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Locals Talk
Jen Villareal
Age: 28
San Francisco
- When I took the Hotel Matchmaker test these are the words I selected:
- Fun-loving/energetic, Family-oriented/All-American, Comfortable/homey, Natural/unpretentious, Welcoming/friendly
- My favorite activities include:
- A great home-cooked dinner party with my husband and friends, knitting, walking around our beautiful city, going to indie rock shows, watching movies, baking & making candy.
- I currently live:
- The Richmond District near Baker Beach, San Francisco.
- I was born and raised in:
- Cleveland, Ohio & Aptos (near Santa Cruz), CA
- What do I do to make a buck?:
- I'm part of a team that produces the catalog for Williams-Sonoma & on the side I do some volunteer work for www.kiva.org and www.tomsshoes.com (look 'em up!).
- 5 things I love about the San Francisco Bay Area:
- The Weather (seriously - you can get an 80 degree day in February! And I think the fog is romantic)
- The Landscape - the Ocean, parks, great skyline - we have it all!
- The FOOD - Maverick, Ella's, Tia Margarita and Burma Super Star are my favorites - they all have great drinks and amazing, unique food
- The Music Scene - Bottom of the Hill, Slim's, Great American Music Hall, The Fillmore, Bimbo's 365 Club, The Warfield - so many great bands come through San Francisco & there's so much great music history here
- The Location - it's an easy drive to the wine country, Lake Tahoe, my parents' house near Santa Cruz or even Monterey.
- My favorite local hidden treasure you shouldn't miss:
- Bimbo's 365 Club - aside from having great live shows with everything from indie rock to comedy shows, the crowd is always fun and lively and of all ages. And I love the décor of black and red - and of course the famous girl in the fishbowl - it's truly a San Francisco venue. My husband and I love it so much we almost had our wedding there!
- My perfect day spent in the San Francisco Bay Area:
- After an early but leisurely breakfast of brandied French toast on honey oatmeal bread with a blood orange mimosa at Ella's, I'd drive through the Presidio down to the Marina. I'd stop at the Exploratorium and the Palace of Fine Arts for some brain stimulation and a nice walk, respectively. Then I'd head to the Musee Mecanique at Pier 45 to play all the old pinball and arcade games, and of course take pictures in the photo booth.
- I'd shop for fresh groceries, olive oil, cheeses and honey at the Ferry Building and drive through North Beach on my way to Chinatown. I'd walk up Grant Avenue and stop at the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory on Ross Avenue for free samples, a delicious lunch of dim sum at the Four Seas Restaurant, and finish up at the Red Blossom Tea Company to sample and buy some fresh jasmine tea. After that I'd head up to Golden Gate Park and park the car near Speedway Meadows, take a long walk down John F. Kennedy Drive to visit the Bison, and walk to Ocean Beach.
- After playing Frisbee or wiffle ball for a bit, I'd hike up to the Cliff House for a late-afternoon glass of wine overlooking the Pacific. Then I'd head to the Mission district for dinner at Maverick for their Baltimore Crab Fluffs, Southern Fried Chicken and Milk & Cookies for dessert. And I'd finish my night dancing with my husband and friends wherever the music is good!
