San Francisco

Be Sure To Wear Some Flowers In Your Hair

Like Paris, France, this is a city that always welcomes you back. As a photographer, it never grows old. Not just a city on the hill, it is also Chinatown. The Financial District. The hippy neighborhoods. And, oh, of course, those famous bridges. Who does not want to walk the entire length of the Golden Gate Bridge and then have a capuccino afterwards in Little Italy?

Chinatown

Known as the largest Chinese community outside the country of China, this area is one of the first neighborhoods to visit when in town. Dare to cross over to the ‘real’ Chinatown on the northern part of Stockton Ave where the actual business is taking place. If you’re lucky, you’ll come across troupes practicing the dragon dance on the early weekend mornings.

North Beach & Embarcadero

Heading straight from Chinatown, you’ll find yourself in Little Italy. Apart from the numerous restaurants in this area, you’ll find the best cappucino at Caffe Trieste, just north of China Town.

Coit Tower is, with a steep walk, around the corner.

I have been told that beer with garlic is sold at the Stinking Rose.

San Francisco is also known for its running museum of street cars of a bygone era. These street cars all look like each other and were the result of many cities cooperating on creating a street car that could be cheaply made. Its design was so successfull that these street cars were exported to overseas cities like The Hague, Netherlands, Antwerp, Belgium, Brussels, Belgium and a host of other cities.

The Ferry Building are just a ride away on the Embarcadero.

The San Francisco Belt Railroad was a railway line connected the Port of San Francisco with many waterfront docks and warehouses adjacent to the waterfront. Railway cars were loaded on a ferry to continue their journey on other railroad companies (such as Northwest Pacific, Western Pacific as well as the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe rail roads). The railroad stopped operations in 1993, when the entire Fishermans Warf, Pier 39 and adjacent tourist hot spots looked a lot more industrial.

San Francisco is known to be a culturally liberal city.

Downtown & Financial District

Back to downtown we go. Where all the sky scrapers are. And where the cable cars start and make their way up the hill. Come along?

The Transamerica building was for a long time the tallest building in San Francisco. Just don’t be in this building during an earthquake, as the building is compromised due to flawed welding techniques.