Sunday, June 24, 2012

Hello! Summer planning

Whoa, I have not been on blogger for way too long, what is this new interface?! Very minimal! I like it. Anyway, I hope everyone has been having a fun summer so far. Luke and I have just solidified our vacation plans and I am so excited. We have never really been on a trip together before, besides weekends to see our parents and day trips, so it is a small milestone for us. We booked an apartment on airbnb.com in San Francisco for a week. The apartment reminds me a lot of ours, so I think we are going to be very happy and settled. I always like the idea of going someplace and pretending I live there haha. If any San Franciscan's have recommendations I would really love to hear (eating/shopping/bars for 20 somethings/activities etc.!) Has anyone ever used airbnb before? Browsing through it makes me think I will never stay in a hotel ever again. It's really amazing! We leave the end of July, so we have a bit of waiting to do, but I don't like to rush summer, so the waiting is OK. Here is a little dream packing list for my trip :)




(clockwise from TL - Raquel Allegra dress from La Garconne, Tsumori Chisato sandals from Creatures of Comfort, Anntian dress from Creatures of Comfort, Saska Diez paillette bracelet from Maryam Nassir Zadeh, United Bamboo dress from La Garconne, Drifter pouch from Hickoree's Hard Goods, Rochas sandals from Maryam Nassir Zadeh, and La Garconne Moderne Boy Sweatshirt from La Garconne)


p.s. I am doing a little closet overhaul to help pay for our trip - please check out my ebay if you're interested!
p.p.s. My mom just sent me these awesome photos of San Francisco from a blimp.
p.p.p.s. I just walked over to Hickoree's because I couldn't resist the little pouch :)

7 comments:

flowercake said...

a really good coffee shop is cafe 780 i think its on valencia. Go to valencia such a good thrift store there called comunity thrift

melly said...

I booked two apartments on airbnb during my recent trip to LA and NYC! The LA apartment was a dream while the NYC one... was terrible. I guess you never really know until you get there, I made sure to check reviews and communication prior to booking gave me good vibes as well... but I would still go with airbnb-ing if the vacation is a long and casual one :)

all the best with yours!!

caroline said...

a lot of what I do when I visit SF is eat. a lot of places I go is pretty boring because I tend to go every couple or so months, but one thing I love to do is just walk around in a random neighborhood. SF has such beautiful architecture.

& I've used airbnb twice. it was a pleasant experience. I would definitely use it again if I was looking to save some money. both times were great and our hosts were friendly and helpful. & the whole reason to act like you live there is the exact reason why we used airbnb!

melanie said...

first off - pack some warm clothes as well! summers in SF are suprisingly cold, with temps going down to the 50s at night.

i moved away 8 years ago, but go back at least once a year to visit family & friends. based on your NY recs, here are some spots you might enjoy in SF:

- nopa: solid new american, popular even after years (book in advance)
- el farolito: divey mexican in the mission. get the super burrito to share, b/c it is HUGE.
- r&g lounge: a step up from your usual chinatown restaurant, famous for their salt & pepper crab. close by, you can drink at...
- vesuvio: beat bar with tons of character, next to city lights bookstore
- 15 romolo: speakeasy/casual cocktail bar, halfway up a hill in north beach
- alembic: cozy, excellent restaurant/bar on haight, a block away from...
- amoeba records: a used music lover's paradise. a must. (they have new stuff too)
- dolores park: sit on top of the hill, people watch, and eat your bi-rite ice cream cone (a block away), or tartine pastries (two blocks away)
- the castro theater: beautiful old single-screen movie palace (think the ziegfeld/paris). they still play the wurlitzer before every movie.

classic SF institutions you might like, if you don't mind a certain amount of old-school cheesiness/grime: tonga room at the fairmont, the irish bank, lipo lounge, swan's oyster depot

other spots i feel i should mention: the ferry building, cotogna, beretta, zazie, commonwealth, the hideout (at dalva), hemlock tavern, land's end/sutro baths, the presidio, muir woods, marin headlands... man, the list can go on forever!

sorry if this was overwhelming. have fun!!

Caitlin said...

melanie, i don't know if you will ever see this, but thank you so much! i can't wait to start researching these places once i get out of work today ;)
thank you again!

Ringo, have a banana! said...

Aw SF, you're gonna have such a great time! I would give you some recs but all my hot tips are about 4 years out of date :n / Still, Thrift Town in the Mission remains my Mecca! And I will never, ever get sick of Fisherman's Wharf, no matter how touristy. I love it. And the Musée Mechanique! Pretty sure all those places still exist :n )

melanie said...

hi caitlin, you're very welcome! i just hope my recs aren't too outdated... also, wanted to add a few :)

delfina/delfina pizza, little star pizza, humphrey slocombe ice cream, tomales bay for shuck-your-own oysters, and the top of twin peaks for a spectacular view of SF, day or night!

have a great time!