San Francisco has some mind-blowing spots, which I'm trying to uncover little by little. According to the locals, It's awesome. I agree. Here are 5 reasons why I can't resist loving it:
#1 One Glorious Bridge
The most beautiful and photographed bridge in the world, from whichever angle you see it, is just stunning. Golden Gate Bridge is a marvellous piece of engineering, which was built to connect San Francisco to California's northern counties and was completed in 1937. Its signature orange colour and Art Deco design fit harmoniously into the bay's scenic blend of land, sky and sea.
#2 Fabulous Grounds for Mini-Foreign Adventures
The Japanese Tea Gardens deliver a sense of bliss in the middle of the city. This calming oasis, originally created for the 1984 California Midwinter International Expo in Golden Gate Park, packs natural beauty, tranquillity and harmony in a 5-acre piece of urban zen.
The gardens feature sculptures, pagodas, stone lanterns, stepping stone paths, Japanese plants, koi ponds, a moon bridge, a Buddha statue and a zen garden. Cherry blossom trees throughout make this the perfect spot for contemplation and reflection.
#3 Small Details Make a Big Difference
The 16th Avenue Tiled Steps project has been a neighbourhood effort to create a beautiful mosaic for the 163 steps located at 16th Avenue and Moraga Street. Inspired by the world-famous steps in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and led by artists Aileen Barr and Colette Crutcher, the project started in January 2003 and was completed in August 2005 with the help of over 300 community volunteers.
The steps feature a sweeping earth-to-sky design with woven flowers, birds, fish and stars, amazingly made of over 2,000 handmade tiles and 75,000 fragments of tile, mirror and stained glass.
This is a must-see for the art, thoughtfulness and gorgeous panoramic views from the top of the steps. It's also a superb example of what community involvement can achieve.
#4 Streets Are Attractions on Their Own Right
Lombard Street is known as the crookedest street in the world, which is factually incorrect, but the views from here are undeniably great and driving is an adventure. This iconic San Francisco street really got my adrenaline pumping while driving at 5 mph.
The steep one-block portion with eight hairpin turns is a postcard-perfect image and guarantees a "You know you are in San Francisco" moment.
One block down, at 900 Lombard Street you can see the house that was used as a filming location in Alfred Hitchcock's 1958 film, Vertigo (Scottie's house).
#5 Art Is Free
The Mission district has a rich history which is narrated by the beautiful murals that can be found in the streets and alleys of this colourful and enigmatic neighbourhood.
Most of the murals are located on Balmy Street, a narrow alley off 24th Street. This isn't your typical graffiti-in-the-ghetto spot - it is art which acts as a vehicle for powerful messages and social change. Everything has a meaning, every mural tells a story.
Inspired by Diego Rivera's murals in San Francisco, the Mission district murals began in 1972 with the work of 2 women, Patricia Rodgigues and Graciella Carillo, known as Las Mujeres Muralistas. Through their work, the artists expressed their outrage over human rights violation and political abuses in Central America. Some of the murals explicitly make the connection between the violence in those countries and the migration of Central Americans to the Mission. In 1984, a project led by Ray Patlan installed murals celebrating indigenous American cultures, protesting American intervention in Central America and seeking to transform the political landscape, one mural at a time. Today the alley contains murals on numerous subjects from human rights to local gentrification and Hurricane Katrina.
The murals cover walls, fences and garage doors throughout the alley. Due to damage from the weather and other wear and tear, as well as the ever-changing social and political issues and ideas, new murals are going up all the time.
Balmy alley epitomises the San Francisco experience and, as long as places like this exist, we can feel assured that there is still some human element in our societies.
#1 One Glorious Bridge
The most beautiful and photographed bridge in the world, from whichever angle you see it, is just stunning. Golden Gate Bridge is a marvellous piece of engineering, which was built to connect San Francisco to California's northern counties and was completed in 1937. Its signature orange colour and Art Deco design fit harmoniously into the bay's scenic blend of land, sky and sea.
#2 Fabulous Grounds for Mini-Foreign Adventures
The Japanese Tea Gardens deliver a sense of bliss in the middle of the city. This calming oasis, originally created for the 1984 California Midwinter International Expo in Golden Gate Park, packs natural beauty, tranquillity and harmony in a 5-acre piece of urban zen.
The gardens feature sculptures, pagodas, stone lanterns, stepping stone paths, Japanese plants, koi ponds, a moon bridge, a Buddha statue and a zen garden. Cherry blossom trees throughout make this the perfect spot for contemplation and reflection.
#3 Small Details Make a Big Difference
The 16th Avenue Tiled Steps project has been a neighbourhood effort to create a beautiful mosaic for the 163 steps located at 16th Avenue and Moraga Street. Inspired by the world-famous steps in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and led by artists Aileen Barr and Colette Crutcher, the project started in January 2003 and was completed in August 2005 with the help of over 300 community volunteers.
The steps feature a sweeping earth-to-sky design with woven flowers, birds, fish and stars, amazingly made of over 2,000 handmade tiles and 75,000 fragments of tile, mirror and stained glass.
This is a must-see for the art, thoughtfulness and gorgeous panoramic views from the top of the steps. It's also a superb example of what community involvement can achieve.
#4 Streets Are Attractions on Their Own Right
Lombard Street is known as the crookedest street in the world, which is factually incorrect, but the views from here are undeniably great and driving is an adventure. This iconic San Francisco street really got my adrenaline pumping while driving at 5 mph.
The steep one-block portion with eight hairpin turns is a postcard-perfect image and guarantees a "You know you are in San Francisco" moment.
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| Madeleine (Kim Novak) and Scottie (James Steward) at 900 Lombard Street. Image from Alfred Hitchcock's 1958 film Vertigo (United States: Paramount Pictures) |
The Mission district has a rich history which is narrated by the beautiful murals that can be found in the streets and alleys of this colourful and enigmatic neighbourhood.
Most of the murals are located on Balmy Street, a narrow alley off 24th Street. This isn't your typical graffiti-in-the-ghetto spot - it is art which acts as a vehicle for powerful messages and social change. Everything has a meaning, every mural tells a story.
Inspired by Diego Rivera's murals in San Francisco, the Mission district murals began in 1972 with the work of 2 women, Patricia Rodgigues and Graciella Carillo, known as Las Mujeres Muralistas. Through their work, the artists expressed their outrage over human rights violation and political abuses in Central America. Some of the murals explicitly make the connection between the violence in those countries and the migration of Central Americans to the Mission. In 1984, a project led by Ray Patlan installed murals celebrating indigenous American cultures, protesting American intervention in Central America and seeking to transform the political landscape, one mural at a time. Today the alley contains murals on numerous subjects from human rights to local gentrification and Hurricane Katrina.
The murals cover walls, fences and garage doors throughout the alley. Due to damage from the weather and other wear and tear, as well as the ever-changing social and political issues and ideas, new murals are going up all the time.
Balmy alley epitomises the San Francisco experience and, as long as places like this exist, we can feel assured that there is still some human element in our societies.
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The Five Sacred Colors of Corn [Details], Susan Cervantes and Mia Gonzalez, 1990
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Culture Contains the Seed of Resistance that Blossoms into
the Flower of Liberation, Thield O’Brien
and Miranda Bergman, 1984
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Naya
Bihana (New Dawn), Martin Travers, 2002
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| No One Should Obey an Unjust Law, Juana Alicia, 1996 |
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Those
We Love, We Remember, Edythe Boone, 1995
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Enrique's Journey, Josue Rojas, 2009
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| Rejoice, Unknown artist |
