[OhioGuy]

This past weekend I flew to San Francisco to visit a friend in law school at Berkeley. It was my first trip to the Bay area and I must say I had a fantastic 5 days there! I timed my trip to coincide with the Castro Street Fair, but unfortunately I left the battery to my camera at his apartment in the East Bay that day (proprietary battery that isn't sold charged - couldn't buy a new one in San Francisco). So unfortunately no pictures from that event. But I do have photos from the Love Parade on Saturday - something I didn't even realize was happening that weekend until I arrived. Other than clouds & rain (late) on the day I arrived, I had picture perfect weather. I did some of the touristy stuff (Sausalito, Coit Tower, Lombard Street, etc), but I also tried to visit some neighborhoods that probably don't see quite as much tourist foot traffic, such as West Portal, Cole Valley, Inner Sunset, Noe Valley, & Hayes Valley. I love Chicago, but if there was some way for me to be able to split my time between here and San Francisco, I'd do it. Anyway, here are my photos of The City (and Sausalito too!). :)

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At the Civic Center following the Love Parade:
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F-Market Streetcar
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The above photo is the last photo I was able to take before my battery died on Tuesday, a few hours before I had to fly back to Chicago. It's unfortunate because I stumbled upon an incredible view not more than 10 minutes later at the intersection of Liberty & Rayburn. If anyone out there has some free time, please go there & snap some photos. The views of the west hills are amazing! :)

(btw, some of the photos are grainy because I'm still trying to learn how to use my new camera and at times I inadvertently switched the camera to a lower quality setting)

[peanut gallery]

Absolutely fantastic shots, OhioGuy! One of the most comprehensive SF threads we've seen on here. And you're very good at capturing the varied streetscapes. So glad you had a good time and were able to make it out to some of the neighborhoods. I hope you come visit again soon, so we can see more of your wonderful photos!

[Yankeebiscuitfan]

Two words: Wow and Wow.

Great pics.

[ShadowMaster]

Wow, indeed. This is what I call a mega tour which displays various locations in San Francisco. Excellent post.

[stepper77]

Fantastic photos. Glad you got to come out here and see so much of the city. You really did capture some amazing shots! Hoped you enjoyed yourself!

Cool too to see photos from the Love Fest. I, myself, was flying out to visit a friend in Colorado Saturday and saw lots of people on Bart dressed for the event. Thanks!

[denveraztec]

Wonderful tour. Love your beach shots and those in the Castro/Noe Valley. Can't believe Villian's is still in the Haight. Use to be the big punk store in the 80s. Can't wait to be hear next month! Thanks for getting my excitment level up!

[SLO]

Really nice job, I never get tired of that....

[ColDayMan]

Great job!

[City_boy12]

Beautiful!

[wisla_krakow]

good stuff!

[rajaxsonbayboi]

AWESOME!! pics of the city by the bay never get boring

[bigd]

Absolutely awesome pictures.

[Bergenser]

What an awsome San Francisco thread! :D

[TinChelseaNYC]

Nice shots! SF is eye candy.

[NYC4Life]

Damn! San Fran looks absolutely amazing. This had to be the best thread on the Bay Area, great job!

[ItsConanOBrien]

Quite the town! I am due for a visit also.

[kel]

The bay area is amazing

[Farrapo]

Amazing!

SF is my favourite city in the US (with NYC :D)!

Thanks for sharing these pics! They're great! ;)

[erasercut]

San Francisco has the amazing ability to make every other city look dull.

[10101000]

Great photos!

[M II A II R II K]

That was utterly spectacular.

[ChrisLA]

Nice set, glad you enjoyed the trip.

I guess I will be visiting the bay area once again in a couple of weeks.

[ltsmotorsport]

Damn son, you got around. I was just in the sunset myself this past weekend at my friend's new place and was impressed at how walkable parts of it are. Didn't really think of it that way until now.

You also got some amazing lighting in your shots. Prime example here:
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[flar]

Beautiful photos, a very enjoyable thread :cheers:

[OhioGuy]

Thanks everyone! I appreciate the comments. I don't think I've ever received this many before. :)

Absolutely fantastic shots, OhioGuy! One of the most comprehensive SF threads we've seen on here. And you're very good at capturing the varied streetscapes. So glad you had a good time and were able to make it out to some of the neighborhoods. I hope you come visit again soon, so we can see more of your wonderful photos!

Oh I definitely hope to visit again soon. I think I am now hooked on San Fran. :yes:

[Chelsea Spy]

fantastic photos - what a beautiful city!!

[Gordo]

Great shots! It's not too often that West Portal, the Inner Sunset, and Ocean Beach make it on a photo thread. Some good Sausalito pics too.

[skellergroup]

I love san fran

[StevenW]

San Francisco is my favorite city in the world!!! So beautiful on every level! :)
Awesome photo tour!!!

[edsg25]

This thread should be shut down before it causes heart palipitations. Be still my part. A thread this beautiful for someone having to see it and not be in San Francisco at the time is the ultimate tease.

So great to see neighborhood shots away from the downtown area, particularly west of Twin Peaks.

I'd be upset....if I didn't love your photo spread that much.

FABULOUS!

[mr1138]

Hands down the most beautiful city in the U.S. Arguably the most beautiful in the world!!

[TXLove]

Such a great set of photos.....thanks for sharing!!!!

[CHapp]

Oh wow! What a show, Ohioguy! :tup:

You surely did justice to this spectacular city and some of its surrounding areas.

[BTinSF]

A thread this beautiful for someone having to see it and not be in San Francisco at the time is the ultimate tease.


Consider if you live there--but aren't there. :wah:

On the other hand, here it's sunny and 80 degrees. :cool:

[Amanita]

I'm softly weeping looking at all those pictures. I can't describe how much I miss San Francisco. After a few days, it was amazing how much like home San Francisco began to feel. Far from the doom and gloom prophesied by a local medium, I felt happy and at ease most of the time I was there. The whole city just felt good.

If any of you SF natives notices Golden Gate Bridge's aircraft beacon glowing more brightly than normal, it's because I think I left part of my heart there. Likewise if the spire of the Transamerica Pyramid or the Bay Bridge's necklace lights seem a little brighter, they've got pieces of my heart for safekeeping too. Even those lovely little cable cars won my affection. I think I made a gripman's day when I told him that for me, those cable cars were not just a fun tourist ride- I seriously used them to get around, and worked the hell out of my muni pass that week.
Gods willing, I want to return to SF sometime next year. I'll have to post my own photo thread- it's got lots and lots of bridge and tower porn for you all to enjoy.

[BTinSF]

those cable cars were not just a fun tourist ride- I seriously used them to get around

Every time the subject comes up on SSP, I try to make the point that for some of us they are very practical transportation. You DO have to have a transit pass--otherwise the price is absurd. But, for example, for me the California St cable car is by far the quickest, easiest way to get to Chinatown or the Financial District and as good as any way to get to the Embarcadero.

[mSeattle]

Awe inspiring!

[Gordo]

Every time the subject comes up on SSP, I try to make the point that for some of us they are very practical transportation. You DO have to have a transit pass--otherwise the price is absurd. But, for example, for me the California St cable car is by far the quickest, easiest way to get to Chinatown or the Financial District and as good as any way to get to the Embarcadero.

Easiest maybe. Fastest? Meh, I'd take the 1, one or two blocks away depending on whether you're going inbound or outbound.

I think the cable cars are nice as a historic landmark and tourist trap, but practical transportation? They're extremely expensive to operate and the only line not overrun with tourists is duplicated by several trolleybus lines. This isn't to say that I want them to go away, just that their primary and really only purpose is for tourism. I do wish that the California line would be extended to Japantown or Fillmore St, to provide some kind of tourist destination for it.

[BTinSF]

Easiest maybe. Fastest? Meh, I'd take the 1, one or two blocks away depending on whether you're going inbound or outbound.

I think the cable cars are nice as a historic landmark and tourist trap, but practical transportation? They're extremely expensive to operate and the only line not overrun with tourists is duplicated by several trolleybus lines. This isn't to say that I want them to go away, just that their primary and really only purpose is for tourism. I do wish that the California line would be extended to Japantown or Fillmore St, to provide some kind of tourist destination for it.

The California St line is absolutely not "overrun with tourists". I have NEVER been unable to board the first car to pass me or leave if I'm at either end of the line. I can't say if it's faster than the 1 bus but it's a whole lot more pleasant.

I do NOT wish the California St line would be extended because the tourists have all they need now to keep them entertained and it works well for locals as it is.

You go ride one of Muni's lousy jerky busses with their cranky drivers and leave my cable car, with its smiling operators, to me and Amanita. We know how to get around our town.

PS--Along with thousands of other San Franciscans, I'd rather ride the Market St. streetcars than the subway too.

[Amanita]

I used the streetcars too- all those funky ones imported from goddess-knows where, little pieces of rolling history. Those were cool!
And I agree about the Cable Car operators- those guys seem to have a lot of fun at their jobs. Very happy most of the time. One of them took one look at me in my jacket and waistcape (essentially coattails disconnected from the coat) and asked me what I was the Goddess of. I said that at the moment, I wasn't quite sure. I should have pointed to my GGB belt buckle and said "Bridges!"

I even rode up from Fisherman's wharf hanging off the side of a car one night. Fun! I've heard that over the years, there have been plans to replace the cable cars with busses or other things, but really, they handle the hills like nothing else. Too bad Halifax doesn't have anything quite as cool as those cable cars where transit is concerned.

[Gordo]

The California St line is absolutely not "overrun with tourists". I have NEVER been unable to board the first car to pass me or leave if I'm at either end of the line. I can't say if it's faster than the 1 bus but it's a whole lot more pleasant.

I do NOT wish the California St line would be extended because the tourists have all they need now to keep them entertained and it works well for locals as it is.

You go ride one of Muni's lousy jerky busses with their cranky drivers and leave my cable car, with its smiling operators, to me and Amanita. We know how to get around our town.

PS--Along with thousands of other San Franciscans, I'd rather ride the Market St. streetcars than the subway too.

I clearly said that the California line was NOT overrun with tourists but WAS duplicated by several faster, much cheaper to operate trolleybus lines. The expense of operation SHOULD mean that the line cater to tourists - they cost more per passenger than any other transit form in town. Too me, that means that their purpose is tourism - or they have none. Otherwise, we should invest the money in other transit used by more people to make the city function.

I agree on the Market St streetcars though, just wish that there were more of them so that they weren't so crowded.

[OhioGuy]

I rode the Market Street streetcar, but I thought it was a little too slow. Too many slow downs for lights and too much time spent waiting for the crowds to board. So I preferred the subway where boarding/alighting the vehicles was much quicker. (though it is nice to be above ground where you can see what's happening - kind of why it's nice to sometimes take the brown line here in Chicago even though it takes a little more time to get downtown than taking the red line through the subway)

[nativeguy1964]

OhioGuy, glad you fell in love with our city. When you live here you here never ending criticism of just everything about it, but what you captured in your pics, shows this certain feeling you get here - if you pay attention - that makes all the alleged bad stuff face away. BTW if you look at your pic of great highway ( at the beach) and you see the road in the foreground and the sand dunes on the right - follow that ridge of san dunes to the big hill way in the distance and you're pretty much on top of the spot where the San Andreas Fault runs offshore, west of the gg bridge then back onshore in Marin County at Point Reyes. The land on the other side of that fault is bringing Los Angles ever closer to SF inch by inch - it'll take a while to get here but we are dreading it anyway....click and zoom: http://geology.com/san-andreas-fault/

[dktshb]

Great pictues! There are a lot of wonderful SF threads on this board right now.