San Francisco host's local tips: where to eat, what to see

Hosting guests comes naturally to San Francisco local, Howard, who's been welcoming guests into his home for nearly two decades. Having called San Francisco his home since 1970, he also knows all the insider secrets about this hip and cosmopolitan city.

His homestay is in the Richmond district of the city, just minutes from the Golden Gate Park, an area that offers plenty for visitors to see and do. Here he shares his local tips for visitors to San Francisco.

Tell us about your local area, what are your favourite things about living there?

Besides being in the geographical middle of the city, with great bus routes, we live in a flat area within easy walking distance of the famous de Young Museum, a Whole Foods supermarket, the Presidio Park, and the Sundance Kabuki Cinema.

Where are your favourite places to go in your neighbourhood?

I go to the Koret Health Center at the University of San Francisco every day to work out. I also like having OfficeMax, FedEx, Wells Fargo and a couple of gas stations all within three or four blocks of my home.

What’s something great about your neighbourhood that only a local would know?

All the great little restaurants - Hong Kong II, Nagano Sushi, Burma Super Star, Bella Trattoria, Clementine. San Francisco is really great for food.

Left image courtesy of Jen.

What is your ideal day in San Francisco?

Bagels at Marla's for breakfast, soft-shell crabs at Hayes Street Grill for lunch, octopus stew for supper at La Ciccia. Like I said, the food in San Fran is really great.

What is something all visitors to your city should do?

Walk through the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park, see the WPA murals at the Beach Chalet on Ocean Drive, walk the Land's End trail, and Crissy Field for its amazing views. San Francisco is really a city for people who love the outdoors.

What do you love about being a San Francisco local?

I love not having to go anywhere else, the city is so international that the world now comes to visit me, and to have so much diversity and opportunity all around me is really quite unique.

What bars or cafes in your neighbourhood can you recommend to visitors?

Velo Rouge is a standard, chic neighbourhood café amd Mel's Drive-in is a classic, especially if you remember the movie "American Graffiti".

Have you had any Homestay.com guests to stay recently? Tell us about your experiences.

This sounds a bit materialistic, but it's not meant to! It was fun having three very different cultures represented in my home with three different guests who've stayed. For example, a Spanish family gave me a cook book, a German couple brought me chocolate and a Taiwanese couple gave me a plastic relief map of Taiwan.

Do you have any tips for others thinking of becoming a Homestay host?

Try it, you'll like it. At least try it once, with a guest who's only going to stay a couple of days, and see if you like it - you have nothing to lose!

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Planning a trip to San Francisco? Stay in Howard's homestay in Rossi Park or in another of our San Francisco homestays.

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