You CAN see the city from Stanford, on a clear day. If you go up the dish trail (counter clockwise) your uphill slog is rewarded, just before you turn left, by a wonderful view of San Francisco skyscrapers in the distance. On the rare days of good visibility, it's one of my favorite spots in the world.
If you have a little more time my favorite view is from Skegg's Point near El Corte de Madera (http://www.openspace.org/preserves/pr_ecdm.asp) above Woodside (Take King's Mountain Rd and turn left at the top onto Skyline).
