San Francisco General Tips by karenincalifornia

Favorite Thing: This is a classic San Francisco photo op from Alamo Square, located on Hayes, just east of Divisadero. Alamo Square is a patch of green located at the top of a hill in the heart of the city.

The blend of Victorian houses with modern buildings is one of the striking things about this city.


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Favorite Thing: San Franciscans love their art, but opinions differ, so what one person considers to be fine art is considered folly by the next person.

This sculpture can be seen on the Embarcadero along the waterfront, between Market and the Bay Bridge. I rather like it!

Financial District buildings are on the left and the clock tower of the Ferry Building is in the distance to the right of the sculpture.


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Favorite Thing: City Hall is referred to as the "Crown Jewel" of San Francisco. It was built in 1915 in Beaux Arts style and is now a National Historic Landmark. The architect was Arthur Brown Jr., who also designed the Opera House, Veterans' Building, Temple Emanuel, Coit Tower and 50 United Nationals Plaza.

The dome is 306 feet high and the building itself contains 500,000 square feet of floor space.

City Hall is the location of many high profile weddings, including Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe, and most recently thousands of same-sex couples.


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Favorite Thing: Admire the elegant marble, ornate carvings, lighting from the skylights and the huge marble staircase inside City Hall.

City Hall was extensively damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake. Years of reconstruction and seismic retrofitting has been completed so City Hall should now withstand a major quake.

This picture shows the entrance on the second floor to Mayor Gavin Newsom's office. On the ground floor are couples and families celebrating wedding days.


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Favorite Thing: The weather has been fantastic in San Francisco this March. It brings everyone outside. We even have to head near the water - anywhere else in the City has been HOT!

Along the Embarcadero (waterfront) are numerous piers for walking and relaxing.

Fondest Memory: This is a picture of a REAL pier on the waterfront. Unlike the FAKE pier 39 shown in my Tourist Trap tips.

The white buildings in the background of this picture are on Treasure Island, a former US Naval Station. During Willie Brown's tenure as mayor of SF, he tightly controlled who could use the facilities and who could not. He would grant access to Treasure Island as a "perk" for his cronies only, which caused a major stir in San Francisco.

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