rachturn

This is the place that each city has that it never shows on the brouchers. We got lost one night and ended up on Jones street and thought about speeding just to try and catch the attention of a cop. The amount of homeless, drugged out people miling about on the streets was supprising. Its is deffenitly not some place to be after dark, all thought knowing what comes out durring the night time Im not sure if this would be the greatest place to go during the day either. So if you are visiting San Francisco make sure to avoid this street and the ones surrounding it.

No trip to San Francisco is complete with out a trip to the elegant and ultra trendy, Sacramento Street. It is know for its amazing shopping and resturnats along with outstanding views of the entire bay. There are historic landmarks thurought the entire area. You have to stop at the All Things Orchid store and veiw and entire store covered in beautiful orchids, or search for that perfect ultra elegant bag and shoe combo at one of the many stores. The street is about 12 blocks of super chic shopping and exsclusive residential neighborhood, you never know who you may spot stolling along the boardwalk.

Wlaking down Mason streeet is just like being insied of a hollywood movie. The street has everything you would think a local San Francisco street should, complete with rolling hills, trolly cars and tracks, the mulit colored stacked right next to one another apartmetns and condos that look like they could cost a small fortune to rent or buy. It has the trendy people strolling along at a lieserly pace and the great resturants and coffe shopps for all the hip artsy people to hang out. Great place to go to get the urban feel of being in San Francisco.

Fulton Avenue may be the northern most boundry for the golden Gate Park, but it is mainly retail developments that need major improvements. The streets need updating the landscaping is comming along but seriously lacking the amount of flair to draw in the tourist. However in spite of the average tourist might not seem to congergate to this location we did and found a few suprises, like Deback Malick resturnat located at Bedford and Fulton and the new little french bistor Autour du Monde by clinton and Fulton. Hopefully the Fulton Avenue Association can make the improvements to the area that it needs to restore this area to its former glory.

My family and I recently looked into moving to the Noe Valley residential district in San Francisco, so we stayed at a friends home while we looked around the area. I have to say that it is not a bad place to raise a family. The street was relativly quite with no obvious crime or disturbances one would think to find in a San fran neighbor hood where the homes sell for under 2 million. The schools had great test scores and the houses were moderatly priced and the street is self was clean and well maintied by its residents and the city. It is deffinetly in our top 5 spots to live.

While I was visiting San Francisco last year I had heard many things about the Grant Avenue Beach Festival and knew that I had to check it out. This was by far the best festival I have ever been to! The people were supper friendly and the art was amazing. Even if you are not a big art fan there will be something there that you can appreciate even if it is just the pure talent of the side walk chalk art in the FREE Arte di Gesso ( or Italian Street Chalk Art). And if that is not enought fun for you it even featured a celebrity pizza tossing contest which was interesting and yummy! This is an all weekend family fun outing. This had to be my favorit street on our entire trip!!

Down in China town between Grant and Columbus is a small alley that was recently reopened to the public as a sort of landmark or remeberance of Jack Kerouac, the writer and poet. Now each year that little Alley is home to one of the most unique festivels in that area, Art inth Alley, It host an open art fair and showing but the alley is most know for the adorable and stylish engraved tablets that line the alley that have been carved with famous quotations form some of the great writers such as LiPo, Confucius, Ferlinghetta and of course Kerouac himself. The Alley is a trendy hip place for all the soul searching youth of san francisco seem to congergate.

While walking along Greenwich street there is a spot between Jones Street and Leavenworth that you will find a supprising discovery. There nestled in the little community is what I think is the jewle of north Beach Community, Michelangelo Park, which apparently was once a victory Garden durring World War II, when the goverment was urging people to grow thier own food. Now this graden is back up and running. Even with the many improvements made by the community you can still see bits and pieces of the past including the beautiful stone reaining wall and the italina white marble brought over by the orginal Italian immigrants. This small and supprising little piece of land is a must see spot for all the gardeners with in.

There is a spot at the intersetcion of Broadway and Columbus that holds the most amazing mural I have ever seen. If you are interested in art and history at all then this is a must see spot. It is a two sided, wrap around mural depicting the history of both North Beach and China Town. The mural is currently being renovated and they have done a fabulous job as far as I can tell from the old photos of the builing to the new and imrpoved explosion of art.

The Lombard Street, is one of the most famous streets in San Francisco and I just had to experience it when I visited. At first glance the street looks like a huge snake, twisting and turning at sharp angles all along the one of the steepest hills I have ever seen. When you actualy get to travel on the stree ( which only gose one way) You end up a little bit disapointed by the 5 mph spped limit untill you see all of the flowers that people have planted and laid around the curves to remeber thier loved ones. The street is set in a very picturesq setting with cute apartemnts and condos lining either side and tons of flowers planted along the side.