The Streets of San Francisco was the name of a 1970’s cops, and robbers show, now called crime drama. Now, the streets of San Francisco are one of the most popular tourist destinations in America. We share our brief thoughts on this city, and how it went from the Summer of Love to an important tech City and to share, some of the best things to do in San Francisco for locals and tourists.
These are just some of the ionic sites, rather than the immersive travel experiences.
The famous cable cars, or trams of San Francisco. San Francisco is built on a lot of hills; but no one can agree on whether there are 43, 47 or 49. But that is why you need to be pulled up the hills by the cable cars.
The Iconic Things to See on the Streets of San Francisco
Contents
- 1 The Iconic Things to See on the Streets of San Francisco
- 2 A Little About San Francisco
- 2.1 The Golden Gate Bridge
- 2.2 Levi Stadium and the 49ers
- 2.3 Golden Gate Bridge
- 2.4 Lombard Street, the crookedest street
- 2.5 The Sentinel Building
- 2.6 Transamerica Pyramid
- 2.7 Old St. Mary’s on the Streets of San Francisco
- 2.8 San Francisco’s Chinatown
- 2.9 San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge
- 2.10 Coit Tower
- 2.11 San Francisco and Sourdough Bread
- 2.12 Fishermans Wharf
- 2.13 Irish Coffee in San Francisco
These are some of the highlights of our time exploring The Streets of San Francisco. We loved seeing some of most iconic things that this city is known for, from The Golden Gate Bridge to Alcatraz, from the famed cable cars to the crazy most crooked street – Lombard St, from Fisherman’s Wharf, and right down to the amazing sourdough bread, and Irish coffee for breakfast. To complete the picture of the Streets of San Francisco, we also took in a 49ers football match, a tailgate party and a Red Zone Rally, which was a complete novelty for us.
Street art and music in San Francisco
A Little About San Francisco
San Francisco is a very attractive Californian city, known for its fog, painted lady houses, steep streets to being a tech city. It is set on the expansive bay and water views are never far away. What I wasn’t expecting was that the buildings of the city, make it look a little like one of those 1000 piece jigsaw puzzles, where they have an Escher-like quality to them.
Looking over to Alcatraz, the former prison called “The Rock”. Gangster Al Capone once ‘lived’ here.
The buildings, when viewed up close and personal, are even better than what I was expecting. Called the painted ladies, these are some of the most iconic buildings in the world. I developed my obsession with fire escapes in San Fransico, and some of the photos will show why.
San Francisco is one of the cleanest cities that I have seen. It is immaculately maintained. Early one morning, before the cleaning fairies came through, we did see some evidence that people were partying. A few minutes later and, presto clean again.
There a lot of external staircases in san Francisco. In fact, there are a huge amount of steps and stairs throughout the city.
San Francisco is also a city that is famous for its tech innovations, and start-up companies. If you see someone in a hoodie riding a skateboard, they could be a very significant internet person.
Read this to understand a bit more about the tech side of San Francisco
San Francisco is all a little Pleasantville ..perhaps.But maybe I am wrong. San Francisco is the home to Haight-Ashbury, the district where the hippie subculture and the “Summer of Love’ took place in 1967. It now has a kickass San Francisco LGBT Pride.
sun catching
The Golden Gate Bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge is painted International Orange, which complements the bridge’s natural surroundings and also helps the structure stand out from the sea and skys.
Levi Stadium and the 49ers
the san Francisco 49er’s fans at Levi Stadium
Golden Gate Bridge
The length of the bridge from one side of the bay to the other is 1.7 miles, or nearly 3 kilometers
Lombard Street, the crookedest street
Lombard Street in San Francisco is one of America’s crookedest streets and found on many tours. It has 8 hairpin bends between Hyde and Jones streets.
The Sentinel Building
Movie Director, Francis Ford Coppola, owns the famous flatiron building named The Sentinel Building
Transamerica Pyramid
Transamerica Pyramid was not the most popular building San Francisco, with architect Alan Temko called it “the biggest architectural dunce cap in the world”
Old St. Mary’s on the Streets of San Francisco
The purpose of Old St. Mary’s was to teach the Chinese community about the Catholic faith.
San Francisco’s Chinatown
Said to be the largest chinatown outside of Asia
San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge
The other bridge, San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge
Coit Tower
Cost Tower is observation tower on Telegraph Hill, in San Francisco, California.
San Francisco and Sourdough Bread
Sourdough bread is an institution in San Francisco dating back to the Gold Rush days. Boudin Cafe have been making sourdough since 1849
Fishermans Wharf
Iconic waterfront location, Fishermans Wharf is a fun place to take in the sites, on and off the bay
Irish Coffee in San Francisco
Having an Irish coffee for breakfast at the Buena Vista Cafe, is a rite of passage for many tourists
This is a snapshot of Exploring the Streets of San Francisco.
I haven’t been in San Francisco, pictures are lovely.
Those buildings out there where we can see the staircases ;-p seems we can peep into other’s house as well.;-) does that really happen …?
Nice post! I used to live there and loved to read your perspective on it. Cool shots too. Chinatown is a special favorite of mine. Loved the bakeries there. I think it is one of the best places to live in the USA… Besides NY — I’m from NY really 😉
I love both NY and San Francisco. Probably like NY a little more for some reason. 2nd visits will help.
San Francisco, somewhat like new york,is very much a city of neighborhoods, each with its distinct feel and history. one of my favorite things to do is to take a walking tour of one neighborhood every time I visit. This is a nice city overview.
Totally agree, walking tours are the best to discover a place.
That first photo of the fishnet stocking legs in heels hanging out the window certainly caught my eye. I’ve always enjoyed San Francisco, but it’s been a very long time since I last visited. I’m hoping to take my Girl Scout troop there in a few years as I think it would be a really good first experience of traveling without their parents along. (Or else I’m crazy and will rue the day I decided to let tweens outnumber me.)
Do it. This will be an experience the girl scout troop will remember forever.
I haven’t been in San Francisco for a while, but the last time I checked it wasn’t too clean. On the contrary. Mission street it was filthy dirty and full of homeless and so was the Pier 39 area. Don’t get me wrong, I love this city, but I have never seen it very clean. Maybe it changed since 2 years ago when I went there last. Very nice pictures. I always love going there, clean or not clean.
I was looking for sometime of evidence of it not being so well maintained. Despite Tenderloin being a little more earthy, the rest was very good.
San Francisco is one of those cities I can back to over and over again. I always recommend taking the ferry out to Oakland and back for an inexpensive boat trip around the bay. Great article, Paula! #wkendtravelinspiration
Thanks, and net time we will do the ferry ride to Oakland.
I loved this look at San Francisco. You’ve captured much of what makes the city so special. It’s been years since I’ve visited. This post makes me want to return very soon.
We enjoyed exploring San Francisco a lot. It is a very easy city to like.
Thanks for the photos of San Francisco. You’ve found a lot of the icons in the city.
We did ok, and there are some I didn’t put in.
Great post about what to do in SF! I often went there when I visited my dad my Sacramento. Took my husband for the first time back in 2014 and he loved it! #wkendtravelinspiration
San Francisco is a lovely city.