Was taking a fine stroll around Chinatown when I happened upon this tunnel. Brightly painted red…read moreand yellow on opposing ends, it was nights like these I was glad I wasn't driving. Traffic was congested even before the entrance of the tunnel, though the drivers were remarkably patient without honking away. Seems like the "Quiet Through Tunnel" sign actually worked. While these two lanes heading out of Chinatown were backed up, the singular opposing lane was more or less empty. A few other pedestrians were passing through that evening. One was blasting music from his phone, while another was practicing his high notes out loud, so even without the honking their sounds bounced and reverberated. There were scraps of refuse here and there along with an abandoned scooter, but for the most part it was a clean path. Walls included the words Chinatown on one end and Union Square in English and Chinese along with an assortment of koi paintings. I decided to come back in the morning when the traffic was at a minimum and check out the scenery above the tunnel. The stairway going up was smelly and less maintained than the tunnel, though once I was back on the streets, it was a pleasant experience walking downhill to Chinatown.

I have walked through the Stockton Street Tunnel many times over the years. Sadly, over the last…read morefew years, especially during the COVID period, it was poorly maintained, and the sidewalks were littered with garbage. However, a few days ago, while walking toward Chinatown through the tunnel on the left side, I found it much cleaner than it had been in recent years. Granted, I still noticed a few signs of the challenges the area has faced, but overall, the tunnel felt much cleaner and better maintained. The Stockton Street Tunnel opened on December 29, 1914. It connects downtown San Francisco to Chinatown and North Beach. It was designed to avoid the steep climb over Nob Hill. It originally accommodated electric streetcars, but today it carries traffic and Muni buses. Personally, every time I walk through it, I appreciate not having to climb to the top of Nob Hill and then head down the other end. It is also a big help to drivers, like me, who need to drive from one side of the hill to the other.

After our indulgent snacks, we decided to walk off some of the food, so upon leaving the Ferry…read moreBuilding, I made an executive decision and had us walked toward the direction of Pier 39. Shortly after, we encountered lots of street vendors selling hot dogs which is something new (for me). I mean, one or two here and there, I get it. But there were like rows of 10 all selling the same thing--grilled hot dogs. Bizarro! (Edit: My friend reminded me that some of them were selling drinks and they have alcohol. Not judging and I'm not the prohibition police, but Wow, this just continues to surprise!) And then we saw a bunch of people gathered for a labor strike. So maybe they were there to feed them? By this point, my friend was looking for a public bathroom. We found one but it was locked so we continued on towards Pier 39. Mission to find a bathroom aside, it was a great day for a nice walk on this historic path that used to be where all the ships were docked back in the Wild, Wild West Days. A lot of San Francisco was built on top of sand dunes and crumbling rocks, so you can really feel the history here, but the actual walkway is very paved and even so no worries. I used to work nearby and saw some skeletons of buried ships when they had excavation done when a new building goes up, and usually they just document and leave the ship buried and built on top of it. It's pretty cool and definitely part of SF history. And if you don't want to walk or can't, there are a lot of what I would call peddling tuk tuk (pedicab) offering rides for a price. Or you can take the F street car that goes from Market Street all the way down to Pier 39.

As a local, I walk down here on a daily basis. I love doing my evening walks. Although I must admit…read moreit does it busy during "tourist season". It's a long haul but I think it's a beautiful way to see quite a lot of the city. I do have a difficult time dealing with bikes riding on the sidewalk instead of being on the designated bike lanes.

Urbano drive in the Ingleside terraces neighborhood is a beautiful historic area. The homes are…read morekept very well and the street encompasses approximately a mile long known formally as a racetrack. If you plan to buy here , please follow the rules and guidelines as part of the homeowners association, in keeping the character of this neighborhood. Beware, we have some sharp eyes around that will report any one that is not obiding by the specification and codes in this area, or you will be asked by the city planning to cease and follow all guidelines. I do wish that some neighbors would do more to keep up the appearance of their landscapes and front lawns - Otherwise, you won't find a better neighborhood with good public transportation, and homes with beautiful lawns and plenty of street parking. .

On the suggestion of my friend Chery D., I decided to write a review about Urbano Drive in the…read moreIngleside District of San Francisco. Living in the 21st century in a bustling commerial city with modern gadgets and gizmos, we San Franciscans tend to forget the rich history of this beautiful and glorius place - that San Francisco existed as part of the wild west that had to be slowly tamed to the city we know today (if we can call our city "tame"). And each neighborhood had its part in history to help it. Urbano Drive is a one-mile loop in the neighborhood Ingleside neighborhoord less than half a mile from San Francisco State University. In this quiet residential neighborhood one would never guess that this was once a place of recreation for San Franciscans away from the booming, developing city in the early 1900s. The one mile- loop that is Urbano Drive follows the one mile loop of the Ingleside racetrack that was built in about 1895. Hundreds of people dressed in their Sunday best to partake in the horse racing while sipping on mint juleps and braving the infamous San Francisco fog. This race track then held the 1st car race west of the Mississippi. The life of the race track was short lived and after the 1906 earthquake, the neighborhood housed San Franciscans who lost their homes. The once famous San Francisco race track slowly began to turn into a neighborhood of homes and developers quickly wanted to draw more residents in. As a gimmick, a large sundial was built in the neighborhood which was then known as the world's largest Sundial. today, it is the world's 2nd largest Sundial. The Sundial still stands today for all to see. It's one of San Francisco's hidden treasures, hidden within the area surrounded by Urbano Drive. Today, the houses you see are full of character, some are even the original houses where the jockeys once resided. The neighborhood is peaceful and beautiful and is always worthwhile to take a peek at the sundial. So on your next run why not consider Urbano drive's one mile loop as your track and channel the spirits of the horses that once flew over the track? And then stop in by the sundial and revel at the world's second largest sundial that we can proudly say belongs to San Francisco.

This is a fascinating mural at the intersection of Broadway and Columbus Ave in SF. It's hard not…read moreto appreciate the detailed scene along the building, renowned musicians (jazz pianist Teddy Wilson, Gene Krupa on the drums, and Benny Goodman playing the clarinet), along with other noteworthy figures and SF landmarks in the background. The talented artist, Bill Weber, has created paintings and artworks throughout the nation, including architectural designs for New York skyscrapers and Las Vegas hotels and casinos. This particular piece easily captures my attention, with its bluish hues and eye-catching piano keys, every time I pass through this part of Chinatown during my excursions in the city.

This is an impressive mural that has become an iconic part of North Beach for over 20 years. It's 4…read morestories high and more than 100 feet long. The mural features Benny Goodman, Teddy Wilson, and San Francisco legends such as Herb Caen, Emperor Norton, and San Francisco mayors. The artist has been restoring the mural since 2004 but is still seeking donations because the city has not contributed to the restoration. http://murals.wordpress.com/2007/06/11/bill-webers-jazz-mural/

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.

Excited to be back for a short stay in my hometown! You can take the girl out of the east bay but…read moreyou will never take the east bay out of the girl :) of the many things I missed is the nice mild weather and cool breeze. Growing up I didn't appreciate the following but now I see what makes Fremont such a great place to live: 1) community services- lots of great local services through the city 2) parks and walking trails 3) bike lanes and biking paths 4) happy people (did you see the latest survey?) 5) good variety of restaurants Overall, it's a great city to live or visit. Stop by and enjoy some quality time in this nice city in the east bay!

I am not a resident, but I do work in Fremont - central Fremont near the government center. I am…read moregoing on 3 years working in this fine city and enjoys the job and Fremont. This city is very diversified and has loads of restaurants for all taste buds. Being partial to Chinese and Indian food, I have no problem stuffing my face comes lunch time. Traffic is manageable. The roads are well maintained. Parking is seldom an issue (with some exceptions, of course, the shopping centers along Mowry can be a drag). The 2 senior centers, called Age-Well Centers, is a great resource to the elderly residents. The original one is in Lake Elizabeth and the newer one is in South Fremont, near Warm Springs Rd. I am not a senior so cannot access the services, but I have gone to both locations for lunch and liked the food loads. The meals are absolutely delicious and very affordable. And speaking of Lake Elizabeth, it is such an amazing park/recreational area, all-purpose community party central. For those who have been there you know what I am talking about. For those who have not been to Lake Elizabeth, please head over for a look, I am also certain you will love it.

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.

This neighborhood has been home to me again now for almost a year and if you're an SF native like…read moreme, you might like this neighborhood more than other ones because it still has a genuine local feel to it. If you're wondering where all the Latinos went after gentrification hit the Mission, we are here, along with other immigrant families. So Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outer_Mission,_San_Francisco) says this neighborhood is "bounded by Geneva Avenue, Alemany Blvd and Mission Street" but I feel like the Excelsior can be included in "the Outer Mission." I consider my hood to be anything after Bernal Heights (so, for locals, anything after that one overpass near Silver). Anyway, like I was saying, there are a lot of locals here and almost no hipsters in sight. You are bound to run into a couple at Broken Record, but that's about it. Mostly you'll run into people you went to high school with at the Little Caesar's on Geneva, or see little old ladies pushing around carts with groceries or laundry. It is easy to get to any part of the City from here, but the only hassle is getting here late at night after the clubs. BART stops running at about 1am, the 26 doesn't exist anymore, and unless you wanna be on the 14 with a bunch of kids tryna earn their gang stripes and professional alcoholics for a good 45 minutes, then you're pretty much stuck taking a cab to get back here. Minus one star for that and also because the fog is almost chronic here.