The Wanderlust Librarian | Wandering Through the City

Traveling doesn't have to be far away. In fact, there are some eclectic and great neighborhoods to explore in San Francisco. I try to research one or two different neighborhoods that I'm really interested in and put them in a little notebook that I carry in my purse. I call it my "commonplace book". I adopted the name after I had started reading the Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 1: The Bad Beginning . There's a big plus to having a notebook to jot things down, write down suggestions from locals... or, in my case, write down books I want to read.

While I don't always make it to the neighborhoods I've researched, I know that the information is always there in case I need it. I like to take tips from friends, family, television shows and magazines.Do you want to get a flavor for the different neighborhoods in the City? Check out Walking San Francisco. This books shows maps of the neighborhoods and tries to capture the personality of that area!



Some things I like to jot down:

• Name of neighborhood and location
• Shops, addresses and descriptions (who knew that a store called Karikter carries Tintin books and toys?)
• Restaurants & cafes (with address and description)
• Places of note (libraries, picture opportunities, historical places)

Without research, I would have never known that this was the Richmond Branch Library! 

 Another fun tip is to theme out your excursions. Some of my San Francisco wanderings have included:

• Cupcake-palooza - visiting cupcake shops around town 
• Let's go to the movies - famous sights in San Francisco that were in different movies
• Pretty Woman - trying on expensive clothes at swanky stores
• It's a (tourist) trap! - visiting various tourist spots and capping the day off at the Yoda fountain at the Presidio

These little lists do not give me an excuse to get bored when I'm in the City. In fact, it gives me freedom in choosing the activities and sights I want to see! The library is your best friend in helping to plan and execute a fun, spontaneous visit to the city or anywhere your heart desires!

Adventure is out there!  - Ellie from "Up"