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Posts tagged ‘san francisco’

Vote for Vayable’s Most Unusual Experience!

By on April 16, 2013

NInja

Top 10 Most Unusual Experiences

Over coffee this weekend, someone asked me what makes Vayable so special. The answer? Our guides connect people to one-of-a kind experiences that you can’t find anywhere else.

Testing this theory, today we scoured our pages in search of the most unusual tours out there. Here’s what we came up with: Vayable’s first Top 10 Unusual Experiences (in no particular order).

And now… it’s the moment of superlative truth! Which of these experiences is the most inventive and unusual? Go to the pages above and vote by clicking the Facebook like icon! Vote and vote again… Because by voting, you enter in a lottery for a special Vayable gift package!

Voting ends at 12 pm (PST) on Friday, April 19. The winner will be announced on Friday afternoon—and will be featured on our blog and put at the top of their city’s listings!

Have a unique experience that you want to share? Sign up here as a Vayable guide.
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Feast Your Eyes: An Afternoon With an SF Foodie

By on October 9, 2012

What makes Samir’s Eat Like a Local in SF tour unique? His relationships with the people you meet along the way give you an insider’s look into the neighborhood’s food culture. It’s not about posh restaurants or fads, it’s about the simple beauty of good food locals love.

I could tell you all the places we stopped along the way, but I think I’ll tease you with photos instead. I can’t ruin the surprises! I will tell you that this is a tour of great food on 24th Street in the Mission neighborhood of San Francisco.

We hit a variety of places – from taquerias, to a family coffee shop, to an under the radar restaurant. There were few detours along the way too. There was some ogling of fresh produce and an impromptu side trip to a few colorful murals.

My favorite stop was at a restaurant Samir used to work at. Here we hung out with a chef who is full on fanatic about food. He talked a mile a minute about obscure vegetables, gave me a few flowers to nibble on, made me a snack and basically blew my food-loving mind.

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Photos from a Bike Tour in San Francisco

By on October 1, 2012

I saw more of San Francisco in three hours than I’d seen in a month on the Bike the City in 3 Hours tour. The mobility of a bike allowed us to breeze by bus stops and traffic jams. Not to mention, the view from a bike is so relaxing. Beebe started off the tour by making sure our bikes and helmets all fit well and gave us a quick orientation about what to expect on the road. Then we were off for a crash course in the city, without the crashing part.

We visited some of San Francisco’s most iconic sites, such as the Painted Ladies, the street murals in the Mission neighborhood and San Francisco City Hall. I loved listening to interesting facts and stories at each site. I’ve impressed quite a few friends with stories I heard on this tour. Did you know Victorian houses are often colorfully painted to show of their embellishments and architectural details?

Viewing the street art in the Mission was my favorite stop. I loved weaving through the alleys to see the layers of history and art. Beebe showed us some popular artists’ work and shared a bit of the back story behind the pieces. I love looking for Bode pieces on my walks through San Francisco now.

The best part about this tour is the ability to see so many places in the city with the comfort of a bike. We didn’t have to deal with stop-and-go buses or out-of-the-way routes. We were also mobile enough to explore park trails and park our bikes at interesting stops. Without a bike, I’d stayed in the parts of the city with efficient public transportation. Now, I’ve converted. Biking is my new favorite way to explore San Francisco.

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Have a Gay ‘ol Time at Pride!

By on June 18, 2012

San Francisco’s Pride celebration is the largest LGBT gathering in the nation, reflective of the open and loving culture of the Bay Area as a whole. This year’s theme is global equality with a focus on social, political, and educational advocacy for LGBT people around the world. We’re celebrating Pride here in San Francisco, and we hope you have a gay ‘ol time no matter where you are!

Gay BFF Castro Barcrawl – San Francisco, CA

No matter whether you’re gay, straight, or somewhere in between, everyone needs a gay BFF. Jeremy is one of our favorite people to drink with and the very best person to dish with about anything and everything. He’ll take you to the very best bars of the Castro and treat you to a drink or five that are especially designed for you.

Cruisin’ the Castro – San Francisco, CA

Get your learn on with Kathy, who has some sweet knowledge to drop as you cruise around the Castro. Hear stories of Harvey Milk, the first gay bar with windows, and so much more on this fun and informative tour. Kathy has a wonderful story of her own coming out and will help you get plugged into the gay community no matter where you are visiting from.

Do SOHO with Your Gay BFF – New York, NY

If you’re looking to shop till you drop with a sassy and all-knowing gay BFF by your side, look no further. Royce will tell it to you straight that you just don’t look good in those skinny jeans or that you look so fab in that pair of heels. Re-do your wardrobe the right way.

Discover Gay Rio de Janeiro – Rio, Brazil

Catch some rays and discover Rio the right way with Marcelo, who will get you into all the clubs and hot spots where locals go to see and be seen. You’ll also discover the very best highlights and things that Rio has to offer!

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The Sharing Economy in San Francisco

By on April 1, 2012

As a hub of technological development and innovation, San Francisco is oftentimes the breeding ground for entirely new industries and economies. As these new economies grow, the city inevitably becomes involved in issues that other local governments have never before had to experience. Just last week, there was a hearing at City Hall to discuss a proposal to charge residents who rent rooms out on Airbnb the same taxes that commercial hotels have to pay.

This week, representatives from the city as well as the founders from select companies in the space will discuss the social, economic, and environmental impact of the sharing economy. Jamie Wong, the CEO of Vayable will be on the panel along with TaskRabbit, Getaround, Airbnb, and Jay Nath (chief innovation officer of the City of San Francisco).

We invite you to join us on Tuesday, April 3 at 6 PM for this evening forum.

654 Mission Street,
San Francisco, CA 94105-4015

Obviously we’re huge fans of sharing, and we are honored to be part of decisions that can change the future of San Francisco and also the world! We hope to see you all there! In the meantime, feel free to write us with your thoughts.

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Getting to Know Your Own City with the Help of Vayable

By on February 23, 2012

by Etan Berkowitz, Vayable ambassador who recently moved to San Francisco

About two months into living in San Francisco, I had done all the touristy things I was supposed to from biking on the Golden Gate Bridge to talking with the sea lions at Fisherman’s Wharf. The problem was that I still felt like a tourist, alienated by the fact that I’ve been following the signposts that TripAdvisor, TimeOut, Frommers and some desperate Google searching had laid down for me.

At my very first San Francisco house party, I met a rarity: the city dwelling native. I wasn’t talking to someone of East coast or Northwest descent, but a Folsom blooded local who advised me to check out Tourettes Without Regrets which is a monthly collaborative performance art/freestyle/dance/comedy/music fest.

From beat boxers flowing with guitarists to B-Boy battles to slam poets, there was no end to the creativity on stage. The lovely MC of the night actually threw a real pig heart at an obnoxious audience member. It was Oakland’s version of vaudeville and it was raunchy and entertaining. How else would I have found such a ridiculous event besides from the mouth of a local San Franciscan?

I serendipitously found my guide through a chance meeting at a house party. Vayable is collecting the world’s most unique guides (can I tell you how excited I am for Anarchy for Creative Nerds?) and putting them at your fingertips. By all means, come to San Francisco and meet the sea lions and gawk at the Golden Gate Bridge, why don’t you get an intimate tour of San Francisco’s jazz world? Or go on a spiritual ice-cream bike trip with a local San Franciscan?

The world is your oyster, and let Vayable be your shuck.

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June’s Brief Handbook on San Francisco

By on October 11, 2011

by June Lin, community manager at Vayable, based in San Francisco. 

Hey everyone! I’m kicking off a series of personal handbooks that anyone who knows their city well can contribute! In writing these handbooks, there are no rights and wrongs because everything is essentially a matter of opinion. If you want to write one for your city or a city that you know well, please let me know at community@vayable.com!

I moved to San Francisco a couple of years ago from Austin, Texas in a post-college, headed off to the real world type of move. Over the course of my time here, I grew to love not only the glistening bay and rolling hills that you can see around every street corner but also the people and relaxed vibe. Of course there are downsides like the agonizingly unreliable public transit system and wantrepreneurs present at every party, but overall this is quite a charming town.

Districts

San Francisco has very distinct districts, but (for better or for worse) most tourists never venture outside of Union Square, Fisherman’s Wharf, Chinatown, and North Beach. Here’s a handy map to get you oriented.

Hayes Valley. This is where I’ve been fortunate enough to have a shoebox where I can store my stuff and my bed and occasionally stay at night. It’s a charming district filled with pretentious little boutiques, macaroon shops, and a store dedicated to only things you can bring on flights. Yeah, really. During the day, ladies that lunch and people with dogs come out in droves to Patricia’s Green so they can talk about which nearby coffee kiosk is better (Ritual or Blue Bottle) as they snack on their ice cream made in under a minute using some fancy liquid nitrogen machine. It’s a sunny paradise full of happy people and frolicking dogs that used to be shrouded under a highway until that huge earthquake in 1989.

The Mission. This is where I spend approximately 90% of my conscious time… when I’m working or playing. It’s actually kind of sad. All my tech nerd and hipster friends go here to gentrify the historically Hispanic hub with their cheese stores, pop up brunch restaurants, fixie-only bike shops, and establishments where bacon flows more freely than water. There are some outstanding eateries here and a park where grownups go to dance around in drum circles, play catch, and lick ice cream cones. The Mission is also the center for street art, vibrant street culture, and taquerias in San Francisco!

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