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Downtown / Financial District, San Francisco, CA

Downtown / Financial District, San Francisco, CA

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While the high-rises and office buildings that dominate the Downtown skyline are unquestionably San Francisco’s business center, the shopping mecca tucked beneath them, and centered on Union Square, is easily the heart of all things retail.

Also the name of a small adjoining park, Union Square boasts one of the largest concentrations of department stores, art galleries, high-end salons, tourist traps, and boutiques in the country. If it’s a chain – high-end or simply highly popular – it’s probably here, but so are the major economic institutions that make San Francisco one of the financial centers of the world.

As bankers, lawyers, and over-caffeinated day traders make their way to work in the adjoining San Francisco Financial District, tourists flock to the historic cable car turnaround, jumping on the signature trolleys that slowly grind their way up and down the infamous hills of the city every day.

Historic and swanky Downtown hotels draw the moneyed crowd, as do dozens of galleries along Sutter, Post, and Geary Streets, while major live theater venues like The Geary, Curran, and Golden Gate Theatre are all within walking distance in the neighboring Tenderloin.

The French Quarter along Belden Place, meanwhile, offers dozens of options to satisfy a visitor’s bistro fix, and the Bastille Day festival held in its pedestrian-only alley is one of the biggest celebrations of French Independence outside of Paris.

Though the Downtown/Financial District are not bustling nightlife spots, the area around Union Square still keeps the midnight oil burning at a handful of dives and higher-end clubs, and the preponderance of hotels and theaters in the area means it is usually relatively safe at night.

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What to Do in Downtown / Financial District

Club NV

Club

Party Earth Review One of a handful of SoMa clubs that cater to the eighteen and over crowd, Club NV – aka “Club 525” – attracts a markedly younger set of college-age revelers with its ever-changing rotation ... more

525 Howard Street
San Francisco, CA 94103

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Comstock Saloon

Bar / Restaurant

Party Earth Review Located a few blocks from the madness of North Beach, amid hordes of high-rises and scurrying, briefcase-toting fellows, Comstock Saloon is a beautiful homage to the Barbary days of ... more

155 Columbus Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94133

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111 Minna Gallery

Art Gallery / Bar / Club

Party Earth Review With stark white walls, gnarled wooden sculptures, and wide-open dance floors, 111 Minna is what might happen if an art gallery and bar/restaurant gave birth to a club. During the ... more

111 Minna Street
San Francisco, CA 94105

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Biscuits and Blues

Bar / Live Music Venue

Party Earth Review A Southern-style restaurant in the heart of Northern California’s biggest metropolis, Biscuits and Blues may be a bit of a dichotomy, but it’s also the city’s top spot for live blues ... more

401 Mason Street
San Francisco, CA 94133

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Barrique

Wine Bar

Party Earth Review Barrique is French for barrel, and inside this brightly lit warehouse of a wine bar there are eighteen of them stacked against one wall, tapped and filled to capacity with the equivalent ... more

461 Pacific Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94133

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Ferry Plaza Farmers Market

Farmer's Market / Plaza

Party Earth Review Dozens of ferries may depart and dock each day at the historic Ferry Building – also the site of many retailers and upscale restaurants – but shoppers and foodies know it best for the ... more

1 Ferry Building
Ferry Building Marketplace
San Francisco, CA 94111

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Ruby Skye

Club

Party Earth Review It began as The Stage Door, an 1890s-era playhouse whose long life included everything from entertaining soldiers during WWII to showcasing the premiere of Hitchcock’s Vertigo, but ... more

420 Mason Street
San Francisco, CA 94102

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Rickhouse

Cocktail Bar / Lounge

Party Earth Review Smack-dab in the middle of a neighborhood better known for its high-end shopping and big-name corporations, Rickhouse is an artisanal cocktail lounge that caters to both demanding mixology ... more

246 Kearny Street
San Francisco, CA 94108

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Lefty O'Doul's

Irish Pub / Piano Bar

Party Earth Review Located a block from the shopping, hotel, and theater district that surrounds Union Square, Lefty O’Doul’s is a lively, old-fashioned pub/cafeteria that straddles the line between relaxed ... more

333 Geary Street
San Francisco, CA 94102

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Kells Irish Restaurant & Pub

Irish Pub / Irish Restaurant

Party Earth Review A wee bit of clover in an area of town known more for dollar signs and day-trading than Gaelic watering holes, Kells Irish Restaurant & Pub provides a mellow retreat to sip some Guinness ... more

530 Jackson Street
San Francisco, CA 94133

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Redwood Room

Hotel Bar / Lounge

Party Earth Review Locals don’t usually make a point of hanging out in hotel lounges, but they make an exception for Redwood Room. Located in the luxury Clift Hotel, the venue has been exuding (upper ... more

Clift Hotel
495 Geary Street
San Francisco, CA 94102

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Cigar Bar & Grill

Cigar Bar / Live Music Venue

Party Earth Review Serving as a safe-haven for both the Cuban connoisseur and the American Spirit-sporting hipster, Cigar Bar & Grill is where San Franciscans go to smoke, snack, and groove to sultry ... more

850 Montgomery Street
San Francisco, CA 94133

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Top Upcoming Events in Downtown / Financial District

May 2013

May 24 Fri	Borgore Club Night / DJ Event / DJ / Dubstep / Electro House 9:00pm Ruby Skye Borgore	Add to Calendar
May 27 Mon	Memorial Day Beer Lunch Cruise Food & Drink Event / Holiday Event / Special Event / Beer / Food 11:30am	Add to Calendar
May 31 Fri	Martin Solveig DJ Event / DJ / Electro House 9:00pm Ruby Skye Martin Solveig	Add to Calendar