Best hostel for an authentic SF expeirence?

I am visiting San Francisco for the first time, and am wondering what the best hostel is for a true San Francisco expeirence. I have always heard about how cool and bohemian San Francisco is, with the hippies and the beatniks and whatnot, and I%26#39;ve always wanted to visit for that reason. I%26#39;ve also been told that tourism in San Francisco is more about the sights and less about the culture. What%26#39;s the best hostel to stay at to really expeirence the city?

Best hostel for an authentic SF expeirence?

Since I live here, I haven%26#39;t had a reason to stay in any local hostels. But the hostel that seems to get the most favorable mention is the one at Fort Mason.

http://www.sfhostels.com/fishermans-wharf/

The Green Tortoise is a legendary hostel, and I know a couple people who stayed there a while ago and enjoyed it. It seems to be for people who like to party.

greentortoise.com/san-francisco-hostel/index…

Another hostel about 30 minutes south of downtown SF is on the beach at Montara. The setting is awesome, and it has a lighthouse.

http://www.norcalhostels.org/montara/

Best hostel for an authentic SF expeirence?

FlutePlyr had some suggestions awhile back. Here%26#39;s the link to the thread:

http://tinyurl.com/hostel-info

Thanks Sal.

Here%26#39;s some more comments for Cbrady

'; the hippies and the beatniks and whatnot';

That was in the 60s. You can see mementos of that era in many bookshops and historic shops but you gotta understand that the hippies grew up and don%26#39;t hang out on the streets anymore. Tie dye is making a comeback with the 20s crowd and you%26#39;ll still encounter beatniks on public transportation (older hipsters).

Simba 8%26#39;s ref: Montara..lighthouse.

http://www.norcalhostels.org/montara/

If you%26#39;re interested in this one, you%26#39;ll need a car or carpool. Clean small dorm space. Lockout so pay attention to the rules. Car needed to get around Half Moon Bay spots. If you%26#39;re lucky, you%26#39;ll observe a double or triple rainbow in the morning. It is not in the city so don%26#39;t expect urban experience. This will be a rural coastal expr with wildlife, coastline, and small town atmosphere. Don%26#39;t forget to bring your own food to cook.

Fort Mason - wild parrots (google wild parrots of San Francisco) but don%26#39;t make that your main reason.

excellent coastal trail, near transp.,

Mason St: in Union Sq, shopping, and easy jump to 38 line (MUNI transportation)

You have choice of city, edgy, and rural locations.

In your research, is there any in particular you want to know more about?

Careful what you wish for because one unforgettable experience is the Tenderloin. (panhandling, homeless, crime, up and coming (for last 30 yrs), hole in wall eateries...) It was known as a zone where cops (Barbary Coast days) could be bribed and thus they could afford the best cut of beef - the tenderloin.

You may want to look into walking tours for specific neighborhoods. 1-2 hr tours covering specific periods/neighborhoods of history.

SF has a lot to offer. What do you consider a city experience?

Stay at the Green Tortoise, which is in North Beach. It tends to get more of a gregarious, party crowd, is my understanding. The hostel on Adelaide Lane, near Union Square is also well-rated but different.

At least in North Beach you will be where bohemian life once flourished. You can see the Beat museum in North Beach, drop into City Lights bookstore and pick a copy of Howl, since you%26#39;ve wondered about beatniks. They%26#39;ve moved on, too, of course, but Gary Snyder just recently came to Tosca to do a reading from the just-released book ';Selected Letters of Allen Ginsburg and Gary Snyder'; (Counterpoint Press).

Definitely the Adelaide hostel, I%26#39;ve had personal experience there and it was awesome- fun people, clean rooms and bathrooms, and great location.

Green Tortoise gets some interesting people, but I%26#39;ve heard their security is not the best. I met someone at the Adelaide that had stayed there and said a homeless man had gotten up into the hostel and was wandering around the rooms and lobby area for quite some time and the employees either didn%26#39;t notice or care.

Oh, the Green Tortoise, definitely. I don%26#39;t know who it was that saw a homeless man wandering around-I stayed there for a week this past month and their security is totally tight. There%26#39;s someone at the desk 24 hours a day and they make sure everyone coming in is a registered guest. They don%26#39;t even allow visitors! Perhaps that is recent.

But yes, it is best for your particular interests. It is right down the street from the Beat Museum, and while it%26#39;s true that there aren%26#39;t a lot of beats left it is still exciting to be in the neighborhood where they resided. The scene at the Tortoise is very representative of what once was in San Francisco, there are hostel drums and a guitar that the guests can play, and drum circles that often last until the wee hours of the morning. Whatever is left of the hippie movement is definitely still there, many of the guests seemed to be artists and musicians with no clear travel plan who mingle easily with the more ';normal'; guests. I met many very cool people, including the staff, who represent a modern art movement that was certainly inspired by the 60s but is growing into something new.

nars