AddThisWHY NOW It may have been the birthplace of sixties radicals and cutting-edge politics, but this city still takes the holidays seriously. From its annual tree- and menorah-lighting ceremonies in Union Square to its ethnic and "alternative" festivals, the City by the Bay does the holidays as it does everything else—its own way.
WHERE TO STAY With Union Square's shops to the north and the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts to the south, the towering glass-and-steel Four Seasons San Francisco (757 Market St.; 800/332-3442 or 415/633-3000; www.fourseasons.com; doubles from $469) offers just the right dose of shopping and culture. Nearby, the contemporary Hotel Diva (440 Geary St.; 415/885-0200; www.hoteldiva.com; doubles from $105) is a less expensive option. Though its rooms are sized like its prices, the Diva still throws in a real concierge and techie extras such as wireless Internet.
CHRISTMAS DINNER Forget turkey and the trimmings and head to dim sum wonderland Ton Kiang (5821 Geary Blvd.; 415/387-8273; dinner for two $25) for Hakka- and Hong Kong-style dishes and dumplings. Feeling a little traditional? The year-old restaurant Town Hall (342 Howard St.; 415/908-3900; dinner for two $35) adds homemade candy canes to its California-Cajun menu during the holidays.
SHOP GLOBALLY Modern Appealing Clothing, known as MAC (387 Grove St.; 415/863-3011), carries a finely edited selection of cult California and international brands in its Hayes Valley outlet. Make a return visit just after Christmas, during its biannual sales week, to pick up Euro pieces by Martin Margiela, Dries van Noten, and AF Vandervorst. Across the bay, snap up 30-percent-off-retail outerwear at the North Face Factory Outlet (1238 Fifth St., Berkeley; 510/526-3530).
STOCKING STUFFERS The 1 1/2-year-old Ferry Plaza Farmers Market (www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com) inhabits the recently renovated Ferry Building, a skyscraping 1898 Beaux-Arts landmark. Stroll through its halls for edible souvenirs from top regional dairies, farms, and bakeries.
HOLIDAY HIGHLIGHTS Even if you're into Hanukkah or Kwanzaa, you'll feel welcome at the annual Christmas Revels (December 10-12 and 17-19; 510/452-9334; www.calrevels.org) in Oakland, which celebrate the winter solstice with an ecumenical pageant incorporating traditions ranging from rural Appalachia to Elizabethan England.
SMOOTH RIDE Begin and end your trip on the newly extended BART rail system (www.bart.gov), which now connects to San Francisco International Airport. The journey from downtown takes about 30 minutes and costs only $4.95. —David Kaufman ¼
2004 Holiday Destinations:
Bocas del Toro, Panama |
Schweitzer, Idaho | Darjeeling, India | Dublin, Ireland | St. Bart's | Versailles, France | Taipei, Taiwan | Cooperstown, New York | Frankfurt, Germany | San Francisco
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