Lonely Planet San Francisco Encounter (Lonely Planet Encounter San Francisco) (Best Of) [Paperback]

Alison Bing (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2007 | Series: Best Of

What Will Your San Francisco Encounter Be?

...hunting for obscure records, go-go boots and bongs on Haight Street (p164)
...a bayside stroll followed by a fabulous fresh meal at the Ferry Building (p10)
...club-hopping in SoMa and crawling back to the hotel at 6am (p112)
...escaping to Alcatraz under a blanket of fog (p22)
...murals, burritos, vintage clothes and pirate supplies in the Mission (p128)
...scribbling Beat poetry on the walls of Caffe Trieste (p51)

Discover Twice The City In Half The Time...

...full-color pull-out map and detailed neighborhood maps for easy navigation
...out long-time resident author recommends the very best sights, restaurants, shops and entertainment
...unique itineraries and highlights help you make the most of a short trip
...local experts reveal San Francisco's secrets: Craig from Craigslist on his favorite tourist trap to the head buyer of City Lights on essential San Francisco reads

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...a complete city guide boiled down to its essences, a sort of text-messaged guidebook with photos and quotes from locals geared to a savvy weekend visitor." --Chicago Tribune, August 5, 2007

From the Publisher

Who We Are
At Lonely Planet, we see our job as inspiring and enabling travellers to connect with the world for their own benefit and for the benefit of the world at large.

What We Do
* We offer travellers the world's richest travel advice, informed by the collective wisdom of over 350 Lonely Planet authors living in 37 countries and fluent in 70 languages.
* We are relentless in finding the special, the unique and the different for travellers wherever they are.
* When we update our guidebooks, we check every listing, in person, every time.
* We always offer the trusted filter for those who are curious, open minded and independent.
* We challenge our growing community of travellers; leading debate and discussion about travel and the world.
* We tell it like it is without fear or favor in service of the travellers; not clouded by any other motive.

What We Believe
We believe that travel leads to a deeper cultural understanding and compassion and therefore a better world.

Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: Lonely Planet; 1st edition (May 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1740598555
• ISBN-13: 978-1740598552
• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 6.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,130,419 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You really will discover more of the city, with less space used in your knapsack, July 31, 2007

By 

Jessica Lux (Rosamond, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lonely Planet San Francisco Encounter (Lonely Planet Encounter San Francisco) (Best Of) (Paperback)

The Lonely Planet Encounter guide to San Francisco follows the snappy, concise format of the other books in the series--a highlight chapter, followed by sections (by neighborhood) on where to Shop, Eat, See, and Play, and a conclusion with page-long snapshot essays and details on transportation, history, and practicalities. The opening chapter is a list of 11 top excursions in the city, with parenthetical references to the page number where specific restaurants and sights are discussed. Even the back cover is a useful to six exciting adventures--vintage shopping, club-hopping in SoMa, writing Beat poetry, visiting the Mission, strolling bayside, and visiting foggy Alcatraz.

As a Southern California resident, I visit San Francisco annually. I've used dozens of different guidebooks, and I thought I had a good handle on the city, but author Alison Bing has written about a treasure trove of smaller museums, shops, and entertainment options. This guide is especially useful for the traveler who has the lay of the land and wants to uncover more gems in the city. The closing chapter also has some great suggested reading titles for anyone looking to explore San Francisco a little deeper.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Don't use this book as your only guide!, January 24, 2008

By 

Jerome Jourquin "J.Jourquin" (Nashville, TN United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Lonely Planet San Francisco Encounter (Lonely Planet Encounter San Francisco) (Best Of) (Paperback)

This book is a nice complement to another guide. It's compact, short reviews and limited ONLY to SF (nothing beyond the bridges). Its reviews are short and sometimes not really self-explanatory. Overall, I'm not sure if I would buy this book but I might not have been the target of it (plain tourist with no or too old knowledge of the city).

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars If You Only Take One Book With You, October 17, 2007

By 

Emily J. Jensen "movie & book nut" (Oklahoma City, OK United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Lonely Planet San Francisco Encounter (Lonely Planet Encounter San Francisco) (Best Of) (Paperback)

This book fits in a jacket pocket or a purse. Spot-on restaurant recommendations, useful maps, good itinerary ideas. Much more useful than my brother's Frommers. Very helpful overall. Every restaurant I ate at out of here was a palate pleaser. Only wish the maps could show where the hills are, have the BART routes, etc.