I am going to SF February 17 for 6 days. I was thinking about trying to visit Diablo Barbell and The Sports Palace(oly lifting coach Jim Schmitz’s place) to see some cool lifting gyms. Besides Alcatraz, what else should I do? I will have a car. Are there any other cool lifting places to visit? Throw suggestions at me…
Golden gate park, fishermans wharf, and if your going to alcatraz you should check out angel island.
Pac bell park where bonds cranks em out is humbling at how far that dude swings a stick. even chinatown, and the russian hill are cool, kinda like new york citys chinatown and little italy. Dont go to polk st. unless your a pole smoker. Last I would say the presidio park @ the foot of the golden gate bridge is a great place to jog…
…Good luck.
and by polk st. he means castro st.
Law
[quote]tumbeh wrote:
I am going to SF February 17 for 6 days. I was thinking about trying to visit Diablo Barbell and The Sports Palace(oly lifting coach Jim Schmitz’s place) to see some cool lifting gyms. Besides Alcatraz, what else should I do? I will have a car. Are there any other cool lifting places to visit? Throw suggestions at me…[/quote]
In case you don’t know that already, although his team is still called The Sports Palace, Jim Schmitz’s place is now (until he opens a new Sports Palace):
Physique Magnifique
387 Grand Ave.
South San Francisco, CA 94080
Diablo Barbell is in the East Bay, so if you’re staying in SF, avoid the rush hour at all cost. Unless you want to experience crossing the Bay Bridge in rush hour on purpose, for the “experience”. 
My recommendation would be to leave the car at the hotel and visit San Francisco on foot and / or using the Transit system. You can start on Union Square and take the cable car, stop by Chinatown and then hop back and go to Fisherman’s Wharf.
You can catch the Ferry to Alcatraz over there.
After that (or some other day, if you spend a lot of time in Alcatraz – days are still pretty short!) you can then rent a bike and go west, by the Bay, visiting Fort Mason, the Marina, the Palace of Fine Arts, the Presidio and then go across the Golden Gate bridge. It’s a heck of a workout, and it’s the best way to experience the beauty of SF, especially if you catch a sunny day.
You might also be interested (maybe in another day) to visit the Coit Tower and Lombard Street, but I don’t know if that’s your kind of sightseeing.
Stay away from other areas – namely the Western Addition and Bayview / Hunter’s point, at night in particular. Nothing to see there, and although it’s not exactly a dangerous city (far from it), I want you to see the best San Francisco has to offer, not the worst…
Thanks for the great suggestions. We do plan on leaving the car behind unless leaving the city. Thanks for the Sports Palace tip. Anything else you all can think of “lifting-wise” to see?
Is Haight-Asbury a safe area? Want to go just to say I’ve been.
San Francisco is a wonderful city. Depending on how long you’re there, I would strongly suggest driving down to Carmel and Big Sur. It is the most beautiful drive you will have in your life…rolling hills to one side, surf pounding the shore on the other. It does not get any better believe me.
Basically the city is really safe. The parts that are pretty shitty are near city hall, and north beach(right by northern lights book store, i think that’s it…)
Don’t bother with the car and don’t make eye contact with the bums.