JoshuaNorton
Move fromEngland to
SanFrancisco, declare
yourself Emperorof the
UnitedStates in 1859,
issueadecree formally
abolishingCongress,
be totally ignoredby
most but reveredby the
peopleof SanFrancisco.
MCHammer
Get spotted rapping in
anOaklandclub in 1988
andbe signed toCapitol
Records,makeone
of thebestselling rap
albums of all time, file
for bankruptcy, become
apreacher.
MarkZuckerberg
Rent acheap
office inPaloAlto
todevelopa little
business you started
incollege, becomea
multibillionaire, take
over theentireplanet.
How todo
theBay
Area if
you’re…
05
Strangedays
03
InCalifornia, strange isperfectlynormal.At
Alcatraz
you’llhearstoriesabout
massbrawls,brutalexecutions,ghostsandescapeattemptsworthyof theDarwin
Awards.Makesure tobookearly,as toursselloutweeks inadvance.
Theprisonwasshutdown in1963, shortlybefore
OneFlewOvertheCuckoo’s
Nest
authorKenKeseyandhisbuddies leftSanFrancisco inamulticolouredbus
tospread thewordaboutLSD.Thebuskickedoff thehippymovementand is the
inspiration for
MagicBus
, amisty-eyedattempt torecreate the idealismof the
summerof ’67when theworld’sdreamersflocked toHaight-Ashbury.
Onlyone tourcombines theBayArea’s two favourite leisureactivities: cycling
andeating tacos.The
OaklandishTourdeTaco
isagluttonousbikeride
through the taco-truckheavenofFruitvale ledbyCyrusFarivar, a tech journalist
whodescribeshimselfasaguy“who likesbikesand likes tacos”,which is justas
well really.
alcatrazcruises.com,magicbussf.com, vayable.com/experiences/5557
04
For rock ‘n’ roll soul
PhoenixHotel
ThisMid-centurymotor
lodge in the grungy
Tenderloindistrict is a
sliceof LA in themiddle
of San Franciso. Everyone
fromDavidBowie to the
RedHot Chilli Peppers
has stayed in the
1950s-inspired rooms.
thephoenixhotel.com
Forold-school glamour
Fairmont
A San Francisco landmark
with anextravagently
marbled lobby and the
surreal Tiki-themed Tonga
Room in thebasement,
where a Tex-Asian cover
bandplays on aboat in
the indoor swimmingpool.
fairmont.com/san-
francisco
Where to
check in…
For thebudget conscious
Fisherman’s
WharfHostel
This historicbuilding
offers postcard views of
theGoldenGateBridge
andAlcatraz. The24-bed
co-eddorms can get a
bit crowded, but for price
and location it’s a steal.
sfhostels.org/
fishermans-wharf
For a tasteof Tokyo
HotelKabuki
At this hotel inNorth
America’s biggest
Japantown, the gardens,
bathhouse, koi pond and
traditional art imported
fromOsaka are all the
real deal, as is the sushi
at acclaimedon-site
eateryO Izakaya.
jdvhotels.com
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