You flew to San Francisco for Config. The keynotes are good. Moscone is loud. What you’ll remember is everything that happens after 5pm. I’ve been twice. Here’s what was worth it, and what absolutely wasn’t.
Skip the tourist stuff (most of it)
The Golden Gate Bridge is worth seeing. You don’t need to stand on it.
Crissy Field gives you the same view without the wind and the selfie sticks. If you want the postcard shot, drive up to the Marin Headlands. I hiked from Battery Chamberlin to the Pacific Overlook. That’s the kind of thing you tell people about afterward, not the line at the bridge visitor center.
I went to Ghirardelli Square so you don’t have to. It’s crowded and overpriced. A sundae costs what a decent lunch should. Ghirardelli has smaller shops all over the city where you get the same chocolate without the line or the markup. The only reason to go to the Square is if you need a branded sweatshirt to prove you were there.
The side events are the actual conference
I don’t know when this changed, but sometime between my first and second Config — my first time was a whole thing — the side events got weird.
Workshops, hikes, happy hours, panel discussions. Most of them are free and organized by other attendees. Some of them, though, have gotten gatekeepy. Organizers building exclusivity into what used to be open doors. You’ll notice it when you try to RSVP and hit a wall of waitlists, applications, and “referral required from a previous attendee.”
Skip those. There is always another event the same night with better people. (This is the same logic that makes networking actually productive — skip the gatekeepers, find the people doing real work.)
I found the Battery Chamberlin hike through LUMA. A Config off-site hosted by someone I’d never met. Dozens of designers, no agenda, just walking and talking. No RSVP fee, no sponsor booth, no waitlist. The event you can’t get into is never the best one.
Walk the neighborhoods — Chinatown, Japantown & the Mission
Japantown, Chinatown, and the Mission. All walkable, nothing like each other.
Japantown is quiet and compact. Good for an afternoon with no agenda. The Mission has the murals and the food. Chinatown is dense and chaotic, and if you’re looking for authentic San Francisco Chinatown food, it’s all here.
Golden Gate Park is bigger than it looks on a map. The Japanese Tea Garden is worth the entry fee. The de Young Museum is right there if you need air conditioning. You can spend half a day in the park and walk maybe a third of it.
Where to eat
The hotel concierge sent us to Kam Po Kitchen in Chinatown. Cantonese counter-service, laminated menus, prices that made me check the bill twice. Best meal of the trip, cheapest meal of the trip. If you want places to eat in San Francisco Chinatown that actual locals go to, ask the concierge. Not Yelp.
Magic Donuts & Coffee is just outside the city. Worth the Uber. Fresh donuts, no line, costs less than a Ghirardelli sundae. There are a dozen small bakeries like it. You just have to look past the hotel lobby.
For a splurge: Izakaya Rintaro, ten minutes from downtown. Japanese small plates. The space is understated. The food is worth the bill, which is not a small thing to say in San Francisco.
Rooftops and parks are free
Salesforce Park is a public rooftop park on top of the Salesforce Transit Center. It’s free and landscaped, and the view of the Bay Bridge at sunset costs nothing. Most rooftops and parks in SF are public access. You don’t need a reservation or a room key. If your hotel has a rooftop, use it. If it doesn’t, find one nearby.
FAQ: Config San Francisco logistics
What are the best things to do during Config in San Francisco?
Skip Fisherman’s Wharf. Walk Chinatown, Japantown, or the Mission. Spend an afternoon in Golden Gate Park. Find side events on LUMA. Salesforce Park at sunset. Crissy Field or the Marin Headlands for bridge views without the crowd.
Where should I eat near Moscone Center during Config?
Kam Po Kitchen in Chinatown for authentic Cantonese counter-service — cheapest and best meal of the trip. Izakaya Rintaro for Japanese small plates (10 min from downtown). Magic Donuts & Coffee just outside the city. Ask your hotel concierge, not Yelp.
Are Config side events worth attending?
Yes — many attendees say the side events are the actual conference. Most are free workshops, hikes, happy hours, and panel discussions organized by other designers. Skip the ones with waitlists and referral requirements. Check LUMA for open events.
Should I visit the Golden Gate Bridge during Config?
See it, don’t stand on it. Crissy Field gives you the same view without wind and selfie sticks. The Marin Headlands trail (Battery Chamberlin to Pacific Overlook) has full bay views and almost no crowds. Skip the bridge visitor center and Ghirardelli Square.
Wondering what Config itself is actually like? Here’s the full story of my first time.
