Sir Francis Drake is a historic hotel near Moscone Convention Center, San Francisco

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Maps and Directions

http://www.sirfrancisdrake.com/sfdmapa/index.html

 Tel: 415-392-7755 | Res: 800-795-7129 | Fax: 415-391-8719

Directions to the Sir Francis Drake Hotel Near Moscone Convention Center and Union Square

Below are easy to follow directions for travelers driving to San Francisco, California from the east, north and south.

                         Take Hwy 101 South to San Francisco

                         Cross the Golden Gate Bridge and take the Lombard Street exit

                         Take Lombard Street (Hwy 101) to Van Ness Avenue

                         Turn RIGHT on Van Ness Avenue

                         From Van Ness, turn LEFT onto O'Farrell Street

                         Turn LEFT onto Powell

                         Sir Francis Drake Hotel is on the corner of Powell and Sutter Streets, in Union Square, San Francisco

                         Take Hwy 80 West to San Francisco

                         From the left lane on the Bay Bridge take the 5th Street exit

                         Turn RIGHT onto 5th street and continue to Market street

                         Cross Market (5th will become Cyril Magnin Blvd.)

                         Continue 2 blocks to O'Farrell Street, turn RIGHT onto O'Farrell

                         Turn LEFT onto Powell

                         Sir Francis Drake Hotel is on the corner of Powell and Sutter Streets, in Union Square, San Francisco

                         Take 101 North to San Francisco toward the Bay Bridge

                         Take the 4th Street exit (last San Francisco exit)

                         4th Street becomes Bryant; continue on Bryant to 3rd Street

                         Turn LEFT onto 3rd and continue 41/2 blocks, crossing Market Street

                         Turn LEFT onto Geary and continue to Powell

                         Turn RIGHT onto Powell

                         Sir Francis Drake Hotel is on the corner of Powell and Sutter Streets, in Union Square, San Francisco

 

Union Square

 

http://www.sfgate.com/traveler/guide/sf/neighborhoods/unionsq.shtml

 

Sights and Culture

The Geary Theater is home to the prestigious American Conservatory Theatre. The building's beautiful 1909 facade -- encrusted with colorful foliage -- is worth a look: a few years ago it was cleaned and restored to its original luster.

Other theaters in the area include the Curran Theatre, which hosts many traveling Broadway shows; the Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, which features productions written by black playwrights; and the Golden Gate Theatre, which was designed by Gustav Albert Lansburgh and presents Broadway shows like "Rent" and "Chicago."

To buy half-price day-of tickets to various shows, head over to the TIX Bay Area booth at the Geary-Powell corner of Union Square.

Union Square is also home to San Francisco's Half-Priced Ticket Booth. Run by Theatre Bay Area, tickets for most of San Francisco's performing arts can be purchased the day of the performance at a discounted rate.

Galleries

You'll find most of the galleries on the storefronts of Geary, Post and Sutter. A handful, including Christopher-Clark Fine Art, Russeck, Weinstein, Pasquale Iannetti and Meyerovich, display works by old and modern masters, such as Picasso, Renoir, Matisse, Chagall, Rembrandt, Warhol, Lichtenstein and Dali. Martin Lawrence boasts the largest collection of Chagall works for sale in the world and a large collection of Keith Haring pieces and Warhol exclusives. Though Weinstein deals heavily in original prints, it does also display a large selection of oil paintings and sculpture, including Rodin originals.

For more contemporary, emerging and Bay Area artists, the galleries at 49 Geary and 77 Geary are prime buildings for art show hopping. The former houses the Robert Koch Gallery and Fraenkel Gallery, both known for their photography, the Catharine Clark Gallery and the Haines Gallery, among others. The latter is home to the Graystone Gallery, known for its Jasper Johns, Roy Lichtenstein and Robert Motherwell artworks, as well as the Rena Bransten Gallery and Heather Marx Gallery. On Sutter Street, Hang Art and Hang Annex grant exposure to emerging Bay Area artists at affordable prices for emerging collectors. Many of these galleries are open late (i.e. 7:30-8 p.m.) on the first Thursday of every month, with free wine and snacks for browsers.

Rolling Stones fans can find Ron Wood's paintings and drawings on display at the San Francisco Art Exchange, along with the works of Alberto Vargas and 20 rock and roll photographers.

The Xanadu gallery, Housed in San Francisco's only Frank Lloyd Wright building, is worth a visit just for the Guggenheim-style interior itself.

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 701 Mission St. http://www.ybca.org/ 

Curran Theater, 445 Geary St. http://www.bestofbroadway-sf.com/theatres/index.asp?key=44  (Walking distance from Sir Francis Drake)

Golden Gate Theater, 1 Taylor St. http://www.bestofbroadway-sf.com/theatres/index.asp?key=48  (Walking distance from Sir Francis Drake)

Orpheum Theater, 1192 Market St. http://www.bestofbroadway-sf.com/theatres/index.asp?key=52

Though there are still statues honoring the Union troops, today the area is definitely a tribute to the power of shopping. Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Gump's and a very substantial Macy's are right on the square, and the venerable Bullock and Jones and Tiffany and Co. are within walking distance, as is the nine-story San Francisco Shopping Centre with its three-level Nordstrom's. It is also a center for exclusive couture and high fashion, with boutiques dedicated to Dior, Armani, Marc Jacobs, and Yves Saint Laurent.

For more Union Square and Financial District restaurants, check out these Chronicle reviews.

http://www.sfgate.com/traveler/guide/transportation/publictrans.shtml

Driving around San Francisco presents many hazards: the rush hour traffic, the unconventional outlay of streets and, of course, the legendary parking difficulties. Chances are that if you're spending much time here you'll end up using some form of public transportation at least once. Here's a rundown of what you need to know, and where to find out more.

Muni -- It's sometimes late and crowded, but woefully necessary for getting around San Francisco. It's also the way to see the real city and the best option for budget transportation. Muni operates buses, streetcars and cable cars in the city 24 hours a day, but service is limited at night.

Special service is available to both Monster (Candlestick) Park and AT&T Park on game days. For schedules and fares, call (415) 673-6864.

The F-line streetcar is a great alternative to the cable cars. The vintage electric rail vehicles serve the City's main artery, Market Street, and its grand waterfront boulevard, The Embarcadero -- linking downtown San Francisco to Fisherman's Wharf / Pier 39. Board the F-line at specially marked center islands along the route.

As of September 1, 2005, bus/streetcar fare is $1.50 for adults, 50 cents for seniors (65+) and youth (5-17). Exact change is required. Free transfers are issued when the fare is paid, and they're good for two more rides in any direction for 90 minutes to two hours. Note that different rates apply to cable car rides (see below).

The Passport Pass is available in 1 to 7-day increments and is good for unlimited bus/streetcar and cable car rides. The Weekly Pass, good for unlimited bus/streetcar rides Monday through Sunday, is cheaper than the 7-day Passport but cable car rides cost an extra $1 each. The San Francisco CityPass is good for seven consecutive days on Muni and is also good for admission to several attractions in the city. It provides a savings over the individual admission prices for the attractions and fare for Muni. A monthly Fast Pass is good for unlimited rides on Muni and cable cars, and BART and Caltrain within the city limits. For more information, go to www.sfmuni.com/fares/fareinfo.htm

It's a good idea to pick up a Muni Map; they're sold at many local shops and bookstores. You can order an Official Muni Transit and Street Map by sending a check or money order for $2.50 to: Muni Map, 949 Presidio Ave., Room 238, San Francisco, CA 94115. The Muni website also has lots of schedules and maps (including cable cars): www.sfmuni.com

Cable Cars -- A trip to San Francisco is simply incomplete unless you ride a cable car at least once. If you really want to get to Fisherman's Wharf, take the Powell-Hyde line or the Powell-Mason line. Both start at the cable car turnaround at Powell and Market and end at Fisherman's Wharf, but the Powell-Mason line has the best views. It ends on the east side of Fisherman's Wharf. The Powell-Hyde line takes you right past the crookedest street (Lombard) and ends on the west side of the Wharf. The lines to get on at Powell and Market and at Fisherman's Wharf can be very long -- try getting up at the crack of dawn if you don't like to wait. Don't try to catch it at the stop on the corner of Post and Powell by Union Square (known locally as Fantasy Island); the car is full by that time and won't admit more passengers. Otherwise, take the California line, which runs on California Street from Market to Van Ness Avenue. It's generally less crowded, and takes you through Chinatown, past Grace Cathedral and up and down some impressively steep hills. Hang on tightly and be careful to keep all body parts on the cable car at all times -- sometimes cars pass very close.

The cable cars operate daily from 6 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. As of September 1, 2005, tickets are $5 per ride and can be purchased on the cable car; change is given up to $20. Cable car tickets and one-day Cable Car Pass ($10) are sold by the conductors on the cable cars. See the Muni section for more information about fares, maps and schedules.

The Cable Car Museum (1201 Mason St. at Washington; Web site) is free and is open every day except New Year's Day, Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Call the museum at (415) 474-1887 for more information.

BART -- Generally on time and fairly clean, BART is the subway/commuter rail to the East Bay (Berkeley, Oakland, or beyond), Fremont, Dublin/Pleasanton, the San Francisco Airport and Millbrae.

The fare depends on the length of your trip (see the fare calculator for exact fares), and each rider must have his/her own ticket. Bicycles are allowed, except during rush hour on certain trains. BART is wheelchair accessible but sometimes (often) the elevators are out of service; call 510-834-LIFT or 888-2-ELEVAT for station elevator information.

Service begins at 4 a.m. on weekdays, 6 a.m. on Saturdays, and 8 a.m. on Sundays and holidays, and the last train is around midnight. Check the schedule for your station for exact times.

BART stops at the Oakland Coliseum and also operates a shuttle (Air BART) from this stop to the Oakland Airport ($2 one way; 50 cents for children 5-12, seniors over 65 and people with disabilities). Buy your ticket at the machines in the station or the airport before boarding the shuttle. Shuttles run from 6am to 12:05 a.m. every 10 minutes and Sundays 8 a.m. to 12:05 a.m. (first and last shuttles from Coliseum Station to Oakland Airport are at 6am and 11:30pm; trip is approximately 15 minutes, but may be as long as 30 minutes in rush hour traffic). Call (510) 577-4294 for more information on Air BART.

511.org has a great online trip planner to help you get where you're going by BART and other public transportation.

Call 415-989-2278 for SF/Daly City information, 510-465-2278 for Oakland/Berkeley information. BART also has an excellent website with an interactive schedule and maps: www.bart.gov

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Ferries -- Trips to Alcatraz leave frequently each day from Pier 41 at Fisherman's Wharf. Though tickets can be purchased at the Blue & Gold Fleet box office window at Pier 41, advance purchase is strongly recommended, as tours do sell out. More information and online ticket purchases at www.blueandgoldfleet.com.

For ferry service to most Giants games, see AT&T Park's Web site for directions.

The Blue and Gold Fleet also runs from Pier 41 and San Francisco's Ferry Building to Sausalito, Tiburon, Angel Island, Oakland's Jack London Square, Alameda and Vallejo. For schedule and fare information, or go to www.blueandgoldfleet.com.

The Golden Gate Ferry runs daily high-speed service from San Francisco's Ferry Building to Sausalito and Larkspur; call (415) 923-2000 for fare and schedule information. www.goldengateferry.org

The Vallejo Baylink Ferry runs from SF (Fisherman's Wharf/Pier 41 and the Ferry Building) to Vallejo. www.baylinkferry.com

Caltrain -- Caltrain runs between downtown San Francisco and San Jose, through several Peninsula cities (for a list of stations, click here, or check out the system map). Weekday commute-hour service is also available to Gilroy.

One-way fares range from $1.75 - $8, depending on how many zones you travel through. See below for specific services. For schedules, fares, special event service and other info, visit www.caltrain.com or call (800) 660-4287.

Caltrain to SFO: The closest stop is the Millbrae station, but riders can easily take BART from there to the San Francisco Airport.

Baby Bullet (weekdays only): This speedier option takes weekday riders between San Francisco and San Jose in less than an hour. To start, Caltrain is offering 10 Baby Bullet trains -- five in the morning and five in the evening. During evening commute hours, northbound trains stop at four stations after departing San Jose -- Mountain View, Palo Alto, Hillsdale and Millbrae. During morning commute hours, southbound trains will make an additional stop at 22nd Street in San Francisco.

Note on buying tickets: Purchase your ticket at a vending machine or a staffed station before boarding -- while riders were once able to buy tickets on the train, now anyone caught on board without one is fined up to $250.

 

AC Transit -- AC Transit provides bus service in Alameda and Contra Costa counties in the East Bay, and transbay service from San Francisco. Transbay buses leave from the San Francisco Transbay terminal (Mission St. between First and Fremont streets). For current fares, schedules and other rider info, go to www.actransit.org or call (415) 817-1717.

Golden Gate Transit

SamTrans