The Festival is not focused on recreational activities only and there are some serious discussions held with green visionaries and reputed speakers converging here from across San Francisco and all over America to educate people about sustainable living. It is organized by two leading green societies, i.e. Green Festival Travels and the Global Exchange and Co-Op America. This annual event started in 2002 and has now evolved into one of the biggest San Francisco events. Usually, the Festival carries on for three days with each day being dedicated to a particular part of various greener lifestyle options.

You can look forward to buying the latest in green innovations including home and décor dressings along with food options from more than 350 eco-themed outlets that are set-up here. For a family visit, this Festival is just about prefect giving the kids an opportunity to learn about adopting a healthier lifestyle whereas the parents can indulge in some serious debates or sample the organic cuisine spread.

‘AAH-HAA’ — this is the most popular of stalls at the Festival, featuring a range of products that can be practically installed in modern households for recycling waste goods into something useful without adding to the greenhouse emissions.

Important Details
Venue: San Francisco Concourse Exhibition Center
Address: 635, 8th Street (near Brannan), San Francisco
Date: 13 to 15 November
Schedule
Friday: 12 pm to 7 pm
Saturday: 10 am to 7 pm
Sunday: 11 am to 6 pm

check out more info on http://www.greenfestivals.org

Rockridge offers an affordable and easy lifestyle with sunny and warm weather throughout the year and the commuting is trouble-free with an efficient Rockridge BART in operation. Unlike most San Francisco locations, the homes are located along green-covered residential streets, lined with small cafes, local gourmet restaurants and antiques shops.

Reaching Rockridge — you can drive from Highway 24, take a turn along the Claremont Avenue exit and then drive northeast along Claremont to reach the College Avenue. The other option is using the Rockridge BART station, located at 5665 College Avenue.

Sightseeing in Rockridge, San Francisco — unlike conventional San Francisco tourist spots there are no sites that can be seen swarming with tourists. It is regarded as a place to relax and its lazy routine is what makes it famous. Visitors can head to the Firestorm Community Mural Project that pays tribute to those who lost their lives during the 1991 Oakland firestorm.

If you want to catch the local San Francisco flavor, then Rockridge is perfect. Just head to the Rockridge Branch Library that has become more than just a public library — it is more of a public institution and offers the best opportunity to mingle with the locals and update yourself about San Francisco facts that cannot be found in travel guides. The Library is located at 5366 College Avenue, Manila. Wine tasting is endemic to Rockridge and it is proud to have the original branch of the San Francisco Great Harvest Bread Company, located at 5800 College Avenue.

The most favored way of spending the evening is taking peaceful garden walks through the lavish green spread that is abundant in Rockridge. Folks who have a taste in home decor or gardening would find it irresistible to take a stroll along its residential streets. The Manila and Lawton Streets between Broadway and Shafter are regarded among the best-kept San Francisco streets and are an artistic delight. These streets house some of the most highly-rated Home & Garden San Francisco shops such as Bella Vista and John Flavors.

You can find literally every kind of Asian cuisine, ranging from the rare Burmese restaurants to those serving traditional favourites like Chinese and Vietnamese food. San Francisco visitors often judge restaurants by their appearance but this tendency should be held back when eating in Richmond. Some of the best food here is served in humble-looking restaurants. Among all the multi-culinary choices that are packed in Inner Richmond, San Francisco the most recommended options, include:

Bistro Clement (127 Clement Street, Near Second/Third Avenue) — the Bistro is among the best of French restaurants in the entire south of San Francisco. For starters, its prices are a bit lower that conventional, over-priced French restaurants. You can find all countryside French meals prepared in the original format with the flavors not compensated for creating a better visual impact. The décor is like an expansive dining room and the wines too are honestly priced.

Burma Superstar (309 Clement Street, 5th Avenue) — you have not tasted original Burmese food in San Francisco until you can claim to have visited the Superstar. The name is a bit gimmicky but the presentation and the menu is basic and oriental to the core. To some folks, the flavor might appear to be an assortment of Chinese and Indian flavors but the menu preparation is done in a time-honored, slow Burmese manner. You are advised to try innovative menu listings like the Rainbow Salad wherein more than 20 ingredients are used.

Kowloon Tong Dessert Café (393 Seventh Avenue, near Geary) — the entire décor and the menu resembles a sidewalk-styled, urban Hong Kong mini-stall and this is what the Kowloon is known for, i.e. serving quickly-prepared, cheap food. It remains open past midnight so you can use it to pamper your taste buds when returning from exploring the Heights, San Francisco.

It is much smaller than your conventional San Francisco neighborhoods. All along the sides of the coast, you can see yachts and sailboats along with local ferries and water taxis. Those who head over to Jack London should start exploring it from the Port of Oakland, moving towards the Island of Alameda.

Folks who are wondering why its name is not mentioned on most travel guides — Jack London is San Francisco’s best kept secret and we can only guess that folks here don’t want to see it flooded with tourists like the rest of San Francisco. It has coffee shops that have the typical ’50s look along with century-old warehouses. Other interesting places include:

The Artship (88 Perry Street at #734, San Francisco) — this is a rare combination of art display in the backdrop of an ongoing, historic preservation project. Maintained by the Artship Foundation, the Artship is the name of an old wartime WWII Navy ship that has been transformed into a forum for artists to display their work. Along with the displays, the ship is also being restored to its former glory.

This place is fantastic to take the family for giving them a glimpse into San Francisco’s history. It is also visited by students who are undergoing job training like maritime apprenticeship. The best time to visit is on Tuesdays when the Tuesday Art Series is held.

Museum of Children’s Art (560 Second Street, San Francisco) — also called the MOCHA, it is perfect for a family outing in San Francisco. The MOCHA has carved a niche for itself among the residents of San Francisco and neighboring states for its interactive museum theme. There hundreds of displays of children’s art and you can even participate in an ‘open studios’ and get your artwork displayed on the walls.

Check out more about san francisco at Sfgov.com

San Francisco’s Piedmont Business District extends from the Pleasant Valley Avenue to the MacArthur Boulevard of Oakland. In comparison to some of the culturally diverse San Francisco districts, Piedmont emerges as one of the most eclectic neighborhoods.

There are many narrow side streets that should not be shunned because of the chaotic appearance. Instead, you should visit them for some unique shopping opportunities. The best time to explore the Piedmont is during the evenings. You would be well advised to visit the:

Mountain View Cemetery
5000 Piedmont Avenue
The name of a cemetery might make you feel apprehensive about visiting it, but this is not a conventional San Francisco cemetery. In fact, it is now regarded as a must-visit among Oakland sites in the Bay Area of San Francisco. It is like an urban, contemporary historic site that houses the graves of infamous criminals like Charles Crocker and the mausoleum exhibits the lifetime of these crime heroes.

Glen Echo Park
Location: extend from the south of Panama Court to the Montell Street.
You can combine visiting the Glen Park along with a shopping trip in Monte Vista Avenue. It is situated in one of the most scenic of urban San Francisco streets, spilling with modern-day houses on either side. The Park has a generous sprinkling of oak saplings, willows and ferns to create an exotic, green-covered creek. Those who are fascinated by the natural sciences should investigate the wide variety of grasses and native shrubs that are found here.

A trip to the Park can be planned along with visiting the Piedmont Yoga Studio on 3966 Piedmont Avenue for which you can use the BART services or simply walk down yourself. The studio can be used to educate yourself on the latest of yoga trends and buy San Francisco’s latest range of health goodies.

Key System Mural
41st Street, near Howe Street, Piedmont Avenue
The Mural is a lot more than just a remnant of a San Francisco trolley system that ran across the Bay Bridge. Historically, called the Key System it has a reputed WPA mural that takes you on a nostalgic trip to how vintage transit systems used to operate. It is regarded as a heritage site among urban San Francisco establishments.

However, the Haight in San Francisco has two different sides to it. The Upper Haight is like the conventional San Francisco neighborhood with Masonic buildings and limited shopping zones but plenty of lavish restaurants. The stretch leading towards the Golden Gate Park is the more happening and fashion-conscious hub of the Haight. Some of the eating joints that should be visited include:

The Citrus Club at 1790 Haight Street
The Citrus has to be counted among the best of Asian cuisine serving joints in San Francisco. It has so many options when ordering your noodles that you are sure to be left perplexed. The setting is like a big bar wherein you can sit at the table and watch the chefs toss your variety of noodles and the additional embellishments.

All the conventional Asian culinary choices like spring rolls and cold noodles are brilliantly prepared and the prices don’t hurt your pocket. The portions are appreciably big by San Francisco standards and the spice level too is just about right.

All You Knead at 1466 Haight Street
The name is suggestive and the place does not let you down with humongous portions and plenty of dining options. It is recommended most for getting your share of a heavy breakfast before heading out to explore San Francisco. The vegetarians too are spoilt for choice and burritos and pastas are served with unique veggie side-ons.

The Blue Front Café at 1430 Haight Street
If you want an authentic Mediterranean fix then there is little competition to the Front’s offerings in entire San Francisco. You have a choice of ordering health-conscious meals too. However, the general advice is to go for the local favorites like the avocado wraps. The menu is largely affordable and you can get the basic sandwiches wrapped for your shopping expeditions in San Francisco.

The San Pablo Avenue or the Corridor stretches from Ashby Avenue to the Gilman Street. Its visitors are a real mixture, consisting of non-San Francisco natives and folks from neighboring locales like Fourth Street, North Berkeley and Gourmet Ghetto.

Westbrae and Northbrae: San Francisco’s Unknown Tourist Destinations
The Pablo Corridor has two places that are perennially overlooked by most visitors. You will not find these two places mentioned in your conventional San Francisco guided tours. These are two small San Francisco business districts that have not attracted a lot of attention due to the lack of any dazzling sites or museums.

Westbrae and Northbrae are hard to differentiate, being at a walking distance from each other. Spread along the Albany border, these districts have some very impressive cafes, restaurants and small shops that are perfect for a relaxing San Francisco getaway.

Gilman Street — it is located along the western part of San Pablo. It has many buildings that are reflective of a bygone era but are beautifully maintained. It houses some of the most reputed San Francisco equipment business brands along with a few local music/dance centers. Then there are art galleries, craft emporiums and garden decoration shops that are worth a visit.

Ecology Center (2530 San Pablo Avenue) — some folks say that there would be no Berkeley without the Ecology Center. It has become the core of activity for this San Francisco neighborhood. There is a constant buzz of environmental enthusiasts, students and tourists trying to choose books or DVDs to educate themselves on the latest of environmental issues.

You can actually visit green projects in action like the Plastics Task Force or those arranged by the Berkeley Community Gardening Collaborative. From a shopping perspective, this ecological San Francisco landmark offers a wide range of home decor goods that have been prepared from recycled goods.

The shops are attuned to everybody’s taste, including those heavy on intellectual content to the more contemporary and artistically inclined. For many, Fourth Street does not qualify to be called a conventional San Francisco neighborhood since shopping is its only defining feature. Visiting San Francisco and not browsing through the Fourth Street stores is regarded as an unpardonable sin. It makes sense in being familiar with some of the shopping joints that are a must-visit in this part of San Francisco:

Anthropologie (740 Hearst Avenue):
it is rather difficult to define what this store qualifies as — it is a bizarre mixture of being something like an upmarket European boutique with an Asian-styled bazaar, all rolled into one big San Francisco store. It is bursting to it seams with visitors who just cannot get enough of the heavily discounted, modern-day showpieces displayed here. There are many vintage-styled accessories too for those wanting to embellish their home or garden space. The range of clothes is simply overwhelming — it has everything from Persian embroideries to ruffles and ribbons along with floral prints and matching jewelry accessories.

Your San Francisco home décor shopping needs could be catered towards choosing cheap lampshades, linens or finials. On occasions, you might also find a small collection of antique coat hooks or traditional dishware being put on display.

April Cornell (1774 Fourth Street):

whether you are shopping in San Francisco or some place else, some things remain unchanged like women wanting to shop at exclusive stores. The Cornell is your complete San Francisco-styled women’s store that stocks every thing from girlie clothes to evening dresses, including lingerie and exotic hats.

If you want to develop a realistic insight into the North Beach culture then stepping away from the famous shopping joints and indulging in the local fanfare is recommended. Those who plan to visit North Beach should make sure that they don’t miss:

Washington Square Park
Location: between Stockton, Powell, Filbert and Union streets

If you reach North Beach after having spent some time in San Francisco, you would immediately realize that this piece of greenery in the city is simply priceless. You can head here to eat your lunch or even take the free Tai Chi lessons that seem to interest many tourists. This is also the best place to intermingle with the local crowd and get first-hand information about how to plan your travel plan or get hold of the local bargains.

Sts. Peter and Paul Church
666 Filbert Street, San Francisco

This is one of the many neo-Gothic cathedrals found in San Francisco. However, none of the other cathedrals are so well preserved. The Church is regarded as the central point of North Beach and the historic entry point for the Italian immigrants. The nearby City Hall wedding chapel serves as the setting for most of the local weddings and you can often find marriage parties spreading over on the lawns on either side of the Church.

Coit Tower
Location: near Pioneer Park, Telegraph Hill

The Tower is reputed to give the best view of San Francisco and is particularly buzzing during the evenings when folks returning from office gather here to catch the dipping sun. It is now counted among the historic and honored San Francisco landmarks. It contains a mural that wraps itself around the circular walls which can be described as an artistic impression of the tough times during the Depression.