Not sure if you are asking about a destination for an outing or a place to stay.Regarding activities, there are several wonderful places where someone can walk for blocks and see a rich mix of specialty shops, restaurants, coffee shops/bakeries, theaters, bookstores and so on. One of these is College Avenue, which runs between Broadway (originating in Oakland at California College of Art) and ends about 2 miles north of that on Bancroft Street (University of California, Berkeley campus). One of the principal nodes along this stretch of mixed use is Rockridge. There is a BART station there. Some people take the BART train from San Francisco to the Rockridge station and hoof it in that area along College Avenue for a few hours. You might find something very interesting there. Afternoon to early evening is the best time.
Union Sq- walking around or ice skating there.. Here s a site.. Hope it helps..http://www.bayareaonthecheap.com/
check with the hotels near your home for a local s discount . this is prime travel season rates go up exponentially.