Bus from Emeryville to SF - if train is delayed...

[MyJourneys]

Hi everyone,

If the California Zephyr is late arriving in Emeryville, a bus will meet us there no matter what, right?

If we transfer to San Francisco late (11:00 pm or later at the Fisherman's Wharf stop), would it be safe to walk about 10-15 minutes to my hotel? Would there be taxis at the stop or in the area if it's not safe?

Any advice?

Thanks!

 

[zephyr17]

Those buses are dedicated connections, they will meet the train regardless of when it gets in.

Fisherman's Wharf is a very touristy area and should be safe to walk.

 

[willem]

The last time I arrived in Emeryville (on the southbound Coast Starlight, so time of day was not a problem), the bus driver said he had just gone off-duty. Nonetheless, out of the goodness of his heart, he would make a run into San Francisco, but would not visit all listed stops. (If I recall correctly, he only stopped at the Ferry Building and Fisherman's Wharf.)

I was a bit bemused that someone could take a company's full-size bus on an after-duty joy ride with passengers, but I was glad to get transportation into the City.

A time before that, the soutbound Coast Starlight was 17 hours late, so perhaps I should not have said "so time of day was not a problem." Nonetheless, a bus was waiting for us, and I would expect a bus to meet you regardless of time of day.

 

[roadman3313]

The bus yard is in (the city of) South San Francisco near the Airport so the bus has to travel that direction anyway for them to get home. As long as he didn't cross his hours of service then he was doing something really nice. There may be a wait for a bus sometimes if the CZ arrives early as the buses do multiple trips so it may not be there yet if it is still coming towards Emeryville on a previous trip. On some trains may share buses so there may be a slight wait before leaving. It all depends on the bus and operator scheduling and hours of service for the bus driver. If the train is super late then the bus dispatcher may have to switch things around.

Bottom Line: There will be a bus (or other form of transportation if something goes really wrong) to take you to San Francisco. The bus contractor is pretty good about having a bus available as most serve Capitol Corridor and San Joaquin trains which have multiple departures during the day. As for the walk, that is a touristy area in general so most of the foot traffic is during the day and evening. There isn't too much going on at night but I would say the area still has enough traffic around that it would be a safe enough walk. I'd feel comfortable making it.

 

[BCL]

Late night in Fishermans Wharf is fine. They have some restaurants still open late and at least minimal foot traffic. It's also surrounded by a relatively safe residential area.

So no matter what, Amtrak staff will find a way to get you to your final destination, whether it's a van chartered on short notice or a taxi.

 

[SarahZ]

I walked in that area around 11:00 p.m, and I didn't feel unsafe. (I stayed at the Sheraton.)

There were lots of tourists, mostly college students, walking around. Even when I was by myself for a couple of blocks, there was still plenty of cab traffic.

 

[MyJourneys]

Thanks again, everyone. I'm trying not to stress about what could go wrong, but having knowledge about the area in advance really helps.

 

[BCL]

If you're looking for late night eats, In-N-Out Burger is open until 1 AM and 1:30 on Friday-Saturday nights.

http://locations.in-n-out.com/154?utm_source=google&utm_medium=local&utm_campaign=localmaps&utm_content=154

 

[MyJourneys]

Thanks for the recommendation, BCL!

 

[BCL]

Thanks for the recommendation, BCL!

Have you heard of them? It's kind of a chain with a cult following. All locations are company owned. Seemingly all the customer service employees are young, and they have a simple menu. They also place references to Bible verses on their packaging, but you have to look for it. They're also known for a "secret menu" that includes cooking burgers/fries to order as well as "animal style" versions that need to be eaten with a fork.

 

[MyJourneys]

No, I haven't! Do you have any other recommendations? (I'll be in the area 3-ish days.)

 

[Alice]

I live in In-N-Out territory. They are a burger fast food joint. They make fine burgers (that have never seen a freezer) and fries (sliced on-site from actual whole potatoes, down the counter from the hot fat baths they'll be taking). They are still fast food! I suppose they are acceptable for one meal, but geez, San Francisco and surrounding cities are a foodie's paradise.

Have some seafood on the waterfront, ask what was caught locally today. Have small plates at a bar's happy hour. Pick out some local sourdough and cheese at any farmers market. Try a cuisine you can't get at home. Stroll Chinatown and enter any place where the people dining in the window have good-looking choices on their table. Find an oddball ice cream flavor. Use the search function at sfgate.com's food section, you can even specify preferred noise level. Finding good food is not an issue in SF, choosing from too many choices is the more likely problem.

SF is an extremely competitive restaurant market, some places are better than others, but places with genuinely lousy food don't last.

The real shortage is not good restaurants, it is public restrooms, so you might find that you choose a restaurant by where you are when you want a restroom.

 

[MyJourneys]

Thanks, Alice - I tend to be grazer, so the strategy of choosing small portions here and there as I go makes sense.

 

[BCL]

I live in In-N-Out territory. They are a burger fast food joint. They make fine burgers (that have never seen a freezer) and fries (sliced on-site from actual whole potatoes, down the counter from the hot fat baths they'll be taking). They are still fast food! I suppose they are acceptable for one meal, but geez, San Francisco and surrounding cities are a foodie's paradise.

I don't necessarily get the reverence for them as it's just one of the better lower-cost fast food burgers out there. Still - I figured I'd recommend it since that's the only one in San Francisco and I've heard of people either desperate to try something they've heard about or have had it before and want to know the closest location. Plus it's going to be open late and a pretty good option when one is hungry around midnight.

Around Fishermans Wharf I don't really like most of the options. Most are expensive tourist traps. The row of crab stalls isn't bad though. When I'm there with my kid we'll typically go to the Boudin "Bakers Hall" Bakery (with the open window demonstration bakery) and share a clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl with a half sandwich. You can get that as a special (two of a list of items but only one can be soup), but you specifically have to ask for the bread bowl with a $1 upcharge. This location is a little bit more expensive than their other locations (one at Pier 39), but I think it's well worth it for their location with a large outdoor patio with a view of the water. It looks like this:

If there's any need for stuff, there are several reasonably priced drug stores like CVS and Walgreens. Since a residential neighborhood is just a few blocks away, there's a Safeway supermarket and a Trader Joe's.

 

[NorthShore]

Late night food in SF: I like Le Petit Marchet on Polk. Of course, there's always Bob's Donuts, open 24/7!

 

[BCL]

Late night food in SF: I like Le Petit Marchet on Polk. Of course, there's always Bob's Donuts, open 24/7!

But who would want to walk there from the Fishermans Wharf bus stop? I've got three Bob's Donuts t-shirts and have gone out of my way. However, about the only times I recall walking were after 4th of July fireworks, when MUNI just didn't seem to be operating in the area with so many walking on the streets.

Heck - if one is truly adventurous, Shalimar - especially the original location on Jones. The neighborhood is **ahem** not good and the smell may put off many people, but the food is tremendous. I'd recommend the goat karahi although more adventurous people have the lamb's brain. I suppose the location on Polk is in a less sketchy location, but where's the fun in missing out on the pimps, homeless, and addicts around the Tenderloin? Seriously though, a lot of people wander just a few blocks from their expensive hotels near Union Square and then realize that it's no longer a tourist area.

 

[NorthShore]

Who? Well, me! Don't want to wander around on foot? Take a bus down Van Ness or the California cable car.

That's what I like about SF....it doesn't shut down.

Touristy areas are for those who aren't really interested in appreciating the place they're visiting. Who wants to stay safe? There's no fun in that!

 

[BCL]

Who? Well, me! Don't want to wander around on foot? Take a bus down Van Ness or the California cable car.

That's what I like about SF....it doesn't shut down.

Touristy areas are for those who aren't really interested in appreciating the place they're visiting. Who wants to stay safe? There's no fun in that!

There's a difference between being adventurous and being a potential victim. Frankly - I really wouldn't worry too much about the Tenderloin in San Francisco. It's mostly an unpleasant experience to see all that misery, but for the most part tourists don't get victimized. Even so, the JW Marriott is literally a block and a half away from miserable single room occupancy hotels.

Now the time a group of us got lost in Chicago near a housing project at night was interesting. We were trying to get downtown and got off at the wrong off-ramp. One in our party wanted to ask for directions. Another (who grew up with street smarts) said absolutely don't open the window or door. We eventually turned around and figured out where to go. This was a time before most people had GPS with turn by turn directions or smart phones with navigation features.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Reminds me of the Chevy Chase Vacation movie where they take the wrong exit in St. Louis and end up in the hood!

And I agree that while the Tenderloin isn't, and never has been, a desirable place to live, its by far not the worst place in the Bay Area to wander into! ( Richmond and Oakland come to mind!)

Every city has areas that tourists should avoid, but human nature being what it is, some people are attracted to these areas like moths to a flame!

Cue Billy Joel singing "..I was lost in the Combat Zone.."

 

[NorthShore]

Now the time a group of us got lost in Chicago near a housing project at night was interesting. We were trying to get downtown and got off at the wrong off-ramp. One in our party wanted to ask for directions. Another (who grew up with street smarts) said absolutely don't open the window or door. We eventually turned around and figured out where to go. This was a time before most people had GPS with turn by turn directions or smart phones with navigation features.

So where DID you end up purchasing drugs, then?

 

[BCL]

Now the time a group of us got lost in Chicago near a housing project at night was interesting. We were trying to get downtown and got off at the wrong off-ramp. One in our party wanted to ask for directions. Another (who grew up with street smarts) said absolutely don't open the window or door. We eventually turned around and figured out where to go. This was a time before most people had GPS with turn by turn directions or smart phones with navigation features.

So where DID you end up purchasing drugs, then?

Riding Amtrak.

Seriously though - I was on the CS with my kid a few months ago. Just EMY-SJC for fun and hopefully breakfast, although a delay meant it was in EMY after breakfast hours. So we went to the observation car and I overheard someone talking about the "sweet buds" he was bringing down to Southern California.

 

[BCL]

Reminds me of the Chevy Chase Vacation movie where they take the wrong exit in St. Louis and end up in the hood!

And I agree that while the Tenderloin isn't, and never has been, a desirable place to live, its by far not the worst place in the Bay Area to wander into! ( Richmond and Oakland come to mind!)

Ahhh - East St Louis (this clip hasn't been reedited for language).



I'm quite familiar with Richmond, California having grown up in the area and a product of the former Richmond Unified School District. In the 70s downtown Richmond wasn't that bad. They had some thriving businesses including car dealers, department stores, etc, and the neighborhood around it was diverse. Hilltop Mall kind of sealed the deal by sucking out all those businesses. I don't know if it was ever an ideal place, but we wouldn't have second guessed going to that part of Richmond to shop when I was in elementary school. By the time I was in high school it had declined substantially. It's kind of sad what it became. And these days Hilltop Mall is a sad shell of what used to be considered a state of the art mall.

 

[andersone]

My favorite thing to do on the wharf (its been a while so it may have changed) is to walk until I find the street vendor with fresh shrimp and sourdough bread and a Budweiser) I can't imagine anyone eating chain food in the city by the bay, but I suppose they are there because they make money. I have fond memories of Northern Italian in Ghirardelli square, and again if the tiny grey cells don't fail me not too far from the wharf is the Buena Vista, home of the original Irish Coffee.