Customer Reviews

Secret San Francisco: The Unique Guidebook to San Francisco's Hidden Sites, Sounds, & Tastes (Secret Guide series)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book surpassed my expectations. I love San Francisco, and one of my favorite things to do there is to walk around the city and enjoy all its quirky wonders. This book is a delightful guide to such places. It covers many old favorites, but it really does have a lot of secrets, too--places I had never heard of and am eager to check out. And not only does it contain great information, it's also very nicely written. The author clearly loves the City, and his voice throughout the book is authentic and enthusiastic, just as if a treasured friend were guiding one through this magical town. Lovely book.

Lots of cool tips and suggestions that one wouldn't normally know about.

Unfortunately, its a bit dated it spots. For example a gallery I wanted to visit was closed now. The BART station at San Francisco Airport is now completed.

Overall a great book and a fun read too. I would recommend this if you dont want to just see all the tourist attractions.

First off, much of 'Secret San Francisco' is heavy on the San Francisco, but light on the the 'Secret.' This is really a compilation of top 10, or top 5 or 6 or whatever, lists for San Francisco. The 'Secret' part is just a marketing hook. Most of the people, places, and things mentioned would show up in any San Francisco tour guide or would rank very high in a Google or yelp search on the topic. The book is also marked by occasional major omissions. To give two examples: there are sections on tea and on Japan but no mention of the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park and there is a section on Jazz that omits the Fillmore St Jazz Festival, one of the better street fairs in the city. Having said all this, the lists range from OK to excellent, though, as another reviewer pointed out, they are getting a bit dated as the city changes. I think how much you like this book will depend on how you use it. Because it is a collection of lists, few of them specific to an area, it is not useful for tourists or people looking to explore a particular area of the city. If, on the other hand, you are a San Francisco trivia buff or trying to assemble some very off beat day trips around the city you cold have some fun with it.

Awesome! The secrets are totally what makes the book so delightful to read and also we plan on using it when we get to San Francisco. Unique and quite helpful sums it up totally. Thanks to the author's research in so many things. It is high on my all-time favorite travel books.

This is a good book to leaf through when you're heading to SF and already have a guide to all the usual stuff. I love visiting new places but can only take so many touristy day trips in a row. Finding other things to do is a great change of pace for a recharge day, instead of spending it at the beach/pool.

A great chair-side guide. Knew where we wanted to do and where we didn't.
A must for anyone who wants to enjoy what the city offers other than the tourist traps.

This book is okay, but nothing you cannot find in any other book about san francisco. The title is very misleading.

Romance yourself in San Francisco by taking a walk in a tale of two cities Bay Area style.