Fisherman’s Wharf, Pier 39, and Ghirardelli Square are all located on the San Francisco Bay and are in walking distance of each other. Fisherman’s Wharf is dotted with restaurants, electronic stores, and T-shirt shops—your usual tourist trap, but you will still visit it anyway.
I was very disappointed in the restaurants. They are over priced and, coming from the East Coast, I do not like the West Coast seafood. They are famous for their Dungeness crabs. Compared to good old Maryland crabs, Dungeness have no flavor. The Bay Area is known for its famous chowder in a sourdough bowl. I stopped at a street vendor thinking it would be cheaper than eating it in the restaurant, but I was wrong. A bowl of chowder ran $9; it was comparable to Boston’s chowder but way over priced. Prices in restaurants for lunch and dinner are no different. The restaurants really do not have a lunch menu. Plan on spending between $50 and $90 for lunch or dinner for two.
If you want to shop, I thought this was a great place to by souvenirs. T-shirt shops everywhere and all for a great price. Like electronics, this is the place. I purchased a lens for my camera for the same price or better than on the Internet.
Pier 39 is one of the most visited places in the country; it is up there with Disney. Why, I am not sure. Walking from the main part of the wharf down to Pier 39, the street is filled with street artists and performers. This part is quite entertaining. Pier 39 is not much more than the piers on the boardwalk in South Jersey—your usual shops with restaurants. The best and only thing about visiting the pier is the sea lions. For some reason they hang out by the hundreds. Bleachers are available if you plan on watching them for a period of time.
Gharardelli Square and the Cannery once were working factories. Gharardelli Chocolate Factory was converted into shops, condos, and restaurants. In November 1964, Ghirardelli Square opened and is considered the first successful adaptive reuse project in the country. Ghirardelli Square was granted National Historic Register status in 1982. The Cannery was once a Del Monte factory. This historic building, dating back to 1907 and located on the waterfront, was since converted to restaurants, shops, and condos. Unlike the main part of Fisherman’s Wharf, this area offers unique shops and boutiques. From here, walk across to the Aquatic Park. You will get a great view of the Golden Gate Bridge. But this area is known for better things. In the frigid cold waters of the bay, you will see swimmers. I was here in January and I could not believe the amount of people swimming in these waters just like a warm summer day.
Getting here: Depending on what part of the city you are staying, both cable car turn arounds are located here. The trolleys run in the area.