Staying in backpacker hostels San Francisco, any do’s, don’ts or hints?
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I’m a forty something woman traveling first time overseas from Australia to California in late October early November.
I need to stay in San Francisco for a few days (near as possible to Market St)
I’m wanting to find out about backpacker hostels in the city – more than what I can read on the net. Any advice about mmmm… where NOT to stay would be really appreciated and of course which you might think are the best especially if from personal experience.
Cost is obviously important or I’d be staying in a $250 a night hotel but when were talking under $50 for the night clean, quiet and convenient seem more appropriate.
Any heads up on similar places in Los Angeles for a few days till I get my bearings would also be appreciated although I hope to find a room in a private home to rent for a few months once I get there.
Cheers- Mandy
The Green Tortoise, Adelaide, Pacific Tradewinds, Hostelling International (on Ellis), etc… are all reasonably close to Market St. (5-10 minute walk), safe, and have good reputations among travelers. Keep in mind that hostels are cheap – that’s the idea. So they’re not always in the most ritzy neighborhood. But they’re also occupied by other travelers like yourself. Despite what the poster above says, the Tenderloin is completely safe and has several very nice hostels. It’s also a downtown neighborhood, so the junkies and tranny prostitutes (who are mixed amongst one of the highest populations of children/families in the city, students from the Academy of Arts and CIIS, etc…) don’t outweigh the convenience and accessibility of public transit. It all just adds character. The Tenderloin, while seedy at points, is NOT dangerous. Likewise, the only hostel I know of in the city that isn’t in the Tenderloin/Civic Center/SOMA (same general issues) or North Beach (strip clubs, bars, etc… not quiet at all) is at Fort Mason, which is nowhere near Market St.
LA obviously has hostels too, but I’m not familiar with them. As for hotels, The Alexandria is cheap and trippy (supposedly haunted, mostly an extended stay for drifters, runaways, poor 20-somethings who can’t find a permanent place to live, junkies, etc…). The Hollywood Historic Hotel is also cheap (just under $50/night, including private bathrooms which you won’t get in a hostel), in Hollywood, and more focused on tourists.
Yelp page for SF Hostels: http://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=hostel&ns=1&find_loc=san+francisco%2C+ca
Also keep in mind SF has quite a few cheap extended stay hotels, typically with a month limit, for around $700-900/month… about the same price as a month in a hostel, but with a private room. I know the issue’s been discussed in the past, so do a search.
2 Responses to “Staying in backpacker hostels San Francisco, any do’s, don’ts or hints?”
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July 9th, 2010 at 3:00 pm
There are 20 hostels in SF for around $24/night,there is one in Market/Van Ness, but it is not safe area( noise, homeless, prostitute…), the one in Divisadero and Fort Mason is pretty good, there are 5 in LA too, the one in Melrose is popular one.
References :
http://www.bayareavisit.com/
July 9th, 2010 at 3:17 pm
The Green Tortoise, Adelaide, Pacific Tradewinds, Hostelling International (on Ellis), etc… are all reasonably close to Market St. (5-10 minute walk), safe, and have good reputations among travelers. Keep in mind that hostels are cheap – that’s the idea. So they’re not always in the most ritzy neighborhood. But they’re also occupied by other travelers like yourself. Despite what the poster above says, the Tenderloin is completely safe and has several very nice hostels. It’s also a downtown neighborhood, so the junkies and tranny prostitutes (who are mixed amongst one of the highest populations of children/families in the city, students from the Academy of Arts and CIIS, etc…) don’t outweigh the convenience and accessibility of public transit. It all just adds character. The Tenderloin, while seedy at points, is NOT dangerous. Likewise, the only hostel I know of in the city that isn’t in the Tenderloin/Civic Center/SOMA (same general issues) or North Beach (strip clubs, bars, etc… not quiet at all) is at Fort Mason, which is nowhere near Market St.
LA obviously has hostels too, but I’m not familiar with them. As for hotels, The Alexandria is cheap and trippy (supposedly haunted, mostly an extended stay for drifters, runaways, poor 20-somethings who can’t find a permanent place to live, junkies, etc…). The Hollywood Historic Hotel is also cheap (just under $50/night, including private bathrooms which you won’t get in a hostel), in Hollywood, and more focused on tourists.
Yelp page for SF Hostels: http://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=hostel&ns=1&find_loc=san+francisco%2C+ca
Also keep in mind SF has quite a few cheap extended stay hotels, typically with a month limit, for around $700-900/month… about the same price as a month in a hostel, but with a private room. I know the issue’s been discussed in the past, so do a search.
References :