Pier 39 was opened in 1978 as an entertainment, dining and shopping venue and has attracted thousands of visitors since its inception.
It has also attracted something else.
Sea Lions.
While sea lions have always been present in San Francisco Bay, they have only become a tourist attraction since 1989. Having always been seen on Seal Rock, the majority of the population has decided to change their location and starting lounging on the docks of Pier 39, where it is speculated that they feel safer.
Though the sea lions only appear seasonally, due to their migration habits, the best time to see them is during the spring, usually between February until June or July when they leave to seek out their food sources.
When they can be found at Pier 39, they are a source of pure entertainment for visitors with their playful antics. I enjoyed sitting on the platforms installed to provide optimum viewing of the large creatures which can weigh up to half a ton. They are known for their intelligence, playfulness and noisy barking but despite the fact that thousands of people come to see them every day, they usually avoid humans.
After you enjoy your free show at Pier 39, take some time to walk around, enjoy a great meal, buy some souvenirs and check out some of the performers that put on frequent shows on the premises.
No matter what you end up doing at Pier 39, however, you will always hear the blubbery creatures barking in the distance, so don’t feel bad if you have to go check them out one more time!
I did!
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If you want to see all that San Francisco has to offer, there is one place to go.
Coit Tower.
The slender white concrete column, rising from the top of Telegraph Hill, can be seen from throughout the city. Completed in 1933, it has attracted the attention of residents and tourists alike for its simple beauty and the 360 degree views it offers.
Having seen Coit Tower from afar, many times, I had never taken the time to make it up Telegraph Hill to see exactly what it offered. With the clear, spring day, complete with bright blue skies, spread out above me, however, I decided that it was high time to make the climb.
The grounds around the tower, Pioneer Park, were well-manicured and offered ample area to take a break on one of the many benches and enjoy the shade, especially after the steep climb. It’s also a great place to watch and look for its noisiest residents, a wild flock of parrots.
Entering the tower, I was directed to the gift shop to purchase an elevator pass to reach the observation deck and then made my way to the queue for the elevator. The elevator is quite small, slow, holds only about 8 people and is manually operated, so be prepared to wait, especially during peak times.
Stepping off the elevator into the sunshine flooding the upper area and filtering through the decorative arches, we eagerly made our way to the windows where, as far as the eye could see, was the Bay City! Sweeping views of the hills, valleys and the city’s most famous landmarks captivated our attention…the Golden Gate and Bay bridges, Alcatraz, the Transamerica Pyramid, Fisherman’s Wharf, Pier 39, Nob Hill, Russian Hill, Twin Peaks, Aquatic Park, the Financial District, the Ferry Building, Angel Island, Treasure Island and Lombard Street, as well as the five surrounding counties.
Though I was enjoying the comprehensive views of the city, I still wasn’t aware of the history of this intriguing structure, however, a chat with the tour guide gave me a bit of insight.
Lillie Hitchcock Coit, a wealthy, eccentric resident of the city passed away in 1929 and left one-third of her fortune for the purpose of adding beauty to the city that she so dearly loved. Designed by the architecture firm of Arthur Brown, Jr. (the designers of San Francisco’s City Hall), the 210 foot tower was built on Pioneer Park the former sight of an optical semaphore telegraph (1850), which was erected to alert residents of the arrival of ships. The tower was dedicated to the city’s volunteer firefighters that Lillie Coit so greatly admired. Another monument, also paid for with Coit’s funds and dedicated to the firefighters was erected in Washington Square. This sculpture depicts three firemen, one carrying a woman in his arms.
The tower is well known and often-depicted in advertisements and scenes hyping San Francisco. If you are a film buff and have a keen eye, however, you may have noticed Coit Tower highlighted in many films and television series. Hitchcock, himself, featured the tower in his 1958 film Vertigo and more recently, it appeared in the 2015 disaster film, San Andreas, the Eddie Murphy film, Dr.Dolittle and the television show, Charmed.
Once you have taken a tour of the top of the tower, make sure to spend some time to inspect the murals at the base of the tower. These murals were created by twenty-five local artists who were commissioned to create works of art which depict aspects of life in California.
Having made such an impression upon the city due to the generosity of Lillie Coit, honor her and take a walk up to the top of Telegraph Hill. After you see all that’s before you, I promise,
Address: 1 Telegraph Hill Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94133
Hours: April to October 1000-1800, November to March, 1000-1700. Closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
Admission: Elevator Entrance fee, San Francisco residents, Adults, $6, Seniors 62+, $4, Youth 12-17 years, $4, Children, 5-11 years, $2, Children under 2, free. Non-residents, Adults, $9, Seniors 62+, $6, Youth 12-17 years, $6, Children, 5-11 years, $2, Children under 2, free.
Having visited a large number of these districts on our globe, I have to say that when I searched for this information, I was surprised by how many exist.
Following the defeat by Britain in the first Opium War, in the mid-1840’s, a series of natural catastrophes, famine, uprisings and rebellions ensued in China. Thousands of Chinese left their homes in the search for opportunity in near and far away lands and many arrived on the west coast of the United States when news of the gold rush gave them hope for a better life.
Historically, the Chinatowns located in the United States have been located in larger cities such as New York City, Seattle, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago and Los Angeles with one of the most famous in San Francisco. There are, however, many Chinatowns in other countries as well, including Argentina, Cuba, Mexico, Peru, Canada, Mauritius, South Africa, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Belgium, France, Italy, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Australia.
I have visited quite a few on the list and they are all quite different.
Recently, I had the pleasure of accompanying my son to San Francisco on his Spring Break trip. It had been many years since my last visit to the Golden Gate City, but the first thing I wanted to show him was Chinatown. As we approached the Dragon Gate on Grant Avenue, I was quite excited to see what changes the enclave had gone through over the years.
The Dragon Gate was given to the city by the Republic of China and is inscribed with a message from the President of the Republic of China. Though I have seen bigger and more elaborate gates, I love this one for its simplicity and park-like feel. As we walked through the gate onto into the streets filled with antiques, souvenir shops, bakeries, restaurants and artwork, the familiarity returned and I remembered my first trip to San Francisco, before I began to travel the world, when I felt as though I had really entered another country.
Making our way up Grant Street, criss-crossed above with red Chinese paper lanterns, I marveled at the architecture, street art and signage. There are many notable buildings within Chinatown, including the Sing Chong Building (the most photographed piece of architecture in the area), the Bank of Canton (the Old Telephone Exchange), the Tien Hau Temple (the oldest Taoist Temple, founded in 1852), Old St. Mary’s Church (oldest cathedral in California and built by Chinese laborers) and many other culturally inspired structures, including ones on the notorious Waverly Place, an alleyway that has been used in many films and holds the first U.S. Post Office established in San Francisco.
Sing Chong Building
Bank of Canton
Tien Hau Temple
Old St. Mary’s Church
Waverly Place
The street art is some of the finest I have seen in the world and it’s advisable to duck into small streets and alleyways…you never know what you may find!
One thing that I regret missing out on, however, was a visit to the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory. Having always been fascinated by the sweet cookies that are consumed after a Chinese meal, I thought it would be an interesting place to see how the cookies are made and to bring home a few to my family. Hard to find in a small alley, we passed it by, finally realizing when it was too late and time was slipping by quickly. Nevertheless, I will save this for another trip!
As the dinner hour approached, we later returned to Chinatown for an authentic meal, mesmerized by the swaying lanterns now lit for the darkened skies above the now quiet streets.
Visiting San Francisco’s Chinatown was such an enlightening experience, that when I visited Milan a couple of weeks later, I decided that I should check out the Italian version.
The day was just as brilliant as when I visited San Francisco and I looked forward to seeing how the two city’s Chinatowns compared.
Turning onto the pedestrian friendly, Via Paolo Sarpi, my interest was piqued and I glanced around hoping to spot a Chinese gate or inspiring Chinese architecture. Instead, what I found was what looked like a typical Italian street halfheartedly attempting to disguise itself as a Chinatown. Sure, there were the occasional signs which lend to the Asian perception and the intermittent paper lantern fluttering in the wind, but the over feeling is well…Italian…disappointing. Don’t get me wrong, I love Italian architecture, I was was just hoping for something much different. Try as I might, I just didn’t get the same warm and fuzzy feeling that I got when I visited San Francisco’s Chinatown.
The Chinese that reside here date back to the 1920’s and came from the Zhejiang region near Shanghai to work in the silk industry. Their descendants remained here, set up shop and offer a wide range of services and products, including 150 boutiques selling Oriental products, traditional tea shops and the large Kathay, the biggest store for ethnic food in Italy. It was here that I finally felt as though I was experiencing the true cultural phenomenon. As I browsed the shelves of authentic products, I found something that I had loved when visiting Hong Kong…sesame peanut brittle. Purchasing a small box, I secured a place on a bench surrounded by a floral shop and ate it slowly watching the activity on the street.
Finally, I walked around some of the side streets, hoping to find what I thought the neighborhood was lacking. Still confused, I thought, maybe if I had dinner here at one of the many restaurants, I could be swayed in my disappointing assessment.
Glancing around at the choices…I decided…
“Nah, I’d rather go have a pizza”.
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Getting There: From Fisherman’s Wharf area, take the cable car to Chinatown. There are two locations for cable cars near Fisherman’s Wharf. The Powell-Hyde line (PH) and the Powell-Mason line (PM). The PH line is located near Ghiradelli Square at Beach and Hyde Street. The PM line is located at Bay and Taylor Street. Both lines intersect each other. Best place to get off is Washington & Mason (near Cable Car Museum) or Powell & California. Walk down a few blocks and you will be in Chinatown. From BART, take BART to Downtown San Francisco (exit Powell Street Station), then go above ground and transfer to 30 Stockton, 45 Union-Stockton, or cable car to Chinatown. B
