San Francisco is a place for anyone who follows the lessons of Peter Pan. Read: you’re never too old to play and stay curious. Bonus points are awarded for the Bay Area’s year-round temperate weather (save for the occasional Karl the Fog appearances).
San Francisco, California: A playground for extroverts, introverts, and ambiverts. (Photo Credit: Brandon Nelson)
San Francisco for Extroverts
- If there’s one park you need to visit besides Golden Gate, it’s Dolores Park in the Mission-Dolores neighborhood. Teeming with sunbathers; savvy entrepreneurs selling sunscreen, baked goods and homemade drinks; slackliners, picnickers, tennis players and more, it’s a people-watching paradise. BYOB and snacks are a must.
- San Francisco has no shortage of unique events where grown-ups channel their inner child. On Easter Sunday, Bring Your Own Big Wheel has adults and littles careening down Potrero Hill on souped up DIY plastic wheels and trikes. How Weird Street Faire sets up in SoMa with art galleries, marketplaces and live music. Costumes are highly encouraged, be it alien, fairy or anything in between.
Dolores Park: The perfect place for people watching. (Photo Credit: Francis Togram)
San Francisco for Introverts
- To practice mindfulness, have your pick of the indoor and outdoor labyrinths at Grace Cathedral or the Wood Line in the Presidio. The outdoor labyrinth is open 24/7 while the indoor labyrinth is accessible during cathedral hours along with weekly yoga classes and monthly candlelit labyrinth walks accompanied by live music. Experiential art sculpture, Wood Line, is the work of English artist Andy Goldsworthy. The piece spans 1,200 feet and is composed of the park’s extraneous eucalyptus branches. Visitors can follow alongside the curves or do their best balancing act on top.
- Book lovers should make a beeline for the City Lights bookstore in North Beach – an independent bookstore since the 1950s. Founded by a poet, the bookstore also has an eponymous publishing arm that has released collections of poems, memoirs and translations.
For the introverts, take a walk on the secluded side in the Presidio. (Photo Credit: Joseph Barrientos)
San Francisco for Ambiverts
- Sometimes, a museum without kids is just what you need. California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park hosts NightLife every Thursday night for visitors 21 and up. Popular as a date night spot, bars are dotted throughout the space and each week brings a new theme from earthquakes to dinosaurs to beer. Head down to the aquarium to say hello to Claude, the resident albino alligator or join the throng of dancers with its regular DJ and band sets.
- The Church of 8 Wheels is perfect for a rainy day with your sweetie or a small group of friends. A former church turned roller rink, pews still line the disco ball lit floor and beginner lessons are available with quick one hour crash courses.
Golden Gate Park is filled with activities for ambiverts. (Photo Credit: Jeffrey Eisen)
The California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park. (Photo Credit: David Vives)
Where to stay: Kimpton Hotel Enso, Kimpton Alton Hotel
As part of our Stay Human: Come As You Are series, we’re pulling back the layers to tailor immersive city experiences meant for all energy levels – from the most extroverted of us to the ones who prefer to sit back and observe.
