Why is it better to stay near Union Square than Wharf area?

I noticed that a lot of poster mentioned that it%26#39;s better to stay near Union than the Wharf and I just wondered why? Is it a bit ';cheaper'; to stay near Union? Arn%26#39;t both pretty easy to get to touristy locations?

TIA!

Why is it better to stay near Union Square than Wharf area?

One reason is that Union Square is where you%26#39;re likely to find us; The Wharf is where you might find us.

Union Square is where we gather for important events.

Union Square is where free entertainment happens on a regular basis.

Union Square is one of the finest centers for shopping in the known universe.

Our primary media of transportation are no farther than three short blocks from Union Square.

ANYthing, of ANY sort, you might want is within a short walk and a few dollars.

If Paris is the capital of Earth, as I believe it is, and Manhattan the capital of the USA, as I believe it is, San Francisco%26#39;s Union Square is the center of the Universe.

Fisherman%26#39;s Wharf is not.

Why is it better to stay near Union Square than Wharf area?

I second to that. Our visit to San Francisco in October 2007 was the most enjoyable of the places we went to. Been to San Francisco many times over the years but first time we stayed right on Union Square. I loved the liberty of doing everything on your own with no need to worry about having your own car.

If I have to choose between Las Vegas Strip %26amp; San Francisco Union Square, I would choose the latter anytime!

I think it%26#39;s a bit cheaper to stay in the Wharf but Union Square has all the action, shopping %26amp; everything.

In Union Square, everything is walking distance.

Well said SwingCha.

';Best'; is a relative term. It just depends on what you want. ';Best'; doesn%26#39;t include ';cheaper'; by some people%26#39;s criteria. That%26#39;s why ';best'; means different things to different people.

From the old ';Inside Pages,'; here%26#39;s one distillation based on criteria you can match up to your own preferences:

tripadvisor.com/Travel-g60713-c2838/San-Fran鈥?/a>

And here%26#39;s one traveler%26#39;s observations from the past, that invited a lot of discussion. I really like Don512%26#39;s March 20, 2006 because it references all the discussion in the past over FW and US. It started out as a reply to someone else (';best accomodation';) and ended up as a trip report, since he%26#39;d just finished a trip after extensive planning.

Y%26#39;all decide for yourselves:

tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g60713-i30-k504985鈥?/a>

p.s. Last time I checked, Washington, D.C. was the capital of the U.S. But maybe being a U.S. History and Government major in college was just a waste of tuition.

BetterThanBings:

Thanks for the ';articles'; they are interesting. I%26#39;ll have to think a bit more about this.

Well, I guess my U.S History sheepskin was a waste, since I surely did not know there was a capitol of Earth, lol!

Was that on the TA Travel IQ Quiz? :-))

I would recommend the Union Square area for shopping, great restaurants, and good transportation to other parts of the city. The Wharf is within walking distance of bay cruises and Alcatraz and a lot of tours originate in this area; also good transportation. There are also many affordable restaurants and any type of San Francisco souvenir and be found in the shops on Pier 39!

Personally I would recommend that a first-time visitor stay in the Wharf area-sure it%26#39;s ';touristy'; but you are a tourist after all! Unless you%26#39;re a mega-shopper and want to hit all the big stores in Union Square.

Both areas are easy to get to from the other and vice versa by cable car.

Okay-just my opinion!

This past weekend we were at Ft. Mason- not far from the Wharf area- on a gorgeous sunny day. And I was reminded why many visitors would like to stay in the wharf area: the views are amazing, you are close to many of the activities that most first time visitors want to see (Alcatraz, the Golden Gate Bridge, Ghirdardell Sq., Pier 39) and the facilities that cater to visitors are there, too (bike rentals, bay cruises etc.)

While you won%26#39;t find many San Franciscans in the heart of the wharf area, head west a little (by foot, bike, or one of those weird little electric vehicles) and you will see plenty of locals hanging out at the Marina Green or the park area in Ft. Mason (killer views!) at least on a sunny weekend. These are the sights you only get in SF.

Union Square is the commercial heart of the city, and it%26#39;s where you%26#39;ll find the theater, shopping and great restaurants we are famous for. For those reasons, you would certainly want to at least visit there. However, unless you%26#39;re at the top of a high rise, the scenery isn%26#39;t too much different from any other major city%26#39;s commercial district. Yeah, we have hills and cable cars and such in our downtown area, but I really can%26#39;t blame a visitor from wanting to stay closer to the water%26#39;s edge.