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One of the San Francisco landmarks, Coit Tower has been standing atop of Telegraph Hill since 1933. Its name is actually the last name of a wealthy SF resident who wanted to beautify the city and donated 1/3 of her estate to do so - Lily Hitchcock Coit.
260 feet tall (61 meters), it is made of unpainted concrete. The lack of color is however substituted by fresco murals located inside the tower on the ground floor. 50 known artists were called and 33 of them (including 3 female painters) were chosen to paint the inside walls of the Coit.
The artists were paid very generous amount of $1 an hour. There also was a guard who kept vigil to make sure they all work as they were supposed to. Sure enough, the painters disliked the guy and depicted him in their paintings as an angry man. He can be seen in my pic#4 (sitting with the gun).
LOCATION: Pioneer Park.
HOURS: 10am - 5pm, daily.
PRICE: FREE, but to go to the top of the tower, adults must pay $4.50 (free for kids under 6), seniors - $3.50, $2 for kids 6-12.
TO GET THERE: Bus #39-COIT will bring you right there.
ADVICE: I strongly recommend taking the bus, cause the hill is hellacious!
Upon leaving the Coit Tower, you can walk down the eastern steps which are covered in lush vegetation.
NOTE: SF City Guides has been offering free walking tours of the Coit Tower murals for awhile now. The tours are offered every Saturday at 11am in front of the main entrance of the Tower. I took that tour and had a great time. Not only did I learn a lot about the history of murals and their creators, but also who was depicted on them and why.. Plus, the guide brought us to the ''closed-for-general-public'' stairway and showed the only room made in egg tempera (made by a wife of painter). Everything else (with the exception of a few oil paintings in the elevator foyer) is fresco.
Some cash donation is appreciated at the end of the tour (it goes to support the City Guides website).
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One of the finest art museums on the West Coast, with a huge collection of ancient art and many works by old European masters. The museum also has a vast collection of antique crafts.
While visiting, be sure to stroll the nearby Lincoln Park, which affords some additional exhibits and some great views of the Golden Gate and the rugged coastline. Leave a Comment
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One of the highlights of any visit to San Francisco is to go on a Bay Cruise. Some cruises last just an hour or so, others can last several hours... it depends on what you're paying for.
My favorite type of Bay Cruise are the kind that go under the Golden Gate bridge. They also circle around Alcatraz so you can get a look at the island.
I always make it a point to take foreign friends out on the Bay whenever they visit. Leave a Comment Address: San Francisco BayDirections: From Pier 39 walk towards Fisherman's Wharf, there you will be sure to spot sea captains looking for customers to take out.
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Part of the National Park Service, Fort Point was constructed just prior to the Civil War to guard the entrance to San Francisco Bay. This was the only masonry fort built on the US west coast during this period and was never battle tested.
Much of the fort is now closed due to construction on the Golden Gate Bridge which passes directly overhead. My best photos of the Golden Gate Bridge are from the area around Fort Point.
A short scene from the 1958 Alfred Hitchcock movie Vertigo was filmed here. Other scenes from the movie include the Legion of Honor, Mission Dolores, and Mission San Juan Bautista. At one pint Madeleine says, "Old Fort Point on the Presidio... I love it there, it's beautiful there, especially after the sunset." Leave a Comment Phone: (415) 556-1693Directions: Take Highway 101 north & exit right before getting on bridge. Turn right at end of exit ramp and then left onto Lincoln Boulevard. Take the first left onto Long Avenue and follow onto Marine Drive and Fort Point at its end.Website: http://www.nps.gov/fopo/
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Pier 39 is one of San Francisco's most popular tourist destinations. It's an excellent place to find out about what this great city has to offer, and to sign up for tours. It's also very good for a lunch, some shopping, and just to relax after a day's walking. Leave a Comment Address: The Embarcadero at Beach StreetPhone: (415) 705-5500Directions: It's along the waterfront, between Fisherman's Wharf and the Ferry Building.Website: http://www.pier39.com/home.cfm
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Pier 39 located in the Fisherman's Wharf district of San Francisco is the family friendly destination for tousits. It hosts dozens of restaurants and cafes from your high end seafood fare right down to the always popular hot dog stands. There's something for everyone. To visit go to www.pier39.com
Live music from pop, to jazz to country entertain visitors on the main plaza on a daily basis along with magicians, jugglers and fire eaters in the backstage by the merry-go-round which is a big hit for children. The shops are numerous and sell souvenirs as well as clothing and specialty items year round. There is also a small arcade for young and old alike which houses skee ball and video games.
The ever popular sea lions take up residence along the wooden piers right by Pier 39 and are now celebrating their 10th Anniversay this year. These wooden piers which once docked many a vessel have now been vacated to accomodate the sea lions. They are a huge attraction for tourists and locals alike.
Pier 39 is a people watching mecca as well as a shutterbugs dream spot. Contrary to popular belief it is not any more expensive to shop or eat than anywhere else in the city. You can easily spend an entire day there and spend maybe $7.00 to $8.00 if all you do is grab a hot dog and coke and don't spend your time shopping. It's fun for the whole family. Leave a Comment
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Pier 39, adjacent to Fisherman's Wharf, has something for everyone, shops, amusment park, restaurants, photo shops, ice-cream, even a fresh fruit stand...We checked out the prices of some of the items, T-Shirts for example were quite expensive as were souveniers, even the postcards, so we just enjoyed wandering and viewing the bay from the pier. Leave a Comment
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Restored in 2003, this is a major landmark in San Francisco. This is one to two main ferry stops (the other is at Fisherman's Wharf). It also offers fine views of the Bay Bridge and East Bay. Inside are numerous cafes, shops, and sometimes even live entertainment. Leave a Comment Address: One Ferry Building, San Francisco CA 94111Phone: (415) 693-0996Directions: At the end of Market Street, near the Financial District.Website: http://www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com/ Other Contact: info@ferrybuildingmarketplace.co
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Sail under Golden Gate Bridge and around Alcatraz on this one-hour tour of San Francisco Bay. Red and White offers its Golden Gate Bay Cruise with narration in 6 languages (English, German, Spanish, French, Japanese, Mandarin). Leave a Comment
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San Francisco Chinatown is the largest in the world, larger than the NY one.
It's a world of small shops and restaurants. Very pleasant to visit. Leave a Comment Address: Bordered by Broadway, Bush, Kearny, Stockton sts.Directions: Ornamental gate at Grant and Bush intersection.Website: http://www.sfchinatown.com/
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