Trip report: GDC and GTC are here!

Question

Yesterday I drove into SF for lunch at one of my favorite downtown restaurants. Then I headed over to the Golden Gate Bridge for the afternoon view from Conzelman Road through the Marin Headlands. I hadn't been on that road for over a year. There was some cloud cover so the light wasn't as great as I had hoped for, but the bridge was as magnificent as ever.

I was astonished to see something yesterday which I had not seen for five years: long lines of people on the sidewalks waiting to get into several San Francisco restaurants, such as the House of Prime Rib, Home Plate, and Mel's Drive-In. Union Square was full of tourists gawking at the many empty storefronts and the few remaining occupied ones, like Macy's and the Apple Store.

At first I thought there might be something to the recent claims by some SF journalists that downtown SF is finally turning around after five years of decline. Then I wandered by Moscone Center and saw why SF is so busy: GDC (the Game Developers Conference) is in town this week. That's on top of GTC in San Jose this week (Nvidia's GPU Technology Conference). However, one event is obviously much more popular than the other. Most hotels in San Jose and other South Bay cities are sold out on March 18 and 19, while San Francisco hotels still have plenty of rooms.

After seeing the bridge again, I went north to check out high-end Marin gourmet markets like Woodlands Market and Nugget Market in Tiburon for the first time ever. I hadn't visited Tiburon in over 15 years, and I have become thoroughly bored with Peninsula markets like Mollie Stone's and Draeger's. Tiburon was just as pleasant as I had remembered. But apart from one brand of orange juice, there wasn't much in the stores that wasn't also available closer to home.

On the way home through SF around 8:30 p.m., while trying to reach the Octavia Boulevard entrance to the Central Freeway, I ran into another increasingly common occurrence: a traffic jam of Bay Area residents and tourists fleeing SF after dusk. Last night on the Bayshore Freeway, I saw license plates from Georgia, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, and Washington. They made the wise choice to stay south of the county line.

One last point: I need to warn visitors who intend to drive into SF to beware of nonstandard street markings. I have noticed this with increasing frequency over the past year: SF's budget crisis is so severe that the city government can no longer afford professionally painted street markings. Increasingly, lane lines are wavy, not straight, and are unusually narrow. Turn arrows and words like "KEEP CLEAR" and "NO LEFT TURN" are frequently hand-drawn from straight-line segments, rather than using standard stencils.

This is on top of how SF has never solved the already long-running crisis of its inability to post proper signage for all MUNI bus stops.

But from all the cars I saw last night and the sparse numbers of people on the sidewalks, it's clear that most people prefer to take their chances with driving at night, rather than struggle to find unposted MUNI bus stops or risk encounters in the dark with people who have nowhere to go but the sidewalk.

Answer

Your trip report captures a mix of the charm and the challenges of visiting San Francisco and the Bay Area during a busy conference week. It’s clear that both the events and local conditions are shaping visitor experiences significantly.

Here are some key observations from your experience:

Tourism and conferences: The influx of attendees from GDC in San Francisco and GTC in San Jose is driving unusual patterns of crowds and hotel availability. While downtown SF appears busier, this is largely concentrated around event locations and popular dining spots.
Restaurant activity: Lines at iconic restaurants like House of Prime Rib, Home Plate, and Mel’s Drive-In show that conference crowds significantly boost local dining traffic. Union Square, despite having many empty storefronts, still attracts visitors for iconic and high-profile locations.
Traffic and commuting: Evening congestion, particularly on routes like the Bayshore Freeway, reflects a combination of locals returning home and tourists leaving the city. License plates from multiple states indicate the national draw of these events.

Additional highlights from your day:

Golden Gate Bridge and Marin Headlands: Conzelman Road offers excellent vantage points for photography and sightseeing, even when lighting conditions aren’t perfect.
Gourmet shopping in Marin: Visiting markets such as Woodlands Market and Nugget Market in Tiburon offers a nostalgic experience for those familiar with the area, though product selection may overlap with Peninsula markets.
Street and traffic signage concerns: Wavy lane lines, hand-drawn markings, and inconsistent MUNI stop signage highlight ongoing municipal budget constraints and can impact visitor driving experiences.

Practical takeaways for visitors driving in SF during busy event periods:

Expect traffic congestion during evenings, especially when leaving downtown after events.
Plan extra time for driving and parking near event locations or popular attractions.
Exercise caution with street markings and unposted bus stops. San Francisco’s unique traffic patterns and budget-related infrastructure limitations require heightened attention.
Consider walking, cycling, or rideshare for shorter trips downtown to avoid the stress of navigating narrow or irregular lanes.

Overall, your observations underline the contrast between the city’s iconic appeal—Golden Gate Bridge views, vibrant dining, and charming neighborhoods—and the practical realities of congestion, limited parking, and infrastructure challenges. Visitors can still enjoy SF’s highlights but should plan for delays and navigate with caution, especially when driving at night.

Trip report: GDC and GTC are here!

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