Your guide to surviving Super Bowl Week
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Welcome to Super Bowl LX. Photo: Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images
Rush hour is about to get worse.
Why it matters: With thousands of people descending upon the Bay Area this week for the Super Bowl, there's little chance your daily routines won't be impacted.
- But fear not, we're here to walk you through the worst of it.
State of play: It might be time to consider cycling or jogging (awful, I know) instead of driving. Getting to and from downtown is gonna be a big pain in the butt.
- Most NFL-sponsored events are taking place in the corridors around Moscone Center, Yerba Buena and the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium.
- Hotels are clustered around Union Square, SoMa and the Embarcadero, so expect traffic delays and crowds in those areas, too.
- If you're taking Muni lines such as N Judah, T Third Street, J Church and K Ingleside you'll probably get squashed more than normal since they provide service downtown.
- Avoid Highway 101 and Interstate 280 on Super Bowl Sunday if you can, since that'll be the main avenue for people driving to and from Levi's Stadium.
What to expect: Don't be spooked if you see more law enforcement officers than normal — they'll be patrolling downtown and standing guard outside key venues.
- Rideshare prices will likely spike in the evenings, especially since riding a Waymo will likely be a bucket list item for many tourists.
- Make sure to take heed of the road closures planned throughout the week as well.
The intrigue: Depending on how tapped into pop culture you are, one upside is the potential for celebrity sightings. In addition to the artists scheduled to perform, a host of sports icons and Hollywood stars will be on the ground for festivities.
- Big names include Shaq, Post Malone, Kehlani, Guy Fieri and Bad Bunny, of course, as well as 49ers Hall of Famer Steve Young and former New England Patriots quarterback legend Tom Brady. (Did you know he's a Bay Area native?)
- Who knows, maybe we'll get lucky and Taylor Swift will grace us with her presence at her fiancé Travis Kelce's Sports Illustrated party on Thursday. (It'll be at Public Works, in case you want to stake out.)
What we're hearing: If you want to try to get a glimpse of the two Super Bowl teams (or hate-watch because you're forever loyal to the Niners), the Patriots will be holding practices at Stanford, while the Seattle Seahawks will be stationed at San Jose State, according to ChatSports.
Pro tip: For those not watching the Super Bowl, you might be able to take advantage of specific windows of time for counter-programming.
- Consider booking a dinner at a high-end restaurant, checking out a new museum exhibit or going grocery shopping when the game kicks off on Sunday.
- Or, you know, just stay home until the roads clear out Monday morning.