San Francisco’s neighborhoods don’t often go out of their way to court tourists, but FISHERMAN’S WHARF, along with the adjoining waterfront district, is a major exception. An inventive use of statistics allows the area to proclaim itself the most visited attraction in the entire country; in fact, this overcrowded ensemble of waterfront kitsch and fast-food stands make for a rather misleading introduction to the city. Unless you have squirming kids in need of a cotton-candy fix, the best thing you can do with Fisherman’s Wharf is skip it all together, and head for the parkland around Fort Mason and the Marina, a far more agreeable segment of waterfront.
Hard as it might be to believe now, Fisherman’s Wharf was once a serious fishing port. The few fishermen that can afford the exorbitant mooring charges these days are usually finished by early morning and get out before the tourists arrive. You can still find some decent seafood here at some of the better restaurants, but worthwhile sights or remnants of the fishing trade are few and far between.
The most endearing sight at the wharf is a large colony of boisterous sea lions (no feeding allowed) that have taken over a number of floating platforms between piers 39 and 41. Though no one seems able to explain why, these wild animals have made the wharf their home for over eight years and, protected by the Marine Mammal Act, are free to come and go as they please. To see more aquatic life, check out Underwater World, at Pier 39 (daily 9am–9pm; $12.95 adults, $6.50 kids; tel 415/623-5300), which puts you on a moving walkway and scoots you through a giant aquarium in a 400ft acrylic viewing tunnel. The experience is surprisingly informative, thanks largely to the audio tour included in admission price which manages, mysteriously, to stay pretty well in synch with the fishes’ movements.
Dotting the wharf are plenty of street performers eager to take in some of your dough as well, the most unique of which is Bush Man, who lurks camouflaged behind a lightpole near Pier 43, from which he leaps out to startle passersby; enough seem to find this amusing to drop a steady stream of change into his bucket.
The wharf thrives on souvenir sales, and one of the more tasteful malls in which to purchase them is The Cannery on Jefferson Street at Leavenworth, an old fruit-packing factory that was part of a c.1900 industrial wharf. It’s since been converted into three floors of shops and restaurants centered around a shady courtyard. Nearby Ghirardelli Square, at 900 N Point St, marks the western edge of the Wharf, a boutiquey mall that is a far cry from its days as a chocolate factory, though its handsome redbrick facade and red-neon sign remain a landmark. Slightly more upmarket than the Cannery, its careful refurbishment took six years, though its gift and clothing shops are certainly nothing special – even if the Ghirardelli Chocolate Manufactory on the ground floor of the clock tower building still packs people in. The boats and storage sheds around Pier 45’s Fish Alley (officially Tonquin St), across from the foot of Leavenworth, give a glimpse backstage at a world few people care to get more than a quick whiff of. On the pier’s east side is the USS Pampanito (daily 9am–8pm; $5), a submarine that sank five Japanese ships during World War II. Though hardly a must, sub and ship lovers will find it worth a quick tour.
Bay cruises depart from piers 39, 41, and 431/2 several times a day. Provided the fogs aren’t too heavy, they give good city views, and passing under the Golden Gate Bridge from the water is an awesome experience. Keep in mind that the bay can be very cold and very choppy, so dress accordingly and expect to get splashed.
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