Jefferson St, Fisherman's Wharf

Super touristy and if you are visiting, a must see. There are art galleries and souvenir shops galore. But there are also the Wax Museum, Ripley's Believe It Or Not, plenty of street performers, and plenty of places to eat like Joe's Crab Shack or the Rain Forest Cafe. You can walk through the Cannery and get to Beach Street and from there head up a block to Ghiradelli Square.

If you like parks, there is Aquatic Park and on a nice day, it's nice to just sit, but you can also walk through Aquatic Park and read about some historic stuff too.

Jefferson Street is quintessential Fisherman's Wharf. With seafood restaurants galore, Ripley's Believe it or Not, Johnny Rocket's, the Wax Museum, Rainforest Cafe (I mean, REALLY), and, of course, San Francisco Sourdough, you will be hard-pressed to find many locals here. The outdoor mall is actually very cool, and you are guaranteed to find some delicious crab and melt-in-your-mouth Ghiradelli chocolate. You are NOT guaranteed to find public restrooms - even the Starbuck's doesn't have one - and the ones that are open to the public require a key from one of the nearby vendors (although you can probably get in there if you wait for someone to open the door).

It is very easy to spend an afternoon walking around, playing, feeling like a tourist, and spending money (although one could easily argue that the last two are synonymous with one another). This can be a very fun place to visit, and there are actually some very cool-looking apartment buildings in the area, but I wouldn't choose to live here.

If you are visiting SF, I would recommend carving out an entire afternoon to spend here, but I wouldn't stay here. The nearby Union Square area is about a 20-minute walk (depending on your pace, of course) and offers much more of a city/urban feel, with better restaurants. Don't plan on parking here.

Jefferson Street goes from Baker street to Powell Street. This street is very long, it pretty much runs along the San Francisco bay.This street has really nice houses, they are pretty big, most of them two to three stories high and they look very modernized and elegant. There are also apartments here, but they aren't as nice as the houses. There are trees lining the sidewalks and some of the houses have their own plants too. Jefferson street is near the Embarcadero, which is near the piers. This street is also near a park, the Joseph Conrad Park and it is also naer the Ghiradelli Square. Over all, I think this place is worth visiting.

Jefferson Street is located near the docks. There are many other tourist and sidewalk souvenir shops with unique items. People seem extra friendly around this area. There are many neat tourist attractions and places to eat (many seafood themed) on and around Jefferson including a walk through aquarium a couple blocks away.

Once you reach Fisherman's Wharf &--following the shoreline--wander off the traveling party that is the Embarcadero, you are on Jefferson Street.

Walk past the bubbling crab pots [or don't!], buy a t-shirt at one of the many souvenir shops, then continue on down to the street's end at Aquatic Park. There's a beach here, with swimmers training for the "Escape from Alcatraz" or taking dive training.

From here, it's a short hop to Ghirardelli Square or Fort Mason. If you're on a bike, head over to Crissy Field or the Golden Gate Bridge with all the folks who rented bicycles at Fisherman's Wharf.

Obviously the Fisherman's Wharf area is a popular tourist destination in San Fransisco. During my families last visit we discovered Boudin at the Wharf. A first-of-its-kind bread museum and bakery tour, visitors learn the journey from starter dough to crusty loaf, including the four ingredients key to any respectable loaf (salt, water, flour, yeast) and the role that Boudin played in the Gold Rush. Along the way, you can also find out "what kind of bread are you?" (if you're tagged "Light Rye" you're considered fun, quick to laugh, easygoing), and why bread has bubbles.

The short self-directed tour is capped off with a tasting of the finished goods. Lots of fun, and smells great.

The Bakery also offers two dining options - a cafe and fine restaurant, Bistro Boudin. The Bistro is a little formal for children, but it offers brick oven pizza!