3 Tips 4 Techies Visiting SF

When you visit San Francisco, you’re walking on holy ground for techies. Welcome to the capital of the Internet, the home planet in the universe of tech culture. The San Francisco Bay Area features the iconic SF skyline on one end, and the now-legendary Silicon Valley on the other.

Here you’ll find familiar names — they’re front and center on your screen, in your computer’s hardware, and even in your pocket: Facebook. Google. Intel. Apple.

So visiting here can feel a little bit like visiting old friends … who happen to be billionaires. 

Well, we can’t say you’ll get access to those billions, but we can give you some tips on how 2 best explore SF tech culture. 

Tip 1: Get out into nature

Weird first tip, right? Calm down.

Hear us out before you go back to your Facebook feed, k? Awesome.

First, so you know this point is legit: Apple’s new headquarters — which used 2 be a traditional office park — will have more than 9,000 trees. And that’s by design. Steve Jobs did his best thinking during long walks and he wanted Apple employees to find inspiration in nature too. 

Point being: A big part of SF tech culture is the ability to unplug. (And, pssst, that’s what makes this area an ideal home base 4 the world’s digital giants). The ocean, the giant redwoods, the nearly endless National Parks. 

As you head down 2 Silicon Valley from SF, the Pacific Coast Highway is a great scenic detour and a worthy homage to Steve Jobs’ legacy and love of nature. 

Tip 2: Get to Silicon Valley

Obvious tip right? But hey, you were a little suspicious of Tip 1 and that turned out ok, right? 

Great. See, we’re building trust here. Awesome. 

So, yea, you should go 2 Silicon Valley. Here’s the places you should see: 

Computer History Museum — Check out an authentic Apple I computer, a 1972 Atari-Pong Prototype, a 1999 Google Server Assembly, a 1890 Hollerith Electric Tabulating System and an authentic 1935 Enigma Machine. #NerdAlert

HP Garage — It’s touted as the home of the original Silicon Valley startup. It’s not open for public tours, but you can stop by and view it from the street at 367 Addison Avenue in Palo Alto, California.

Stanford Engineering Quad Tour — Hewlett and Packard both went here. You should too. Explore Stanford's state-of-the-art Engineering Quad with an enthusiastic student guide. Tours are free!

TechShop — Don’t just tour techie paradise. Participate. TechShop is an open-access workshop that gives you access 2 instructional classes, events, and over $1 million worth of professional equipment and software.

Tip 3: Startup your adventure here at SCH

See what we did there?

Yea. So … 

We don’t have an Apple I but we do have significantly better performing iMacs, iPads, and iPad minis that are yours to use anytime you want. The Apple I couldn’t even connect to WiFi, you know. And our WiFi is blazing fast, ready to bring all your devices to break-neck speed as they rocket down the information superhighway,  so … start your SF techie tour here at Stanford Court.