Whether you consider yourself a restaurant aficionado or a yoga master, the Bay Area has it all. From quiet trails and parks to streets bubbling with life and excitement there is no end to what one can do. World-famous rock climbing along the scenic Highway 1 is nestled in the North Bay; East lies disc-golf in Berkeley; the South Bay is host to numerous lakes; and Westward swells the Pacific Ocean. If indoors is your style, more restaurants, bars, museums, and theaters than you could visit in a lifetime await you. The great thing? The Letterman Digital Arts Center is in the middle of it all.
Outdoors
Bay Area residents are very active people who love to "take it outside." From its bike-only lanes to its many public parks, San Francisco offers fantastic recreational opportunities for all ages. Sprawling Golden Gate Park is ideal for cycling or rollerblading as well as tennis, softball soccer and golf. Avid golfers can also play at public courses in Lincoln Park, Harding Park and the Presidio (right near our LDAC campus). Surfers will enjoy the waves at Ocean Beach and in nearby Pacifica. Spectators can catch the pros hanging ten at Mavericks in Half Moon Bay. Hang-gliders and dog owners alike love Fort Funston. There's picturesque sunbathing at Baker Beach and superb sailing on the Bay. For runners, there are annual events including the San Francisco Marathon and the unique Bay to Breakers when more than 50,000 folks cross the city on foot, many while wearing colorful costumes. And let's not forget all of the recreational opportunities outside San Francisco, from the Marin Headlands to Berkeley's huge Tilden Park.Museums
Looking for inspiring art and fascinating exhibits? San Francisco's world-class collection of museums has them. The Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), a modern masterpiece designed by Swiss architect Mario Botta, features cutting-edge installations and popular traveling exhibitions along with a great permanent collection. The Asian Art Museum, housed in the Civic Center's refurbished public library building, is one of the western world's largest museums devoted to Asian art. The DeYoung Museum is the new jewel of Golden Gate Park, clad in a copper skin and featuring a garden designed by Andrew Goldsworthy. Next door is the beloved Academy of Sciences, scheduled to reopen in a new, eco-friendly, Renzo Piano-designed edifice in Fall 2008. Out by Lincoln Park, the Beaux-Arts Legion of Honor, houses an impressive collection of Rodin sculptures, including "The Thinker" in the front courtyard. Kids young and old will love the Exploratorium, a giant hall right near the LDAC campus that's a hands-on museum of science, art and human perception. Outside the city, the Oakland Museum of California displays the Golden State's finest artwork and historic artifacts, while the Tech Museum of Innovation celebrates the digital age.Performing Arts
Most evenings, the toughest part about living in the Bay Area is deciding what show to catch — there's something going on wherever you turn, from concert halls to tiny music clubs. The San Francisco music scene that bloomed with the Summer of Love continues with new sounds; thankfully, legendary venues such as the historic Fillmore are still open and have great rock shows nightly. Jazz is also a fixture in the Bay Area, with clubs such as Yoshi's bringing in top tier talent. Like other major cities, San Francisco has its own symphony, opera and ballet, each with a rich tradition of classic and avant-garde performances. In the summer, there are free outdoor concerts in Stern Grove and free Shakespeare in Golden Gate Park.San Francisco is host to a variety of theatrical venues including the highly acclaimed American Conservatory Theatre. Across the bay there's the Tony Award-winning Berkeley Repertory Theatre. In addition, the Shorenstein/Hays Company has been bringing the "Best of Broadway" series here for 25 years — it's a great opportunity to see big Broadway shows right downtown. San Francisco is also famous for its comedy clubs like The Punchline and Cobb's, improv like BATS, and the beloved topical revue Beach Blanket Babylon.
Food/Drink
If you like to eat, you'll love San Francisco. They say that if every city resident decided to eat out at the same time, there'd be enough seating for all of them. That's how many restaurants, bistros, cafes and dining options exist here — and most of them taste just great. Enjoy Chinese in the Richmond, Mexican in the Mission, Italian in North Beach and Vietnamese in the Tenderloin, just to name a few. Wander through the Ferry Building with its amazing collection of gourmet food shops and restaurants; stop by on Saturdays for the Farmers Market. Across the Bay, eat in Berkeley's "gourmet ghetto", which includes Chef Alice Waters' famed Chez Panisse, widely considered the birthplace of the organic, sustainable food movement. For a truly sublime dining experience, bring your palate (and your wallet) up to Sonoma for Thomas Keller's world-renowned French Laundry.Shopping
San Francisco's a shopper's paradise of unique, independently-owned stores selling everything from vintage clothing to skateboards to ultra-modern furniture. Union Square is a good place to go for retail destinations like Macy's, Nordstrom's and the flagship Apple store, as well as the beautiful new Westfield Centre shopping mall. Hayes Valley is where artists and interior designers get their thrill; come here for one-of-a-kind shoes, sofas and messenger bags. Pacific Heights, Cow Hollow and the Marina offer upscale boutiques selling high-end goodies. The Haight has relics of the tie-dye era and some of the best vintage clothing stores around. The Mission has cornered the market on funky: plenty of cool bookstores, record stores, and clothing stores, and not much in the way of chains.Sports
The Bay Area loves its professional sports teams. The San Francisco Giants and Oakland A's, attract millions of fans to their ballparks every summer, and they play each other six times a year in "The Bay Bridge Series." The NFL's San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders play football every Sunday during the fall. Basketball buffs can catch the Golden State Warriors, who play next door to the A's in Oakland. For ice hockey, head 40 miles south of San Francisco to cheer on the San Jose Sharks at the "Shark Tank." Cyclists can even catch a few stages of the Tour of California, a weeklong professional cycling race akin to the Tour de France.For Kids
When it comes to kid-friendly activities in the Bay Area, parents have plenty of options. Start in Golden Gate Park, where generations of families have been enjoying the Academy of Sciences (scheduled to reopen in Fall 2008). There's also the Exploratorium, a hands-on museum that'll appeal to everyone's sense of curiosity. Zeum in Yerba Buena Gardens features a covered carousel, while the Randall Museum has classes for kids, a model railroad and a live animal exhibit. The San Francisco Zoo is a great place for children to see animals up close, as are the aquatic tunnels in the Aquarium of the Bay. For seeing stars that are far away, Oakland's Chabot Space & Science Center offers an observatory and related astronomy exhibits.Beyond the Bay
One of the Bay Area's greatest attributes as a place to live is not just what's here, but what's nearby: beautiful destinations that make the perfect day trip. Just north of the Skywalker and Big Rock Ranch, Marin County gives way to Napa and Sonoma — the world-famous rolling vineyards and award-winning wineries better known as Wine Country. Continue further north to rural Mendocino County (where "Murder She Wrote" was filmed). Less than four hours east of San Francisco, Lake Tahoe draws visitors for its natural beauty, hiking trails, fantastic ski resorts and, yes, gambling. South of the city on world-famous Highway 1 you can enjoy fun along the coast in quirky Santa Cruz, historic Monterey, elegant Carmel and spectacular Big Sur.
