The 2017 BSFBB Awards - Billy's Cities

Presenting…the 2017 Best of San Francisco By Billy Awards! (These are, of course, a follow-up to the 2016 edition.)

Best Day

Just like in 2016 when I didn’t think any day could beat Day 1–in this case, my day in Golden Gate Park–another day came along and blew me away.

Runner-Up: Day 1. I still wonder if Day 1 was maybe the best day. It’s really hard to beat a day spent in Golden Gate Park. California Academy of Sciences, the de Young Museum, and San Francisco Botanical Garden were just a few of the highlights. And who can forget the bison!

Honorable Mention: Day 3. My day of Haight (Haight-Ashbury) and Hills (Twin Peaks and more) was pretty spectacular.

Best Attraction

It was the best thing about San Francisco I didn’t see in 2016. So there’s no doubt what the best attraction I visited in 2017 was.

Runner-Up: Lands End, with its drop-dead views of the Golden Gate Bridge (Day 3)

Honorable Mention: Asian Art Museum, San Francisco’s astounding collection of Asian artefacts. (Day 5)

Honorable Mention: The Haas-Lilienthal House is a great place to visit, whether or not it’s Christmas. (Christmas Edition)

Best Museum

Even though I saw a number of good museums in 2016, there were plenty more to see in 2017.

Honorable Mention: The Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose. (Okay, this is a little weird because I didn’t even go inside in 2017. But I know from past experience that it’s a really good museum.) (Day 7)

Honorable Mention: The de Young Museum. (Day 1)

Honorable Mention: California Historical Society. (Day 4)

Honorable Mention: Contemporary Jewish Museum. (Day 4)

Best Art

As I discovered in 2016, San Francisco has an enviable mix of public art and art found in museums.

Honorable Mention: The Legion of Honor. (Day 3)

Honorable Mention: Murals at the Beach Chalet. (Day 1)

Best Architecture

Like I said last time, there’s more to San Francisco than Victorian houses. But there are those too!

Runner-Up: Haas-Lilienthal House. (Christmas Edition)

Honorable Mention: Mansions of Pacific Heights. (Day 6)

Honorable Mention: Victorians of Haight-Ashbury. (Day 2)

Honorable Mention: The Painted Ladies of Alamo Square. (Day 5)

Honorable Mention: Japanese Tea Garden. (Day 1)

Best Historical Site

Okay, coming from New England, it’s still natural for me to look down on California when it comes to history. But living in San Francisco is enlightening me.

Honorable Mention: San Francisco South of Market Leather History Alley. (Day 4)

Best Memorial

These are the places that make us stop and think.

Runner-Up: *Holocaust Memorial*. (Day 3)

Best House of Worship

Places of contemplation.

Best Park

It really goes without saying what San Francisco’s best park is.

Honorable Mention: Alta Plaza and Lafayette Park in Pacific Heights. (Day 6)

Honorable Mention: Buena Vista Heights. (Day 2)

Honorable Mention: Alamo Square. (Day 5)

Best Walk

A walk in hilly San Francisco is always a good workout in addition to being a treat for the eyes.

Runner-Up: Japantown History Walk. (Day 5)

Honorable Mention: Fort Mason walk. (Day 6)

But Wait, There’s More…

Even the 2nd time around, the best of San Francisco can’t be contained in 1 post. Stay tuned for 2017’s best views, best dining, and more.