Really4567

This would be a great (but expensive) street to live on. When you are on the west side of the street there are some really nice parks and those old triple decker houses that everyone imagines when they think of San Fran. These are the upper-scale ones, really nice neat (historically accurate, I am sure) paint jobs. Lawns looked like a lot of people had gardeners. Expensive fences, gates, etc. But, still looked friendly. If you could afford it, the really great thing about living here would be that you have a straight shot in to downtown.

If you've read my other reviews, you know that I can tend to get lost a lot when I drive (even when I have GPS). In San Fran, I kept accidentally getting on I-80-- and there way nowhere to turn around until Oakland. Bleh! The entrance is poorly market when you are exploring around on the Oakland side of Market Street and then you're suddenly on the highway with no way to get off. One thing I do have to give high marks, though is public transportation. You can get a bus easily from San Fran to Oakland to catch a plane. I didn't really need to rent the car after all.

This is the iconic drive across the Golden Gate Bridge. Seems weird, I know, but I felt lucky to get stuck in traffic on the bridge during rush hour. Be prepared for it-- we almost ran out of gas and it would have been a disaster. But, spending time on the bridge was great. We got to really look at the structure and the bay and enjoy being there. Just across the bridge is a little spot where you can pull off and take some really nice shots of the city and the bridge. It's a great shot -- in sunshine and fog.

There were many places I wanted to live when I visited San Fran, but this one may top the list. It was close enough to the beautiful water for you to feel it on the breeze and really convenient to the hip parts of the city. But, it also had nice lawns, trees, parks, an elementary school (I think). It looked just about perfect for raising a family in a green-leafy version of an urban life.

When I was driving around San Fran, I wanted to go out on this drive but could not find a way to get there from Marina Blvd. I got the impression from some of the gates and the signage that this was a private road. Maybe it is. But, it looks like it is public from this street view. It was beautiful. Very expensive and exclusive looking. But, not a place you could meander along.

I took an urban planning course in college and we talked about how places like market street always have trouble deciding what to be. Market Street is where the Market-Stevenson-Mission Street grid collides with the old Powell Street city grid. And, it shows the same issues. It seems to be constantly under some kind of "renewal" project with some parts looking good, but seeming disconnected from surroundings and other places seeming to be just forgotten blocks. Might be a good place to put in a store, but I wouldn't want to buy a condo here.

I am glad that I paid the cost of admission to the very small aquarium here. The tunnel part was really great and it wasn't crowded that day, so my daughter and I felt we could linger. And, we really enjoyed the carousel-- got some great pictures. But, be ready to spend, spend, spend for everything. Parking was not great-- there is a multi-story garage and the rate was OK. But, it's across a street from the attractions. And, everything just seemed smaller than the build up that everyone kept giving us. Some good stuff, but some let downs. There was an overlapping bar scene that just didn't make sense to me, given the kid-friendly stuff in the area.

I can't remember what the name of that show was, but you know the one-- with the multi-story houses lined up next to each other. It looked like a really great place as we were driving through it. It reminded me very much of a neighborhood I used to live in in Jamaica Plan. The houses were 1800's or early 1900's with nice paint jobs to show off the architecture. The small green spaces were attractive and well maintained. Looked like a great place to live in a city.

I really liked this street. As I was driving around San Fran, I kept ending up here and wishing that had been my plan. It looked difficult to park (think Boston, etc.) But, there were nice cafes and eating outside. It was what every Urban Planner is hoping to build. Looked like a great place to feel like you are really a part of the city life.

You don't want to live on El Camino Real. It turns into 101 and goes over the bridge and by the time it's livable (and there are any exist) it has turned into another street. But, I really liked the drive. This is where you fall in love with San Francisco and can really see its iconic beauty. Drive it with someone so that you can take your photos out the window-- there's really not a good place to stop.