San Francisco

Do a trip report here....go to another city and want to relate it to what KC is doing right or could do better? Give us a summary in here.
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ComandanteCero
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San Francisco

Post by ComandanteCero »

I went to San Francisco this past fall and took way too many pictures.  I got a chance to stay downtown near the Ferry building, and became surprisingly well acquainted with the eastern third of the city after walking all up and down its streets for the couple of days i was there.  It was my first time in the city, so i came at it with eyes wide open wanting to see what it was all about, and get a glimpse of the good and bad.

I'll start with pictures of Chinatown along with some of the vistas available from there (probably the area where i took the most pictures, since it was the first place i went to explore on the first day i was there).  I didn't document any other area quite to this extent, but few if any other parts of San Francisco have the kind of layers and intensity of experience that Chinatown offers.  Quite simply the best Chinatown in the country.

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This the view from a restaurant on Grant (i forget the name, but it's in a 6 story building).  It's looking towards Telegraph hill, and shows the awesome human scaled density north of downtown.
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looking down Columbus towards the CBD, on the northern edge of Chinatown.
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Grant street is the more touristy/kitshy thoroughfare of Chinatown, and you see lots of tourists there.  Stockton street, a parallel street to the west is the less polished, but equally vibrant and down to earth thoroughfare.  It's on Stockton that you'll see a lot of the open air market atmosphere, and lots of locals shopping for their groceries.
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Heading back east, looking towards the Bay Bridge
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Cool side streets/alleys
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A park, where tons of old Chinese dudes were playing Chinese Chess... and possibly gambling.  There were also some people setting up for a night market that was going to be held that evening, and random kids.
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(downtown is a stone's throw away)
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one last shot of Grant
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couple of random shots
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rode the cable car, i was hanging on for dear life (there were three other people holding onto the same pole, and i was trying to get a sweaty grip on it at an awkward angle with one hand, while taking pictures with the other), the cable cars along Powell (going back and forth between downtown and Ghirardelli Sq) were PACKED almost all of the time.  Avoid them at all costs, just take the California line if you're dead set on riding a cable car.  These people were part of a Russian tour group, apparently their cable car broke down, and they all got left by the side of the road, the tour leader flagged us down and wanted to know if another car was coming for them (which ended up delaying us enough so that another cable car showed up behind us).  Our conductor kind of blew her off, saying almost all of the rest would be as packed as us, and he'd put a call in when he got to the end of the line, and then kept going.  The Russians did not look happy.
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this guy was taking a picture of me taking a picture of him taking a picture of me on the cable car.  He waved and smiled afterwards.
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down by Ghirardelli Square, lots of activity along the waterfront trail.  I think those unicyclists were part of a club, and there were a couple of people kayaking in the area.
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took a tour boat to the Golden Gate bridge (but seeing as people have seen it so many times i'll skip those pics), the skyline and telegraph hill on our way back.
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those hills are no joke
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standard Lombard street shot
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one thing i was surprised by was the prevalence of street fronting garage doors on residential streets.  There were tons of residential streets with them, i thought they'd be a minority, but really, outside of the best preserved and scenic areas, they make up large swathes of San Francisco's residential street experience (one of the things i was disappointed by).  This seems to mostly be because of the lack of alleyways.
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Down in "SoMa", near the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
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this is where the Embarcadero expressway used to run:
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the ferry building, inside it's a kind of gourmet organic market.  Lots and lots of really expensive gourmet and organic stuff in there, along with eateries and what nots for nearby office workers.
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all of the waste areas in the building look like this
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Got a chance to check out the famed Napa valley.... i wasn't too impressed.  Then again i don't drink, so i guess the whole point of the daytrip was kind of lost on me.  But really, after you see one winery and vineyard, you've seen them all (with certain exceptions).
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In the Mission district, checked out the namesake:
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adjacent cemetery
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there's a school playground out back, so it's kind of weird to be in the cemetery and hear kids playing in the background
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ok... i'm getting tired of doing commentary, so here's highlights from the rest of what i took:
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Oh, this was particularly offensive to me.  These houses actually face the beautiful Palace of Fine arts....

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anywho

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Climbed up Telegraph Hill to Coit Tower, get awesome views

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This shot in particular is a good example of the relationship dt KC (within the loop) should/could have with the Crossroads, a contained high density large scale district and a tightly grained dense human scaled district side by side.
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random stuff in and around downtown
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Thought this was a good example of how very low buildings could fit into a high density area, i liked the stepping effect of the buildings in the foreground.  The Embarcadero Center is pretty lame, but it actually doesn't look as bad as you'd think from the street level.
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Last edited by ComandanteCero on Sat Jan 13, 2007 11:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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ComandanteCero
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Re: San Francisco: Good Times

Post by ComandanteCero »

Lame, half of the thread doesn't show up when using Firefox, but it all loads up fine when using Internet Explorer (so for anyone who has that problem just switch to IE if you really want to see the second half).
KC Region is all part of the same animal regardless of state and county lines.
Think on the Regional scale.
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schugg
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Re: San Francisco: Good Times

Post by schugg »

I fell in love with san francisco when I visited her in july 2001  :wink:
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Re: San Francisco: Good Times

Post by Highlander »

Great pictures CC.  You can never take too many pictures.  I am sad to say I have not been to San Francisco but its high on my list of places to go when I return to the US.  It reminds me of Lisbon Portugal with a much more impressive skyline.  I enjoyed the Napa pics too.  I find vinyards to be pretty scenic although I know little about wine. 
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Re: San Francisco: Good Times

Post by Tosspot »

Nice pics of one this country's best cities.


For some reason, every time I try to view this thread in Firefox, the browser crashes. I can see it alright in Safari though.
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photoblog. 

until further notice i will routinely point out spelling errors committed by any here whom i frequently do battle wit
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ComandanteCero
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Re: San Francisco: Good Times

Post by ComandanteCero »

thanks folks!  San Fran is pretty great.  Certainly shot up into one of my top ten favorite cities after the visit.
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Re: San Francisco: Good Times

Post by mykem »

Hey C.C. did you go to pier 39? Did you take a stoll down Polk and see people dressed up in leather, and latex? By the way nice photos.
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ComandanteCero
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Re: San Francisco: Good Times

Post by ComandanteCero »

yeh, i got a chance to stop by pier 39, not really my kind of area but the seals were cool and worth the time it took to walk over there.  I didn't get a chance to explore Polk, or see the Castro Theater, i actually didn't see a lot of the middle and western third of the city (other than the Marina and Mission districts), so i'm looking forward to my next visit to check those areas out. 
KC Region is all part of the same animal regardless of state and county lines.
Think on the Regional scale.
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Roanoker
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Re: San Francisco: Good Times

Post by Roanoker »

I just now noticed this thread. CC, your pictures are superb! Every one of them is worth framing.

I wondered where you were "standing" in this pic:
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...and then read your "cable car" explanation immediately after. You claimed to have tired of your commentary, but I appreciate your taking the time to provide it. I wish you had posted pictures of the Golden Gate bridge. I never tire of seeing that structure. It is always a beautiful sight. Because of your obvious skill, your versions must have been breathtaking!

Love those birds in flight:
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What a charming picture! The great variety and composition of your pictures make viewing them a delight. Thank you!
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“Give up money, give up fame, give up science, give the earth itself and all it contains rather than do an immoral act.” —Thomas Jefferson (1785)
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ComandanteCero
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Re: San Francisco: Good Times

Post by ComandanteCero »

I appreciate the comments Roanoker, thanks!  :D
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Re: San Francisco: Good Times

Post by DaveKCMO »

just returned from 5 days in SF. this thread has plenty of pics and our itinerary was fairly conventional, so i'll refrain from posting my own images. here's a brief overview:

day 1 - travel day
took #129 for our mid-morning non-stop on Midwest to SFO ($200). the early morning runs are truly express, so the trip was time-competitive to driving ourselves and parking in the satellite lot (even with our required "red bus" trip from terminal C to A).

we arrived at SFO, took airtrain to BART for the 45-minute trip to union square ($5.35, zone-based fares). our hotel was recently renovated and a steal at $80/night (priceline). we didn't really have a solid itinerary for our first day, so we hit the stores around union square, hopped a bus to investigate Treasure Island, had dinner in mission, then finished with a night cap at the hotel bar.

day 2 - city
streetcar to ferry building farmer's market (amazing), chinatown, cable car, #38 bus to golden gate park (conservatory of flowers, de young museum), castro, ferry to sausalito and back, dinner, etc.

day 3 - circumnavigating the bay
we started in the morning with caltrain to mountain view (google). they have a cute downtown strip of shops and restaurants. we stumbled upon a farmer's market right outside the train station, found lunch, then hopped aboard VTA light rail to san jose.

once we boarded VTA ($1.75), i quickly realized that this wasn't your normal line... it was like riding from downtown OP to downtown olathe. there is an effort to significantly remake the surrounding glut of tech boom office parks to make this system more efficient. pretty sure this is the only non-streetcar LRT i've ridden that makes you physically request a stop. anyone?

we arrived in san jose over an hour later (the trip was less than 10 miles), just in time to catch our amtrak train to oakland's jack london square (dump!). BART to rockridge, then berkeley for dinner, then home via BART.

transit sidebar: BART is the most fascinating system i've ever ridden. a hybrid of commuter/metro, its five lines traverse a shared subway under market street, under-the-bay tube, various elevated/tunnel/median segments, and two active earthquake faults. fares are zone-based, but rides between the four main urban stops are only $1.50 (same as muni) with frequency as often as every 3 minutes. seats are padded, the floors are carpeted, and bikes are only allowed during off-peak trips. the aesthetic is high 70s. they now have a nifty iphone app that has a trip planner, system map, and next train status.

day 4 - wine country
having done napa by car, we decided to do a tour bus this time to avoid traffic and drinking/driving. it turned out to be a very wise choice, as our driver was entertaining and the ride in and out of the city was basically like getting a city tour for free (without the embarrassment of being in one of those awful double-decker sightseeing coaches). we hit three wineries, stopping for lunch and shopping in sonoma mid-trip.

day 5 - travel day
noon departure from SFO, arrived at MCI just in time for the last run of #129.
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grovester
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Re: San Francisco: Good Times

Post by grovester »

Each trip to SF, it gets harder to return. Spent a long weekend in the area, some Marin and East Bay thrown in as well. Here are a few of the highlights.

Beach Chalet http://www.beachchalet.com/
Kind of a must do if you don’t visit the Cliff House instead. Right on the beach, they brew their own beer. WPA project originally, great murals and an octopus (squid?) bannister up the stairs.

Tourist Club http://touristclubsf.org/
Wasn’t actually open, we were hiking the Dipsea trail and checked it out. They have music events, hike in only. Oktoberfest would be quite surreal.

Bar Bocce http://barbocce.com/
I was too old for this place for a Friday happy hour, but great beer selection on the water in Sausalito. Could use a few more courts.

Skylark http://www.skylarkbar.com/
Shameless plug for place my buddy runs.

Puerto Alegre http://www.yelp.com/biz/puerto-alegre-san-francisco
This place was slammed all night, though it was after the St Patty’s parade. Food was very KC/Ponaks, but with a tomato puree. Not bad, but not great Combo numero uno. Food always tastes better with pitchers of margaritas.

Village Grill http://thevillagegrillsf.com/
Went to this for breakfast because it was walking distance from where I stayed. Forgot it was St. Patrick’s Day. Turned out OK because it was 8:00 and people were still sleeping it off. Irish breakfast was a hit, meats, beans, potatoes. Vintage diner.

Hi Dive http://www.hidivesf.com
Sunny afternoon bliss. Right under the bay bridge, fish tacos and cocktails until the sun gets too low.

Joe’s http://www.joesofwestlakerestaurant.com/
My buddy comes out here and we always hit Stroud’s. Joe’s could be the west coast version. The seating area is right out of Pulp Fiction, I kept expecting Tim Roth to start shouting about a robbery. Had manhattans at the bar with min-shakers, a piano with the padded arm rests and low slung cocktail tables with red leather seats. Menu is Italian crossed with post WW2 fine dining. Filet of sole, steaks, lobster lots of veal. The waiters all dress in tuxes and are invariably Filipino guys under 5 feet tall. Or else I had too many manhattans.

Pretty self-indulgent post, I know, but I had to get it off my chest. It was awesome.
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Highlander
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San Francisco Pictures

Post by Highlander »

Some pictures from San Francisco. These are from a walk from Union Square over Knob Hill, through Chinatown to North Beach, and up to Telegraph Hill (pictures shown in reverse order).

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Re: San Francisco Pictures

Post by FangKC »

One of the things that occurs to me is that Kansas City could be such a scenic city if we strategically built higher density on our hills. Kansas City--like San Francisco--is a very hilly city. Placing attractive residential apartment towers on hills would provide scenic views from the apartments. The way San Francisco builds houses on steep hillsides, and incorporates them into that topography, creates a lot of charm.

Sure, we don't have a bay. We do have a river, and we do have a nice tree canopy, and scenery in the autumn.
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Roanoker
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Re: San Francisco Pictures

Post by Roanoker »

Beautiful pictures! They remind me of the excellent 2005 documentary, "The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill."
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Highlander
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Re: San Francisco Pictures

Post by Highlander »

Roanoker wrote:Beautiful pictures! They remind me of the excellent 2005 documentary, "The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill."
I read about the parrots in Lonely Planet but we did not see any. That was a bit disappointing but the views from the top of the hill and Coit Tower make up for it.
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Re: San Francisco Pictures

Post by Highlander »

Was back in San Francisco a couple of weeks ago. This time mostly in Menlo Park and Palo Alto. Not usually a suburb person but either of these two burbs would be my home if I could afford to live there. Really impressed with much of the bay area outside of San Francisco itself, particularly Silicon Valley.
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Re: San Francisco Pictures

Post by StL_Dan »

I've only been to SF one time. I want to go back. These pix are amazing.
Highlander wrote:Some pictures from San Francisco. These are from a walk from Union Square over Knob Hill, through Chinatown to North Beach, and up to Telegraph Hill (pictures shown in reverse order).
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Re: San Francisco Pictures

Post by phuqueue »

I have a friend about to move out of Palo Alto and if you ask him it's not a minute too soon. Crushingly expensive and you don't actually get much for your money in terms of cultural amenities (unless you count proximity to San Francisco and its amenities). There are essentially no bars and the restaurant scene is apparently suffering mightily because tech companies poach everybody who can cook a decent meal for their private corporate dining rooms (to say nothing of restaurants and other businesses driven out by rising rents, which are often replaced by yet more techie workspaces). All in all it sounds like a terrible place to live and getting worse.
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Re: San Francisco Pictures

Post by grovester »

Proximity? Like living in Topeka to hang in Kansas City
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