Chinatown. San Francisco has the biggest Chinatown outside of Asia! San Francisco Chinatown is also the oldest Chinatown in North America. Because of its rich history and culture, many tourists stop by San Francisco hotel reservations to learn more about SF Chinatown. If you plan on visiting San Fran huge Chinatown, make sure you visit San Francisco Hotel Reservations to learn more about Chinatown tours, hotels rooms and much more. San Fran Chinatown also have a lot of events of interests. Among the, the Chinese New Year and the Moon Festival.

Chinese New Year is very festive and have been celebrated on the course of two weeks for 5000 years in mainland China and is probably the biggest event for the Chinese community. In San Francisco, Chinese New Year was first celebrated in the 1860′s during the Gold Rush day. During the duration of the Chinese New Year, San Francisco Hotel Reservations also recommend you to attend the the Chinese New Year Flower Fair, the Chinatown Community Street Fair and of course, the Chinese New Year Parade, which is among the top ten parades in the world!

Chinese New Year Parade in SF

The San Francisco Moon Festival originated from the farmers holding a special festival at the end of summer to thank the bounty of the lands in China. The Moon Festival is held on the 15th of the 8th month of the lunar calendar, when the moon is full and coincide very closely to the fall equinox. Moon cakes and shows are the big highlights of that festival.

San Francisco Hotel Reservations # 3 attraction : Exploratorium
One of San Francisco Hotel Reservations most favorite choice is the Exploratorium, which is certainly a PG-rated tourist attraction, as it attracts people of all age. This museum is filled with interactive science and art exhibits and will keep the interest of boys and girls, men an women of every group of age. The museum goes as far as being part of a national center for teach development and every year, it global network with teachers, associations and other museums becomes even larger. The Exploratorium creates a new concept that tries to reach to every one and nurture curiosity in the world.

San Francisco Hotel Reservations choose Exploratorium becoming being one of the best museum in the world, it was even voted best museum by museum leaders at an international meeting in 2005! Over half a million visitors come to the museum every year, and more than 27 million people visit its website every year! The museum innovates in the approach of exploring science, art and human perception.

Kids like adults will enjoy the imaginative and creative way of Exploratorium to approach science, human perception and arts, from which you will find over 650 “please touch” exhibits.

Exploratorium

Find more information about San Francisco attractions on San Francisco Hotel Reservations.