Frank Chu's signs are the best. They are creative, interesting and thought provoking.read more

For Frank Chu fans, I've recently uploaded a couple of my radio interviews with him to the…read moreinternet: This one was recorded in 2011 and is audio only: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/xo0PuhgwLLb This one was recorded in 2012 and includes some video shot in the studio: https://youtu.be/iqTXHPfyiWA This one was recorded in 2013 on the street in video: https://youtu.be/CNSB-qLCHgU I haven't seen him since 2013, but I hope he's doing well.

Shapes within shapes, colors within colors. A riddle wrapped…read morein a mystery inside an enigma. Name chicken in geometry duck in paint turkey.

Found this on Altas Obscura and I wanted to check it out. Part of San Francisco history, a hidden…read moregem. The first poster did a great job taking photos and making it an entry in Yelp. The sculpture titled "The Taster" by Spero Anargyro located in a small plaza called Hill Plaza that people don't normally frequent unless you work here. Currently Google and Mozilla aka Firefox works out of this building. The former site of the restaurant Palomino used to be here. You can just chill here or take a break and eat lunch and enjoy the views by the statue. The statue used to be on top of the building when it was an active coffee company, but people saved it and put it in the plaza below which I think is nice. I went on a walking tour that ended at this spot which is part of the East Cut neighborhood at this time. The East Cut CBD created a series of neighborhood tours based on four different themes: public art, hidden places, Salesforce Park horticulture, and architecture. Apparently this is a relatively new neighborhood district about 7 years and trying to build a neighborhood district from scratch is hard to raise money to create community dog parks and gardens. We have to thank the East Cut neighborhood volunteers to upkeep daily the nearby parks and sculptures that we see, such as The Giant bow and arrow sculpture on the Embarcadero. You would think the City would clean some of these famous landmarks more frequently. https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/hills-bros-coffee-sculpture

In the book The Monk of Mokha, Dave Eggers tells the true story of Mokhtar Alkhanshali and his…read moredesire for reintroducing Yemeni Coffee to coffee lovers. One of the inspirations that initiated Mokhtar on his coffee odyssey was this statue of this Yemeni man dressed in a thawb (a type of robe worn by men in Arabia) drinking coffee. This statue is recognizable because it was found on Hills Brothers coffee cans. According to book The Monk of Mokha, Hills Brothers Coffee was one of the original importers and refiners that discovered a way to vacuum pack the coffee packages, which kept the dried bean fresh and tasty. An essential innovation which helped Hills Brothers excel in popularizing coffee across the North America. Its headquarters was in the buildings on both sides of this statue, which is set in a simple and attractive plaza. This plaza is unique by all the tech workers on their migration routes to and from work and cafes. Hills Brothers sold its company years ago. Yet the statue remains. A artful testament to the impact of the magical bean originally on the culture of the USA. A bean whose properties are commonly believed to have been found in Ethiopia and was first cultivated into a drink similar to today's coffee in the port city of Mokha, Yemen by Ali Ibn Omar al-Shadhili.

The man who famously sings "I left my heart in San Francisco" now has yet another honor bestowed…read moreupon him. And just less than 2 years after getting a statue in his likeness. Not bad Tony...not bad. The Tony Bennett statue is right here, on Mason, on the Fairmont Hotel property. Because, The Fairmont SF is where he performed the song for the very first time, back in 1961. So of course, when it came time to assign Mr. Bennett his own street, where else would it be but at the top of Nob Hill, & the very block that The Fairmont Hotel resides. Mr. Bennett has a time capsule that's buried here under the stage in the Venetian Room, a statue out front, & now his own street, Tony Bennett Way. So classy & stylish. Totally befitting a stellar performer who is loaded w class & style. 5 stars.

Coveted neighborhood in San Francisco…read more I felt like a stalker driving in this beautiful upscale neighborhood located in the northwestern part of San Francisco... just admiring the large houses with breathtaking views of the Golden Gate Bridge and amazing scenery of the ocean. The best part was discovering an access to Baker Beach!! We found it by accident, there is a trail that heads down towards the beach... there are houses along the entrance on 25th Avenue N and parking is limited because the gate sits in a neighborhood. This access is probably mostly for the residents. These celebrities have called Sea Cliff home at one point: * Robin Williams - before he moved to Tiburon * Sharon Stone - when she was married to the executive editor for the SF Examiner * Cheech Marin - "Whoa! Quarter Pounder!" [referring to an impossibly big joint - "Up In Smoke"] * Eugene Levy (American Pie series of movies) * Kirk Hammett - musician [Metallica] * Paul Kantner - musician [Jefferson Airplane] * Jack Dorsey - Twitter CEO * Luke Brugnara... now that name may not sound familiar to me or you but he was once a commercial real estate investor and developer. He once owned the pink mansion built into a cliffside which overlooked the SF Bay and has a clear view of the GG Bridge. The house also has a staircase that zigzags down the cliffside and leads into a private cove. Well, "Lucky Luke" turns out to be a scam artist and went to jail. The mansion is now a fixer-upper... $15 million, anyone? I may never own a home in this exclusive neighborhood but "dreaming" that I own a home in this exclusive neighborhood is FREE! Review #2014

I love this part of San Francisco. Anytime that I hike Land's End or I find myself at Baker Beach,…read moreI always try to take a short walk through the neighborhood. The houses are stunning here and worth a fortune of course. I love passing by Robin William's old estate and seeing its' condition. It hasn't been looking too grand as of late, but I'm sure that'll all change when someone moves in and remodels it. If you're hiking from Land's End to the Golden Gate Bridge, you're almost bound to pass through this beautiful neighborhood anyways. Come and explore the estates of the rich and famous! Can you imagine having Land's End and Baker Beach just steps away, practically right in your backyard?! Well, this is it. Sea Cliff has the most gorgeous views of the beach and city. It's a quiet neighborhood but so fun to walk through. I love seeing all of the beautiful flowers and well manicured lawns. If only I could afford to live here! Ha! Only in my dreams. Maybe one day in the far, far future. Until then, I'll just enjoy my walks through the neighborhood on my trips to the beach.

Some great chefs got their start with their first restaurants on Polk Street. Other spots are so…read moregood they're delicious mainstays: Victor's Pizza with its Veal Marsala, Ben Thai Cafe and Bob's Donuts, the latter that'll reopen in its new location, its first new iteration since 1952. A few years after I moved to San Francisco, I learned from my queer neighbors that Polk Gulch was where it all started before the Castro became the hub of the LGBTQ community. Comedian Margaret Cho, a native San Franciscan whose family had a store on Polk Street, did a great standup about Polk Gulch in "I'm the One That I Want." It's damn funny and a bit of a time capsule if you want to know the history of the neighborhood. I recommend Polk Gulch for its many good restaurants, bars, local businesses including Brownie's Hardware and small town feel with businesses that deserve your dollars.

Polk Street is a long stretch running north & south. The…read morevariety of neighborhoods along the route include Civic Center, Tenderloin, Nob Hill & Russian Hill. Technically Polk Gulch would be consider the first two and half of the 3rd 'hoods. Diverse in culture. Also, accepting of all religions, ethnic origin & income levels. Surprise me this morning when a Gay Pride float was being built on the corner of Polk as I walked up! People poured off a "wool" named school bus ready to march on to City Hall. Hooray for freedom in the City!

I feel that it's almost unfair to review an entire neighborhood sometimes, but hey, we do that with…read morea lot of the restaurants/businesses we go to, so I guess it's still fair. I think of it as one snapshot in time and a personal experience of that moment which is why I always laugh when people take it so personal when they don't agree with whatever a reviewer is saying. Write your own review then! Hayes Valley is an ever evolving place. Besides a place I spent a lot of time at currently, it's a vibrant, a tad rowdy, attractive to slightly younger crowd, expensive and slightly hipster. Nearby to lots of museums, governments buildings, boutiques, and restaurants.

great facilities. conor is a great guy, very attentive and professional. Still need to try the…read moresteam room

Oh the history, architecture and beauty of Nob Hill. It is enhanced by reading Adah Bakalinsky's…read morebook "Stairway Walks in San Francisco". The author is quite thorough with the history of neighborhoods in SF. We use her book to explore different neighborhoods every month. Each walk offers fascinating information. Nob Hill was no exception. One must walk the area to truly observe the beauty. Grace Cathedral is a special place to see and the Fairmont during the holidays is always incredibly festive.

Review #1,000. A…read morereview about Nob Hill and a specific personal memory of this place. Today is my friend KW's birthday. Or at least that's what I was told by her many year's ago. But then when she passed away a few years ago, I read a different birthday date posted on her obituary. So maybe I messed up and always celebrated her birthday one month sooner than her actual birthday, but she never corrected me. She's that kind of person. A kind person, a truly wonderful person, someone who just kind of goes with the flow. KW lived in Nob Hill. She was my dad's (an artist) student when I met her. I admired her as a child because she did things her way even though nothing was easy as I learned as an adult. Her life was somewhat glamorous, but not without difficulties that we all have to go through in this life and although I won't go into too much details, I will always remember her being beautiful and had a harp and cats in her apartment. She lived just a few steps down the hill from the Ritz. I remember her kindness, her appreciation for life which was contagious, her love of cats, especially black cats, and her love of people. She helped a homeless/unhoused person found housing/shelter. She loved this vibrant neighborhood. Nob Hill is famous for many fine hotels, the Grace Cathedral, and tons of history in the many buildings that surrounds it. But in these hills, there are many stories, some known and many untold. Time moves on, continuous, every day with new people and experiences. Many of these stories/experiences --forgotten. Thus why I want to write these thoughts down. Whether you are local or a visitor, Nob Hill has lots to offer. If you want fancy hotels or hole in the wall restaurants, this place has them. Probably most visited as it's nearby to downtown, Chinatown, Fishermans' Wharf, North Beach and Pacific Heights. I hope you enjoy the history of this place, the diversity of food offerings, and the cable car rides, ding ding as each one slides up and down these storied hills.