100 Things to Do in SF Before You Die

100 Things to Do in SF Before You Die

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Ready. Steady. Go. 


1. Bask in the sunrise. Bernall Hill (Bernal Heights)

2. Rock out to your favorite bands. Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival (Golden Gate Park)

3. Fall into the drinkAquatic Park (Fisherman’s Wharf)

4. Make a Vertigo-inspired pilgrimage. Fort Point (Presidio)

5. Cheer for LGBT rights. San Francisco Trans March (Mission)

6. Pump your brakes down one of the city’s steepest streets. Filbert Street (Telegraph Hill)

7. Hike a trail of wildflowersPerimeter Road (Angel Island)

8. Dress up and run. Bay To Breakers (SoMa)

9. Get naked and bike. World Naked Bike Ride (Embarcadero)

10. Picnic with the Painted Ladies. Alamo Square (Alamo Square)

11. Coast down concrete slidesSeward Mini-Park (Dolores Heights)

12. Fondle fresh produce. Ferry Plaza Farmers Market (Embarcadero)

13. Sunbathe in the buff. Baker Beach (Presidio)

14. Lunch among the redwoodsTransamerica Pyramid Center (Financial District)

15. Sip an Irish coffee at its US birthplaceBuena Vista Cafe (Fisherman’s Wharf)

16. Unearth antiques. Alemany Flea Market (Bernal Heights)

17. Race to the top. Coit Tower (Telegraph Hill)

18. Be a swinger. Urban Putt (Mission)

19. Browse hip designer boutiques. Hayes Street (Hayes Valley)

20. Catch the beat. Hippie Hill Drum Circle (Golden Gate Park)

21. Meditate in a labyrinth. Grace Cathedral (Nob Hill)

22. Play 18 holes. Golden Gate Park Disc Golf Course (Golden Gate Park)

23. Go on a mural walking tour24th Street (Mission)

24. Dine on dim sum. Yank Sing (SoMa)

25. Bypass the hills on your bike. The Wiggle (Lower Haight)

26. Go on the road with Jack Kerouac. The Beat Museum (North Beach)

27. Climb the public art16th Avenue Tiled Steps (Sunset)

28. Instagram the ruins. Sutro Baths (Richmond)

29. Drink with the fishes. Academy of Sciences Nightlife (Golden Gate Park)

30. Admire a Daniel Libeskind masterpiece. Contemporary Jewish Museum (SoMa)

31. Have your fortune told. Musee Mecanique (Fisherman’s Wharf)

32. Ride a cable car. Powell/Market Turntable (Union Square)

33. Raid a vintage emporium. Wasteland (Upper Haight)

34. Gawk at insane holiday decorations. Fantasy of Lights (Union Square)

35. Sit seiza. Japanese Tea Garden (Golden Gate Park)

36. Swim on the roof. UCSF Mission Bay (Mission Bay)

37. Take the scenic route. 24 Divisadero Muni Bus (Bayview)

38. Snap a pic with professional sign holder Frank Chu. Market Street (SoMa)

39. Brush up on your iambic pentameter. Shakespeare Garden (Golden Gate Park)

40. Catch a gratis concert amid the eucalyptus trees. Stern Grove (Outer Sunset)

41. Walk yourself dizzy. Land's End Labyrinth (Sea Cliff)

42. Gleam in the glow of 13 pianos. Caruso's Dream (SoMa)

43. Practice your Italian with La Bohème. SF Opera (Civic Center)

44. Eat pork buns and tikka masala burritos. Off the Grid (Marina, Upper Haight)

45. Get your modernism fix. De Young Museum (Golden Gate Park) 

46. Roast marshmallows over a bonfire. Ocean Beach (Outer Sunset)

47. Stock up on conversation starters. City Arts & Lectures (Civic Center)

48. Sing along to classic movies. The Castro Theatre (Castro)

49. Pore over endless vinyls. Amoeba Music (Upper Haight)

50. Bike (or get stuck) in Critical Mass. Justin Herman Plaza (Embarcadero)

51. Make the rounds in a Ferris wheel. Treasure Island Music Festival (Treasure Island)

52. Craft geode jewelry. Museum of Craft & Design (Dogpatch)

53. Spend a night in jail. Alcatraz (Alcatraz Island)

54. Make a movie date. Lost Weekend Video Cinecave (Mission)

55. Learn swagger from Don Quixote. SF Ballet (Hayes Valley)

56. Gallery hop during first Thursdays. San Francisco Art Dealers Association (Union Square)

57. Blow your mind. Audium (TenderNob)

58. Get a seal’s-eye view of the Golden Gate Bridge. Golden Gate Ferry (Embarcadero)

59. Fall victim to a vicious roastCobb's Comedy Club (Russian Hill)

60. Spot Dracula orchids. Conservatory of Flowers (Golden Gate Park)

61. Score a free concert poster. The Fillmore (Western Addition)

62. Chow down on Gilroy garlic fries at a Giants game. AT&T Park (South Beach)

63. Switch from mainstream to indie. Noise Pop Festival (Mission)

64. Conquer all 100. The Big Eat

65. Catch the LED show at dusk. The Bay Lights (Bay Bridge)

66. Take in the country’s longest running musical revue.Beach Blanket Babylon (North Beach)

67. Strike an Abbey Road–inspired pose on the rainbow crosswalks. 18th and Castro (Castro)

68. Tinker under the influence. Exploratorium After Dark (Embarcadero)

69. Puff, puff, pass. Haight-Ashbury (Upper Haight)

70. Bundle up for free outdoor movies. Dolores Park (Mission)

71. Admire the wild parrots. Telegraph Hill (North Beach)

72. Watch fortune cookies take shape. Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory (Chinatown)

73. Polish your culinary skills. San Francisco Cooking School (Civic Center)

74. Keep your balance on Andy Goldsworthy’s Wood Line. Lover's Lane (Presidio)

75. Roller disco in a church. Church of 8 Wheels (Hayes Valley)

76. Celebrate Easter on a tricycle. Bring Your Own Big Wheel (Potrero Hill)

77. Run, bike, walk, pedicab, or rollerblade. The Embarcadero (Embarcadero)

78. Enjoy a 180-degree view of the Bay. Twin Peaks (Twin Peaks)

79. Witness an indoor thunderstorm. Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar (Nob Hill)

80. Hike with Fido. Fort Funston (Lakeshore)

81. Attend a fancy beach party. Black Tie Beach (Ocean Beach)

82. Swing high above the city. Billy Goat Hill (Glen Park)

83. Boogie down at a morning dance party. Daybreaker (Various locations)

84. Run in the shadow of the Golden Gate Bridge. Crissy Field (Presidio)

85. Get serenaded by Emmylou Harris. Hardly Stictly Bluegrass (Golden Gate Park)

86. Explore dusty stacks. Green Apple Books (Inner Richmond)

87. Enjoy a free pint with your haircut. People's Barber & Shop (TenderNob)

88. Take in the SF skyline. Mt. Tamalpais State Park (Mill Valley)

89. Stock up for dawn patrol. Mollusk Surf Shop (Outer Sunset)

90. Hide inside a giant camera. Camera Obscura (Sea Cliff)

91. Scrub with salt. Imperial Spa (Western Addition)

92. Bark at the sea lions. Pier 39 (Fisherman’s Wharf)

93. Shop in the big leagues. Union Square (Union Square)

94. Walk among the headstones. San Francisco National Cemetery (Presidio)

95. Whisper the secret password. Bourbon & Branch (Tenderloin)

96. See Burning Man art without getting dusty. Pier 14 (Embarcadero)

97. Crash local nuptials. San Francisco City Hall (Civic Center)

98. Walk the eastern span. Bay Bridge (Oakland)

99. Stroll through a secret oasis. Haven Street (Russian Hill)

100. Explore a once-lewd alley–turned–urban garden. Tenderloin National Forest (Tenderloin)

Edited by Sarah Medina 

This article was published in 7x7's October 2014 issue. Click here to subscribe.

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