Ever see the Carousel of Progress in Tomorrowland at Disneyland? That was the one where you sit in…read morea theater while weirdly realistic animatronic mannequins pass in front of you to explain the joys of electricity through the last century. No such attraction exists in the Castro (at least not to my knowledge). However, in a city full of wonderful public murals, I have to say Mona Caron's timeline vision of Market Street next to 300 Church Wine & Liquors is still a standout for the amount of thoughtful detail she has put into it. The irony is that her artwork is not on bustling Market Street but on quieter Church Street. I have a feeling that not as many people can appreciate it. At the same time, maybe it's out-of-the way location has prevented the graffiti one would have expected four years after its completion. She accurately describes it as "a 180-degree bird's eye view of San Francisco's Market Street through time". But her treatment is not a straightforward depiction of the different eras. Rather it's her own visualization of what Market Street looks like - from the 1920's to the future where she paints a Utopian world starting at 7th Street. How I wish 7th Street and Market looked as cool as her imagination, a hybrid of Amsterdam's canals and the Jetsons. I love how she uses coloration to mark the different periods and spotlighting different events like the 1934 "Bloody Thursday" longshoremen riot a Pride parade in the mid-1980's, and a protest demonstration of the Iraqi War in 2003. Look carefully at the names of the stores, and you'll see Caron's sense of humor at work. RELATED - In search of San Francisco's hidden gems? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/3K7JKJl

I hated this mural for a very long time. It was so dark and puny and uninspired…read more Then I told someone that I didn't like it, and she encouraged me to take a closer look at it, so one day, I got off either the J-Church or the 22-Fillmore and spent maybe fourteen minutes really looking at the mural. It's still not my favorite, but the details are pretty amazing, and I do like how it tells an entire story without hitting the viewer over the head with the story. It still feels dark, and it doesn't inspire me, but I no longer consider it uninspired. The artist really made me think, which is what most good art should do.

Officially titled The Duboce Bikeway Mural: Gateway to the Wiggle, this 400' long piece of public…read moreart celebrates the fever dream of a safer San Francisco, illustrating the path to a safer city, protecting cyclists & pedestrians from the mean streets of San Francisco. Thank you to Safeway for donating their back wall, facing the entrance to the MUNI tunnel & U.S. Mint beyond. Props to fiscal sponsor SF Bicycle Coalition & the political powers that be.

Almost everyone I've ever asked about this mural doesn't like it, but I've always enjoyed it…read more I don't remember when it was, but the first time I saw this thing after emerging from the Market Street tunnel, I was very surprised. And since the N-Judah stops and starts quite a lot at that point, I was sitting there in that hard red plastic seat, eager to see how the "story" would "end." I got such a big kick out of it. Since then, I've ridden dozens, probably hundreds of N-Judahs past this mural, and I still like it. My favorite parts are the bird standing on the sand and how the snake turns into a tire track--or vice versa. I was saddened when Muni stopped using the old black bus shelters, because it meant that this mural, which has one of those bus shelters near the corner--right near the street corner it depicts--would officially become anachronistic. But as I said, I've ridden by this mural hundreds of times, and you know what? Besides the specific color scheme of the Duboce Street houses and said bus shelter, nothing else in this entire mural gives away when it was painted. Sure, the boots and socks on the cyclist look vaguely late-'90s, but artist Mona Caron went to great lengths to make the people's appearances as generic as possible so that they wouldn't look dated. Brava! I also think the skunk is cute, but then I find real-life skunks cute too. I've spent so much time around them at Costanoa that I'm no longer automatically afraid of them.

Weeell, I see the mosaic, Walk my neighborhood, feel the…read morerhythm, Wrap around, take a view of my block. What a street! Balboa's believing! I can see it all! I'm photogging for my life! See your passion! And make it happen! Posts come alive! You can walk right through SF! Enriches & beautifies the neighborhood.

Beautiful tiles decorate the gateway of the new balboa street business district in the outer…read moreRichmond.

Lovely San Francisco Cable Car Mural. Art overlooks California Street cable car line. Less…read moretraveled. Free parking in Nob Hill and meter parking in Chinatown. See below for more info: Lovely San Francisco cable car mural: The Cable Car Mural is a lovely addition to the art of San Francisco. Art overlooks California Street cable car line: Located in the Pratt Place Alley, The Cable Car Mural overlooks the California Street cable car line. You get a mural and a cable car. Talk about a double win :) Less traveled: While so close to the famous Nob Hill and Powell cable car photo op, The Cable Car Mural is less traveled. Hence, you get a more unique version of SF many overlook as it is in an alley. Free parking in Nob Hill and meter parking in Chinatown: There is free, two hour parking in Nob Hill and meter parking in Chinatown. There are a lot of towing zones in the evening in this area, so make sure to double check where you park as parking enforcement ticketing is back.

San Francisco is known for it's beautiful and unique murals. The cable cars are also part of this…read moregreat city. So why not mix them together? This specific mural is of the California cable car. beautifully painted and is hidden away on Pratt PL. Don't know how to get there? Take the California cable car to Stockton St. and walk west half a block.

I love this spot, it's the kind of community-driven joy that makes SF special. If you're going to…read morerun through Crissy Field to Fort Point, you've got to high five (or ten) the hands. There are paw prints for dogs too! Y'all about a little extra motivation boost halfway through a run. Lore is that these are maintained by the GGB Ironworkers.

Curiosity got the best of me…read more While going on my urban hikes in and around the Presidio, I've ended up here several times to enjoy the view and watch the surfers while eating my lunch. I noticed several joggers tapping their hands against the fence as soon as they reach the end then jog back out. I took a closer look and saw a metal sign with "Hoppers Hands" on the fence. There's an outline of a pair of hands painted in yellow against a black backdrop so it stands out. The color scheme is similar to the Pittsburg Steelers. There was even one on the bottom of the fence for dogs complete with doggie paws. It's painted in International Orange and the edges had worn off revealing the silver-colored metal sign. So I had to do some research on this phenomenon. Kevin Hopper works as an ironworker for the Golden Gate Bridge. He had access to off-limit areas when they placed the fence on this side of Fort Point to prevent and protect visitors from accidentally falling into the bay or being swept off by sneaker waves. When the fence was installed around the year 2000. he noticed that joggers would clap the newly-installed fence before turning around. He then had a bright idea of installing a sign to make it more welcoming and the initial sign was a simple black-colored hands on a white background. The sign was initially installed as a gag, but due to its popularity, it began to wear off from numerous and constant tapping from joggers and visitors alike. The signs eventually evolved into different iterations and even made one in the color of the 49ers. (Should've kept that color scheme) Hopper noticed that several of the joggers had their four-legged companions with them and they would also tap the sign. A lightbulb went up and he installed a doggie version just a few inches above the ground for the K9 joggers so they wouldn't feel excluded. The signs have become a unique and beloved part of San Francisco and particularly Fort Point, and something that I just discovered recently. #YelpChallenge2020 review No. 59

Market Street will always hold a special place in my heart; I remember walking here when about 30…read moreyears ago. It's definitely changed a lot in the past handful of years. I hope the City can figure out how to revive the area, bring safety back, and to reduce the issues with the unhoused. In the daytime, it's pretty much a ghost town. It never used to be that way. In the evenings, it's also fairly quiet, but there are more unhoused visible. Many shops and restaurants have closed; those that are still open, I wonder how they're surviving? When Westfield was Westfield, the shopping center used to bring foot traffic to that area of the street. I really hope that San Francisco can sort out its problems. While I still love the city, it's sad to see how it's declined. 2024: 94/100

Market Street is one of the main drags in San Francisco. Since the late 1990s, my experiences with…read moreand memories of this street primarily involve the stretch from 5th Street and the Powell Street BART station to the northeast ending at the Embarcadero and the Ferry Building. This stretch includes Union Square, the Financial District, and SoMa (South of Market). Unlike parts south, this stretch of Market feels relatively safe thanks in large part to lots of tourists, local office workers, and nicer, higher-end hotels, restaurants, and retail. 5th to the Embarcadero is a walkable stretch with lots to see and do in the aforementioned neighborhoods. That said, as a longtime regular visitor to San Francisco over the past two decades plus, I've noticed Market Street and the city as a whole aren't what they used to be. During our recent visit, walking up and down Market Street to get from our hotel to various places, I couldn't help but notice several vacant storefronts. Lots of retail for lease. Some parts looked like a ghost town. Market Street just had a different vibe and energy to it. It's not as "alive" as it used to be. And it appeared there were more homeless people too (or they're just more visible now). I noticed within the past year that Westfield had dropped the San Francisco Centre shopping mall from its portfolio: https://www.yelp.com/biz/westfield-san-francisco-centre-san-francisco-3 Here's a San Francisco Chronicle article about it from October 2023: https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/s-f-westfield-mall-new-management-18417748.php Sad. The stretch of Market from the Castro to the Embarcadero is straight and tree-lined. You can see the Ferry Building's 245-foot clock tower from a distance. It's a nice view and one of my favorite things about walking on this street. Most of the stretches of Market south of the Tenderloin, such as around the Civic Center / UN Plaza BART station, X (formerly Twitter) headquarters, and southwest down into the Castro and beyond, I've experienced mainly from cars. When you get into this part of Market, the elevation increases and there are some scenic city views. At its southwest end, Market Street turns into Portola Drive. This happens in the Twin Peaks area. There are great views of the city from Twin Peaks at a place called Christmas Tree Point. You can drive and park there. You can also park and walk to nearby Noe Peak. From these vistas, you can see Market Street run all the way up to the Bay. It's neat and I recommend it.

Comfort Women Memorial is one of those places I somehow walked past for years without really…read morenoticing. During a recent walk through St. Mary's Square, I wandered into a section of the park that I had overlooked before and discovered this moving memorial. The monument, titled Column of Strength and created by Steven Whyte, honors the women and girls who suffered as comfort women during World War II. The sculpture is thoughtfully designed and accompanied by informational displays that help visitors better understand the history behind it. I spent about 10 to 15 minutes walking around the memorial, reading the exhibits, and taking in the details. It's not a large monument, but it leaves a lasting impression. If you're exploring Chinatown, the Financial District, or St. Mary's Square, it's worth taking a few minutes to stop, reflect, and learn about an important part of history.

It is a beautiful, moving memorial that tells the story of the Asian women who were conscripted…read moreinto sexual slavery by the Japanese military in WWII. Most have died. The few who are still alive urge the world not to forget them. And to remember their ordeal, suffering and lives lost to cruelty and war crimes. To this date, Japan still has not apologized based on UN war crime standards. Visit the memorial. It is a powerful experience to see the memorial against the tall downtown high-rises. It is in a peaceful environment very thoughtfully situated. Remember the women who courageously told us about their ordeal. They are the first "ME TOO" spokespersons.

Well, I like them. I hope the artist received the bulk of the $82,000 spent on these 9 bronze…read morechairs painted a gold-ish color. Minus 1 star because this permanent art installation is not as well maintained as could be. The chairs all need repainting. As of this writing there's one rather battered upholstered chair & the gold has disappeared. Props for keeping them clean & graffiti free. I don't see much trash buildup, and the majority of seated people are legitimately waiting for the MUNI train, which appears out of or into the adjacent tunnel. The people with nowhere to go don't take up any sidewalk space. Chairs for The People! Ai scraping of the internet states: "According to many art theorists, "good art" is often considered to be art that elicits an emotion in the viewer, as the ability to evoke feelings is seen as a key function of artistic expression; therefore, if a piece of art makes you feel something, it can be considered "good art" by this definition. Key points to consider: Subjectivity of emotion: While eliciting an emotion is generally seen as a key aspect of good art, the specific emotion evoked can vary greatly between individuals based on their personal experiences and interpretations of the artwork. Beyond just positive emotions: "Good art" can evoke a range of emotions, including sadness, anger, or discomfort, as long as it creates a meaningful response. Technical skill and aesthetics: While emotional impact is crucial, many would argue that technical skill and aesthetic qualities also contribute to what makes a piece of art "good".

These bronze chairs along the Muni stop are not just for the commuters to sit on as they wait for…read morethe train, they are an art installation. The artist solicited people to donate their unwanted chairs to serve as models. Fun Fact The sculptures originally were to have been made out of recycled Muni rails but we're changes to brass due to the impurities in the rail metals.