SAN FRANCISCO – There are some people who will wait days just to get their hands on one electronic item that’s available for blowout prices.
And much like those dedicated folks who brave cold temperatures and the sheer boredom of waiting in line for something at an urban shopping mall, there are people that coordinate the Day after Thanksgiving – also known as Black Friday – for weeks in order to make sure that they hit all of their targets and get the best deals that are possible.
And then there are those that just like to shop.
If you’re in the latter category – and you don’t mind the lines and might even appreciate a few sales along the way – then there are a few places you might want to go on Friday to satisfy that consumer craving that seems to envelop this time of year.
Here are some places worth checking out:
uSan Francisco – It’s the cultural center of Northern California, and with any city that holds such a position, it’s also the cornerstone of commerce and fashion for the entire region. And nowhere is this more evident than at Union Square and the side streets that surround it.
In fact, if you’re in Northern California and you’re trying to get a metropolitan feel for what Christmas shopping should be like, there really isn’t anywhere else to go. The Christmas Tree at Union Square is in the process of being set-up and will be lit on Friday, Nov. 25, at 6 p.m.
With an ice-skating rink, a full-scale shopping mall and boutique stores everywhere you turn, it’s as close as you can get to New York City on the West Coast, and there’s something to be said about The Big Apple during Christmastime – only we don’t have to worry about the snow.
If driving into San Francisco isn’t your thing, and it isn’t for everybody, you can park in Pleasanton and take BART to the Powell Street station and walk the two blocks up to Union Square or over to Market Street to hit the Westfield San Francisco Centre.
Fun fact – while The Emporium Department Store in San Francisco is long gone, the building’s original dome was preserved as part of the 9-story mall that went in around it on Market Street. While it withstood the 1906 earthquake, it was burned in the subsequent fire and was rebuilt the last time the Chicago Cubs won the World Series.
Well, prior to last month.
The mall itself boasts more than 1.5 million square feet of shopping space, the largest Bloomingdales outside of New York City, and a host of upscale shopping options that can’t be found anywhere else.
uThe Mission District – While most people want to stick with the popular commercial stores that are packed during the Christmas season, there’s still a neighborhood in San Francisco where you can get the quaint, small-town feel while getting the best of what San Francisco’s most varied cultural neighborhood has to offer.
Boutique stores have become the norm here and the gifts themselves are as varied as the options that are available. If you’re looking for something for the hard to shop for person, you can’t go wrong here.

To contact reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.