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ALAMO SQUARE One of the most photographed locations in San Francisco, Alamo Square's famous "postcard row" at Hayes and Steiner Streets is indeed a visual treat. A tight, escalating formation of Victorian houses is back-dropped by downtown skyscrapers, providing a stunning contrast. The grassy square itself is an ideal midday break. One of 11 historic districts designated by the Department of City Planning, the area includes several bed and breakfast inns.

PACIFIC HEIGHTS

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Stately Victorians crown hills blessed with glorious views in San Francisco's most prestigious neighborhood. Consulates, finishing schools and condominiums share this tree-lined perch with The City's wealthiest families. Jackson Street near the northwest corner of Alta Plaza Park is a good place to begin a tour of the neighborhood's mighty mansions. The house tour reaches its apex along the Broadway bluff between Webster and Lyon Streets. Of historical and architectural interest are the Spreckels Mansion, 2080 Washington Street; the Whittier Mansion, 2090 Jackson Street and the Bourn Mansion at 2550 Webster Street The area also boasts magnificent views of San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge

FILLMORE Near Pacific Heights on Fillmore Street south of Broadway are a number of intimate cafes and restaurants as well as a concentration of upscale clothing, kitchenware and home furnishings stores. Foreign films fascinate at the import film house on Fillmore near Clay. The 2000 to 2200 blocks offer a smorgasbord of shops dealing in vintage clothing, costumes and the "next-to-new." The Juneteenth Celebration is an outdoor event held each June to celebrate African American culture. Jazz and All that Art on Fillmore, a lively street fair held during the July 4 weekend, celebrates the area's deep jazz roots

THE MARINA

The Marina was developed on the site of the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition. Marina Green, a grassy playground with stunning views of the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco Bay, attracts joggers, sunbathers and kite fliers. The terracotta Palace of Fine Arts is home to the hands-on science museum, Exploratorium. Off Marina Boulevard, streets are dominated by grand stucco houses and flats. Chestnut Street brims with inviting stores, restaurants and watering holes.

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RICHMOND DISTRICT In the Richmond District it is possible to shop in a Russian grocery, sip a beer in an Irish pub and have dinner in a Chinese restaurant, all within short walking distance of one another. A myriad of cultures inhabit the Clement Street shopping sector and Geary Boulevard. Russian bakeries offering piroshki and kulich bread adjoin Greek delis and kosher meat markets. With an estimated 35 percent of The City's Chinese-Americans residing in the area, Chinese food markets, restaurants and dim sum parlors so abundant that the area is known as The City's second Chinatown.

SACRAMENTO STREET Outer Sacramento Street near Presidio Avenue has blossomed into a pleasant shopping sector similar to Union Street. A five-block cluster of shops, galleries and boutiques provides a quaint getaway. Interspersed with vintage houses are coffee houses and a theater featuring film imports.

TENDERLOIN Thousands originally from Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam have given this 20-square-block district west of Union Square new life. Sermons on social justice blend with rockin' choir music on Sundays at Glide Memorial Church on Ellis Street, symbolizing the neighborhood's resurgence. An experimental theatre house, jazz and blues clubs, 200 restaurants and cafes, bookstores and billiards point to an upbeat feeling.

UNION SQUARE

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The landmark park in the heart of the City, San Francisco's Union Square re-opened on July 25, 2002 after an 18-month renovation. Sporting new granite plazas, a new terraced stage on Post Street, light sculptures designed by artist R.M. Fischer, a new café and four grand entrance corner plazas bordered by the park's signature palms, the remodeled square pays tribute to the Square's distinctive history and captures the unique flavor and beauty of San Francisco.

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UNION STREET

The first neighborhood in San Francisco to convert its gingerbread Victorians into popular boutiques, art galleries and restaurants, Union Street's distinct turn-of-the-century atmosphere makes a walk along its streets a delightful journey back in time, at least from an architectural perspective. The attitude along modern day Union Street, however, is anything but old-fashioned. This is where some of The City's most fashionable and upscale citizens live and play. •Numerous coffee houses serve some of the best caffe latte in The City and offer an ideal spot for people-watching. •Dozens of bars are particularly popular among the singles set, especially the legendary "Bermuda Triangle" at Greenwich and Fillmore. •The Octagon House, 2645 Gough Street at Union Street was built in 1861. The eight-sided, pale blue structure houses Revolutionary War playing cards (no Kings, Queens or Jacks), original signatures from 54 of the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence, and antique furniture from the 18th and 19th centuries. •The Vedanta Temple at 2963 Webster Street is among San Francisco's most unique edifices. This circa 1905 structure combines Colonial, Queen Anne, Moorish and Hindu architectural influences. Fascinating art stores and galleries are scattered throughout Union Street, exhibiting and selling everything from rice-paper lamps, stunning landscapes and cityscapes, crystal sculpture, vintage timepieces, the latest European fashions, Old World wooden toys, unique decorative arts and reproductions. The annual Union Street Spring Festival adds to the fun.

WESTERN ADDITION Embracing three historic districts-Webster Street, Bush Street-Cottage Row and Alamo Square- renowned for their Victorian architecture, the Western Addition is one of The City's most diverse areas. A thriving JapaneseAmerican community and the Center for African and African American Art and Culture on Fulton Street reflect the neighborhood's rich and varied heritage. A platform for the discussion of issues and trends affecting African Americans, the center also houses an art gallery and a theater. Visitors interested in learning all about The City's legendary volunteer fire companies should stop by the San Francisco Fire Department Pioneer Memorial Museum on Presidio Avenue at Pine Street. The Juneteenth Celebration is an outdoor event held each June to celebrate African American culture. 3

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4 CASTRO

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Steep streets and brightly painted Victorian houses give this upper Market "Gay Mecca" neighborhood that distinct San Francisco look. The Castro is a series of imaginative boutiques, bookstores and bars. Novelty items abound in shops at the end of Market Street between 16th and 17th Streets. The heart of the area is 18th and Castro Streets. Built in 1922 the Castro Theater, 429 Castro Street, survives as one of the last grand movie palaces, featuring revivals and pre-film concerts on the mighty Wurlitzer. The Names Project at 584 Castro Street, houses the AIDS memorial quilt. Each June, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride Celebration Parade draws nearly 500,000 participants and spectators. The Castro Street Fair unfolds each October

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HAIGHT HASBURY

The "Summer of Love" lives on mainly in stores throughout this charming Victorian sector; vintage clothing, books and records are abundant along Haight Street, the neighborhood's busiest stretch. Places of interest include 710 Ashbury Street, once home to the legendary musical group, the Grateful Dead; 112 Lyon Street, where famous singer Janis Joplin lived; Buena Vista Park, with its delightful views of The City; and, for architectural highlights, Masonic, Piedmont and Delmar Streets.

MISSION DISTRICT The heart of San Francisco's predominantly Hispanic neighborhood is 24th Street, a colorful collection of restaurants, taquerias, Mexican bakeries, fresh produce markets and specialty shops. Mission Dolores at 16th and Dolores Streets is the oldest structure in San Francisco. Many of The City's pioneers are buried in an adjacent cemetery. The largest concentration of murals in The City, each reflecting the pleasures, passions and pitfalls of their respective creators, adorn buildings, fences and garage walls throughout the neighborhood. May is an especially high-spirited month in the Mission District. That's when San Francisco celebrates Cinco de Mayo and Carnaval, each culminating with exciting parades. Carnaval is considered The City's version of Mardi Gras.

NOE VALLEY The heart of Noe Valley's remarkable "Little Village," 24th Street boasts a wide array of shops, public houses, outdoor cafes and restaurants, some slightly off-beat. Visitors can have their fortunes told at a clothing store or explore other retail outlets selling coffee beans and teas from around the world, goods from 50 nations, herbs and oils, hard-to-find magazines and poetry

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CHINA TOWN

6 The entrance to Chinatown at Grant Avenue and Bush Street is called the "Dragon's Gate." Inside are 24 blocks of hustle and bustle, most of it taking place along Grant Avenue, the oldest street in San Francisco. This city within a city is best explored on foot; exotic shops, renowned restaurants, food markets, temples and small museums comprise its boundaries. Visitors can buy ancient potions from herb shops, relax and enjoy a "dim sum" lunch or witness the making of fortune cookies.

•Portsmouth Square at Clay and Kearny Streets is generally considered the center of life; residents gather for board games, discussions and solemn tai chi rituals. •The Pacific Heritage Museum at 608 Commercial Street, on the site of the original San Francisco Mint, focuses on art of the Pacific Rim. •The Chinese Historical Society, 965 Clay Street, contains numerous artifacts tracing the history of Chinese immigration. •The Chinese Culture Center at 750 Kearny Street rotates exhibits of Chinese arts and crafts. •The former central telephone exchange of the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company stands at 743 Washington Street. Now a bank, it is the first Chinesestyle building constructed in San Francisco, and the exact site where California's first newspaper was printed. •Visitors to Ross Alley can watch fortune cookies being made; a small factory produces some 200,000 a year.

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SOUTH OF MARKET (SOMA) CITY FRONT DISTRICT

South of Market, also known as "SoMa," is two square miles of hot nightclubs, fashionable restaurants, experimental theaters, discount shopping outlets and art galleries. Bordering SoMa to the east is another emerging area known as the City Front District, encompassing the Steuart Street area north of Justin Herman Plaza and the Ferry Building. •The Yerba Buena Center for the Arts is a $44 million entertainment and art complex located at 701 Mission Street. Performances and exhibits showcase San Francisco's cultural diversity. The center adjoins Moscone Convention Center, The City's premier convention and exhibition facility. •The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, which opened a state-of-the-art building at Third and Howard Streets in January 1995, houses over 15,000 artworks representing the areas of painting and sculpture, photography, architecture and design, and the media arts. •South Park on Third Street between Bryant and Brannan streets is a charming place to relax. Several fine restaurants, studios and stores stocked with collectibles line its outskirts. •The Cartoon Art Museum, 655 Mission Street, is guaranteed to tickle funny bones with its collection of original cartoon art as well as a children's and interactive gallery. •The California Historical Society's new downtown museum at 678 Mission Street showcases the rich legacy of the Golden State. •The Pacific Telephone building at 140 New Montgomery Street was the first skyscraper built in San Francisco. It houses the Telephone Pioneer Communications Museum, showcasing a replica of Alexander Graham Bell's original telephone, communications memorabilia and exhibits. •Rincon Center on Spear Street offers shops, restaurants and 27 historical frescoes.

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The Folsom Street Fair is a popular South of Market annual event held in September, as is the Gardens Gallery Walk, a free tour of over two dozen galleries, museums, large sculptures and assortments of chalk art located throughout Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. 7

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CIVIC CENTER

San Francisco' s widest street, Van Ness Avenue, runs straight down the middle of Civic Center, a Beaux Arts architectural wonder where The City's symphony, opera and ballet dazzle audiences. One of the area's crown jewels, the War Memorial Opera House, is one of the world's greatest opera houses. This gem was designed by Arthur Brown, Jr., who also designed the newly renovated City Hall, and Coit Tower. The main library at Grove and McAllister Streets is one of the greatest public learning centers in the country and one of the most technologically advanced in the world. Over one million books, 400 electronic work stations, a children's discovery center, and special rooms on African American, Chinese, Filipino American, gay and lesbian works surround a light-filled atrium. One of The City's major convention venues, Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, hosts numerous concerts and public events throughout the yea

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JAPANTOWN NIHONMACHI

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The heart of Japantown is Japan Center, a five-acre complex of hotels, shops, theaters, sushi bars and restaurants at Post and Buchanan Streets. It is crowned by a five-tiered pagoda, a symbol of eternal peace. Locals call this sector "JTown." More than 12,000 residents of Japanese descent call it home. There is much to learn from this small slice of Japanese life •The shop-lined Nihonmachi Mall was designed to imitate a traditional Japanese village. •Food and flowers are often placed on the fine wood altar of The Konko Kyo Temple on Bush Street. •The Webster Bridge midway in the Japan Center evokes the Ponte Vecchio in Florence. Visitors wishing to take a little piece of Japantown home can purchase Japanese vegetable seeds for planting, silkembroidered kimonos, books on Japanese arts and crafts, silk calligraphy scrolls, tea ceremony utensils and many other traditional items. Each April, Japantown celebrates its Cherry Blossom Festival. Taiko drumming, martial arts, dollmaking and calligraphy demonstrations lead to a colorful parade

HAYES VALLEY A Short Distance from Civic Center lies Hayes Valley boasting galleries, antique shops, restaurants and book nooks. The New Conservatory Theatre Complex, a magnet for lovers of avantgarde theater; Audium, uniting space and music in a truly original context; and The San Francisco Performing Arts Library & Museum, covering the history of San Francisco performing arts, are additional visitor enticements along the Van Ness corridor.

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NOB HILL Of The City's many hills, Nob Hill boasts perhaps the best view of San Francisco Bay, especially when observed from a California Street cable car, running from the foot of Market Street, over the hill and down to Van Ness Avenue. Nob Hill's noble tenants include Grace Cathedral, a replica of Notre Dame in Paris; Huntington Park, site of many arts shows and graced by a replica of a 16th century Roman fountain; Nob Hill Masonic Center, an architectural dazzler hosting various musical events; the Cable Car Museum; and grand hotels

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NORTH BEACH / LITTLE ITALY

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North Beach, rich in Italian heritage compresses cabarets, jazz clubs, galleries, inns, family style restaurants and gelato parlors into less than a square mile. Bakeries and delicatessens serve up such traditional Italian delicacies as prosciutto, provolone, mozarella, St. Honore cake and sacripantina. A perfect spot for cappuccino and espresso, North Beach is transformed into one of San Francisco's most electric playgrounds by night; live music and dancing keep the streets swinging. •A fascinating mural by Anthony Klaas on the outside wall of a restaurant at Broadway and Columbus Avenue is considered a microcosm of life in San Francisco. •Sunbathing and snacking are popular pastimes in quaint Washington Square Park, bordered by Union, Filbert, Powell and Stockton Streets. •Saints Peter and Paul Church on Filbert Street, just off the square, is known as the "fisherman's church" because many of its parishioners once made their living from the sea.

•The Benjamin Franklin statue in the square was donated to The City in 1879 by Henry Cogswell, a dentist who struck personal gold fitting the mouths of pioneers with gold teeth during the Gold Rush era. •The North Beach Museum, 1435 Stockton Street, carries an excellent collection of vintage photographs tracing the neighborhood's early days. •Coit Tower atop Telegraph Hill is blessed with marvelous views. Murals on its ground floor walls were painted in 1933 by some 30 local artists; each piece depicting a different aspect of the Great Depression. •The Filbert Steps lie behind the tower, leading to small alleys replete with charming wooden cottages. Each June, the North Beach Festival, San Francisco's oldest street fair, unfolds along Grant Avenue and Green Street. Each October, North Beach celebrates its Italian heritage by paying tribute to Christopher Columbus. A series of traditional events that include the blessing of The City's fishing fleet and a festa in the wharf area culminate with a grand parade.

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FISHERMAN’S WHARF

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Eighty-seven percent of San Francisco's visitors include Fisherman's Wharf on their itinerary. With good seaso Waterfront marketplaces include The Anchorage, The Cannery, Ghirardelli Square and PIER 39. The Wharf's wo hub, "Fish Alley," sells thousands of tons of sole, shrimp, salmon, sea bass, squid and other deep sea delicacies annually. During the crab season (mid-November through June) devotees line up for the best of the catch. For an impromptu picnic, order some cracked crab and pick up a loaf of sourdough French bread from a nearby bakery. A fleet of historic ships berths at Hyde Street Pier, a component of the San Francisco Maritime National Historica Park, which also includes the Maritime Museum. The USS Pampanito, a WWII fleet submarine, may be boarded Pier 45. On The City's northern waterfront beyond Hyde Street Pier and the lagoon of Aquatic Park (this is a nice side trip from Fisherman's Wharf), the nearly four-mileGolden Gate Promenade winds past bocce ball courts through Fort Mason and Marina Green to Crissy Field, a shoreline retreat adjoining the Presidio, terminat Fort Point. Ahead lies the world's most incredible piece of outdoor sculpture, the majestic Art Deco-style Golden Gate Bridge. Completed in 1937 the bridge link Francisco to Marin County. For a real aerobic workout, climb the steps near Fort Point that lead up to the bridge and make "the walk of all walks."

THE « NEW » WATERFRONT The downtown waterfront district has been transformed with the removal of the Embarcadero Freeway. Promenades and tidal stairs descending right to the water's edge offer easy access. Cast off from King Street to explore the latest evidence of The City's waterfront renaissance. In the balmy South Beach district where a new neighborhood has risen, palm trees evoke southern inclinations. Sunny cafes with outdoor patios are plentiful. Skirting this area, Herb Caen Way along the southern Embarcadero is punctuated with historic plaques and pylons recalling events and people of the past. The SS Jeremiah O'Brien, the Liberty Ship which made an historic Atlantic crossing in the spring of 1994 to commemorate D-Day, docks at Pier 32. From here head north towards the Ferry Building, passing directly beneath the approach to the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. Nearby the Embarcadero Center's architecturally dramatic eight-block complex shelters 19 outdoor sculptures.

BEACHES For many visitors, Ocean Beach on the westernmost edge of The City is the first stop on the itinerary. The Pacific Ocean is always an exhilarating sight, especially for first-timers. The expansive windows of the Cliff House, erected in 1909, are a popular lookout. Just offshore are the abrupt outlines of Seal Rocks. They are usually inhabited by shore birds and a colony of stellar sea lions. Bring binoculars for a close-up. On a clear day the Farallon Islands some 30 miles distant are also visible. Swimming, it should be noted, is not allowed here. There are two other sandy pockets on The City's northern edge. China Beach at 28th Avenue and Sea Cliff, is one of the few swimming beaches in The City. Lifeguards on duty during the summer watch this cove. At Baker Beach, off 25th Avenue, swimming is dangerous, but the views of the Golden Gate are alluring for hikers, fishermen and picnickers. 12

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