Author's note: Warning—this is a blog-style post based on a social media post. Beware typos and poorly elucidated thoughts. For more polish, perhaps try an article!
#1: Looking south along Church Street into the Noe Valley, while waiting for the inbound J Church
Earlier this year I was in San Francisco, and while I normally like to focus on something a bit more intellectual, sometimes a place is just so gorgeous that all I can do is sit back and enjoy the aesthetics. Hope this series melts your urbanist heart like it melts mine!
#1: Looking south along Church Street into the Noe Valley, while waiting for the inbound J Church. (Full size)
#2: A view of the skyline from where I was staying, atop a relatively small hill. Leaving in the morning, coming home at night—whether in the sun or the fog—was just stunning. I could get used to this, if only I could afford it... (Full size)
#3: Alamo Square in San Francisco is (rightly) famous for one particular view. And while "The View"™ is a great one, it shouldn't overshadow what is by all rights a gorgeous urban park—one with gorgeous views of The City's urbanism in all directions. Especially love the built/"natural" environment contrast, although William Cronon is probably rightfully mailing me a punch to the face as we speak.(Full size)
#4: Square to square: looking down Pierce from Alamo Square to Alta Plaza and its locally notable steps. I just love how this images visualizes a transect of the Western Addition—a regular, everyday part of the city—in a way that only hills can. (Full size)
#5: Though there is many more to come, this is arguably my favorite picture of this series... San Francisco might be the most dog-friendly large, urban city I've ever been in. It seems like every other household owns a dog—and not small breeds, either. And yet, most are well behaved city dogs. A great example of how animals can add to the quality experience of urban life—they make being around just that much nicer.(Full size
#6: An alley in Pacific Heights. So gorgeous, so colorful, so human scale. What else is there to say? *heart melts* (Full size)
Author's note: Warning—this is a blog-style post based on a social media post. Beware typos and poorly elucidated thoughts. For more polish, perhaps try an article!
On Sunday, June 24, 2018, I found myself on my way to San Francisco, for a week of urban exploration, research, and—yes—vacation. A few weeks before my trip however, I had gotten some frustrating news: the day after I arrived, the Twin Peaks tunnel—a major part of the city's light rail/subway infrastructure—was closing for a two month long reconstruction and refurbishment. This was a minor inconvenience, to be sure—even though I wasn't staying somewhere I needed to use the tunnel, no one wants to experience a city's major transit disruption. But more than that, I am a self-avowed transit nerd, and for all of my love of San Francisco, I had never found the opportunity to ride this part of its transit system in all my adult trips to the city. Read more...
Author's note: Warning—this is a blog-style post based on a social media post. Beware typos and poorly elucidated thoughts. For more polish, perhaps try an article!
So, after spending a week in San Francisco, I have to say that—and I'm sure locals will disagree—I found its bus system to be both exemplary and a joy to use. Read more...
