From Us to You

From Us to YouA Foundation Year Guide

by the Class of 2019

Hello!This is a little gift from us (the class of 2019) to you. We know that moving to San Francisco and accli-mating to Minerva life can be overwhelming but hope that that this will help.

May you have the most extraordinary adventures!

1 2

“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.”

-Saint Augustine

3 4

Acronyms Explanation

San Francisco Lands End

Lombard Street

Marin Headlands

Mission Dolores Park

Muir Woods

Murals in the Mission

Musee Mecanique

North Beach

Ocean Beach

Painted Ladies

Palace of Fine Arts

Sausalito

Sutro Baths

Twin Peaks

Yerba Buena Garden

Alcatraz Island

AT&T Park

Baker Beach

Bernal Heights

Cable Car Museum

California Academy of Sciences

Chinatown

Coit Tower

Crissy Field

Exploratorium

Fisherman’s Wharf

Ghiradelli Square

Golden Gate Bridge

Golden Gate Park

Grace Cathedral

Japanese Tea Garden

Checklist

5 6

Dolores ParkWhether you want to people watch or just sit in the sun and read, this park has

more than enough space and is located in one of the prettiest parts of San Francisco.

Between friendly dogs, hula-hooping people, and beautiful views of the city in the

background, it’s hard not to enjoy!

Open: 6am-10pm

Food Suggestions: Ike’s Place (sandwiches), Dinosaurs (vietnamese sandwiches)

Twin PeaksBest view of the city and a perfect place to watch the sunset with friends. If you

choose to walk up from the Castro, you’ll catch glimpses of the city the entire way.

Be sure to bring layers if you are going around sunset as it gets extremely cold and

windy.

Open: 5am-Midnight

Food Suggestions: Takara (sushi), Five Star Truffles

pier 7If you don’t want to go too far, Pier 7 is the perfect place along the Embarcadero to

look back on the city. Although it’s certainly a sight during the day, the view at night,

with all of the lights twinkling, is breathtaking.

Open: Always

Food Suggestions: Ferry Building

In t

he C

ity

7 8

Muir WoodsOnly 12 miles North of San Francisco, Muir Woods is the perfect place to escape the

hustle and bustle of the city. Although there are many different hiking paths through

the towering redwoods, Dipsea trail leads you directly to Stintson Beach where you

can relax in the sand after your 4.5 mile hike.

Open: 8am-8pm

SausalitoThis small city across the Golden Gate Bridge is known for its great restaurants and

views looking back on San Francisco. Although you can certainly take a bus, the ferry

across the bay is only $11 and is a wonderful experience. If you’re feeling especially

adventurous, you can walk across the Golden Gate bridge.

Open: Always

Food Suggestions: Poggio (Italian), Munchies (vintage candy)

YosemiteJust a 3 hour drive from San Francisco lies one of the most beautiful national parks in

the country. The gorgeous hikes, waterfalls, and wildlife are well worth renting a car

and making the trip.

Open: Always

Outs

ide t

he C

ity

9 10

TRANSPORTATIONSo many things to do, so many places to be. SF’s public transit system includes a number of dif-ferent forms of transportation, all linked by a Clipper Card. These can be purchesed at some Wal-greens and all BART stations.

Here’s a primer to get you started!

B A R TCity-wide underground subway system

O T H E RRIDE SHARINGUber and Lyft are both extremely popular in San Francisco and you rarely have to wait more than 5 minutes to get picked up, no matter where you are in the city. You’ll definitely want to download both apps right away! If you have not used the apps be-fore, be sure to get a referral code from a friend for a discount.

CAR RENTALSEnterprise Car Share and Zipcar are both good car rental options if you are only renting for a short period of time. Perfect for a short trip out of the city!

C A L T R A I NTrain connecting San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties.

••

Not as accessible as BART, but will bring you much further SouthLocated near AT&T BallparkUsed more for traveling outside of SF, and around the Bay AreaHoliday/Sunday and Weekday schedules are different - be sure to double check!

Very accessible with locations all around the cityUsed more for traveling within SF, but you can also reach Berkeley, Oakland, Fremont, and the airportStops running at midnight

M U N ICity-wide public bus system

Very accessible with locations all around the city.Shares 4 stations with BARTRuns 365 days a year

••

•

•

•

•••

F E R R YFerry boats connectingw the area surrounding San Francisco

Somewhat accessible with 3 connecting locations around the cityTravels to Sausalito, Oakland, Marin County, and San Francisco piersBe sure to check the schedule ahead of time as ferries are typically scheduled once an hour

•••

11 12

OUR FAVORITECoffee Shops

- Another Cafe

- Chai Bar- Gallery Ca

fe

- Starbucks at Northbeac

h

- Crossroads Cafe

- Quetzal Internet Cafe

- Beanstalk Cafe

- Contraband Coffee

- Cafe Isabella

- Workshop Cafe

- Art Bistro

- Joy’s Place

- YakiniQ Cafe1413

Over the course of our foundation year, many of us found ourselves cooped up in our rooms, not tak-ing full advantatge of the city and diverse community surround-ing us. To fix this problem, many of us started the tradition of meeting for coffee or lunch with someone new every week.

Schedule: Person Place

Week 1: ____________ ____________

Week 2: ____________ ____________

Week 3: ____________ ____________

Week 4: ____________ ____________

Week 5: ____________ ____________

Week 6: ____________ ____________

Week 7: ____________ ____________

Week 8: ____________ ____________

Week 9: ____________ ____________

Week 10: ___________ ____________

Week 11: ____________ ____________

Week 12: ____________ ____________

Week 13: ____________ ____________

Week 14: ____________ ____________

Week 15: ____________ ____________

Week 16: ____________ ____________

Week 17: ____________ ____________

1615

BIG TALKYou’re going to meet a lot of new people, so why not cut through the small talk? Here are some of our favorite questions to do just that.

“What is something you’ve wanted to do for a long time, but haven’t yet - and why?”

“What’s a story that defines you?”

“What questions do you keep returning to?”

“What is the biggest risk you’ve ever taken?”

“What are you passionate about - and why?”

“What do you love most about your life?”

“What is home like?”

1817

Green Apple BooksA charming book store that sells new and used books, located in the Inner Richmond district.

local favorite

“This is one of my favorite places in the city. I found it when I wanted to reconnect with read-ing and City Lights Bookstore wasn’t cutting it. It’s a large building in a peaceful neighborhood, and has great staff recommendations!”

-Mandy Nguyen

local favorite

Haight Street Sock ShopA shop with a huge selection for the sock aficionadolocated near Haight and Ashbury.

“I’ve been collecting weird socks for years now and when I walked into the Sock Shop for the first time, I thought I was in heaven. And I mean, hey, even if you don’t collect them - everyone needs socks!”

-Bethany Jana

local favorite

2019

Mt. Sutro Cloud ForestAlso known as Mt. Sutro Open Space Preserve, this area is a natural gem in the middle of the city

“It’s a hidden forest in the middle of the city which you can hike in, and when the fog covers the trees - it’s beautiful.”

-Esther Wenger

local favoritelocal favorite

Pier 14Pier extending over the Bay with a plenty of benches for a view back on the city

“At the end of every week I liked to wander to the end of the pier and look back at my city”

-Ricardo Mondalvo

2221

“Everything the light touches is our campus”

- Mufasa, The Lion King (sort of)

2423

Want to try Something neW?

Dance

Dance Mission Theater ODC Dance

volunteering

Glide Memorial Church Concrn 851 Valencia

craft and creation

Techshop Noise Bridge Bike Kitchen

SportS

Yoga to the People Touchstone Gym 3rd Street Boxing Gym

2625

Minerva Traditions

The Minerva Roast was a student organized event in which

students share skits, video montages, and song parodies ‘roast-

ing’ professors, students, and Minerva as a whole. It was also a

chance for students to experience s’mores (roasted marshmal-

low and chocolate between two graham crackers) for the first

time, relax, and enjoy each other’s company before leaving for

winter break.

10:01’s , despite having a confusing name, are one of the best

parts of being a student at Minerva. Each week, after the final

submission deadline for assignments at 10pm on Sunday, stu-

dents would gather in the dining hall and celebrate the com-

munity’s diversity. A different group of students would prepare

food from their county and introduce their classmates other

aspects of their culture. The assignment dealine was changed to

9pm, but even though these events occur at 9:01pm, they are

still called 10:01’s.

2812

Minerva Traditions (cont.)

Friendsgiving is an annual celebration during which the en-

tire university comes together in order to celebrate the com-

munity. The dinner at the Residence Hall occurs the week

before Thanksgiving weekend. In addition to giving students

the chance to experience an American-style Thanksgiving meal

with turkey and pie, it is also a way for us to show gratitude

for each other.

Jam Sessions give students the perfect chance to have some

fun and let their creative juices flow. Every Wednesday, during

the 30 minutes between classes, everyone would gather in a

common room and bring their insturments. Some days we

would just improvise, while others we would all play and sing

our favorite songs together.

3029

Minerva

Minerva MemeCoOne perk of taking classes online is that there will always be an abundance of screenshot opportunities. The Inagural Class created a Facebook page where the very best of these could be transformed into memes and shared with the rest of the community - we suggest you do the same.

3231

Hidden GemPrivately-Owned Public Open Spaces

One of the best secrets San Francisco has to

offer is the spread of privately-owned public

open spaces, also known as POPOS. These

are areas that anyone can use, whether it’s to

sit and eat lunch, soak up some sun, or just

get some work done. There are just over 50

scattered across the city, taking the form of

rooftop gardens, urban parks, and sun terrac-

es. And the best part is that only a handful of

people know about them!

“I try to take people to the

rooftop POPOS on 1 Kearney

Street whenever we’re eating

in the financial district. It is

really cool!”

-Zach Witzel

3433

Tip from a local :Although thousands of tourists pass through

Ghiradelli Square every year, it is still a local favorite. One thing the Class of 2019 discovered

(and took full advantage of) is that there are actually 3 separate places you can find free chocolate samples. See if you can find them all!Class Favorite :

Every Saturday morning, you can wander through stands sporting lo-cally grown food at the Ferry Building Farmers Market. The best part is the seemingly unlimited free samples of

everything from orange slices and olive oil to almond brittle and

smoked salmon. 3635

San Francisco in a Day

• Dim Sum in Chinatown for breakfast

• Hike up to Coit tower

• Walk up Lombard Street

• Walk to Fisherman’s Wharf/North Beach

• Play vintage arcade games at Musee Mecanique

• Get free chocolate samples at Ghiradelli Square

• Walk to Crissy Field and frolic on the beach

• Walk across the Golden Gate Bridge

• Enjoy a delicious meal in Sausalito

• Take the Ferry back over the Bay (be sure to

keep your eye out for Alcatraz on the way)

3837

Wise Words from the Class of 2019

“When life gives you free food, take the free

food” - Adrian

“Make time for yourself and don’t belittle your

mental health - it’s going to be tough but always

give yourself down time” - Alex

“You are actually here for a horrifically short amount of time, so go

see sunsets”- Rosie

“It’s great to go on adven-tures with friends, but

wonder around SF alone from time to time”

- Florence

“It’s never to late to make a new friend, get to know someone well and it’s like

meeting a whole new person”

- Coby

“Coming here is like finding a family of

friends you never knew you needed”

- Grant

“Sleep, eat, breathe, play,

the work will be there anyway”

- Shajara

4039

What I WIsh I’D KnoWn

“I’d have liked to know the different faces of SF; for the first few months I only knew the tech side of San Francisco. Learning more about the city’s history allowed me to be more critical of my life here in SF.”

-Alberto Martinez

“To make friendships or get involved in a consistent community in SF, outside of Minerva - whether that’s sports, music, vol-unteering, dancing, or whatever. Getting to know a city means getting to know the people in it!”

-Esther Wenger

“I wish I’d known it is ok to stay who you are.”-Xiaotian Liao

“I wish I’d realized the importance of time management and prioritizing. It’s so weird but I feel accomplished when I find the time to do laundry.”

-Kah Yee Chiang

4241

“Learn from our mistakes, but make your own”

-Anthony Bridgen

4443