For a city with fewer than a million inhabitants, San Francisco boasts an impressive after-dark scene. Dozens of piano bars and top-notch lounges augment a lively dance-club culture, and skyscraper lounges offer dazzling city views. The city's arts scene is also extraordinary: The opera is justifiably world renowned, the ballet is on its toes, and theaters are high in both quantity and quality. In short, there's always something going on in the city, and unlike in Los Angeles or New York you don't have to pay outrageous cover charges or be "picked" to be a part of the scene.
For up-to-date nightlife information, turn to the San Francisco Weekly (www.sfweekly.com) and the San Francisco Bay Guardian (www.sfbg.com), both of which run comprehensive listings. They are available free at bars and restaurants and from street-corner boxes all around the city. Where (www.wheresf.com), a free tourist-oriented monthly, also lists programs and performance times; it's available in most of the city's finer hotels. The Sunday edition of the San Francisco Chronicle features a "Datebook" section, printed on pink paper, with information on and listings of the week's events. If you have Internet access, it's a good idea to check out www.citysearch.com or www.sfstation.com for the latest in bars, clubs, and events. And if you want to secure seats at a hot-ticket event, either buy well in advance or contact the concierge of your hotel and see if they can swing something for you.
Tix Bay Area (also known as TIX; tel. 415/433-7827; www.tixbayarea.org) sells half-price tickets on the day of performance and full-price tickets in advance to select Bay Area cultural and sporting events. TIX is also a Ticketmaster outlet and sells Gray Line tours and transportation passes. Tickets are primarily sold in person with some half-price tickets available on their website. To find out which shows have half-price tickets, call the TIX info line or check out their website. A service charge, ranging from $1.75 to $6, is levied on each ticket depending on its full price. You can pay with cash, traveler's checks, Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover Card with photo ID. TIX, located on Powell Street between Geary and Post streets, is open Tuesday through Thursday from 11am to 6pm, Friday from 11am to 7pm, Saturday from 10am to 7pm, and Sunday from 10am to 3pm. Note: Half-price tickets go on sale at 11am.
You can also get tickets to most theater and dance events through City Box Office, 180 Redwood St., Suite 100, between Golden Gate and McAllister streets off Van Ness Avenue (tel. 415/392-4400; www.cityboxoffice.com). MasterCard and Visa are accepted.
Tickets.com (tel. 800/225-2277; www.tickets.com) sells computer-generated tickets (with a hefty service charge of $3-$19 per ticket!) to concerts, sporting events, plays, and special events. Ticketmaster (tel. 415/421-TIXS; www.ticketmaster.com) also offers advance ticket purchases (also with a service charge).
For information on local theater, check out www.theatrebayarea.org.
And don't forget that this isn't New York: Bars close at 2am, so get an early start if you want a full night on the town in San Francisco.
Drinking & Smoking Laws
The drinking age is 21 in California, and bartenders can ask for a valid photo ID, no matter how old you look. Some clubs demand identification at the door, so it's a good idea to carry it at all times. Once you get through the door, however, forget about cigarettes -- smoking is banned in all California bars. The law is generally enforced and though San Francisco's police department has not made bar raids a priority, people caught smoking in bars can be -- and occasionally are -- ticketed and fined. Music clubs strictly enforce the law and will ask you to leave if you light up. If you must smoke, do it outside. Also, the dreaded last call for alcohol usually rings out at around 1:30am, since state laws prohibit the sale of alcohol from 2 to 6am every morning. A very important word of warning: Driving under the influence of alcohol is a serious crime in California, with jail time for the first offense. You are likely to be legally intoxicated (.08% blood alcohol) if you have had as little as one alcoholic drink an hour. When in doubt, take a taxi.
