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Was writing up an email for a friend who is a first time WWDC attendee and thought it might be of interest to others.

SF natives would probably call my list touristy – I don’t know the local lore as much as they do. So be it. I’m not ashamed to be a tourist! ;) I love SF though, and have been enough times that I have a few favorite places to go and things to do. Some of these have been covered by other folks as well.

So without further ado…

Some tips for you as a first time WWDC attendee:

1. Hope your hotel is close to the convention center. SF is the most pedestrian friendly city in the world, and parking is a pain. If it is, plan to NOT rent a car and instead, just take the BART from the airport to the station closest to your hotel. Wear good walking shoes.
2. Badge pickup begins on sunday. Get it done if you can rather than wait for monday morning.
3. You’re going to be in an overflow room for the keynote. Just plan on it. Some freaks start lining up the night before the keynote to make sure they get good seats in the main room. Personally, I don’t bother.
4. Due to #3 above… plan monday to travel light. You’re going to be waiting in line a LONG time… we’re talking longer than disney land long.
5. Don’t lose your badge. They do not replace them, and you’re not getting in without one.

More specific to SF rather than WWDC:

1. The cable cars will take you to most of the interesting things around town. You can get a pass for them at the end-of-the-line stop near the convention center. The passes allow you to ride as much as you want for a day, 3 days, or a week.
2. The end-of-the-line stop at Fisherman’s Wharf tends to get a long line. You can sometimes avoid it by walking a few blocks along the cablecar route and hopping on there instead. Those few blocks are uphill, however.
3. You owe it to yourself to visit Chinatown and Fisherman’s Wharf at the least. Wander the shops, see the sights.
4. No, you will not be able to get tickets to Alcatraz.
5. The Ghirardelli Chocolate Factory self-guided walking tour is a great way to spend an evening when nothing else is going on.
6. The Golden Gate bridge is visible from Fisherman’s Wharf, but if you want a truly postcard view, you might consider taking a bus to the Golden Gate park.
7. Food-wise… Chinatown for Chinese (natch) North Beach for Italian. Some would say Fisherman’s Wharf for seafood, but honestly, I have yet to find a good place down there. There’s also some good places on columbus ave. The Stinking Rose comes to mind.
8. Dress warm. It gets really chilly at night Remember the Mark Twain quote: “The coldest winter I ever knew was a summer in San Francisco.” It’s 100% true. It gets windy and cold, and icky. (Course, maybe it’s my thin Arizona blood talking there.)