Hi everyone, I'm a North Carolina photographer traveling to San Francisco in April to fulfill an artist grant. Basically I'm spending two weeks to perform a photographic architectural and urban study of the city.

This is NOT a request for abandoned locations, in fact I'm not even looking to do any urbex. It will be my first time and I don't many people in the area. Of course I'll photograph some touristy stuff but what I'm really looking for is local input, hidden or unknown destinations that an outsider might not ordinarily find or immediately appreciate. Heck, what might be some quintessential San Francisco locations where locals may hang to avoid the tourists? That's difficult to figure out from the other side of the country and I figured this would be as good of a place to ask as any.

Any help would be much appreciated, you can message or e-mail me via UER. Thanks!

You'd have more luck posting this in the Pacific Southwest region

Sorry I misfired on this. Is there any way to move this post to the correct

the moderators will probably eventually see it and switch it.

Done!

I don't live in SF, but I visit a lot.

• Cafe Gratitude is entertaining, http://cafegratitude.com/ Good veggie food from raw ingredients. Be prepared to explain to the waitperson what you're grateful for.
  
• As for photography, you'd probably enjoy Sutro Baths, http://www.uer.ca/...ow.asp?locid=31843
  
• And on the north side of the Golden Gate there's a park with climby trails to old bunkers and gun emplacements.
  
• On the south side of the bridge is the Palace of Fine Arts, a relic of a world fair with very pretty architecture, http://www.palaceo...s.org/Welcome.html .

I'd eat at Orphan Andy's in the Castro as late as possible on a sat or fri night. Also look into some of the stairway neighborhoods in SF. There's a nice one below coit tower that looks down on Levi's plaza/embarcadero.
also check out the fortune cookie factory in Ross Alley chinatown. it's a more authentic experience if they yell at you during the interaction/purchase.

SF is definitely a great place for architecture. Jackson Square has some of the last Gold Rush period buildings, Chinatown is a mishmash of Asian-influenced pieces, and you can spend hours poking around the back alleys (there's a nice hidden temple which doesn't allow photography but you should visit anyways). Embarcadero/Telegraph Hill area has some nice Art Deco buildings, North Beach has a fair number of Art Nouveau pieces and the remnants of the old Italian community, Pacific Heights is filled with (overpriced) Victorians, Tenderloin has a very working-class feel, and the Mission (despite its rapid gentrification) is known for its scattered murals. Golden Gate Park is also nice to visit. Less touristy areas are Mission Bay, Dogpatch, Fairview-Hunter's Point in the SW edge of the city, and the park-like former military base of the Presidio. Most of the Western half of the city is unbroken suburbia.

Also Western Oakland is definitely worth checking out.

Thanks DJ Craig for the switch, and thanks everyone for your suggestions, I'll look into them before I leave!

Google "san francisco concrete slides" very unique. And the stair cases that get you to different neighborhoods mentioned earlier are also pretty cool.
If you have the time, i'd highly suggest a day trip to Angel Island.