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Going to San Francisco
by Gregory Dicum

WHY GO NOW San Francisco may be grown up and cultivated, but its sophistication has a playful, even childlike side. It's not unusual to see a man dressed in a pink bodysuit riding a unicycle, or to find oneself engulfed in a giggly crowd of partygoers dressed up as nuns.

Its quirky sensibility, liberal culture and thriving gay scene breed a nonjudgmental and creative streak that children may find inviting. That's not to say that San Francisco is a magnet for raising families: only a fifth of households have children. Mayberry this is not. Rather, San Francisco is like a favorite aunt or uncle, always ready to spoil the little ones.

And now that San Francisco's springtime is in full force after one of the rainiest winters on record, the city has taken on a magical glow. There's virtually no chance of rain until the fall, and the legendary fog won't appear in earnest until the end of June.

WHERE TO STAY Recognizing that happy children make happy parents, several San Francisco hotels have done away with the prisonlike cots and are instead featuring kid-centric amenities like crayon-colored bunk beds, toy chests and video games.

But those with older children, or at least older-acting ones, might opt for the Hotel Metropolis near Union Square (25 Mason Street, 800-553-1900; www.hotelmetropolis.com). Starting at $369, the three-room family suite has a chalkboard, colorful furniture and computer games like Carmen Sandiego. It can sleep up to six, thanks to the pull-out sofa in a living room that also has a refrigerator and a wet bar.

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