Prior to 2025, I had never spent New Year’s away from home. When a cross-country work trip to San Francisco was scheduled for January 2nd this year, my options were either to fly out on New Year’s Day, or arrive early and spend the holiday there, so I opted to fly in early and spend a few personal days there. Read more about what I did in Visiting San Francisco and the food and drink I enjoyed in What to Eat and Drink in San Francisco.
What to Do on New Year’s Eve
Once the trip was booked, then came the question of what would I do on New Year’s Eve, all by myself, in San Francisco? I knew that I wanted to do the fireworks at midnight along the bay, but how would I pass the hours counting down to midnight? In my research I found no shortage of things to do: chef’s tasting menu dinner reservations, ticketed all-inclusive parties, live music events, bay cruises. I contemplated splurging on one of these experiences for the longest time, before remembering that my vibe is usually a little more lowkey, and landed on playing it by ear and finding a chill dive bar near my hotel to spend the evening in before it was time to head down to the Embarcadero for the fireworks.
However, my “lowkey” plans became even more lowkey when I was hit with a sinus infection during the trip that left me wanting nothing more than to be cozied up in my bed for the evening with a box of tissues. I took the change of plans in stride – changed into some comfy pants, ordered a sandwich from a cute Italian deli called Limoncello near my hotel and watched the rest of the US time zones ring in the New Year first on TV. I could only taste hints of the sandwich here and there because of the congestion, but could tell that at full senses it would have been a true delight!
How to Watch the Fireworks
After a good rest, I did get myself together and headed downtown to watch the fireworks along the Embarcadero. Getting there was easy and affordable – to ensure everyone is able to get around safely while enjoying the evening, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) offers free Muni public transit rides from 8:00 p.m. on New Year’s Eve through 5:00 a.m. on New Year’s Day. I was staying in the Pacific Heights / Japantown neighborhood at the charming Queen Anne Hotel, and was able to get down to the Embarcadero by taking a 49 bus to the N metro line.
The best place to watch the fireworks is anywhere between the Ferry Building and the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, as the fireworks are set off from a barge just north of the Bay Bridge. People arrive hours in advance to set up chairs and camp out for a good spot, but I had no problem finding a good view even with arriving a little after 11:00pm. I walked south from the Ferry Building to Rincon Park, and got a spot right against the fence on the waterfront. The fireworks show was so worth it, with colorful explosions reflecting on tranquil bay waters. The finale was probably one of the best I’ve ever seen. And ringing in the New Year with thousands of strangers was so much better than being alone in my hotel room, so I’m glad I ventured back out for it!
Getting back to the hotel was a different story. When the fireworks end, it’s a mad dash to all forms of public transit, and Uber and Lyft rates can be outrageous due to the surge. I should have just done the reverse of how I got down there from the start, but decided instead to try to catch one of the route 38 buses since they would drop me closer to my hotel. I got passed up by several buses that were packed too full to stop for any additional passengers before I finally decided to try a metro line. I was able to catch a metro that dropped me a 15-minute walk from my hotel and was so desperate to get back at that point that I just walked it. There were enough people still out and about that I didn’t feel unsafe, but it was probably almost 2:00 a.m. before I finally was back and settled in my hotel room.
New Year’s Day in San Francisco
I purposely left New Year’s Day open as a chill day. I was changing hotels that day to start the business part of my trip, and knew that some attractions may be closed or have abbreviated hours for the holiday, so my plan was just to check in to my new hotel and wander the downtown area a bit – no itinerary, just following my feet.
My exploration took me through Union Square, still decked out for the holidays, and into Chinatown, where I had my own custom fortune cookie made at Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory to give myself a fortune for the year ahead.
In the evening, I ventured to Radhaus, an alpine bierhall located in Fort Mason Historical Landmark District, a former U.S. Army post in the Marina District. My family follows the German/Pennsylvania Dutch tradition of eating a dinner of pork and sauerkraut on New Year’s Day, so Radhaus’s bratwurst and sauerkraut platter helped me avoid feeling homesick on the holiday.
My New Year’s in San Francisco was anything but what I had wanted it to be when I first started planning the trip. The theme of my holiday ended up being “lowkey” and “chill,” and I was honestly okay with that. I’m sure I would have had a blast going out and hitting a bar that evening, but my decision to listen to my body and rest up that night kick-started a trend of self-care that I’ve done well at carrying through 2025 so far.
C to Shining C 
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