30 Things We Love About San Francisco

1 Strolling the palm tree–lined Embarcadero.

2 The adorable penguins at the California Academy of Sciences.

3 Witnessing Financial District bigwigs schmooze their clients at Tadich Grill.

4 The Saturday morning farmers’ market at the Ferry Building.

5 Local art and jewelry at Studio Gallery.

6 The chance to see Conan O’Brien host his show from San Francisco.

7 The San Francisco International Film Festival.

8 Terrific toe-tingling pedicures at Teashi.

9 Homemade biscuits at The Elite Café.

10 Just how easy it is to go wine-tasting in Napa or Sonoma.

11 The never-get-sick-of-it beauty of the Golden Gate Bridge (Map 2, D1).

12 Buttermilk donuts at Bob’s Donuts. Stepping into the 24-hour shop is like a trip back to the 1950s (1621 Polk St. 776-3141).

13 The hairpin turns of Lombard St. (Map 1, B3)

14 The underrated beauty of the Golden Gate’s cousin, the Bay Bridge (Map 1, G5).

15 Grabbing a “crab and a coke” from a stand at Fisherman’s Wharf (Map 1, B1).

16 The Wave Organ, a wave-activated acoustic sculpture on a jetty north of the Marina Green (Map 2, G1).

17 Picnicking in Golden Gate Park.

18 The incredible view from the very top of Twin Peaks (Map 2, G7).

19 Sunday brunch at Mama’s, definitely worth the block-long line.

20 The murals inside Coit Tower.

21 Having an ice-cream cone at Swensen’s, a San Francisco original (1999 Hyde St. 775-6818).

22 Celebrating Carnaval in the Mission District.

23 Watching the sailboats out on the bay (Map 1, F3).

24 Gorgeous Japanese-paper journals and albums at Kozo Arts—made by hand in San Francisco.

25 The cocktails and the views at Top of the Mark.

26 Checking out a Pacific Heights mansion in the San Francisco Decorator Showcase.

27 The gorgeous glass Neiman Marcus storefront on Union Square.

28 Savoring a Fleur de Sel Caramel—or 10—from Recchiuti Confections (One Ferry Building, number 30, 834-9494).

29 All those determined bike-messengers.

30 The wacky tradition that is Bay to Breakers.