Moon Metro San Francisco: Unfold the City

I have to say that this book is just cool. I just got back from my first visit to San Francisco, and I am so glad I had this guide with me. The fold out maps are very clear and helpful. Even though the book is small, it hits all the highlights. I visited several shops and restaurants listed in the back, and I was never disappointed.

I've lived in San Francisco for five years, but I still get lost when exploring a new neighborhood. The comprehensive pull-out maps found in Moon Metro are so detailed, that they even include those hard-to-find alleyways and cul-de-sacs. I had friends in from out of town last weekend, and I let them use my copy. They loved it! I definitely recommend this series.

I agree that what makes them cool is the foldout maps. The book is also pretty small. I've lived in the Bay Area all my life but still manage sometimes to get lost while hanging out in the city. I can put this in my coat pocket before I step out and not worry about looking clueless in front of my out-of-town friends. For people who are just visiting, I liked their selection of shops and places to eat. They didn't just list the usual tourist traps. And the color photos inside were pretty nifty, they could be postcards!

If only this book had been around when I moved to San Francisco two years ago! It's awesome. I got it as a gift and figured I knew my way around well enough that I would never use it, but I took it out one night and it's been in my purse ever since. I had out of town guests recently and they took it with them one day while I was at work. They came back raving about how easy it was to get around the city with the guide and how many great shops they found with it. Now every time I go out, I check the book first to pick a restaurant or bar.

This book has 8 or 9 fold-out neighborhood maps, all in color, all with a facing page map directory. They are the most legible city maps I've ever used and because they fold in and out of the book, it's so much easier to use than a standard map. The guidebook section of the book is color-coded to the maps and there's a street index. I'm a Bay Area resident impressed with this book and my visitors said it was all they used for their day trips to the City. I'd try other guides in this series for sure.