When it's not foggy, Stow Lake in Golden Gate Park has some great views. Unfortunately, it entirely artificial so the water doesn't circulate and is pretty much clogged with algae. The state of the water doesn't seem to bother the birds.
At the end of summer, the Dahlias at Golden Gate Park are in bloom. Clearly they have been bred to express wild flowers beyond any natural requirement. Still the flowers are nice to look at even if they aren't very functional.