San Francisco Neighborhoods and the Benefits of Transit
San Francisco is the consummate city of neighborhoods, some of them fantastic, some of them frightening, and chances are that if you venture forth much at all from the tourist bubbles of Union Square and Fisherman’s Wharf you will encounter parts of San Francisco you didn’t count on, and that is part of the magic. A ride on the 22 Fillmore bus is very instructive in how San Francisco works. The 22 starts its run in some of the scariest parts of San Francisco, down by the piers of Hunter’s Point/Bayview, places that make Harlem look like a sunny day in spring as conceived by Disney. But eventually, it climbs some of the loftiest real estate heights of Nob Hill and Pacific Heights on its way down to the Marina, home to the young, beautiful, and trendy. I have roamed San Francisco end to end and top to bottom both for the sheer joy of exploration as well as on a one-time quest for a turntable needle that took me out to the Cow Palace area almost in San Mateo County. The city changes dramatically and it deserves your time and attention to discover the corners, the nooks, the crannies, that suit you, your personality, and especially your taste buds. San Francisco Municipal Transit (Muni) takes you literally everywhere and the easiest way to see it all is with a Passport Pass that allows unlimited rides for a set number of days, and yes, it includes the mostly useless for transit purposes but scenic and historic cable cars too.
http://www.sfmta.com/cms/home/sfmta.php
One of our final stops this trip was on the top of Telegraph Hill, a perch that despite years of both residence and visits that I had never climbed before. And a climb it is! Granted, from either North Beach or from Fisherman’s Wharf you can take the 39 Coit Tower bus, but it only runs every 20-30 minutes, so we climbed up to it from the North Beach side. While steep and while the sidewalks do turn into stairs here, it is easier than coming at it from the Embarcadero side. The views are magical and magnificent provided you had the rare clear day we did in which every bridge, every Bay island, and even the Marin headlands were easy to spy. We were even treated to an overfly by the local flock of parrots, the offspring of escaped pet birds that have found one another and established a breeding colony up among the trees of the hill. We also watched a lone and determined hummingbird defend his territory with typical ferocity from the random interloping bee or fly. While it is a touristy hell and don’t bother trying to drive up here since you will only wait endlessly for one of maybe 20 parking spaces, it can also be a chance to have an almost endless view of the northern and eastern expanses of the City (the south and the west are blocked by bigger mountains) that achieves something almost mystical in its perfection. For even bigger views, drive up to the top of Twin Peaks or take the 36, 37 or 52 bus lines for cheap but stunning visual thrills.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telegraph_Hill,_San_Francisco
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wild_Parrots_of_Telegraph_Hill
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coit_Tower
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filbert_Street_%28San_Francisco%29
One of the most thrilling moments of this visit to a city that I could, and maybe someday will, write a book about, was the climb down from Telegraph Hill via the Filbert Stairs. Some parts of San Francisco are so steep that streets literally are not an option, so in these places, the city has erected and maintains, stairways that are public rights of way with houses that have street, or should I say stair, numbers just like places on more conventional streets. And just like any public street, you too can climb and explore these stairways, some of which, like the Filbert Stairs, have been maintained in their original wood instead of replaced with concrete and steel due to the dedicated efforts of local preservation groups that contribute time, effort, and cash to keep things in a more original state. The Filbert Stairs from Telegraph Hill to Levi Plaza on the Embarcadero are arguably the best preserved and the most beautiful of all of the many stairway streets of San Francisco surrounded as they are by beautifully maintained public gardens that quietly speak to the passion of those lucky enough to call this magical place home.