Union Square is a normally delightful place to vis...

Union Square is a normally delightful place to visit during the day and especially during the holidays. Surrounded by world class stores such as Barneys, Saks 5th Avenue and St Francis hotel, this picturesque square is a must see while visiting "The City" by the bay. A word of caution however as there is a lot of construction in the area due to the subway extension. Also, as by now most people are aware, there are a lot of panhandlers in the area. Straying a few blocks over could get the unfamiliar into trouble as The City's Tenderloin district (notorious for crime and car break ins) borders one side. Generally, I'd say stay with the crowd and you will be fine. For those trying to decide when to visit, by far Christmas is the best as the square hosts an ice skating rink and one of the tallest Christmas trees anywhere. I could go on and on but I definitely recommend visiting. I gave 3 stars only because of the construction and the panhandlers. The good news is that the construction is beginning to draw to an end. However, as for the panhandlers... well, that remains to be fully addressed