One of my favorite things about San Francisco is how this city celebrates the holidays. This town goes all out. Nearly every street glows with twinkle lights. Christmas trees shine in row house windows. And when you get downtown it’s like a holiday wonderland. Skyscrapers are all outlined in red and green. There are giant Christmas trees on nearly every corner and shop windows are decorated to the nines. You can’t help but get in the holiday spirit.

But the getting downtown part can be a real problem. A couple of years ago, we actually tried to do a day of Christmas shopping, but after sitting in gridlock motionless for 45 solid minutes, we simply turned around and headed home. This year however, I was determined to soak in the holiday atmosphere. Online shopping just doesn’t quite do it. Thankfully, I could turn to Uber to make the experience much less painful!

Rather than worry about traffic, circle endlessly for parking, I simply hopped in an Uber. I love UberX – it’s super affordable and there’s usually one available with very little wait. The busy holiday roads were no big deal since I could blissfully do email while someone else worried about the road ahead.

I headed to Ghiradelli Square first. What was once a total tourist trap has been revitalized with locals in mind. There’s some great food including a spot by celeb chef Jonathan Waxman and wine tasting rooms including one of my favorites, Bluxome Street Wines. And of course you can still pick up tons of Ghiradelli chocolate for all your stocking stuffer needs.

what I’m wearing: isabel marant jacket / levis redone jeans / freda salvador boots / jumbo scarf / celine box bag 

When I was done I just used my Uber app to grab a car to my next destination – Maiden Lane off of Union Square in the heart of downtown San Francisco. I love that I didn’t have to hunt for parking or worry about leaving gifts in my car.

Maiden Lane is a hidden gem right off Union Square. A pedestrian-only, tree lined lane allows you to escape the crowds of downtown San Francisco’s main shopping arterials. Filled mall boutiques and specialty shops and cute cafe seating it’s the perfect place to find something special.

An afternoon of soaking up the festive sights and sounds of city makes it impossible to deny the magic of the holidays. I’m so excited to impart that feeling to my little kiddo this season. He’s just old enough to really begin to understand it all. And there’s really nothing better than the holidays then through the eyes of a child. I’m just thankful I could experience it stress free thanks to Uber.

photography by ashley batz

this post is in partnership with uber. all thoughts and opinions are 100% my own. thanks for supporting collaborations we’re excited about and have kept apartment 34’s doors open.