The Marina

The Marina is one of the City's prettiest neighborhoods. Mediterranean-style houses and apartment buildings line the curving, tidy streets. Those fortunate enough to have a view can take in the panoramic vista of the San Francisco Bay, Golden Gate Bridge, Marin Headlands and Alcatraz Island.

What to See
The mile-long promenade making up the Marina Green is an excellent place to take in such glorious views while jogging, bicycling, walking, rollerblading or walking your dog. The Green is also a wonderful place for kite fliers, who can enjoy unobstructed gusty bay winds. Colorful box kites hang in the air while triangular stunt kites do loop-the-loops among the clouds. Down below, pick-up soccer and football games share the grassy expanse with sun worshippers. At the west end of the Marina Green, walkers can explore the Presidio and Fort Point under the Golden Gate Bridge.

At the east end, they can check out Fort Mason. If you head south at Marina Green, walking one block on Baker Street, you will come to the Palace of Fine Arts. The Romanesque rotunda sits amid sculptured maidens atop the surrounding colonnades. The structure is San Francisco's last vestige of its most glorious fair - the Panama-Pacific International Exposition of 1915. Although the fair officially marked the opening of the Panama Canal, many San Franciscans took the opportunity to show that their fair city had successfully risen from the ashes of the 1906 earthquake and fire.

Behind the rotunda stands the Exploratorium, one of the finest science museums in the country. The Exploratorium offers numerous hands-on exhibits and experiments which teach visitors about how things work. You can learn about how sound waves travel, how magnets work and how eyes see. For an extra fee, you can experience a world without light or sound in the Tactile Dome.

Where to Eat
The Marina's commercial area is situated along Chestnut Street. There, you will find a nice mix of restaurants, cafes, delis, boutiques and movie theaters. On weekend mornings, you'll find the neighborhood's yuppie crowd hanging out at Peet's Coffee and Tea (2156 Chestnut Street. Phone: 415-931-8302) or Starbucks Coffee (2132 Chestnut Street. Phone: 415-673-6781), enjoying a double latte with the morning newspaper.

You will find a wide variety of eats in this area, too. Try Tay Viet (2034 Chestnut Street, Phone: 415-567-8124) for light, delicate and tasty Vietnamese food; Cafe Marimba (2317 Chestnut Street, Phone: 415-776-1506) for fiery Oaxacan fare; and E'Angelo Italian Restaurant (2234 Chestnut Street, Phone: 415-567-6164) for fresh pasta dishes. And don't forget to finish off your dining experience with a slice of pie at Bepples Pies (2142 Chestnut Street, Phone: 415-931-6226).