Fishermans Wharf or Union Square?

Question

I have heard that both Fisherman's Wharf and Union Square are good places to stay while in San Francisco. What do you recomment? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?

Answer 1

Fishermans Wharf is closer to the bay, hence it's name. If you want to take the Alcatraz tour, it leaves right from there. There are many great seafood restaurants right there also. The Boudin Bakery is right there (original sourdough bread). You must try New England clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl !!
Just thinking about it makes me want some...but I digress...Ghirardelli Square is nearby for shopping and chocolate eating. Pier 39 is another nearby attraction as well as the Golden Gate bridge.

Union Square is more upscale, has more of a "center city" feel to it, more upscale shopping, Saks, Macy's, etc.

The cable car system has a terminus at both points of interest.

Answer 2

If it has to be one of the two, I'd definitely say Union Square.

Fisherman's Wharf is nothing but mobs of tourists, tacky souveniers, and overpriced sea food. Unless you've never seen a cooked fish before, I'd stay away from Fisherman's Wharf entirely, except on your way to the Alcatraz ferry. If you really like crowded tourist attractions, you might want to spend an hour or two there, but I would definitely recommend staying elsewhere.

Union Square is nicer. It's a tourist attraction too, but not to quite the same extent. The actual square is mostly higher end shopping and nice hotels. My high school prom was in a hotel in Union Square. It's also a more central location. You're right by Chinatown in one direction, and the best shopping center in the other. One of the cablecar endpoints is right there, too, and you'd be near a BART station as well. The main down side is that the hotels there tend to be quite expensive.

San Fransico is geographically pretty small, and has pretty decent public transportation. My suggestion would be to stay someplace a little off the beaten track. Unfortunately I don't know the hotels in the city very well having grown up just across the bay, but I think it's at least worth thinking about.

Answer 3

I wouldn't stay in either place; almost any hotel room in downtown SF is outrageously overpriced. San Francisco is, however, fairly small and easy no navigate on foot. Fisherman's wharf is a much better place to go than the square. Yes, it may be packed with tourists, but that's because the wharf is what people came to see in the first place. Pier 39 has a lot better selection of souvinere stuff (where as US has upscale stuff like saks that you can find in any major city) as well as the best seafood outside of Chinatown. Proximity to any place in the city has nothing to do with where you want to stay; you can go pretty much anywhere from downtown by car, trolley or foot. Union Square isn't terribly exciting. The Wharf houses such places as the Ripley's believe it or not, the Rainforest cafe, the Aquarium, and the ferry to Alcatraz. Not to mention the numerous street artists and such. Some other places to go that aren't really close to the wharf or the square are the Japanese Tea Gardens and the Botanical Gardens (which are on the other side of the Peninsula from the Wharf), Coit Tower, the Museum of Modern Art, the Palace of Fine Arts/Science Museum, the Cliffhouse & Ocean beach, the Embarcadero center and (of course) the Golden Gate park and bridge.
Union square is more for people who live in SF (meaning that their already filthy rich) or the filthy rich.
Hope you have fun! Send me a postcard (but not really).

Answer 4

i LOVE both fisherman's wharf and Union Square. they're both wonderful!!!
Union Square is more of like a shopping area with tons of stores like Gucci and Louis Vuitton and Macy*s and many other stores that you'd find at a mall.
during the holiday season it is VERY difficult to find parking, if your going to Union Square. the parking lot is actually UNDER the mall, and if that's full, then your gonna have to park somewhere very far from Union Square since there's no parking on the street.
you can find basically anything you want at Union Square.
For Fisherman's wharf, there is TONs of great seafood and clam chowder in S.F. sourdough bread bowls. mmmm!
and great shopping for souveneirs.(sp?). Pier 39 is a MUST, tons to do, you can take a trolly ride around the city (kinda pricey), for 2 hours. the Wharf is pretty full with tourists, so you'll know it's pretty busy. you can take a ferry to Alcatraz from Pier 39. Alcatraz is this super once notorious prison that is an island and people can take a ferry and walk around the island.
the weather is pretty much very very cold in S.F., so your gonna wanna take a thick jacket.
around fisherman's wharf you can go to the Ripley's believe it or not, and the Wax Museum, and if you have kids, they'll definately enjoy the Rainforest Cafe, which is next to the Wax Museum. the rainforest, you can't miss it if your near Pier 39..but if you don't have kids, you'll STILL enjoy the Rainforest Cafe..i personally LOVE that place!!! even to just walk inside is very very nice and vibrant and colorful!! but the waiting time to be seated is pretty long since there is a LOT of people that go there it's a popular place to go an eat.
take care.

Answer 5

It's really a question of what you're looking for - both fisherman's wharf and union square are rather touristy but by fisherman's wharf you're closer to the water and great seafood on the street - also at Boudin bakery as mentioned before. But you're completetly overrun by tourists.

If you're more of a shopper, Union Square is the place to be. It's true, you have to be more cautious not to stray out of the "safe/touristy" area as there can be many panhandlers and even a few blocks in the wrong direction drug dealers on the street.

Like any big city you have to be aware of where to go and where to avoid. but personally, between the two - I'd take Union square and enjoy the amazing italian food in little italy just a few blocks away. . .

Answer 6

heavily, Union sq. and Fisherman's Wharf are rather close to to eachother thinking the wide-unfold public transportation they have in San Francisco. The MUNI Bus equipment in SF is rather elementary to grasp. i prefer to propose staying someplace in Union sq. and basically bussing it to the wharf.

Answer 7

the Wharf is trashy tourist culture
Union Square is UPscale expensive culture
At least at the Wharf you are on the waterfront, and might see or hear some sea lions

Answer 8

Union Square is also closer to bad places and has more pan handlers.