San Francisco

View other editions of San Francisco.
View books by Tom Downs.

slightly disappointed - Rated
i love the lonely planet series of travel guides, and have bought them for everywhere i go. this one has disappointed me though. it's written by a local who obviously loves san fran but that is the problem. really rubbish things he praises as they are part of his home town, and this guide lacks the critical eye you would expect from LP as a result

short on substance and depth - Rated
from reading the authors introduction was expecting a lot more than the book delivers. maybe the author being a resident of san francisco is the problem, but i found other guides far more insightful and in depth. as often the lonely planet guide approach can be a bit bewilodering initially, this one really seems tom lack an overall cohesion, easily missed if you already know the city im sure, its missing an overall binding logic though. the history is sparse and lacking. less than a third of the book deals with touring san fran the rest deals with accomodation and eating out. unfortunately the author doesnt seem to be bent towards nightlife or the arts and it shows, these seem mainly to be recycled entries from the listings magazines locally. needs far morte meat, and the walking tours need expansion and improvement.

A superbly written, information-packed and witty guide - Rated
This eclectic and keenly-observed guide proved an indispenable companion on two recent trips to San Francisco. In familiar Lonely Planet style, Tom Downs divides the city into twenty or so sectors and gives a minefield of information for each on local attractions, accommodation, restaurants and bars, entertainment and shopping, potential dangers for the traveller, and, scattered through the book, a collection of fascinating walking tours. Large sections on practical information for the traveller, and on excursions from the city, are added for completeness, and there is a fine set of street plans at the back. Downs laces his prose throughout with an agreeably dry wit - by no means a feature of all travel guides - and I found his descriptions of the once hippy-dominated Haight district particularly appealing.

Reservations? Perhaps a couple. Some of the photographs aren't all that brilliant; and I would have found it useful to have had a little more on the city's unique architecture. But overall, a wonderfully authoritative and witty guide.