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For a city with 55 Michelin-starred restaurants, 200 parks, a boatload of retails stores, and almost perfect weather year-round, San Francisco is one hell of a city to treat yourself in. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not cheap. For some people, treating yourself here may not be an option. How you “treat” yourself may be different from how I would “treat” myself. For you, it may be a night out on the town. For another, it may be a simple stroll through the park. But regardless of what it is, San Francisco is a stunning city with a little something for everyone. If you find yourself there, use my day as an example and build your own treat yourself day.
Hey Lady! Looking for more solo travel inspiration? Check out these posts:
- The Best Cities to Travel Alone in the USA
- The Powerful Benefits of Solo Female Travel
- First Time Traveling Alone? A Guide to Taking Your First Solo Trip
Start Your Day Off Right
One of the first ways to treat yourself in San Francisco is to start your day off right. As a partnership between two San Francisco businesses: Four Barrel Coffee and Josey Baker Bread, the Mill is born. Known for their toasts, once you step inside this cafe it’s easy to see why the place is so popular. I’m not gonna lie, I got there at 9 am and I was a bit annoyed that it was already so busy. I may be an extrovert but ya girl did kind of want a little peace that morning. But I decided to stay and to my pleasant surprise, I’m happy to announce that this place is a pretentious-free zone and open to all. Hooray guys!
Sometimes with these trendy joints, it can feel stuffy and exclusive. But when I was there, I was greeted with friendly faces and surrounded by millennials, Gen-X parents, yogi’s, businessmen and women, you name it. Plus I got to get my caffeine fix. It’s not the cheapest place, a slice of thick country toast with almond butter will run you around 5 dollars…nope not cheap at all. But I was in a good mood and ready to start my San Francisco day right. Could you go somewhere cheaper? Yes! Somewhere less trendy and popular? Absolutely! Listen, it’s your treat yo’self day: do it your way but make sure whatever you do, you start it off right.
Retail Therapy
Whether it’s online or in-store, shopping is another one of the amazing ways to treat yourself. And San Francisco has just the array of retail stores to fit any style at any budget. I’m a girl who believes in a limited high-low wardrobe. Again, shop where you like and do what’s good for you. Here I share with you three of my favorite places I decided to hit up for some retail therapy as part of my day. One is my favorite vintage spot to go to when I’m in SF, another is commercial but a good place to get quality basics, and the third is a local SF boutique selling independent brands.
NO.
Not all vintage and consignment stores are created equal and there aren’t enough words to express how much I love this place! I love all things thrifted and vintage and this place is where I find a lot of my goodies when I come to SF. Every trip here includes a pit stop to No. What keeps me coming back time and time again is their consistent quality, timeless items, and reasonable prices, at least in my opinion.
Everlane
I’ve been shopping at Everlane since they were online-only. They pride themselves on being ethically transparent and creating clothing that’s designed to last. I like Everlane for their basic staples and no-frill approach to fashion. But seeing as I was in one of the few cities that holds an actual storefront I knew I had to at least check out what they had.
Anomie
San Francisco native Chelsea, first opened her online boutique of beautifully curated clothing and accessories from independent brands in 2015. Since then she’s expanded as a solid brick and mortar that instantly drops you into Brooklyn via Cow Hollow. It isn’t the cheapest, but if you’re into independent labels and looking for a place to add an investment piece or two into your wardrobe Anomie’s got you covered.
Treat Yourself With Food
A post about how to treat yourself in the land of toast heaven, farm-to-table, and burritos the size of a small child’s head would not be complete without food, and San Francisco has no shortage of mouthwatering eats from all over the world. After walking the hilly streets of SF, I needed a cocktail and as a sucker for Mexican food, I chose the spot Nopalito.
The food was flavorful and delicious and the portion was just enough for little ‘ol me. It’s also a great place to have lunch or dinner alone, particularly if you’re a first-time solo diner. The design allows for every table to act as its own little corner, perfect for mastering inconspicuousness and emerging yourself in a book or podcast, or just people watching.
Do Something Good for Your Soul
While treating yourself can mean starting your day off on the right foot, shopping for a new outfit, or stuffing your belly with the city’s finest cuisine, it also means feeding your soul and in some cases, this is the most important thing. When I was in San Francisco it was the anniversary of Charlottesville, the tension in the country was high and I was definitely in my feels. I decided to find a place where I could turn my frustrations, pain, and emotions into a learning experience. Enter: Fort Point National Site and the National Cemetery for Veterans.
I read an article about Fort Point and how it was home to a permanent exhibition honoring the Buffalo Soldiers, so I decided to head there. I took a reflective walk to get there—over an hour, but it was well worth it and when I tell you my soul was fed, maaaaannn was it fed. Sometimes it’s good to take the attention off of ourselves and it was a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the African American soldiers who fought for our freedoms in the midst of segregation and oppression but still found the heart to continue the fight.
After this, I walked over to the National Cemetery to see some of the graves of these incredible men of honor. There are over 450 Buffalo Soldiers buried there. And not to mention both of these places are FREE. Whatever feeding your soul means for you, find something in the city that will shift your attention and remind you of what’s really important in life.
What are some of your favorite ways to treat yourself? Let me know in the comments. Until next time!
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