Funny, despite lots of people moaning about the cost of WWDC, it looks like an absolute bargain compared to JavaOne, which costs $2590 for a five day pass with early bird pricing.
Good tips Brandonbee. Myself, since I've experienced the SJRDF at least a dozen times over the years, will probably get a good night's sleep and try my luck or catch the keynote in an overflow room. If you've never been before, it's worth doing at least once, I suppose. At least one year, a bonus of attending the keynote in person was that you might find a goodie underneath your seat, though I think nowadays they've abandoned the Oprah-esque giveaway in favor of having you pick up the item after the keynote with your badge.
Overall, the keynote, since it's being given at a developer conference as opposed to something like MacWorld, is in essence a pep rally to set the mood and get everyone excited about the upcoming week.
Funny, despite lots of people moaning about the cost of WWDC, it looks like an absolute bargain compared to JavaOne, which costs $2590 for a five day pass with early bird pricing.
San Francisco is a fun city with a lot to see and do. Try to spend some time outside of the Moscone Center and see some of the sights in San Francisco. You want to be able to talk to non-geeks about your trip. Maybe get in early or leave late to have a couple days to see things.
Some of the things to do there:
* Cable Cars (get a hotel on their routes and commute every day - the western most cable car route is like a thrill ride - great sights, very steep and scary)
* Golden Gate Bridge (rent a bike and drive over the bridge and back)
* Wharf / Pier 39 - See the Sea Lions.
* Lombard Street - the curviest street in the world
* Alcatraz Prison - on an island north of the wharf. Great evening tours.
* Baseball games - Sun afternoon, June 7: Baltimore Orioles @ Oakland A's, Fri night, June 12: Oakland A's @ San Francisco Giants
* In the vicinity: Oakland, San Jose and the Secoya trees, largest trees in the world (can drive a car through one of them!)
San Francisco is a fun city with a lot to see and do. Try to spend some time outside of the Moscone Center and see some of the sights in San Francisco. You want to be able to talk to non-geeks about your trip. Maybe get in early or leave late to have a couple days to see things.
Some of the things to do there:
* Cable Cars (get a hotel on their routes and commute every day - the western most cable car route is like a thrill ride - great sights, very steep and scary)
* Golden Gate Bridge (rent a bike and drive over the bridge and back)
* Wharf / Pier 39 - See the Sea Lions.
* Lombard Street - the curviest street in the world
* Alcatraz Prison - on an island north of the wharf. Great evening tours.
* Baseball games - Sun afternoon, June 7: Baltimore Orioles @ Oakland A's, Fri night, June 12: Oakland A's @ San Francisco Giants
* In the vicinity: Oakland, San Jose and the Secoya trees, largest trees in the world (can drive a car through one of them!)
San Francisco is a fun city with a lot to see and do. Try to spend some time outside of the Moscone Center and see some of the sights in San Francisco. You want to be able to talk to non-geeks about your trip. Maybe get in early or leave late to have a couple days to see things.
Some of the things to do there:
* Cable Cars (get a hotel on their routes and commute every day - the western most cable car route is like a thrill ride - great sights, very steep and scary)
* Golden Gate Bridge (rent a bike and drive over the bridge and back)
* Wharf / Pier 39 - See the Sea Lions.
* Lombard Street - the curviest street in the world
* Alcatraz Prison - on an island north of the wharf. Great evening tours.
* Baseball games - Sun afternoon, June 7: Baltimore Orioles @ Oakland A's, Fri night, June 12: Oakland A's @ San Francisco Giants
* In the vicinity: Oakland, San Jose and the Secoya trees, largest trees in the world (can drive a car through one of them!)
This is my list (as a local)
1. The best site to see the Gold Gate Bridge is at the Marin headland. You need to pass the bridge, drive (or climb) up the hill. It can get very windy, but definitely the best view (and best spot to take photos) of the bridge.
2. Go to Twin Peak for an overview of the city. Great view.
3. Drive to Treasury Island for the best view of the downtown area, especially at night.
4. Go to see the boat houses in Sausalito
5. Take a walk at bay at Marina district (Fort Mason).
The best thing about SF is the food. Unfortunately, downtown is expensive and not that great. My favorites are all in residential districts (Mission, Sunset, Richmond etc). You can find any kind of food in SF - French, Italian, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese, Indian, Indonesian, Mexican.... you name it.
Mission district (Mission or Valentia, from 16th Ave to 24th Ave) is great for food and night life. Go to Irvine and 19th St for Asian food (mainly Chinese), and go to Japan town for Japanese (and Korean).
I'm coming in on Friday with my GF. We were thinking of staying somewhere else for the weekend while she's there, then I'd move to my hotel on Sunday which is next to the convention center. Are there any places to stay in SF that are better for sight seeing and with more things to do than where I'm staying for the convention, or is that the best location to be?
Quote:
Originally Posted by johnqh
This is my list (as a local)
1. The best site to see the Gold Gate Bridge is at the Marin headland. You need to pass the bridge, drive (or climb) up the hill. It can get very windy, but definitely the best view (and best spot to take photos) of the bridge.
2. Go to Twin Peak for an overview of the city. Great view.
3. Drive to Treasury Island for the best view of the downtown area, especially at night.
4. Go to see the boat houses in Sausalito
5. Take a walk at bay at Marina district (Fort Mason).
The best thing about SF is the food. Unfortunately, downtown is expensive and not that great. My favorites are all in residential districts (Mission, Sunset, Richmond etc). You can find any kind of food in SF - French, Italian, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese, Indian, Indonesian, Mexican.... you name it.
Mission district (Mission or Valentia, from 16th Ave to 24th Ave) is great for food and night life. Go to Irvine and 19th St for Asian food (mainly Chinese), and go to Japan town for Japanese (and Korean).
i'll be getting there on sat prob wont tour much but i would like to go down to apple inc in cuperto and check it out aparently the store there is like no other apple store
I'm coming in on Friday with my GF. We were thinking of staying somewhere else for the weekend while she's there, then I'd move to my hotel on Sunday which is next to the convention center. Are there any places to stay in SF that are better for sight seeing and with more things to do than where I'm staying for the convention, or is that the best location to be?
The best place to be is the Wharf area for site-seeing (Pier 39 area specificially). Check out tripadvisor.com for reviews of hotels in the area. I'm staying at the Wharf Holiday Inn Express (it sounds odd, but it's one of the best reviewed hotels, actually!) when I arrive on Thursday with my GF, and I'm staying there all week. The cable car lines start at the wharf and end at the Moscone Center. I'll commute every day by cable car.
The downtown area where the Moscone Center is, is a bad location to set base for actually being a tourist in San Francisco.
EDIT: Nevermind... I'm just staying at the Hotel Milano instead.
If any attendees are still looking for a place to stay, I have a 2-queen room at the Intercontinental (which is literally touching Moscone West). I stayed there last year, but my friend decided not to come this year. It's a super pimp (and brand new) hotel. I believe the rate is ~$1,200 for the 5 nights, so that would be ~$600 each.
I'm coming in on Friday with my GF. We were thinking of staying somewhere else for the weekend while she's there, then I'd move to my hotel on Sunday which is next to the convention center. Are there any places to stay in SF that are better for sight seeing and with more things to do than where I'm staying for the convention, or is that the best location to be?
Quote:
Originally Posted by brandonbee
The downtown area where the Moscone Center is, is a bad location to set base for actually being a tourist in San Francisco.
SF is a pretty compact city and it's very easy to get just about anywhere with public transportation. While the Wharf is closer to tourist attractions around the bay, you won't have the convenience of running back to your hotel quickly to freshen up during the conference, say in between the sessions and evening events.
For those of you attending who haven't made hotel reservations yet, it looks like the Mac Observer arranged a nice discount with the Hotel Milano:
I've stayed there one year and it was a perfectly decent hotel. While there are cheaper deals through Priceline, Hotline, and other opaque sites, if you don't want to have to prepay or leave your hotel selection to chance, this looks like a really good deal, especially considering the $99 nightly room rate and very close proximity to Moscone West. Note though there are only nine rooms left at that rate as of this posting.
Quote:
Originally Posted by racer_X
i'll be getting there on sat prob wont tour much but i would like to go down to apple inc in cuperto and check it out aparently the store there is like no other apple store
The Company Store at Apple HQ is different from the typical consumer Apple Store in that it is really more of a gift shop selling unique Apple-branded merchandise. You won't find a Genius Bar or the latest hardware offerings but you will find the largest assortment of t-shirts, hats, mugs, mousepads, and other knick-knacks with the Apple logo you won't find anywhere else. It also has a much larger software selection than the typical consumer Apple Store, though don't expect to get any discounts just because you're at Apple HQ. Also don't expect any tours or access to any other parts of the campus unless you have official business there. If not, check out the Tech Museum in San Jose--you can definitely enjoy the better part of a day there to make your trip worthwhile.
I'm coming in on Friday with my GF. We were thinking of staying somewhere else for the weekend while she's there, then I'd move to my hotel on Sunday which is next to the convention center. Are there any places to stay in SF that are better for sight seeing and with more things to do than where I'm staying for the convention, or is that the best location to be?
Not really. For the site seeing listed, you should rent a car, so the location doesn't matter.
SF is a pretty compact city and it's very easy to get just about anywhere with public transportation.
True for downtown. However, some of the best sites are just off the city limit (like Marin Headland and Sausalito boat houses), and sometimes it takes too long to take the bus (for example, Twin Peak).
For downtown and Pier 39, take the bus or light rail. Driving is actually more hassle because of the limited parking space. However, for the west side and surrounding areas, having a car will allow you to see four or five sites in one day instead of two.
I am planing a tour around SF a weekend before WWDC. Definitely want to visit Alcatraz, Golden Gate Bridge as well something else. I was thinking about renting a bike and do a whole day biking around SF. Anyone want's to join?
I'm staying in USHostel, few streets away from Moscone. I couldn't afford the hotel, but I don't care really. I'm used to hostels and they are fun. It costs me 250$ for 8 nights and looks quite a comfortable one with free internet and everything.
Damn I'm getting exited about this. Is steve having a opening keynote? (just to know at white time I need to wake up on sunday)
This is my list (as a local)
1. The best site to see the Gold Gate Bridge is at the Marin headland. You need to pass the bridge, drive (or climb) up the hill. It can get very windy, but definitely the best view (and best spot to take photos) of the bridge.
2. Go to Twin Peak for an overview of the city. Great view.
3. Drive to Treasury Island for the best view of the downtown area, especially at night.
4. Go to see the boat houses in Sausalito
5. Take a walk at bay at Marina district (Fort Mason).
The best thing about SF is the food. Unfortunately, downtown is expensive and not that great. My favorites are all in residential districts (Mission, Sunset, Richmond etc). You can find any kind of food in SF - French, Italian, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese, Indian, Indonesian, Mexican.... you name it.
Mission district (Mission or Valentia, from 16th Ave to 24th Ave) is great for food and night life. Go to Irvine and 19th St for Asian food (mainly Chinese), and go to Japan town for Japanese (and Korean).
Thanks for the great sightseeing tips for us who are coming there for the first time. Would you mind giving some more information on what's the best and cheapest transport to see sights 1. to 5.? Can it be done with a rent-a-bike in one day? You can as well PM me so we don't mess the WWDC topic.
The most popular biking day trip starts at the western end of the Wharf by Fort Mason, and goes by the Presidio, across the Golden Gate Bridge, through Sausalito, then up and around to Tiburon, where you catch a ferry back to the start. That 16 mile route will pretty much eat up a whole day if you're going at a leisurely pace to take in the sights and stop for lunch/breaks. Make sure you don't miss the last ferry back from Tiburon.
Personally I don't find the route from Sausalito to Tiburon as interesting as the first half of the trip--you'll be biking past strip malls and residential areas, though Tiburon is a pretty town. If you want to pack more into a day, I'd recommend exploring the Golden Gate park before crossing the bridge to Sausalito, or cross the bridge, check out the Marin headlands, and take the ferry back from Sausalito.
There are a lot of bike rental shops with detailed route maps online, so take a look at their websites to plan your itinerary. Make sure you check out ferry times so you don't miss the last one back.
Can anyone recommend a good bike rental service? I am thinking of renting a bike for 7 days, also to use one for driving to the conference and going on sightseeing tours for the weekend.
There are tons on the web with prices arround 20$-40$ per day. I am wondering if any of these companies would rent a bike for a fair price for the week long period.
I just wanted to throw out a "me too" for attending WWDC 2009. I'm new to iPhone Dev SDK Forum, and would be interested in meeting any of you who are there. I see several mentions of a meet up, but is anything organized yet?
I appreciate all of the insight that the people who have attended in the past have shared. I was getting nervious that I had not heard anything from Apple about where and when to check in, but I got that email yesterday. So, I am even more excited.
Thanks for the great sightseeing tips for us who are coming there for the first time. Would you mind giving some more information on what's the best and cheapest transport to see sights 1. to 5.? Can it be done with a rent-a-bike in one day? You can as well PM me so we don't mess the WWDC topic.
Thanks,
Jume
You can see everything I listed with a rental car in one day. Marin headland and Twin Peaks are on top of the hills, biking will be exhausting.
There are car rental agencies in downtown, close to Moscone. This is what I would do.
1. Twin Peaks (early morning)
2. Turn north for Golden Gate Bridge, but exit before the bridge to Marina district. Easy parking. Take a walk.
3. Lunch somewhere
4. Back to the bridge. You still should walk the bridge, so park your car at vista point and walk. If you cannot find the parking at the regular tourist parking spot, there is another bigger dirt parking lot just a little bit away from the bridge. It is free and you can always find parking. Walk the bridge (or half of it)
5. Get back to your car, drive past the bridge, get off at the first exit, turn left and drive uphill. You will see a row of parked cars and that's where you want to stop. Parking is difficult here so you may have to wait. Once parked, walk with everyone else.
6. Back to the car. Drive down and continue north to the boat houses. It is not really a tourist spot, just something interesting to see.
Here, you have two choices. Either drive back to the city for dinner, then get on bay bridge toward east, or continue north, take San Rafael bridge to East bay, spend some time at east bay, then drive through Bay Bridge.
Treasury Island is in the middle of the bay bridge. You should visit when it is close to sunset. Parking is easy. Wait for the sky to go orange, pink, then purple and the city lights to go on. I promise that's the best view of San Francisco you can see.
You cannot ride bikes on bay bridge, so it is impossible to get to treasury island by bike. Twin Peaks and Marin Headland are top of the hills so biking is again difficult. Only Marina district (Fort Mason) is ideal for biking. The route posted by wdn is a good biking route, and it includes a ferry ride so it is worth it(it is nice to see the bay from the water).
My route definitely need a car (and clear weather). Why don't some of you get together and carpool?
Or, one day with biking with wdn's route, and another with car for Twin Peaks/Marin Headland/Treasury Island.
Here's a quick map of some attractions I found on Bike and Roll rental webpage. I'm a nature enthusiast and I would love to see 2 things: Muir Woods and Mt. Tamalpias. View from this mountain looks great!
I am thinking of splitting the sigtseeing into two days:
Day 1 - June 6th: car rental and drive over the Golden Gate bridge to see Muir Woods, Mt. Tamalpias, Sausalito and some other things on that side of the bridge
Day 2 - June 7th: after WWDC badge pickup, rent-a-bike and do a city tour and some of those sights that johnqh is advising.
Anyone wanna join me? I am staying at the USA Hostel, not far away from moscone...
BTW johnqh: thanks a lot. I will have in mind your tips! If you have time one day after the WWDC daily schedule I'll buy you a beer if you are up to it?!
wwdc 2009
I am checking for costs of accommodation and travel.
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