San Francisco Stole My Heart

427MM · #1 Posted **Dec 23, 2006, 12:45 AM**

For those of you fortunate enough to live in this great city, my hat comes off to you. I have had the good fortune to visit every city in the U.S. with a population over two million, with the exception of Portland, Seattle, M-SP and Boston, and I must say that this gem of a city was the only one that had the audacity to steal my heart. I hope you enjoy my pictures.

Coming in over what I believe is Monterey.

First stop, Stanford. My mother and my aunt have always spoken fondly of their old school and I wanted to check it out.

Quite beautiful with a touch of Europe.

Hoover Tower rising up in the backgroung.

It was easy to picture my aunt running down all these halls trying not to be late.

The first time we saw the bridge, it was love at first sight.

Checking out some old embattlements left over from WWII.

Here is the view from just 30ft away. The cliffs are teeming with these old military installments.

The headlands had me completely mesmerized. Having lived all my life inland in both Atlanta and Austin, the grandeur of this made me fall to my knees and thank the world for offering up such beauty.

Those waves at Muir Beach are quick to deceive.

Now, that's better.

Then we headed over to Muir Woods National Monument.

Such immense trees, unfortunately we showed up at dusk so most of my pics are dark. When leaving we walked by Bob Saget who was out hiking with his family. This coming only a week after running into Sandra Bullock while on the Austin Forum Meet made me feel grateful for such chance events.

The next day we made it downtown and did the requisite run down Lombard.

Coit Tower with the Bay Bridge in the distance.

The next morning we took the ferry into the city and it was a fast moving boat to say the least.

Rincon coming along nicely.

Chinatown

The conclusion of our trip came when we headed back over the bay for the last time.

This trip gave me a whole new prospective for what an international city is suppose to be. Since we departed, we have both complained about symptoms which I would label as being similar to that of withdrawals. The natural beauty and excitement of this great city had us both on such a natural high that I truly do feel that SF has won my heart. Thanks for taking the time to look at our trip.

PacificNW · #2 Posted **Dec 23, 2006, 1:37 AM**

I understand your passion for a great city. Great Pics! Tks.

KevinFromTexas · #3 Posted **Dec 23, 2006, 1:37 AM**

Awesome! You lucky dog.

Sandra Bullock in Austin one week, then Bob Saget in San Francisco the next?!

Great pics. San Francisco is beautiful.

blade_bltz · #4 Posted **Dec 23, 2006, 4:00 AM**

nice pics of that *ahem* beautiful school *ahem* way down the Peninsula.

It's great to hear you gush over the City and the Bay. It's truly a special place.

potts · #5 Posted **Dec 23, 2006, 4:17 AM**

Great pics. San Francisco is truly world class city. Look forward to visiting again soon.

mSeattle · #6 Posted **Dec 23, 2006, 5:47 AM**

I want to visit really badly. Thanks for sharing the shots.

JRinSoCal · #7 Posted **Dec 23, 2006, 5:52 AM**

Nice pics. I was in SF in November right before Thanksgiving and had such a great time I almost didn't want to leave. It was a lot foggier when I went my skyline pics didn't come out that clear.

urban_encounter · #8 Posted **Dec 23, 2006, 5:47 PM**

Enjoyed the photo thread..

San Francisco easily seduces visitors and locals alike..

SunMonTueWedThuFriSa · #9 Posted **Dec 23, 2006, 8:45 PM**

Nice. SF has that effect on you. Still I find it a wonderful place to visit but a boring place to live.

427MM · #10 Posted **Dec 23, 2006, 9:08 PM**

Yes, it really did. Its tentacles are loosening as time passes though I still feel as if I would drop everything right now and return if it were feasible. We stayed in Marin County in a wonderfully decorated cabin perched on the side of a great hill where the only noises we heard other than nature were from our own activities. Then during the daytime hours I made sure to get to the city ASAP. Honestly though, it is really nice to have a city like Austin to come home to. SF will remain a great place to visit while Austin shall remain our home.

the urban politician · #11 Posted **Dec 24, 2006, 12:13 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SunMonTueWedThuFriSa

Still I find it a wonderful place to visit but a boring place to live.

^ What makes you say that?

sf_eddo · #12 Posted **Dec 24, 2006, 7:40 AM**

San Francisco steals my heart every minute of my life. I can't imagine being this happy anywhere else.

edluva · #13 Posted **Dec 24, 2006, 8:53 AM**

thanks for the pics. SF stole my heart decades ago. About fifty years after the song "I left my heart in san francisco" was written, the city continues to mesmerize visitors in the same way. It's hard to believe sometimes that cities are accidental.

oliveurban · #14 Posted **Dec 24, 2006, 1:51 PM**

Yea. I can understand why.

Codex Borgia · #15 Posted **Dec 24, 2006, 5:22 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SunMonTueWedThuFriSa

Nice. SF has that effect on you. Still I find it a wonderful place to visit but a boring place to live.

Boring!? I live in L.A. too, visit SF often to visit my bro and best friend-but I would hardly qualify it as boring. Decidedly different scene than L.A. and I suppose if its L.A. "glamour" that you're looking for then I guess I could understand your statement. But boring no way! SF offers a vibrant and energetic lifestyle that cannot be compared to L.A. where one has to traverse great expanses of concrete in an insular vehicle not really engaging the City in order to get to the "Next Best Thing"

Ex-Ithacan · #16 Posted **Dec 24, 2006, 7:40 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by urban_encounter

Enjoyed the photo thread..

San Francisco easily seduces visitors and locals alike..

Hit the nail on the head with that comment u_e.

Haven't been there in over 30 years, but it's still one of the most beautiful cities I've seen. Seduction indeed.
Thanks for the pics Greg.

Stratosphere 2020 · #17 Posted **Dec 24, 2006, 7:47 PM**

Great pics!

So far NYC was is my favourite US city, have not been to SF yet, but will do in the near future. You said you have been to most US cities over 2 million people, is SF better than NYC and in what way, what way not?

LostInTheZone · #18 Posted **Dec 24, 2006, 9:48 PM**

I was thought I was fully prepared, but San Francisco still absolutely blew me away when I went there this summer. I've never seen a place that fused natural and man-made beauty so well over such a large area.

If you want a nice refresher, watch "The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill". It really captures the spirit of the best of the city (and shows how it's threatened by the casually rich at the same time).