S.F. Views, San Francisco

Favorite thing: This is a city that looks good from any angle! Because of its surrounding hills, oceans and bays there are so many different views of the city that it is amazing. During our day-trip to the Golden Gate Bridge and surrounding area, we stopped on the north side of the bridge in Sausalito for a lunch-time meal. This was the view across San Francisco Bay from the restaurant, showing (from left to right) the Bay Bridge to Oakland, Alcatraz Island (in front of the bridge) and the appealing main downtown area of the city.

Favorite thing: Because San Francisco is laid down on many hills and is surrounded by many small mountains and other hills, there are myriad perspectives of viewing this city.

Here is a picture of downtown San Francisco as taken from Coit Tower which is on Telegraph Hill. The black building on the right is 500 California Street, the same picture I took earlier looking up at it from the "flag's perspective."

Favorite thing: South Beach Marina (known on some maps as "South Beach Harbor") is along the Embaracdero, less than a mile south of the Ferry building. The masts of boats can provide a find foeground to give the picture some depth. You can shoot this early in the AM or in the afternoon, since the view is North and the sun is generally behind you.

Favorite thing: If you enter the Mark Hopkins Hotel on California Mason Street, you will be able to go onto the elevator to the top floor (floor T, where everyone's going) and, you will be able to enjoy a nice view of San Francisco.

Although only around 20 floors up, because the Mark Hopkins is on a steep hill, it is higher than most of the tall skyscrapers in the downtown financial District.

As a person point of reference, see the Transamerica Pyramid Bldg., to me, that ugly gray building is the Holiday Inn, the ugliest piece of architecture in the world, in my opinion.

In front of the Holiday Inn is Chinatown. As a historical point of reference, that ugly building was once the spot of a court house where City Lights bookstore was being tried for Obscenit Charges for selling Allen Ginsberg's "The Howl" in 1956.

This absurd McCartheyism-ish act marked the beginning of San Francisco's more Liberal Politics which lead with the Beatnik Generation and then the Hippie and Punk Generations to follow.

As Allen Ginsberg came out of the closet as a gay man, one could point at that spot as being the seed to the birth of not only SF Bohemia, but the birth of SF's Gay Community.

Fondest memory: Watching Joe Montana beat the Cowboys 28-27 in the 1982 NFC Championship game. I ran on the football field with the rest of the fans and was in the end zone with as the game clock expired.

Favorite thing: wikipedia.org

What's it look like right now?
SF WEBCAMs

What's the weather gonna' be like when I get there tomorrow?
SF WEATHER

Favorite thing: This is the magnificent Nakatomi Plaza, the most relevant landmark of the downtown San Francisco, not counting the Golden Gate and maybe Alcatraz.
I like that building for its particular shape and most of all for the action movie Die Hard, filmed there, with one of my favourite actors, Bruce Willis.
The Nakatomi Plaza is also tall enough to be visible from every corner of the town

Favorite thing: View of this wonderful town from the heights of the Twin Peaks.
Laura Palmer was not there, too bad.
A lot of wind, and chill, are perceptible, instead, a lot of them.
Can't remember the name of a famous writer who said that the coldest winter he ever experienced was a summer in San Francisco.
A bit exaggerated, in my opinion, but I've been there twice and it was veeery cold both the times

Favorite thing: Being a city of dramatic rises and falls, there are many interesting vantage points from which to capture this beautiful city on film. this shot was taken from Telegraph Hill where the Coit Tower is located. In the distance, you can see the snaking curves of Lombard Street.