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Find the neighborhood you are interested in and click on it for more information

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San Francisco Days: An Exploration of San Francisco Neighborhoods

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An exploration of San Francisco neighborhoods with photos, descriptions, feature guides, walking tours, and vintage postcard scans.

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SF Neighborhoods - The Castro District - Bay City Guide - San Francisco Visitors Guide, Tours, Maps, Events, Coupons

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The Castro is a lively, friendly San Francisco neighborhood where visitors are welcome. Take Bay City Guide along.

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https://drive.google.com/file/d/1m6h0YUgC4-yitYOjkkvG7ecVx7kCHY2V/view?usp=sharing
Alcatraz video... click link above.

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● What are the names of famous prisoners? Famous inmates include

Alcatraz Prison in 1895

Alcatraz Prison History Facts for kids: FAQ's
Fast, fun facts and Frequently Asked Questions about Alcatraz Prison History.
● Where is Alcatraz Prison located? San Francisco Bay, California
● How many escape attempts were there? There were 14 escape attempts made by a total of 36 inmates.
Al Capone, George "Machine-Gun" Kelly, Robert Stroud, the Birdman of Alcatraz" and Alvin Karpis, the first Public Enemy Number One
● When was the first prison building constructed? In 1853 when the Citadel was first used as a prison.
● Why did Alcatraz Prison close? Alcatraz Prison closed in xx because facilities were deteriorating and the prison cost much more to operate than other prisons - $10 per prisoner per day (other prisons were $3)
Alcatraz Prison History Facts and Info for kids: Brief Facts for kids via the Fact Sheet
Interesting description and brief facts about the Alcatraz Prison History are detailed in the following Fact Sheet. The Alcatraz Prison History Facts are presented in a factual sequence consisting of a series of short facts providing a simple method of relating the interesting history, and information about the Alcatraz Prison History.

Alcatraz Prison History Facts for Kids
Alcatraz Prison History Fact 1: Native Americans were the first inhabitants of Alcatraz Island from about 4000 B.C.E. They belonged to the Muwekma Ohlone tribe, a Native American people of the California coast. Alcatraz Prison History Fact 3: The island was named in 1775 by the Spanish explorer Juan Manuel de Ayala. He called it 'La Isla de los Alcatraces' which means 'Island of the Pelicans'. Alcatraz Prison History Fact 4: In 1848 California became part of the United States at the end of the Mexican-American War - Americans continued the old legends of the island due to its cold isolation and eerie atmosphere. Alcatraz Prison History Fact 6: The fortress was built on the island in 1853. Workers blasted steep walls around the island and cannons were put in place Alcatraz Prison History Fact 8: By 1859 a three-story citadel was constructed atop of the island. The Citadel could only be accessed via a drawbridge over a deep, dry moat. The Citadel served as an armed barracks and a last line of defense for the island. Alcatraz Prison History Fact 10: In 1861, Alcatraz was officially designated a military prison. Army prisoners constructed more prison facilities referred to as the 'Lower Prison'. Alcatraz Prison History Fact 12: In 1907 the island was re-designated the "Pacific Branch, U.S. Military Prison, Alcatraz Island". Alcatraz Prison History Fact 14: The wooden buildings were replaced with new concrete buildings. The complex consisted of four cellblocks, hospital, a dining room, a kitchen, recreation yard and offices. Alcatraz Prison History Fact 16: The barracks were eventually acquired by the United States Department of Justice on October 12, 1933
Continued...

Alcatraz Prison History Facts for Kids

Alcatraz Prison History for kids
The info about the Alcatraz Prison History provides interesting facts and important information about this important event that occured during the presidency of the 27th President of the United States of America.

Alcatraz Prison History Facts for Kids

● The A block was generally used as a storage facility and for offices, but on rare occasions was used to house prisoners who needed to be fully isolated from other inmates
● The B block and C block held prisoners
● The D block housed 36 segregation cells, and 6 solitary confinement cells - the isolation and punishment cells
● The library was also located in Block D

● The name given to the corridor between "A" block and "B" block was Michigan Avenue
● The central walkway, between cell blocks B and C, was nicknamed Broadway
● The area between the dining hall and the cell blocks was called Times Square
● The corridor between C Block and the library was called Park Avenue
● The corridor in D Block was named Sunset Strip

● He insisted on one guard for every three prisoners (other prisons averaged one guard for 12 prisoners)
● Inmates gave him the nickname of "Old Saltwater"
● He wrote "Prison Life is Different" detailing his experiences as warden
● He sanctioned punishments including the use of strait jackets and solitary confinement in darkness
● James A. Johnston imposed the controversial "Silent System". Conversation between prisoners was banned. The "Silent System" was enforced for 4 years, then stopped as it was sending prisoners insane

● 8 people were murdered by inmates
● 15 prisoners from natural illnesses
● 4 of the 42 cells in block D are said to be haunted
● No executions ever took place on the island

● 36 prisoners were involved attempts to escape from Alcatraz Prison
● 21 were captured and returned alive
● 7 inmates were shot and killed trying to escape
● 2 were returned and subsequently executed
● 5 prisoners, from two separate escape attempts, managed to escape from the island
● ● Theodore Cole and Ralph Roe disappeared in 1937
● ● Frank Morris and Clarence Anglin and John Anglin disappeared in 1962
● ● The FBI were unable to determine whether the 3 men successfully escaped or died in the attempt
● John Paul Scott was the only known prisoner to successfully swim off the island in December, 1962. He was recaptured in San Francisco almost immediately

● The Chicago gangster and racketeer Al Capone who was convicted of tax evasion and sentenced to 11 years
● "Machine-Gun" Kelly was an Irish-American gangster was arrested for bootlegging and armed robbery and spent 17 years on the island
● Alvin Karpis, the first Public Enemy Number One, was convicted of Kidnapping, Robbery, Burglary, Murder and spent 26 years on the island
● Robert Stroud, the Birdman of Alcatraz" was convicted of murder and spent 17 years on the island

Alcatraz Prison History Fact 41: The site is now part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and visited by many visitors and tourists to San Francisco Bay area - who also visit the famous Angel Island .

Alcatraz Prison History Facts for Kids

Alcatraz Prison History for kids - President William Taft Video
The article on the Alcatraz Prison History provides detailed facts and a summary of one of the important events during his presidential term in office. The following William Taft video will give you additional important facts and dates about the political events experienced by the 27th American President whose presidency spanned from March 4, 1909 to March 4, 1913.

Alcatraz Prison History

● Interesting Facts about Alcatraz Prison History for kids and schoolsSummary of the Alcatraz Prison History in US historyFacts about the Alcatraz Prison HistoryAlcatraz Prison History - Famous prisoners and escapesFast, fun facts about the Alcatraz Prison HistoryLife and punishments in Alcatraz Prison History
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● William Taft Presidency and Alcatraz Prison History for schools, homework, kids and children

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● What are the names of famous prisoners? Famous inmates include Alcatraz Prison in 1895 Alcatraz Prison History Facts for kids: FAQ's Fast, fun facts and Frequently Asked Questions about Alcatraz Prison History. ● Where is Alcatraz Prison located? San Francisco Bay, California ● How many escape attempts were there?

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Alcatraz - Facts & Summary - HISTORY.com

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Find out more about the history of Alcatraz, including videos, interesting articles, pictures, historical features and more. Get all the facts on HISTORY.com

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None. Stroud had bred and studied birds at the Federal Penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas. Stroud was imprisoned at Alcatraz from 1942 until 1959. It was determined that Stroud was abusing his research privileges and sent to Alcatraz. Stroud was widely disliked by many fellow inmates and correctional officers.

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Golden Gate Bridge is not only an iconic landmark but also an engineering marvel. It was termed as impossible to build but engineers made it possible within reasonable cost and time. For kids it is an important landmark to study so we have gathered a complete set of Golden Gate Bridge Facts For Kids to teach them all about this amazing bridge by answering all the question they may have in their mind about this bridge. Enjoy these Golden Gate Bridge Facts and do share them with your friends and family.

Golden Gate Bridge Facts For Kids

The Golden Gate Bridge is San Francisco's icon landmark and marvel of modern engineering.

It is a suspension bridge that connects San Francisco Bay with the Pacific Ocean. The San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge spans over a 1.6 km (1 mile) wide strait which is known as the Golden Gate.

It is called the Golden Gate Bridge because it spans over a strait named Golden Gate Strait.

The Golden Gate Strait is 1.6 km (1 mile) narrow entrance between the San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean.

In 1846, a US explorer named John C. Fremont named the strait as Golden Gate two years before the actual discovery of gold in California.

It is located in San Francisco and Marin County in the state of California on U.S. Route 101 and California State Route 1.

It connects the northern tip of San Francisco Peninsula and Marin County by spanning over the Golden Gate strait.

It was designed by the Architecture firm Strauss Engineering Corp.

The two Architects named Irving Morrow and Charles Alton Ellis worked on its design.

The Engineers who made the bridge included:

Joseph Strauss

Charles Alton Ellis

Leon Moisseiff

Clifford Paine

The Golden Gate Bridge is owned by Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District.

It is a special-purpose district located in the San Francisco Bay Area that owns, maintains and operates the following three regional transportation assets

Golden Gate Bridge

Golden Gate Transit

Golden Gate Ferry

It has around 800 employees.

1. San Francisco (south) approach viaduct

2. San Francisco (south) anchorage housing and pylons S1 and S2

3. Fort Point arch

4. Suspension bridge

5. Marin (north) approach viaduct

6. Marin (north) anchorage housing and pylons N1 and N2

Golden Gate Bridge Tower

The bridge has two main towers.

These two towers support the two main cables.

The height of each tower above the water is 746 feet (227 meters) and above the roadway is 500 feet (152 meters).

The combined weight of the two main towers is about 44,000 tons (40,200,000 kg).

The weight of load on each tower due to main cables is 61,500 tons (56,000,000 kg).

11 workers died building the Golden Gate Bridge. Their names are:

Kermit Moore,

O.A. Anderson

Chris Anderson

William Bass

O. Desper

Fred Dümmatzen

Terence Hallinan

Eldridge Hillen

Charles Lindros

Jack Norman

Louis Russell.

The Golden Gate Bridge Color is an orange vermilion also known as international orange.

It was selected by consulting architect Irving Morrow as it not only complements the environment but also increases the visibility of the bridge in fog.

All required safety aspects were incorporated in building the bridge.

The design of the bridge accurately takes into account the impact of wind forces on the bridge.

The suspension cables, tower, and the anchors are all engineered to carry on all probable weight.

A number of engineering factors were accounted for during the designing phase such as:

the movement of deck due to its weight

range of environment temperature

wind speed and direction

deck sag between suspension cables

elongation of suspension cables due to stress and temperature.

The Golden Gate Bridge is made out of:

389,000 Cubic Yards (297,475 Cubic Meters) of Concrete.

83,000 tons (75,293,000 kg) of steel.

24,500 tons(22,200,000 kg) of two main cables, 500 suspender cables, and accessories.

1,200,000 rivets

How big is the Golden Gate Bridge

The bridge is 2,737 meters long, 27 meters wide and 67 meter high.

How long is the Golden Gate Bridge - Golden Gate Bridge Length

The Golden Gate Bridge is 1.7 miles (8,981 feet or 2,737 meters) long from abutment to abutment.

The length is about 9,150 feet (2,788 meters) when the approaches from abutment to abutment and the distance to the Toll Plaza is included.

The length of suspension span (both main span and side spans) is 1.2 miles (6,450 feet or 1,966 meters).

The length of the main span (distance between towers) is 4,200 feet (1,280 meters).

Length of a single side span is 1,125 feet (343 meters).

How much does the Golden Gate Bridge Weigh - Golden Gate Bridge Weight

The Golden Gate Bridge weighs 887,000 tons (804,700,00 kg).

The weight of a single anchorage is 60,000 tons (54,400,000 kg).

Its original weight back in 1937 was 894,500 tons (811,500,000 kg) which was reduced due to redecking in 1986.

How wide is the Golden Gate Bridge - Golden Gate Bridge Width

The bridge is about 90 feet (27 meters)wide.

The total width of the roadway is 62 feet (19 meters).

The width of sidewalk is 10 feet (3 meters).

The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge.

A suspension bridge is the kind of bridge in which suspension cables and vertical suspenders are used to hold the deck (on which the road runs). Cables are suspended between the bridge towers and vertical suspender cables are used to hold the weight of the deck which hangs below them.

In 1849, after the Gold Rush boom, it was realized that the value of the land situated at the north of San Francisco Bay can be appreciated if a direct access to San Francisco city is provided.

A plan proposing a bridge spanning over the Golden Gate and connecting the San Francisco Peninsula with the Marin County was presented.

Though the idea of the bridge was presented in 1869 but it was not until 1916 when the actual proposal took place.

James Wilkin, who was an engineering student and working in San Francisco Bulletin, presented the idea of a 3000 feet long suspension bridge.

A $100 million was the estimated cost for such suspension bridge.

Michael M. O'Shaughnessy, who was San Francisco's city engineer, started looking for engineers who could do it for a lower cost.

Joseph Strauss who was an engineer as well as a poet proposed that he can build such a bridge at a lower cost.

O'Shaughnessy and Strauss worked out a plan of building at least 4,000 feet long bridge within cost of $25-30 million.

The project faced many obstacles and litigation from different sources. Then the financing options got limited due the great depression in 1929. It was then in 1932, when Bank of America bought the entire project to help the economy.

Before the construction of Golden Gate Bridge and several other bridges, San Francisco was the largest American city that was still using ferry boats as mode of transportation. The need for a bridge increased with time and as population increased.

People used to get to Marin County from San Francisco through ferries. The available road way through the South Bay and up through the East Bay was very long and would take hours to reach Marin County.

When Golden Gate Bridge was constructed it solved this commute problem between the Marin County and San Francisco. As a result the Bay Area residents were not only able to commute easily to north up the cost but also their businesses flourished.

Historically, it was famous because it was the longest span bridge in the world till 1964 when New York City's Verrazano Narrows Bridge was constructed. The New York City's Verrazano Narrows Bridge is 60 feet longer than the Golden Gate Bridge.

Today it is the ninth-longest suspension bridge in the world.

It is well known for its extraordinary design and is recognized among the world's famous landmark.

It has been a popular photography site and is very famous for its amazing view through the rising fog in the morning. Its orange color against the blue water and green Marin hills at the background along with the white fog makes it spectacular.

Unfortunately it is also known for the most suicide jumps from bridge in the world. Every year, more than 30 people jump to death from it.

A landmark is any natural, artificial, small structures or features of a place that:

stands out in its environment

can be seen from long distances

is used for navigation purposes

is local or national symbol

As per the above definition of landmark, the Golden Gate Bridge do stands our from its environment, is visible from long distances, is used for navigation purpose. So this is why Golden Gate Bridge is a landmark.

The Golden Gate Bridge is made up of six major structures:

25. Golden Gate Bridge Facts for Kids Video

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Golden Gate Bridge Facts For Kids - Facts About the Golden Gate Bridge

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Complete collection of Golden Gate Bridge Facts For Kids that will help you learn all about the Golden Gate Bridge. Learn about its name, importance, location, history, bridge dimensions, structure, construction, cost, architects, people who died, engineering facts and much more with pictures and videos. Best source of information for kids.

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The Golden Gate Bridge for Kids: Famous Landmarks for Children - FreeSchool

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Golden Gate Bridge - Facts & Summary - HISTORY.com

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Find out more about the history of Golden Gate Bridge, including videos, interesting articles, pictures, historical features and more. Get all the facts on HISTORY.com

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Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District

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San Francisco Bay | bay, California, United States

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San Francisco Bay: San Francisco Bay, large, nearly landlocked bay indenting western California, U.S. It is a drowned river valley paralleling the coastline and is connected with the Pacific Ocean by a strait called the Golden Gate, which is spanned by the Golden Gate Bridge.

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San Francisco Bay and the inter-connected Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta form the largest estuary on the Pacific West Coast.

The estuary is shaped by water flows from two directions.

Ocean water flows into the estuary at the Golden Gate in San Francisco. Miles inland, fresh water from the Central Valley and the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers converges at the Delta and makes its way to the ocean. [See also Bay Model]

Along the way, the tidal waters flow past large cities, industrial shorelines, suburban communities, marshes, wetlands and rural farmland. Reflecting this diversity, San Francisco Bay's watershed includes the largest urban salt water lake in the United States, Oakland's Lake Merritt, and the largest contiguous brackish marsh on the West Coast, Suisun Marsh.

San Francisco Bay also contains 90 percent of California's coastal wetlands and its upper watershed drains 40 percent of California's landmass (including runoff from the Sierra Nevada and the Coastal Range). More than 130 species of fish, 500 species of wildlife, millions of native and migratory birds and other plant and animal species are supported by the estuarine environment.

San Francisco Bay Overview

San Francisco Bay consists of three main bays-San Francisco, San Pablo and Suisun-and several smaller bays. Together with the Delta, the Bay Delta covers some 1,600 square miles and flows more than 70 miles from the coast to the center of the California. At the eastern edge of Suisun Bay, the waters also form Suisun Marsh, which follows a maze of interconnected waterways and leveed and unleveed islands through the Delta.

The estuary contains salt water for more than 30 miles inland to the Carquinez Strait. From the other direction, fresh water from the Central Valley flows through the Delta to the sea, meeting salt water at a shifting point just past Carquinez.

This point is known as X2 in reference to its distance from the Golden Gate Bridge and the concentration of its bottom salinity (with the amounts of dissolved salts in the water averaging 2 parts per thousand).

The location of the X2 point shifts depending on whether it is a wet year or dry year. In a wet year, more fresh water flowing out of the Delta pushes salty water further back into San Francisco Bay. In a dry year, salty water can move further up into the Delta and potentially damage crops. With this in mind, the State Water Project 's Salinity Control Gates in Suisun Bay modify tidal flow to limit movement of saline water upstream.

Combined, San Francisco Bay's saline and fresh water create a biologically rich mix of nutrients in a "null" zone with the heavier salt water on the bottom and brackish water on top supporting a range of plants, fish, wildlife, amphibians and other creatures. This mix also supports the endangered Delta smelt, which prefers to feed at the X2 point and has led to legal controversy (see Judge Wanger Rulings).

The San Francisco Bay and the Delta waters, home to nearly 10 million people, also support a number of commercial activities, including shipping, fisheries and agriculture.

San Francisco Bay Challenges

Since the 1848 Gold Rush, the Bay and Delta have rapidly urbanized and added millions of people. Along the way, the estuary has experienced a number of challenges to its vitality. These challenges include:

Urban and industrial pollution

Agricultural runoff from the Central Valley

Freshwater diversions from the Delta

Man-made changes to natural waterways and shorelines

Loss of habitat, particularly wetlands

Introduction of native-species such as the Asian clam

Intensified land use and development

These challenges are further compounded by past problems and future ones. Gold and other mining has left remnants such as mercury in Bay Delta waterways-a toxic legacy that continues to pose health risks to humans and aquatic creatures.

Since the 1850s, roughly 40 percent of San Francisco Bay has been filled in and more than 80 percent of the original tidal wetlands converted to other uses.

Looking ahead, the changing climate and along with it the likelihood of more extreme weather events present challenges that are being assessed. In one scenario, anticipated rising seas as a part of climate change are expected to create flooding hazards for a number of San Francisco Bay communities. Rising sea levels could also make fresh water more salty further inland, impacting agriculture and aquatic species.

With these issues in mind, a number of federal, state and private organizations are working on ways to improve the health of San Francisco Bay through such projects as wetlands restoration, water flow management and mitigating adverse effects on fish and wildlife.

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San Francisco Bay - Water Education Foundation

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San Francisco Bay and the inter-connected Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta form the largest estuary on the Pacific West Coast. The estuary is shaped by water flows from two directions. Ocean water flows into the estuary at the Golden Gate in San Francisco.

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Trash | Car Pollutants | Mercury | Pharmaceuticals | Pet WasteTrashTrash collects in thousands of Bay Area creeks and storm drains, which flow to the Bay. Every year, marine wildlife like harbor seals

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It looks like we aren't so green here in the Bay Area after all.

The San Jose Mercury News reported on a recent study by the Bay Area Stormwater Management Agencies Association (BASMAA), revealing that about 1.36 million gallons of trash flows into the Bay every year.
(SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO)
The study was the initial step in a five-year plan to reduce Bay Area trash pollution by 40 percent. The mandatory plan was set in motion in 2009 when state regulators required the Bay Area to reduce Bay pollution by 40 percent by 2014, 70 percent by 2017 and 100 percent by 2020 or face penalty fines -- ultimately from the taxpayers.

"We'll be forced to try everything we can think of to reach those goals," said BASMAA Executive Director Geoff Brosseau to The Huffington Post.

To study the current trash levels, BASMAA installed trash-catching screens in 149 storm drains around the Bay Area.

And the results were bad. Real bad. Like enough trash to fill 100,000 kitchen garbage bags bad, according to the San Jose Mercury News.

Besides creating an eyesore, Bay pollution chokes the ecosystem, kills marine animals and increases the acidity of our water, eventually leading to smelly algae and prohibiting aquatic life. And according to Save the Bay, most of this trash can be prevented by simply eliminating littering.

"This is 100 percent preventable," said Brosseau to the Mercury News. "Trash doesn't happen by itself. If we can get people to modify their behavior, we'll make huge gains."

The study found that 49 percent of the trash came from plastics, 21 percent from paper, 9 percent from miscellaneous items (including cigarette butts and sports balls), 8 percent from single-use grocery bags, seven percent from polystyrene foam and six percent from beverage containers.

"The biggest source was definitely food and beverage containers," said Brosseau to the HuffPost. That includes Starbucks cups, restaurant to-go containers, chip bags and soda cans among other items. "The goal of the collection was both to establish a baseline on how much trash is entering the Bay, and to determine the biggest sources."

And on to the Bay Area's worst offenders: the small town of Colma in San Mateo County ranked most pollution per capita with 516 gallons of trash per resident. (In fairness, Colma claims only a population of 2,000 and is home to a Best Buy, two Home Depots and an auto row, as Colma Public Works Director Brad Donohue explained to the Mercury News.) Not far behind were the East Bay cities of Pittsburg, El Cerrito and Richmond. Concord, Antioch, Pleasanton, Hayward and Redwood City also reported alarmingly high pollution levels.

"Anywhere that showed a high-density population," said Brosseau. San Francisco was excluded from the data, as the city has an older sewer system that is incompatible with the study.

BASMAA plans to complete at least four more sample collections to finalize data, and then it's on to working towards the goals.

"I don't know if we'll ever get to our 100 percent goal," said Brosseau. "But we're going to give it the old college try."

Watch Save the Bay's video on single-use plastic bag pollution in the video below:

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bay area stormwater management agencies association

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SHOCK: Study Reveals Unbelievable Pollution Levels In Bay

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It looks like we aren't so green here in the Bay Area after all. The San Jose Mercury News reported on a recent study by the Bay Area Stormwater Management Agencies Association (BASMAA), revealing that about 1.36 million gallons of trash flows into the Bay every year.

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Controlling Urban Storm Water Pollution | San Francisco Baykeeper

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More than 1,300 industrial facilities discharge polluted rainy-season runoff into storm drains that lead to San Francisco Bay, or sometimes directly into creeks or the Bay itself. Baykeeper is working to rein in this widespread, illegal storm water pollution of the Bay with our Bay Safe Industry Campaign.

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The worst natural disaster in U.S. history

by Chris Frantz

At 5:12 a.m. on April 18, 1906, the people of San Francisco were awakened by an earthquake that would devastate the city. The main temblor, having a 7.7-7.9 magnitude, lasted about one minute and was the result of the rupturing of the northernmost 296 miles of the 800-mile San Andreas fault. But when calculating destruction, the earthquake took second place to the great fire that followed. The fire, lasting four days, most likely started with broken gas lines (and, in some cases, was helped along by people hoping to collect insurance for their property-they were covered for fire, but not earthquake, damage). With water mains broken, fighting the fires was almost impossible, and about 500 city blocks were destroyed. The damages were estimated at about $400,000,000 in 1906 dollars, which would translate to about $8.2 billion today.

Uncertain Death Toll

In 1906 San Francisco was the ninth largest U.S. city with a population of 400,000, and over 225,000 were left homeless by the disaster. The death toll is uncertain. City officials estimated the casualties at 700 but more modern calculations say about 3,000 lost their lives. The lowballing city figures may have been a public relations ploy to downplay the disaster with an eye on rebuilding the city. On April 20, the U.S.S. Chicago rescued 20,000 victims, one of the largest sea evacuations in history, rivaling Dunkirk in World War II. Martial law was not declared, but some 500 looters were shot by police and the military.

Shifting Seismologic Knowledge

The epicenter of this earthquake has moved around in the past 100 years, as advances in seismology have been made. It was first thought to have been in Marin County, then northwest of the Golden Gate, and most recently, in the Pacific Ocean about two miles west of San Francisco. The plate-tectonics theory that would shed some light on the quake wasn't formulated until the 1920s and not embraced until some three decades later. The San Andreas fault is on the boundary between the Pacific plate and the North American plate. During the earthquake, the ground west of the fault tended to move northward and, in the most extreme instance, a 21-foot shift was measured. Earthquake ruptures are fast movers-seismologists estimated the average speed of this rupture to have been 8,300 mi/hr going north, and 6,300 mi/hr traveling south. The quake was felt from southern Oregon to south of Los Angeles and inland as far as central Nevada.

Magnitude

Charles Richter developed his scale in 1935 to measure the amount of seismic energy released, the magnitude, of an earthquake. Seismologists found the Richter scale fine for lower magnitude quakes, but inaccurate for higher magnitude ones. The 1906 earthquake was assigned a Richter rating of 8.3, but on the newer moment magnitude scale it has been demoted to one measuring 7.8 or 7.9.

"The Big One"

On Oct. 17, 1989, at 5:04 p.m., at the height of the rush hour, Bay Area residents thought the "big one" had struck. The 7.1 Richter scale (6.9 moment magnitude) Loma Prieta earthquake, with its epicenter about 60 miles from San Francisco, was the largest one to hit the region since 1906. Sixty to 70 deaths were reported, freeways and bridges were damaged, and the World Series between the Oakland and San Francisco teams was postponed for 10 days. Property damage was estimated at $6 billion dollars, making this the costliest natural disaster to that date. But seismologists said this was not the major earthquake feared by all. That one is still in the future.

In 1906 there were only about 650,000 people living in the area, but today more than 7 million people make their homes in the San Francisco Bay region. Scientists in 2003 estimated that there is a 62% probability of a 6.7 magnitude or larger earthquake hitting the Bay Area in the next 30 years and Californians live in the shadow of "the big one."

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by Chris Frantz At 5:12 a.m. on April 18, 1906, the people of San Francisco were awakened by an earthquake that would devastate the city. The main temblor, having a 7.7-7.9 magnitude, lasted about one minute and was the result of the rupturing of the northernmost 296 miles of the 800-mile San Andreas fault.

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The 1906 San Francisco Killer Earthquake

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A powerful earthquake that hit Northern California on April 18, 1906, was one of the worst natural disasters in American history, killing about 3,000 people and destroying most of the city of San Francisco.

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Stories from people who experienced the 1906 earthquake

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Stories from people who experienced the 1906 earthquake

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The San Francisco (California) earthquake of 1906 was a major earthquake with a magnitude of 7.9. It occurred on April 18, 1906, at 5:12 am off the northern California coast.

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San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA, transit, streets, taxi)

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The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency oversees transit, streets and taxis in the city of San Francisco, California.

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Fisherman's Wharf San Francisco - San Francisco Tours & Attractions

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Places to visit in San Francisco at Fisherman's Wharf San Francisco, where you'll find a wealth of attractions, hotels, restaurants, tours and more.

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Plan your trip and learn more about Fisherman's Wharf San Francisco. Discover attractions, hotels, restaurants, things to do, shopping and events at San Francisco's number one destination. At Fisherman's Wharf there is truly something for everyone!

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The 65,000 square foot Marketplace is organized along a central nave and provides a distinctive marketplace for bringing together the Bay Area's agriculture wealth and renowned specialty food purveyors under one roof. Open seven days a week. AE, MC, V.

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In a destination with more than its fair share of world-famous icons, San Francisco's Ferry Building stands out for its two-fold celebrity status: it's both a historic architectural landmark and a pillar of the city's celebrated culinary scene. The Ferry Building Marketplace and its adjacent farmers market serve in an equally outstanding capacity as places to eat and immerse yourself in the local community. Spend some time browsing the vendors lining the Nave, the market's central indoor thoroughfare, and you'll experience one of San Francisco's most-vibrant gathering places, while discovering the bounty of Northern California's artisan food and wine producers. If you ever find yourself hungry to experience the epicurean side of San Francisco, head down to the Embarcadero and feast your way through the Ferry Building.

History

The San Francisco Ferry Building first opened in 1898, when it was the largest project ever undertaken in the city. With its elegant arches and 245-foot clock tower, the enormous Beaux Arts-style building was inspired by classical European architecture. It served as the city's primary transportation hub, welcoming as many as 50,000 commuters a day, who rode in on the ferry in the mornings and reversed the journey in the afternoons. At its peak, it was one of the busiest transit terminals in the world. The construction of the Golden Gate Bridge and Bay Bridge in the 1930s, along with the proliferation of the automobile, made the Ferry Building all but obsolete. It was transformed into office space in 1955.

In March 2003, the San Francisco Ferry Building re-opened to the public as the Ferry Building Marketplace, marking the end of an extensive four-year restoration project. Ferry services resumed. The marketplace's mission is to promote regional artisan producers and be a gathering place for the Bay Area's communities. It's also a very popular tourist attraction.

Sit-Down Restaurants

The Ferry Building Marketplace is packed with food vendors who offer treats, from coffee and pastries to charcuterie and farmstead cheeses. Visitors can find the makings of a fine picnic or hotel room feast, but you can also stay put and enjoy a meal at one of the numerous sit-down restaurants in the marketplace. At Mijita, dine on Mexican cuisine made with Bay Area ingredients. The finest meats are showcased in classic Americana style at American Eatery at Prather Ranch. The breakfasts at Boulette's Larder, country-inspired and eaten at communal tables, are renowned. The ahi burger at Gott's Roadside is a local favorite, as are its hand-spun milk shakes. Hog Island Oyster Company offers the freshest Tomales Bay oysters, raw or in creative preparations, serving them alongside other seafood options and incredible views of San Francisco Bay. The Slanted Door, with its contemporary take on classic Vietnamese cuisine, is notable for being twice-named the nation's outstanding restaurant by the James Beard Foundation.

Farmers Market & Outdoor Vendors

The Ferry Plaza Farmers Market is open adjacent to the Ferry Building on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The market is operated by the Center for Urban Education About Sustainable Agriculture (CUESA), which offers classes and demonstrations alongside vendors' stalls. The market attracts around 40,000 shoppers every week. The crowds come for fresh, local produce and artisan offerings including breads and cheeses. The Thursday market offers street food, and on Saturdays, a number of local restaurants come out to showcase items from their menus.

How to Get There

The Ferry Building Marketplace is located on the Embarcadero, where Market Street meets the water. It is easily accessible via public transport, including Muni, BART, the F-Line historic streetcar, and by ferry. The BART Embarcadero station is one block from the marketplace, and multiple Muni buses, subways and streetcars stop at or near the building as well.

Drivers are advised to park in Pier 3 along northbound Embarcadero or get validated parking at the ACE Parking Lot at Embarcadero and Washington Street or the Golden Gate Garage at 250 Clay St. Valet parking is available at the Ferry Building Monday through Friday.

Nearby Attractions

A number of other great San Francisco attractions are in the vicinity of the Ferry Building Marketplace, along with many hotels and restaurants. Further up the Embarcadero at Pier 15 is the Exploratorium, one of the most unique science museums you'll ever visit. A little further still is bustling PIER 39, home to the Aquarium of the Bay, a carousel, and the city's famous resident sea lions. Continue from here to Fisherman's Wharf, one of the most famous attractions in San Francisco. It's the departure point for ferries to Alcatraz as well as sightseeing cruises, and the location of Madame Tussaud's and the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park.

Southward on the Embarcadero is Rincon Park, known for its giant bow and arrow sculpture and unmatched views of the Bay Bridge. Head up Market Street and you will pass through a remarkable shopping district lined with grand old highrise buildings.

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Everything You Need to Know About San Francisco's Ferry Building

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In a destination with more than its fair share of world-famous icons, San Francisco's Ferry Building stands out for its two-fold celebrity status: it's both a historic architectural landmark and a pillar of the city's celebrated culinary scene.

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Location maps and addresses for San Francisco Bay Ferry terminals and docks in the East Bay and San Francisco, as well as parking information.

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Black people had arrived by the thousands to help the war effort by working in the newly erected Kaiser shipyards. Work was strenuous and housing was cramped, but everyone had jobs and money to spend. San Franciscans fiercely supported a round-the-clock network of clubs and restaurants.

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Brief History of Bayview-Hunters Point - FoundSF

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Although it is often claimed that the problem of the so-called underclass is that they lack middle-class role models, Bayview-Hunters Point has a visible Black middle-class, but there's no indication that its presence makes any difference in the lives of people living in the projects.

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When children ask questions about LGBTQ words, it is often best to offer simple and direct answers. You might choose to answer a student's question with another question to figure out what they are really asking -- is it about name-calling, a classmate's two dads or something they saw on the internet. Listening first helps you respond.

Here are a few items to keep in mind when defining terms for children:

Use examples to help children understand definitions.

Ask questions about LGBTQ words to help students to understand differences and treat others with respect.

If a student uses an LGBTQ term in a derogatory way, ask them if they know what it means. If they don't, give a short definition and explain how using an identity as a slur is mean and emphasize that the word is not a bad word.

The following list can serve as a starting place for educators to respond to questions about LGBTQ words. These suggested definitions can help to ensure that you feel confident in your own knowledge and ability to communicate these ideas to students. Use your own expertise to modify definitions based upon the age of your students.

Gender

Cisgender: When your gender identity (how you feel) is the same as what doctors/midwives assigned to you when you were born (girl/boy or sex assigned at birth).

Gender Binary: A way of seeing gender as two distinct and opposite groups-girl and boy. This idea doesn't include all the ways we can have a gender identity and express our gender.

Gender Expansive: Some people feel that the traditional ways of being a "boy" or "girl" do not fit for them. They live their lives showing that there are many ways to be a girl, boy, both or neither.

Gender Expression: People express themselves in many ways, such as through clothes or hairstyles. Sometimes people think that these things go with certain genders, but really you cannot guess someone's gender or pronouns from how they look. In our school we respect that every person is unique and different, and we don't tease or bully anyone about their personal expression.

Gender Identity: How you feel. Girl, boy, both or neither. Everyone has a gender identity.

Intersex: An umbrella term that refers to people who are born with bodies that are naturally different from what is traditionally considered female or male. (This occurs in about 2% of babies born, similar to the percentage for redheads.)

Non-Binary: People who do not feel like the words "girl" or "boy" fits. They may feel like both or neither. They sometimes use pronouns such as they, them, theirs.

Sex Assigned At Birth: When a baby is born, a doctor or midwife looks at the baby's body/anatomy and says they are a boy, girl or intersex.

Transgender or Trans: When your gender identity (how you feel) is different than what doctors/midwives assigned to you when you were born (girl/boy or sex assigned at birth).

Who You Love

Bisexual: People who love people of more than one gender. [In grades 3 - 5, you might say people who love or are attracted to people of more than one gender.]

Gay: People who love people of the same gender. [In grades 3 - 5, you might say people who love or are attracted to people of the same gender.]

Heterosexual: People who identify as women who only love [or are attracted to] people who identify as men. Also, people who identify as men who only love [or are attracted to] people who identify as women.

Lesbian: People who love people of the same gender. Two women. [In grades 3 - 5, you might say people who love or are attracted to people of the same gender.]

Pansexual: People who love people of any gender. [In grades 3 - 5, you might say people who love or are attracted to people of any gender.]

Sexual Orientation: Who you love. [In grades 3 - 5, you might say who you love or are attracted to.]

Gender and Who You Love

LGBTQ: Acronym for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer.

Queer: People use this word as a way to identify with and celebrate people of all gender identities and all the ways people love each other. When used in a mean way, it is a word that hurts.

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LGBTQ Definitions for Children | Welcoming Schools

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When children ask questions about LGBTQ words, it is often best to offer simple and direct answers. You might choose to answer a student's question with another question to figure out what they are really asking -- is it about name-calling, a classmate's two dads or something they saw on the internet.

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The Western Addition, centered on Fillmore Street, was once a cultural center of a vibrant neighborhood along the lines of New York's Harlem or Chicago's South Side, albeit quite smaller. Before WWII, in the 1940 census, there were just a little over 2,000 blacks living in the Western Addition (the area enclosed approximately by Pine, Divisadero, Gough, and Hayes Streets), and only about 5,000 in San Francisco.

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San Francisco's history, heritage, arts, culture and comida have roots that extend far south of the U.S. border.

Spanish missionaries arrived in San Francisco (then known as Yerba Buena) in 1776. A Catholic priest named Father Palou founded Mission San Francisco de Asis, which still stands in the Mission District as Mission Dolores on 16th and Dolores streets. It is the oldest structure in San Francisco. California and Mexico were part of Spanish territory until 1821, when Mexican independence marked the end of European rule in California. The missions' influence shrank while ranching and trade increased.
Latino Culture in Post-Mexican California
The Mexican-American war (1846-1848) ended with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848. In that treaty, the United States agreed to pay Mexico $18,250,000; Mexico formally ceded California (and other northern territories) to the United States.

Mexican citizens living in these territories became Americans "overnight," although the terms of the treaty gave these Mexicans one year to accept their American political status. The treaty granted them full rights of citizenship as well as protection of Mexican-American language, culture and land, although the articles dealing with land protections were later removed prior to ratification by Congress.

The vast majority of Latinos chose to stay and become full U.S. citizens. Although the treaty promised that the landowners in this newly acquired territory would enjoy full enjoyment and protection of their property as if they were citizens of the United States, many former citizens of Mexico lost their land in lawsuits before state and federal courts or as a result of legislation passed after the treaty. Most land grantees and their families retreated south.

During the California Gold Rush, at least 25,000 Mexicans, as well thousands of Chileans, Peruvians, and other Latin Americans arrived in California. Many of these Latinos were experienced miners and had great success mining gold in California. Their success aroused animosity by Anglo prospectors who intimidated Hispanic miners with the threat of violence and committed violence against some. Anglo miners also drove Hispanic miners out of their camps, barred non-Anglos from testifying in court and imposed exclusionary standards similar to Jim Crow laws in the case of African-Americans. Between 1848 and 1860, at least 163 Mexicans were lynched in California alone. Many Anglo 49ers turned to farming and moved, often illegally, onto the land granted to Californios by the old Mexican government.
The 1900s
In the early 1900s Mexican and Mexican American migrant farm workers labored under squalid conditions in California. At that time, the Mexican Revolution and the series of Mexican civil wars that followed pushed many Mexicans north. Many U.S. farm owners recruited Mexicans and Mexican Americans because they believed that these desperate workers would tolerate living conditions that workers of other races would not.

Mexican workers often earned more in the United States than they could in Mexico's civil war economy, although California farmers paid Mexican and Mexican American workers significantly less than white American workers. By the 1920s, at least three quarters of California's 200,000 farm workers were Mexican or Mexican American.

During The Great Depression, the United States government sponsored a Mexican Repatriation program which was intended to encourage people to voluntarily move to Mexico, but thousands were deported against their will. More than 500,000 individuals were deported, approximately 60 percent of which were actually United States citizens.

The attack on Pearl Harbor launched the U.S. into World War II and sent men to the military and the California Japanese to internment camps. Lobbied by frantic growers, the federal government scrambled to establish a program that would replace the missing workers and be ready for the harvest of 1943.

The contract labor agreement between the U.S. and Mexico was known as the Bracero Program (bracero from the Spanish word brazo for arm, meaning strong-armed worker). By the 1950s, some workers had sent for families and settled into a new life. A worker with a green card could stay on at the end of the harvest season if a rancher agreed to employ him year-round. By the end of World War II in 1945, the agricultural program under various forms survived until 1964, when the two governments ended it as a response to harsh criticisms and reports of human rights abuses.

During the 1940s through the 1960s, large numbers of Mexicans moved into San Francisco's Mission District, giving it the Latino character it is known for today. During the 1980s and 1990s, immigrants and refuges fleeing civil wars from Central and South America joined the Mexican population. Today, the neighborhood is ethnically and economically diverse, comprising half Latino, one-third Anglo (White) and 11 percent Asian.
Modern Latino Culture
Numerous Latino artistic and cultural institutions are based in the Mission, as the district is known. The Mission Cultural Center for the Latino Arts, established by Chicano (Mexican-American) artists and activists, is a rich art space serving all ages of the community. It is considered the "epicenter of Latino culture," with rotating exhibits, classes and lectures.

The Mission's Galería de la Raza, founded in the 1970s by local artists active in el Movimiento (the Chicano civil rights movement), is nationally recognized as one of the Bay Area's respected arts organizations.

Balmy Alley Mural Project is a small alley in the Mission where visitors can see a collection of murals painted by Mexican and Central American artists. Many murals were initiated by the Chicano Art Mural Movement in the 1970s and inspired by traditional Mexican paintings made famous by Diego Rivera; many can be found on Balmy and Clarion alleys.

The Precita Eyes Mural Arts and Visitors Center has guides available to show murals in San Francisco either by foot or bicycle.

While the Mission District is a magnet for all-things Latino, other parts of San Francisco also feature murals from Diego Rivera. These include: The Pacific Stock Exchange, the San Francisco Art Institute and San Francisco City College.

The Ancient Americas collection at the de Young Museum houses collection of objects from Mesoamerica, Central and South America. Specifically, The Harald Wagner Collection of Teotihuacan Murals, the largest group of Teotihuacan wall murals outside of Mexico, a Peruvian mouth mask of hammered gold from the Nazca culture.

The Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA) features Latino art as part of its commitment to the San Francisco Bay Area to support local arts and reflect the region's diversity. The YBCA has included Teresa Fernández and Julio Cesar Morales and other local artists in its exhibits.

Annually during Memorial Day weekend, the Mission District celebrates Latino culture with "Carnaval," the largest multi-cultural event in San Francisco showcasing the best of Latin American and Caribbean cultures and traditions. Food, music, dance and art span eight blocks, with a brightly festive parade culminating on Sunday.
Latino-inspired Annual Events May
Cinco de Mayo (May 5)
Dolores Park, Dolores and 18th St., 415-206-0577
www.sfcincodemayo.com
This community-based cultural heritage event commemorates the self-determination of the indigenous people of Mexico.

Carnaval*
Memorial Day Weekend
Mission District, 415-920-0122
www.carnavalsf.com
San Francisco's version of Mardi Gras, Carnival is one of the City's largest annual public events, and features exotic Carnaval dancers with a mixture of Latino, jazz, samba, Caribbean influences. Carnival's festive parade on Sunday morning draws upon a broad cultural pageantry.
September
Viva Las Americas!*
Pier 39, 415-705-5500
www.pier39.com
Hispanic heritage is the focus of this event, featuring music and dance performances commemorating the artistry of Mexico and Central and South America. Face-painting and craft-making for kids.
October - November
Day of the Dead
Mission Cultural Center*
2868 Mission St.
415-821-1155
www.missionculturalcenter.org
The Mission Cultural Center exhibits Day of the Dead alters, and organizes workshops and other Day of the Dead events.
November
Latino Film Festival*
Castro Theater, Galeria de la Raza, Mission Cultural Center and other venues, 415-754-9580
www.sflatinofilmfestival.com
This quickly-growing festival spotlights the best in U.S. premieres, documentaries, features and shorts emerging from Latin America and Latino filmmakers.

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San Francisco's History is Rooted in Latino Culture

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San Francisco's history, heritage, arts, culture and comida have roots that extend far south of the U.S. border. Spanish missionaries arrived in San Francisco (then known as Yerba Buena) in 1776. A Catholic priest named Father Palou founded Mission San Francisco de Asis, which still stands in the Mission District as Mission Dolores on 16th and Dolores streets.

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On a typical day, St. Anthony's, a soup kitchen in San Francisco, serves up to 2,400 meals. Though the city is in the midst of an economic boom, the line for the dining room is often so long that guests have to wait in a nearby auditorium.

The people coming through St. Anthony's are increasingly diverse. When the soup kitchen first started serving free meals in the 1950s, most of the clientele consisted of middle-aged white men, many of whom were recovering from experiences sustained during the Great Depression and World War II. Today, people young and old of all ethnicities stand in the dining room line. Some carry iPods and smartphones, others come in suits. There are moments throughout the day where the dining room resembles a shopping mall food court - the only giveaway is that everyone has the same tray of food.

"We had a friar who said the dining room line is a social barometer," says Karl Robillard, St. Anthony's senior manager of communications. "You will know what part of the social and economic safety net is missing by standing outside that line."

They're people with jobs. They're people who work full-time and still can't afford to live in the city.

Many of the people who come through St. Anthony's for a meal have jobs, but the minimum wage doesn't allow them to pay for rent in San Francisco and still be able to afford food. Some work full-time but are homeless because they can't find affordable housing in the city.

The official count for San Francisco's homeless population as of 2013 was 6,436. This number doesn't include people who are out of sight, like those who sleep in their cars, stay with friends and family, or drift between transitional housing arrangements. Where the city once counted the unemployed, addicts, and the mentally ill as its primary homeless population, an increasing number of working San Franciscans and their families are joining the homeless shelter waiting lists and dining room lines. They're people with jobs. They're people who work full-time and still can't afford to live in the city.

San Francisco is moving fast. Entire neighborhoods are changing. And thousands of people are being left behind.

Being homeless is a full-time job

Todd was a video producer working in financial news before he became homeless. He lived in a modest two-bedroom house in Twin Peaks, near the center of San Francisco, with his daughter. He wore a suit to work every day.

"I was going along, being a good citizen," Todd, now 52 years old, says. "I was a volunteer firefighter, I coached football and baseball, I was saving my money, doing everything you're supposed to do, being a single father, raising my daughter by myself. Then the economy just went to hell and the company threw me to the wolves."

Todd lost his job in 2009, shortly after the global financial crisis began. Finding work was difficult. No one was hiring - and those who were thought he was over-qualified. Being in his late 40s didn't help. He applied for unemployment, which paid $12 an hour. After taxes, he had $325 each week. Most of the money went to paying the rent. In the 18 months that Todd was on unemployment, he estimates he sent out more than 800 résumés and received interviews for none. He actively sought work, but could only land minimum-wage temp jobs, which he accepted. In 2009, the minimum wage in California was $8 an hour.

He dug into his savings and his investments. He dug into his daughter's college fund. He hoped this was just a brief rough patch; perhaps it would last six months at most. As his savings dwindled, he realized this was not the case.

Each week, he handed entire unemployment checks and, when that ran out, paychecks from his temp jobs, to his landlord, leaving him with less than $30 to feed himself and his daughter. In an attempt to keep life as normal as possible for her, he would put $5 of gas in his car so he could drive her to and from school.

"I basically had a jar of pennies there, and I'd pull out a few to pay for gas," he says. "It was unbelievable. I thought the world was going to end."

After 18 months, the temp jobs started to fall through, and Todd fell behind on rent payments. Unable to afford his home, he put his daughter up with friends and family while he couch-surfed. He worked up to three temp jobs at a time and still wasn't able to afford housing in San Francisco.

"I slept in my car a lot," he says. "I was living in my car. I went around to every gym in town and got those one-week trial memberships, so in the morning, I'd go get my daughter from wherever she was, take her to school, go to the gym, work out, take a shower, and that was the only way I could shave and keep clean. Then I'd go to the county and job search."

"I basically had a jar of pennies there, and I'd pull out a few to pay for gas. It was unbelievable. I thought the world was going to end."

Being homeless was a full-time job in itself. Mornings started early. If police caught him sleeping in his car, they ordered him to move. He learned which streets in San Francisco were the quietest. He came to know San Francisco's South of Market district (SoMA) well. He spent most of his days at government agencies applying for work, applying for rental subsidies, and gathering tax returns and pay stubs to prove he qualified for government assistance. After school he picked up his daughter, took her to the park where they played baseball together, and helped her with her homework. By late evening, with his daughter safe with family or friends, he returned to his car and put his personal belongings in the trunk. Dinner was often some bread with lunch meat from the grocery store. Then he reclined his seat, and tried to sleep.

Most nights, he'd look out the window of his car and watch as SoMA transformed bit by bit. A few years earlier, the area was home to warehouses and working class homes. Now, new buildings were popping up every week. Things were looking cleaner, sharper, more expensive. Tired as he was, he couldn't help but keep an eye on the change. San Francisco was his city, after all. He saw the progress made on the new Salesforce building, a tower that will exceed 1,200 feet on completion. He saw the land cleared for the new Trans-Bay Terminal. In the distance, he saw a newly-built skyscraper - a "particularly sweet one," as he describes it - with shiny windows that, during the day, reflected the sun.

"Some days, I didn't sleep at all," he says.

Rising Cost

San Francisco is one of the most expensive cities in the United States to live in. A Brookings Institute study released this year found that it has the second-highest level of household income inequality in the country, behind Atlanta, Georgia. As of 2012, the 95th percentile of the population earned upwards of $350,000 a year. The bottom 20th percentile barely made $20,000. And while wealth inequality has always existed, especially in major cities, San Francisco experienced the greatest increase in wealth disparity of any U.S. city between 2007 and 2012. During this time, income for the 20th percentile household dropped by $4,000, while income for the richest five percent of the city soared by $28,000. No other city saw a jump this great in the income of the richest in its population.

So while the rich get richer and the poor actually get poorer, the dynamics of the city are rapidly changing. The wealth disparity is determining how people live, and it's also deciding who gets to live where - or, in the case of San Francisco's poor, who doesn't get to live anywhere at all. It used to be the poorest of the poor who were vulnerable. As prices in San Francisco continue to rise, even those who were once comfortable are now at risk of falling through the cracks.

The San Francisco Tenants Union, which tracks the cost of vacant rental properties in the city, gathered data showing that in 2011, a typical two-bedroom apartment in the Mission district went for $1,900 a month. By 2012, the average cost of a similar apartment in the Mission jumped to $3,500. Today, that figure is closer to $5,000. The average income per capita in San Francisco has not risen accordingly.

San Francisco's tech industry is often blamed for the city's soaring prices. The argument is that when tech workers earning six figures move into the city to work for start-ups and more established companies like Google, Facebook, Twitter, and Apple, they drive up the cost of living. They increase demand for accommodations. And, with their pockets lined with tech money, they can afford to outbid everyone else.

"The problem with high rents is not Google buses or tech jobs. The problem with high rent is the very, very constrained supply of housing."

Ted Gullicksen, who was the executive director of the San Francisco Tenants Union before his death earlier this month, said he saw a correlation between the increase in rental prices and the continued growth of the tech sector. Recent protests around the city involving the blocking of Google buses and demonstrations in front of AirBnB rentals are also a sign of communities within San Francisco connecting the dots and pointing the finger at the tech.

But while it's true that rents in technology hubs have risen faster than in the rest of the country, it doesn't quite mean that the technology sector is to blame for San Francisco's problem.

Jed Kolko, chief economist of residential real estate site Trulia, says tech is an important part of housing demand in San Francisco both on the rental market and the for sale market. The key difference between a tech hub like San Francisco compared to Seattle, Austin, and Raleigh - the first of which has a greater share of its economy rooted in tech - is housing supply. Other tech hubs around the country build more, which alleviates demand. San Francisco is one of the most regulated cities in America when it comes to urban development, which heavily restricts how much can be built.

"It would take an enormous increase in construction sustained over many years to make the city more affordable," Kolko says. "It's hard to say how much more would be needed, though. Does the city need to build twice as much? Five times as much? Ten times as much?"

A professor of economics at the University of California, Berkeley, Enrico Moretti, also points to the shortage of supply as the main cause of rising prices, saying that tech booms don't necessarily mean sky-high rents.

"The problem with high rents is not Google buses or tech jobs. The problem with high rent is the very, very constrained supply of housing, and the housing supply is so constrained because we made it so constrained. The city did it."

Moretti's research into housing affordability found that tech growth in cities like Seattle has been the same to San Francisco relative to its size, but the rise in the cost of living is less than a third of that experienced in San Francisco. This is largely attributed to the city building more housing to meet demand. In a city like San Francisco, the restricted supply means that more people with more money are trying to move into existing housing units, giving landlords and real estate speculators the incentive to increase the cost of existing stock, even evicting tenants.

The solution, it would seem, is to simply build more. The city's stringent regulations make it an enormous challenge, though. So in lieu of adequate housing supply, costs are rising faster than most San Franciscans can keep up with, and the staff at St. Anthony's and other homeless shelters are seeing this in their dining room lines.

Homelessness existed in San Francisco well before the first tech boom of the 1990s. The first homeless shelter in the city opened in 1983, at a time when federal funding for housing and urban development reached its lowest point. According to the director of the San Francisco branch of the Coalition for the Homeless, Jennifer Friedenbach, the lack of investment in affordable housing has been one of the key contributors to homelessness. If people can't afford to pay rent, some have no option but to go without a home.

"Homeless people are just poor people," Friedenbach says. "There's fundamentally no difference between poor people who are housed and poor people who are homeless; it's whether or not they have a housing subsidy or, for many San Franciscans, whether they're in a long-term rent-controlled apartment. That's really the only difference."

Evictions

The descent into homelessness varies from person to person. For Todd, he was able to tread water for 18 months before becoming homeless. For others, it happens much faster. One of the fastest ways San Franciscans lose their homes is through eviction.

San Francisco is going through an "eviction epidemic," Gullicksen said. The Tenants Union operates a drop-in clinic for people who have problems with their landlords. Most cases that come through the Union are related to evictions. Before 2011, it saw 300 to 350 people a month. It now sees more than 600 people a month.

No-fault evictions - evictions where the tenant did nothing in violation of their lease - are up 115 percent since 2013. Seeing the demand on the rental market, landlords are trying to evict existing tenants so they can lease their units to people who are willing and able to pay more. And that's just one of the elements fueling the eviction epidemic.

Gullicksen said that the dominant reason tenants are getting evicted is because real estate speculators want to convert the rent-controlled buildings into condos that can be sold off separately. The Ellis Act - a provision in California law that allows landlords to evict tenants and sell off a building or its individual apartments - is a key way to perform such evictions. The speculators, who are interested not in rental income but in the profit they can make from selling the individual apartments, are mostly catering to affluent tech workers looking to buy property. It comes back to the lack of housing stock: if there isn't enough new housing stock on the market, buyers will look to existing stock. Seeing an opportunity for profit, real estate speculators buy up rent-controlled buildings, invoke the Ellis Act to evict the tenants, and sell off individual condos. Ellis Act evictions are up 175 percent over the last year alone.

Benito Santiago, who recently turned 64, is facing an Ellis Act eviction. The soft-spoken musician, ballroom dance instructor and, by day, special education teacher, received an eviction notice in late 2013.

As a senior and disabled person (a bike accident in 1980 left him with spinal problems), Santiago was able to get an extension on the eviction, allowing him to stay until December of this year. After that, he doesn't know what will happen.

"I was born and raised here, and I know San Francisco. I have a rhythm established. I have history."

He's already started giving away his things and boxing up what he wants to keep, just in case. In one room he keeps his drums, which are propped up against shelves of ballroom dancing DVDs and VHS tapes. There's an old karaoke machine sitting on the floor and VCRs stacked on top of each other. There are ballroom dancing books and pamphlets, notices for upcoming dance nights and competitions. There's a thick, hardcover book with photographs of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers dancing the waltz and the foxtrot. On his coat racks there are hats - more than a dozen wide-brimmed hats in different colors.

Santiago has seen his neighborhood change. The buildings are taller, shinier. "The buildings look nice," he says. "What I question is how many people can afford to pay $4,000 for those apartments? With all due respect to people making six-figure salaries and can afford that, what happens to the people who are being displaced?

"I was born and raised here, and I know San Francisco," he says. "I have a rhythm established. I have history. I have a network here, and to think of myself out of here ..."

Santiago pauses. His eyes are sad. The special education teacher makes $1,500 a month. He pays $575 in rent. Similar apartments in his neighborhood cost almost three times what he makes.

"I keep thinking of what I can do. What can I do? How am I gonna cope [when they say] OK, this is it, you gotta get out, the sheriff's coming in to put locks on. I might be homeless. To visualize myself in that situation ... what am I going to do? It's a big question mark."

Ellis Act evictions are only the tip of the iceberg, though. The Eviction Defense Collaborative sees thousands of clients each year slapped with eviction lawsuits. The group's executive director Tyler Macmillan believes there are even more tenants being unlawfully evicted through unscrupulous practices.

"We do thousands of cases a year, but I think it pales in comparison to the darker underbelly of eviction and displacements, where landlords aren't following the rules of the formal court system and use other tools to harass tenants," he says. "And, of course, there's no great way to track that."

Then there are those who simply don't know how to respond to eviction lawsuits. According to Macmillan, of the 3,500 Unlawful Detainer Lawsuits served in San Francisco each year, only 2,000 respond. A third of the people who get sued never respond, so the sheriff is often clearing out the property within a month of the case being filed. What happens to those tenants also goes untracked.

Falling through

Statistically, homelessness is on the decline in the United States. A study by the University of Pennsylvania found that the current aging population of homeless people, many who have battled decades-long addictions to life-shortening drugs, is expected to die in the next decade. The official count in San Francisco has remained steady over the past few years. Yet, despite the homeless counts dropping, the decline isn't reflected in demand for services in San Francisco.

Down the street from St. Anthony's is Hamilton Family Center, a shelter that offers both long- and short-term accommodation for the homeless. Executive director Jeff Kositsky says there is no typical person or family that seeks Hamilton's help, and the commonalities between them are similar to those of housed San Franciscans.

"Some commonalities are they're from San Francisco, they became homeless, they have kids, and many of the people work," Kositsky said. "It's completely not what you'd expect. There's a two-parent Caucasian family in their mid-30s, both are employed, they have two kids, they lost their housing and had nowhere to go and ended up here. They're still working and trying to figure out the right housing solution for them."

Todd sought Hamilton's help when he became homeless, and it was through Hamilton that he was able to secure an apartment through the Mayor's Office housing lottery. He now lives in a heavily subsidised one-bedroom apartment deep in SoMA with his daughter. She gets the bedroom, he sleeps in the living room.

Kositsky says the four most common causes of homelessness in San Francisco are domestic violence, health-related events, loss of a job, and eviction. In any of those cases, homelessness can come quickly and unexpectedly.

Makalia "Kayla" Maye is a family case manager at Glide, a shelter several blocks from St. Anthony's that also offers meals and welfare services. The 27-year-old single mother of two, who holds a degree in criminology with a minor on forensics, became homeless last year while still working full-time at a housing clinic. She was living with her grandmother, who had raised her from birth. When her grandmother died in early 2013, a family dispute led to her and her two daughters - seven and two - being kicked out of the house. Overnight, she went from being comfortably housed in San Francisco's Western Addition to being homeless.

Finding affordable housing in San Francisco proved almost impossible. Apartments in her price range either had waiting lists of up to two years, or were so poorly maintained that they were unlivable. Everything else was well beyond what she could afford. She used some of her savings to stay in cheap hotels while she continued to look for affordable housing. When she couldn't afford the hotels any more, she stayed with friends.

"It was extremely complicated because not everyone wants to deal with a baby," she says. "[My younger daughter] was still crying at night and needing to be changed... there were times where certain people we stayed with did not want the younger daughter there because she was still little and crying and doing stuff that little kids do. So there were times I'd have to leave my older daughter with other people and take my little daughter with me."

Maye recalls sleeping in a car with her daughters on three occasions. She was often separated from one of them. The times they were able to stay together, they slept in cramped spaces, either in the corner of someone's room, or sharing someone's couch.

"How do we eat? Where are we going to stay? How do I clean our clothes? How do I make it look like we're not homeless so I don't get my kids taken away?"

Like Todd, Maye learned that being homeless isn't just about not having a home - it becomes a full-time job to survive. In the mornings, if one of her daughters was staying elsewhere, she'd have to go pick her up. If they were staying at someone's house, the two daughters would shower together. When they slept in the car, Maye used baby wipes on her younger daughter. After getting her older daughter to school and finding someone to mind her younger daughter, she'd often arrive at work late. Unable to afford childcare, she'd have to leave work early to pick up her kids. Every day she had to figure out where they would sleep, where they would eat, how they could stay clean, and what would happen to her daughters outside of school hours.

"You hear all the time about people leaving their kids in the car on accident. I did that to my younger daughter," Maye says. "Without knowing it, I could have killed her. It was only because my purse was in the back seat, and I never leave my purse in the backseat. It was only because of that I went back to my car. When I went back to my car, I found my daughter there. That's when I completely broke down.

"It was everything. Everything was so focused on how do we eat, where are we going to stay, how do we eat, where are we going to stay? How do I clean our clothes? How do I make it look like we're not homeless so I don't get my kids taken away?"

Maye was homeless in total for six months. In the sixth month, her constant lateness to work cost her her job at the Tenderloin Housing Clinic. In the same month, Hamilton Family Center's First Avenues program accepted her, providing her with a rental subsidy and support through a case worker.

Maye and her daughters now live in a three-bedroom house in Vallejo, 45 minutes north of San Francisco. She commutes into the city for work each day. Finding affordable housing didn't undo the six months of homelessness her family went through, though.

"My older daughter completely understood what was happening," she says. "Even when we did get housing, it was really hard for her because she was scared it was going to be taken away. In our first month in our house, she locked herself in the bathroom and sat in the bathtub crying, crying, crying, saying she wanted to go to heaven, that she didn't want to do it any more. She was like, how do we know we won't get kicked out of here? How do we know someone won't take it from us?"

Until First Avenues, Maye described her life as being like a roller coaster that only went in one direction: down. It had all happened so suddenly and unexpectedly, too. Who would have thought a case manager would herself become homeless?

The coupling of unforeseen circumstances - loss of a job, eviction, a health crisis -with the exorbitant cost of rent in San Francisco is making it all too easy for people to fall through the cracks, and non-profits like St. Anthony's, Hamilton, and shelter programs like Compass Family Services are struggling to keep up. When Kositsky started working with non-profits providing shelters for families in the '90s, there were never more than 30 or 40 people on various shelter waiting lists. Today, the wait list for Hamilton alone sits above 250. Even if a person gets into a shelter, it's only a Band-aid fix. With the exception of programs like Compass Family Services' Clara House, which provides an intensive, supportive environment for families for two years, most shelters offer only temporary relief. People staying in shelters have to leave during the day. They have little to no privacy. They don't have a fixed address to use while looking for work.

Studies about family homelessness show that kids who are homeless for more than six months growing up are five times more likely to be homeless as adults and 40 percent more likely to drop out of school. One small longitudinal study showed it will take a kid who's been homeless for a long period of time 2.6 generations for his family to exit poverty.

"So by not dealing with family homelessness, we're essentially ensuring ourselves that there will be a whole new population of homeless people to take the place of the existing homeless population," Kositsky says.

Hope

The last time San Francisco went through a tech boom, the bubble burst in the late 1990s, leading to an exodus of tech workers from the city. Rent prices dropped and, while they were still high by national standards, the poor had a place to live. The current tech boom shows few signs of slowing down. The rising cost of living is now spreading to the East Bay, where tenants in Oakland and Berkeley are also feeling the effects of a more expensive San Francisco.

The narrative about the role of the tech industry isn't as simple as techies kicking out Mickey Mouse so they can live in Disneyland, though. As much as the influx of affluent tech workers has served as a catalyst for many of San Francisco's affordability issues, they have also tried, with varying degrees of success, to find the solution. The Hamilton Family Center rental subsidy that supports Todd and his daughter is the result of philanthropic efforts by Salesforce's Marc Benioff. St. Anthony's technology training center, which aims to equip the homeless with basic computing skills, is often staffed with volunteers from Zendesk and Twitter. Zendesk has even developed software to help St. Anthony's volunteers train clients more effectively.

For non-profits like St. Anthony's, sometimes it feels like the city is making progress in finding a solution to the complex problem. Then sometimes it feels like they're taking several steps back.

"I feel like we have very smart people in San Francisco, and if you have economists, developers, and low-income housing providers sit at a table and don't let them out until they come up with a solution, there has to be one," he says. "There has to be a balance between development being profitable, using vertical space and taking the right approach to affordable housing."

Instead of this dream team of economists, developers, and low income housing providers, the city's non-profits continue to fight for the poor and vulnerable. The Tenants Union is currently working on legislative and policy work to strengthen eviction protections and mitigate evictions via increased relocation benefits. It's also pushing through an anti-speculation tax to discourage real estate speculators from buying up rent-controlled properties, then evicting the tenants and selling off the units as condos. Programs like Hamilton and Compass are working with families to secure affordable, subsidized accommodation, while St. Anthony's is partnering with Mercy Housing to build 90 affordable units in the heart of the city for low-income senior citizens. But non-profits can, at best, chip away at a much bigger problem - a problem of inequality, a problem of severe wealth disparity, a problem of a system that has winners and losers.

The Mayor of San Francisco, Ed Lee, set a goal for the city to build 30,000 new housing units by 2020, a third of which is for low-income residents. But the plan may not be enough, with a Civil Grand Jury report published in June 2014 saying that its outlook "tends to be gloomy," with skepticism as to whether the supply will correlate with population growth and whether it will alleviate the current affordability crisis. There is also skepticism about whether the goal will be met in time.

For many San Franciscans who have been displaced or are on the verge of losing their homes, there's pain and a sense of powerlessness.

While the obvious solution is to build more affordable housing, this idea butts against a range of San Francisco-specific problems. One is an issue of space: San Francisco is only seven miles by seven miles, and space is limited. Another is the city's development regulations, with density restrictions artificially limiting the number of units allowed in a project. Add to that the financial incentive to build luxury housing outweighing the incentive to build affordable housing, and a solution suddenly seems a lot further away.

Michael Stoops of the National Coalition for the Homeless says there is no one city doing everything right for the homeless. While there are certain programs that have worked for certain groups in certain cities, like Salt Lake City and Phoenix's solutions to ending chronic homelessness, he says there are caveats. For example, Salt Lake City was able to end chronic homelessness among military veterans which, while a huge achievement, is not the same as ending homelessness.

"There will always be new people who become homeless," Stoops says. "And people are not homeless forever. So we can help people who are currently on the streets and in shelters, but then we have to make sure people don't become homeless in the first place."

For many San Franciscans who have been displaced or are on the verge of losing their homes, there's pain and a sense of powerlessness.

Santiago slumps in his seat. He often smiles because he doesn't know what else to do. He continues to attend rallies - sometimes several per week - because he knows he has to fight the spate of evictions sweeping through San Francisco. He doesn't know how he can win.

"I don't blame the tech workers," he says. "These people are going to work, and kudos to them. They're working. Everyone's working. For me, I put the spotlight on those who are pulling the strings, the puppeteers, the ones crunching out numbers to get the fast buck.

"Those numbers are actually people. We are not just numbers. We're persons. We have a history. We have roots."

For Santiago, it hurts. And even for those who have found affordable housing, the memory of being homeless doesn't go away. Maye remembers the cramped spaces she and her daughters slept in. She remembers how she often skipped meals so her daughters had enough to eat. She remembers doing everything right and still having doors slammed in her face. She remembers her daughter, crying, crying, crying.

Todd remembers the places he'd parked his car and how difficult it was to fall asleep. He'd look out the windows of his car at the construction sites. Each night, a bit more progress was made; here was a Salesforce building; that recently-cleared block of land was for the Trans-Bay Terminal; and that one there, a few blocks down, that was a particularly sweet one - its newly-installed wall of shiny windows reflecting the stars.

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'We are not just numbers. We're persons.'

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Welcome to DoSomething.org, a global movement of 6 million young people making positive change, online and off! The 11 facts you want are below, and the sources for the facts are at the very bottom of the page. After you learn something, Do Something! Find out how to take action here.

1. 42% of people who are LGBT report living in an unwelcoming environment.

2. 80% of gay and lesbian youth report severe social isolation.

3. 6 in 10 LGBT students report feeling unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation. You can encourage your classmates to accept LGBT students by promoting your views on social media. Sign up for Love It Forward.

4. 90% of teens who are LGBT come out to their close friends.

5. In 2013, 92% of adults who are LGBT said they believe society had become more accepting of them than in the past 10 years.

Get new actions every week to tackle misrepresented and erased histories and empower your community.

TAKE ACTION

1. Young people who are LGBT and who are "out" to their immediate families report feeling happier than those who aren't.

2. While non-LGBT students struggle most with school classes, exams, and work, their LGBT peers say the biggest problem they face is unaccepting families.

3. As of July 2014, same-sex marriage is legal in 19 states plus the District of Columbia.

4. The "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, which restricted lesbians, gays, and bisexuals in the military from openly serving, was lifted in 2011. People who are transgender are not permitted to serve openly yet.

5. In July 2009, the Senate approved the Matthew Shepard Act, which outlaws hate crimes based on both sexual orientation and gender identity.

6. The Employment Nondiscrimination Act passed Congress in 2007 is the act that prohibits discrimination of sexual orientation in the workplace, specifically during hiring.

Get new actions every week to tackle misrepresented and erased histories and empower your community.

TAKE ACTION

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Welcome to DoSomething.org, a global movement of 6 million young people making positive change, online and off! The 11 facts you want are below, and the sources for the facts are at the very bottom of the page. After you learn something, Do Something! Find out how to take action here.

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The It Gets Better Project exists to uplift, empower, and connect LGBTQ+ youth around the globe.

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- Check the Carey library for books
- Look up LGBTQ changemakers (Harvey Milk is one specific to SF!)
- Brittanica/TrueFlix might be good resources to check

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- Check the Carey library for books
- World Book/Brittanica/TrueFlix might be good resources to check!

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- World Book/Brittanica/TrueFlix might be good resources to check!

# data[].attributes.body
- Check the Carey library for books
- World Book/Brittanica/TrueFlix might be good resources to check!

# data[].attributes.body
- Check the Carey library for books
- World Book/Brittanica/TrueFlix might be good resources to check!

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After the 1906 Earthquake many Japanese and Japanese Americans relocated to the area where you see SF Japantown today. Originally SF Japantown was commonly referred to as "Nihonjin Machi" or Japanese People's Town which spanned 30 blocks. WWII broke out and 120,000 Japanese Americans were ordered to pack up and leave.

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San Francisco's Japantown is a fun place to explore, but not that many visitors go there. Three indoor malls, and a pedestrian-only block, are lined with a fascinating variety of authentic Japanese shops and restaurants.

In a way, it's like taking a quick trip to Osaka and immersing yourself in Japanese culture, old and new: anime, ceramics, kimonos, sushi, manga, Japanese fashion, and sweets... a huge variety of Japanese items calling out to be purchased or eaten!

There are only three Japantowns left in the U.S. now, and San Francisco's is the largest, and oldest surviving one. All three are in California, and the other two are Little Tokyo in Los Angeles and San Jose's Japantown.

San Francisco's Japantown (aka Nihonmachi) tends to be overshadowed somewhat by SF's more famous Chinatown, but there's a lot to see and do in a small area.

It's easy to spend hours here, trying out ramen places, looking at teapots, origami paper and cute anime-inpired toys.

What's in Japantown?

Japantown in San Francisco is a 6-block area of shops and restaurants along Post Street in the Western Addition neighborhood. Many of the shops are in a series of malls called Japan Center, as well as a pedestrian-only block of Buchanan Street. This area used to be the center of the Japanese community in San Francisco prior to World War 2.

Today, most of the Bay Area Japanese live elsewhere, but many come here to eat and shop, and they've done an impressive job of recreating a Japanese look and feel to this small area of San Francisco. The Japanese feel is especially strong during one of the annual festivals held in Japantown.

Most of the establishments are inside one of the three, two-story malls built in the 1960's. "Malls" doesn't sound very appealing, but they've created a cool Japanese atmosphere inside the buildings, where rows of unique shops and Japanese restaurants march along the corridors.

The malls run in a row along Post Street, between Fillmore and Laguna Streets: East Mall (Miyako), West Mall (Kintetsu), and Kinokuniya Mall (see map below).

Japantown shops to explore...

There are easily a hundred shops and restaurants to investigate; wandering around and discovering all the interesting things is probably the best part of visiting Japantown. Here are some of the highlights:

Note on the "kawaii" phenomenon. Kawaii in Japanese translates roughly as "cuteness", and is currently a big part of the Japanese popular culture. Kawaii encompasses all the ultra "cute" creatures of Hello Kitty, Pikachu and the numberless anime characters, not to mention all the accessories with big-eyed, baby animals, pink hearts, etc.

What started with Sanrio and their ubiquitous kitty, has spread beyond children's entertainment to many aspects of Japanese culture, including fashion, art, film and music. Kawaii is alive and well in Japantown; you'll see oceans of cuteness all through the malls. Pink is the word.

Kids in Japantown

So let's begin with the cute stuff. Kids love Japantown! If you come here with a child, you won't be leaving empty-handed.

Pika Pika

Pika Pika is a Japanese import, a room with large photo booths where you can take funny pictures and decorate them digitally with all sorts of doodads. Very popular with teens and young adults. Pika pika means sparkle or shine in Japanese.

Playland

Playland is a popular arcade with all sorts of Japanese games. Kids love it, of course.

Kinokuniya Bookstore

It's a treat to find a huge bookstore with high quality books and other items, in these latter days of disappearing brick-and-mortar stores. There's something about being able to pick up a book and thumb through it that online shopping just can't match.

For Manga Fans...

The entire lower level of the Kinokuniya Bookstore is manga, in Japanese and English.

Daiso: the Japanese Dollar Store $$$

Or rather the $1.50 Store. All items in Daiso are $1.50 unless marked otherwise. Huge store, with lots of cheap stuff.

This is a Japanese chain store that sell just about anything in housewares you can imagine. Most of it's imported (some Chinese products, but also lots of Japanese items). Check out their large selection of Japanese snacks. of the beloved Pocky stick varieties, plus the candy-stuffed bears. East Mall.

Housewares and More

Japantown has lots of shops selling traditional Japanese goods as well: kimonos, swords, pottery, etc. You'll see them as you explore the malls.

More interesting stores to browse:

Soko Hardware, Japanese housewares, corner of Post and Buchanan Sts.

Ichiban Kan, fun Japanese knick-knacks, East Mall

Paper Tree, everything origami, pretty paper and books. 1743 Buchanan St.

The "New People" Building

New People, at 1746 Post Street near Buchanan, houses some interesting, contemporary Japanese shops and activities, headquarters for all things J-pop.

The first floor has the charming Crown & Crumpet Tea Shop, all in pastels. Up on the top floor is a cool activity: an " escape room" that is set up with clues to solve the puzzle of getting out of the room. You can reserve times online, at RealEscapeGame.com.

The second floor has two Japanese clothing boutiques. One of the shops is Alice and the Pirates, showcasing a brand of clothing catering to the "sweet Lolita" style (no relation to the book), a style and subculture originating in Japan that has super-feminine, frilly, little-girl dresses and accessories for teens and adult women. Odd, but interesting.

Photos in the Alice store are strictly forbidden, but if you want to get an idea of what the fashion is like, check out their online store at Alice and the Pirates. Apparently it's very popular in Japan.

The Cherry Blossom Festival this year has a fashion show based on this style on April 21, 2018, from 12:30 to 1:30 on the Sakura 360 stage ( see schedule).

The also have a theater that shows Japanese films (e.g. My Neighbor Totoro, and others, anime and non, during the Cherry Blossom Festival in April).

Japantown places to eat...

Eating is one of the delights of Japantown. There are so many restaurants for enjoying ramen, sushi, udon, and more, it's hard to choose! I've just listed a few of my favorites. Most of the eating establishments here are Japanese, with a few Korean ones as well.

The photo below shows an area labeled "Restaurant Row", in the West Mall.

Isobune Sushi

Isobune (West Mall, first floor) is the original home of the sushi boats. The owners patented the mechanism and you can nab the irresistible little plates of sushi and more as the boats sail past your table.

I can't resist this place; for more info on it, see my page on Isobune. Beware the pretty, grape-flavored mochi! I ate 3 of them on my last visit, after filling up on sushi, and they're yummy, but so densely sweet, one would have been plenty.

Mochi are rice flour balls filled with sweet bean paste; they taste better than that sounds. Japantown is a great place to sample authentic Japanese sweets (see below).

There's something almost hypnotically soothing about watching the boats go by. Try the Crunchy Avocado Roll.

More good places to try:

Marufuku Ramen: new ramen place, Kinokuniya Mall.

Hinodeya Ramen Bar. 1737 Buchanan St.

Udon Mugizo. Kinokuniya Mall.

Shabu-Sen: cook your own meat and veggies. 1726 Buchanan St.

Ramen Yamadaya. So Cal chain, but good. 1728 Buchanan St.

Sweets

Belly Good Cafe and Crepes

This is a fun place to have dessert for both kids and adults. You design your own crepes from a list of ingredients, including ice cream, honey, kiwi, banana, syrups, chocolate and more.

Not only are the crepes tasty, they are morphed into adorable animals with little faces made from cookies, cereal, pretzels or candy. More kawaii.

I think I got a rabbit. Delicious, except for the green tea flavored crepe. Interesting, but next time I'll go for the regular one.

Mitsu Teahouse

If you're in the mood for something really different, try their boba tea (sweetened tea with milk and flavorings) topped with a big puff of cotton candy in different colors. Totally kawaii. East Mall.

More sweets:

Benkyodo: family business since 1906, famous for mochi and manju. 1747 Buchanan St.

Sophie's Crepes: sweet and savory, huge yummy crepes. Kinokuniya Mall. Cash only.

Yasukochi's Sweet Shop: family business inside the Super Mira Market at 1790 Sutter St. Reason to go: the coffee crunch cake. Cash or check only.

More Things to Do and See in Japantown

Peace Plaza and Pagoda

Between the East and West malls is a large cement area called the Peace Plaza, with a 5-story pagoda rising above it, the biggest landmark of Japantown. The cement pagoda, a Buddhist stupa, was a gift from Osaka to San Francisco in 1968.

The Plaza has benches to hang out on; a little bleak without the blooming cherry trees, but convenient for taking a break from shopping.

The Kabuki Theater is now an AMC Theater.

The Kabuki 8 movie theater on the corner of Fillmore and Post Streets used to be one of the coolest theaters in San Francisco, but they were bought out by AMC in April, 2017. It's kept some of the original features, but not others.

The Kabuki still shows some independent and art films, but mainly mainstream commercial releases. What made it special were the nice seats, quality food and drink, and absence of commercials.

They still have the comfortable chairs, reserved seating, and tables for the wine, beer, cocktails, and snacks that you can purchase at the bar (after 5 p.m.) and bring into the theater with you. They also have a big selection of cocktails and artisanal beers, draft and bottles.

The popcorn still has real butter, but there are now lengthy commercials shown before the previews. Unfortunately, there have also been a lot of complaints about long lines, poor service and dirty bathrooms.

Kabuki Springs and Spa

Zone out in Japantown's traditional Japanese bath house. Saunas, massage, facials, baths. Reservations are a good idea, see their website. Entrance at 1750 Geary Blvd , Kinokuniya Mall.

Japantown Festivals

The Cherry Blossom Festival

The Cherry Blossom Festival is a wonderful event that celebrates spring and the arrival of beautiful pink flowers on the cherry trees. And very popular; around 200,000 people show up.

This festival takes place over two weekends in early April every year. Japantown is overflowing with traditional Japanese music and arts, as well as showcasing the latest developments in Japanese popular culture, or J-pop.

Come to enjoy graceful dancers in beautiful kimonos, amazing sword play, and pounding taiko drums. Or view the latest Japanese fashion in clothes, music, anime and film (any Totoro fans? You're in luck).

The Cherry Blossom Festival for 2018 is happening April 14/15 and 21/22 in Japantown. See my tips on what to see and do there this year.

The Nihonmachi Street Fair

Another fun street fair in Japantown, one weekend in August every year. Wide variety of art, music, and food. Around 30,000 people attend.

Japantown Tours

It can be fun to have someone to take you around and show you the sights and tell you about Japantown's history. There are a couple of ways of doing it.

Note: I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through some of the links on this page, at no extra cost to you. This helps me provide all the free information I post on this website.

Free Guided Walking Tours

San Francisco City Guides is a non-profit group that gives free guided tours to lots of San Francisco attractions. No reservations are required, just show up at the time and meeting spot for the tour. Donations go to the organization (not the guides) and are optional, but no pressure.

This organization is very professional and the volunteers who lead the tours know their stuff. They have a combo tour of Japantown and the nearby Fillmore District that takes place once a month. I've been on several of their tours, though not this one yet, and I've really enjoyed them. See City Guides Tours.

Guided Walking Tours

Japantown Food Tour. Take a guided tour with a local expert and learn about (and taste) the fascinating variety of food tucked away in Japantown, along with some of the history. See the Japantown Food Tour for more info and booking.

Tip: you can often get a nice discount on the Japantown Food Tour through Goldstar.com. It's free to sign up, then check to see if the tour is available. Go to goldstar.com.

Self-guided Walking Tours

You can do your own tour by following a series of 16 signs set up throughout Japantown that explain the history of the neighborhood. Each sign has a map and list of all the signs, so you can move on to the next one easily.

The starting sign is in the Peace Plaza, on the side of the West Mall next to the entryway.

History of SF Japantown

Japanese began moving to the Japantown area in the Western Addition neighborhood after their homes were destroyed in the 1906 earthquake. Most had been living in areas near Chinatown or south of Market Street.

Western Addition was west of Van Ness Avenue, which was the fire break, so the fire that destroyed a large part of San Francisco never reached the Japantown neighborhood.

The Japanese population was one of the largest outside of Japan by the time World War 2 began. In 1942, the Japanese were interned and the neighborhood was filled in with African-Americans working in the wartime industry.

After the war, some Japanese moved back, but most relocated to other parts of the Bay Area and Southern California, or out of state.

The plaza and malls were created during the 1960's during a flurry of "urban renewal" in the Fillmore District, by this time a center of black culture in San Francisco. Many old Victorians were bulldozed to make room for a widened Geary Boulevard and the buildings used to house the new shopping area.

This "redevelopment" was controversial, naturally, since it replaced run-down, historically-interesting houses, and small businesses and jazz clubs, with admittedly unlovely commercial buildings, and displaced some of the African Americans who had been living there.

Today there are about 12,000 Japanese-Americans living in San Francisco.

Japantown Hotels

Staying in a hotel in Japantown is a quiet, low-key alternative to the more hectic pace of Union Square or Fisherman's Wharf. There are two boutique hotels in Japantown that I would recommend: the Hotel Kabuki and the Kimpton Buchanan Hotel.

Hotel Kabuki

The Kabuki creates a serene environment for its guests, with its koi pond, zen garden, and Japanese decor with sliding shoji screens. Soak in a deep Japanese tub in your room, or use the hotel pass to the Japanese spa nearby.

Located next to the East Mall at 1625 Post Street. To read the reviews, and for more info and booking, see Hotel Kabuki.

Kimpton Buchanan Hotel

The Kimpton Buchanan Hotel (formerly the Hotel Tomo), is part of the respected Kimpton Hotel chain. The hotel was recently remodeled, and sits in a quiet neighborhood. They allow pets and provide free bikes for riding around town, free WiFi and a Keurig coffee maker.

Located across the street from the pedestrian block of Buchanan Street, at 1800 Sutter Street. To read the reviews, and for more info and booking, see Kimpton Buchanan.

How to Get to Japantown

The 38-Geary bus stops at Japantown. Get off at the bus stop just before Webster, behind the West Mall. You can catch this bus from Union Square or along several blocks of Market Street.

The 2-Clement and 3-Jackson buses stop on the north side of Japantown, at Sutter and Buchanan, where the pedestrian block of Buchanan begins.

Taking BART to Japantown is a two step process. Get off at the Montgomery BART stop, then head back along Market Street towards 1st Street half a block (towards the Ferry Building) and you'll see the stop for the 38-Geary bus, which takes you to Japantown.

Japantown Parking

Japantown is generally one of the easier neighborhoods to park in because of the Japan Center Garage.

Japan Center Garage

This is where I usually park when I go to Japantown. It's safe and very convenient, being right under the Japan Center; you come up inside the West Mall.

The Japan Center Garage is reasonably priced and usually not full. The hourly rate range is between $2 and $3.50. Most of the Japan Center restaurants will validate, which gives you a $2 discount. Why is this garage so much cheaper than the other ones? Probably because it's run by a non-profit organization;-)

Something cool: if you go on their website, they show the number of spaces available there in real time. See the Japan Center Garage.

There are two entrances to the garage: 1610 Geary near Webster, and on Post Street between Webster and Buchanan.

Kabuki Annex Parking. The Japan Center Garage also manages the parking garage at the nearby Kabuki Theater, same rates. Entrance on Fillmore between Geary and Post.

Other parking options...

There is street parking in the neighborhood surrounding Japantown, but it's not plentiful and not that safe; there have been a lot of car break-ins, so I recommend using the garage.

Parking Apps. Most of the time it's pretty easy to get a space in the Japan Center Garage, but during festivals it can fill up. In those cases, you might consider using a parking app like Parking Panda or Spot Hero to find and book another garage. The other garages cost more, and are 4 to 5 blocks away, but sometimes you can get good deals using the apps.

More to explore...

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San Francisco Japantown. A local's tips on what to see and do.

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San Francisco's Japantown is a fun place to explore, but not that many visitors go there. Three indoor malls, and a pedestrian-only block, are lined with a fascinating variety of authentic Japanese shops and restaurants. In a way, it's like taking a quick trip to Osaka and immersing yourself in Japanese culture, old and new: anime, ceramics, kimonos, sushi, manga, Japanese fashion, and sweets...

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More than 15,000 people attended the annual Diwali festivities hosted by the Federation of Indo-Americans of Northern California at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton, California, Oct. 7.

Dance performances, Ram Leela vendor booths, regional Indian cuisine, a performance by Tollywood rapper Roll Rida and fireworks were some of the highlights of the daylong festival presented by the FOG (Festival of Globe) group.

Organizers said the festival has the reputation of being one of the most anticipated events of the Indian-American community's annual list of attractions in the Bay Area. A special feature this year - It's a Small World After All - a kids' quiz show, tested children on their knowledge of India's history and traditions.

More than 80 schools from the Bay Area participated in the dance competition which was coordinated by FOG Cultural Chair Jyotsna Bendapudi. The Ramayana came to life with the Ramlila performance by children from Keen Learners Montessori. Participants wore colorful costumes and re-enacted scenes from the Ramayana. In the evening, floats with decorated idols of gods and goddesses were paraded through the fairgrounds with holy chanting and devotional songs.

"The turnout was phenomenal," said FIA chairman Romesh Japra. "The purpose of this festival is to get together and celebrate intercultural understanding that promotes economic and cultural prosperity."

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federation of indo-americans of northern california

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More than 15,000 people attended the annual Diwali festivities hosted by the Federation of Indo-Americans of Northern California at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton, California, Oct. 7. Dance performances, Ram Leela vendor booths, regional Indian cuisine, a performance by Tollywood rapper Roll Rida and fireworks were some of the highlights of the daylong festival presented by the FOG (Festival of Globe) group.

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It's no secret that parents in India urge their kids to excel in math and science, believing that it's the clearest path up the social ladder.

But education is only part of the reason Indian immigrants are reaching the top executive ranks at major U.S. corporations - most recently Google Inc.'s appointment of Sundar Pichai this week to chief executive. That followed Microsoft Corp.'s promotion of Satya Nadella to CEO last year.

Along with Indian immigrants leading companies such as Adobe Systems, Nokia, Global Foundries and Mastercard, Pichai and Nadella are evidence that a generation of Indians has benefited from upbringings in a culture that, at its best, values humility, close-knit family ties and respect for all walks of life, according to cultural experts and Indian executives themselves.

"A very strong educational base and technical skills are key to many parts of the tech ecosystem," said Silicon Valley venture capitalist Vinod Khosla, who co-founded Sun Microsystems. "Strong entrepreneurial skills and work ethic ... and growing up and dealing with scarce resources give the Indian community an advantage."

It's not just top executives, either. There are 89,000 Indians living in Silicon Valley, according to the Migration Policy Institute, with most of the families involved in the tech industry. Another 86,000 Indians live in San Francisco and Oakland.

"Treating people with respect comes very naturally to Indians," he said. "People from homogenous societies need that as an acquired skill."

The respect showed through small gestures when running his own software start-up, Shukla said. He'd offered his ear especially to employees who weren't talking much. He kept decision-making open-ended in favor of blanket policies. It added up to more viewpoints and greater success, he concluded.

Last year, Nadella was the first male CEO to address the annual Grace Hopper Celebration for Women in Computing. He committed a self-admitted goof onstage, saying women shouldn't ask for raises but rather trust that they will come their way.

He acknowledged later that imputing his own experience to others was "insensitive."

It's the same mix of humility and respect that keeps Naghi Prasad in the office until midnight some days even though he doesn't have a deadline bearing down. His father had been a linguistics researcher who emphasized that when he asked his team to work, he did too.

Balancing respect with the Silicon Valley ethos of going all out to succeed isn't easy. But Indian tech leaders said they think expertise on both fronts gives them an edge, that competitive drive emerges naturally in a country with a billion people and limited opportunities.

"Government corruption, noise, pollution, traffic - every which way you go it's problem, problem, problem," Wadhwa said. "To survive, you have to be creative."

Unlike the people in some cultures, Indians learn to challenge authority, a legacy of the country's fight for independence from Britain. Indians learn English in school, and because the best-educated speak it fluently, they assimilate well into global-oriented businesses, where English is the primary language.

All these advantages belong to the cream of the crop, in a country deep in poverty and beset with enormous social problems, of course.

"You don't leave behind a middle-class existence to become dirt," Wadhwa said. "They are the top 1% of India, and now you put them in the fertile ground of Silicon Valley and you have the magic."

With more U.S.-educated Indians choosing to return to India to start companies, there's concern a brain drain might cause the Indian influence to wane. Several start-ups in India have surpassed $1-billion valuations on the private market, and they're poaching some top Silicon Valley executives.

But the Indians who stick around have one trend to be excited about. Smart technology leaders with enough business sense are increasingly being elevated in companies, giving a leg up to Indians who traditionally have fewer sales and marketing skills. That's part of why Pichai quickly rose up through the ranks at Google over the last 11 years. Shukla called it a tribute to Google and Microsoft that Pichai and Nadella had reached the top positions.

"They are relentless in identifying talent in early stages of their careers and providing opportunities for people who are so different to end up at the top," he said. "It's a reflection of the meritocratic cultures of these companies."

There's another positive sign too. About a third of the 2 million people in the Indian diaspora in the U.S. are children of immigrants, according to the Migration Policy Institute.

Wadhwa worried a decade ago whether the next generation would be as successful, but he's realizing as his son's generation nears its 30s that they are on a path to be strong performers. Success stories include Indian born but Toronto-raised Apoorva Mehta, who's grocery delivery start-up Instacart has been valued at more than $2 billion by its investors.

"The second generation has the best of both worlds," Wadhwa said. "They have my values yet all the American advantages. They can achieve the same as my generation at much younger age."

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It's no secret that parents in India urge their kids to excel in math and science, believing that it's the clearest path up the social ladder. But education is only part of the reason Indian immigrants are reaching the top executive ranks at major U.S.

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Indian American Population in the Bay Area

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Indian American Population in the Bay Area

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In the summer of 1965, when a group of students at UC Berkeley met in a hillside home to talk about founding the first local Sikh temple, it was hard to imagine the East Bay's Indian-American population would someday expand to nearly 100,000.

It seemed to J.P. Singh, who was at the meeting, that every Indian he knew was in the room with him. Now, he sees evidence of Indian-American culture everywhere in the Bay Area.

Among Asian groups, none grew more rapidly than Indian-Americans in the last decade, according to 2010 census figures released Thursday. They have surpassed Filipinos as the second-largest Asian group in the nation after the Chinese, and in the Bay Area they are expanding far beyond the established immigrant gateways of the Silicon Valley.

The numbers of Indian-Americans in the East Bay counties of Alameda and Contra Costa jumped from about 55,000 to 95,000 in a mere decade, a growth of 74 percent. Their numbers in Santa Clara County, which remains one of the nation's Indian hubs, jumped from about 67,000 to nearly 118,000.

In California, the number of Indian-Americans grew by 68 percent to 528,176 over the decade, and in the nine-county Bay Area the number grew by 53 percent to 244,493, which is 3.4 percent of the region's total population.

Singh can remember the days in the mid-1960s when such a population was hard to imagine. Sure, there were some Indian immigrants who worked at a sugar plant in Crockett, and many others were farmers in the Central Valley or, like him, students at UC Berkeley, which had attracted young scholars from India since the early 20th century. But no Indian restaurants existed in most Bay Area cities, and one that eventually opened - a place called Maharaja in Berkeley - closed down several months later, Singh said. The first clothing store in West Berkeley's now-thriving South Asian district of sari shops and chaat houses had yet to open.

But four months after his meeting in the Berkeley hills, the trajectory of America's tiny Indian-American population changed dramatically when President Lyndon Johnson signed an immigration law that opened the door to many non-European immigrants, ending previous restrictions on immigration from Asia and other parts of the world.

Sikhs, who are a religious minority in India, were the pioneers in the early days of Northern California's burgeoning Indo-American population.

"When we were first looking for a place to put the temple, the center of Sikh population was pretty close to Berkeley," said Singh, a founder and former president of the Sikh temple in El Sobrante. "A lot of us white-collared guys worked in San Francisco. Then, Fremont started to grow. Union City started to grow. The Fremont temple and the El Sobrante temples were built simultaneously - within a week of each other in 1980."

Alameda County had about 4,900 people who identified as Asian Indian in the 1980 census form, and about a fifth of them lived in Fremont. An additional 2,000 Indian-Americans lived in Contra Costa County.

The local Indian population grew bigger and more diverse linguistically, culturally and religiously as Silicon Valley attracted ambitious and highly educated professionals from across the subcontinent, adding Hindus, Muslims, Jains and other groups to the mix of Indians and other South Asians who called this region home.

The census ethnicity figures are based on self-identification, so people who trace their origins to India usually check a box identifying themselves as "Asian Indian."

The Indian population does not include other South Asians whose cultures sometimes overlap, such as Pakistanis, Nepalis, Sri Lankans, Bhutanese and Afghans. All of these groups also have a higher-than-average presence in the East Bay, but had to write their identity in an "other" category on the form.

Cupertino and Fremont are now tops in the nation for cities with the highest proportion of Indians, at least among the half of U.S. states for which such census information has been released. And Fremont now has the second-highest Indian population in California after San Jose, surpassing the much-larger city of Los Angeles in the last decade. Both cities also have a large Chinese population that was surpassed by the Indian population since 2000.

Indian-Americans are also moving within the region, venturing outside of the established immigrant gateways. They first bypassed traditional urban neighborhoods for suburbs like Hayward, Fremont, Union City and Milpitas, and now many are moving on to more affluent towns like Saratoga, Palo Alto, Blackhawk and Pleasanton.

Staff writers Joe Rodriguez and Lisa Fernandez contributed to this report.

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Indian-American population is fastest-growing minority group

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In the summer of 1965, when a group of students at UC Berkeley met in a hillside home to talk about founding the first local Sikh temple, it was hard to imagine the East Bay's Indian-American population would someday expand to nearly 100,000. It seemed to J.P.

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Eviction Map San Francisco

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You hear about evictions and displacement all the time in San Francisco. In fact, it's one of the most dominant international news stories about our foggy city: the real estate "explosion," the housing crisis, the Googlization of San Francisco - or whatever you want to call it.

As the real estate and rental markets continue to go crazy, San Francisco has been undergoing huge demographic shifts. Right now it's in the middle of a great whitening, and I'm not talking about cosmetic dentistry. Our city is the "only Bay Area county where ethnic and racial diversity will actually decrease," according to a USC study. Likewise, we seem to have hit a new normal of permanently rising rental and home prices, to the effect that the median single-family home price is now way more than one million.

So that leads to another question: are more people getting displaced and evicted now than ever before, or - given that we've been in a bullish real estate market for decades - is it about the same? It's true that evictions often occur for non-scummy-landlord reasons; sometimes renters just trash a place or turn it into a meth lab.

I looked at how evictions varied over the past 15 years in San Francisco to gain some insight into what's really going on. Here are the takeaways.
1. Over 8,500 tenants received eviction notices during the past five years.
This first stat is a doozy: 8,619 tenants officially received eviction notices from 2010 to 2015. Remember how the city has a population of about 900,000? Accounting for migration, that means that around 1% of the city was served eviction notices (remember, more than one person lives in most units).
2. To break it down more, eviction notices went up by 50%, from 1,400 in fiscal year 2010-2011 to 2,100 in 2014-2015.
This is a 50% increase in five years or, in other words, about 10% higher year to year, as the data trends up every year from 2010 to 2015. This doesn't bode well, and it's predicted that 2015 will have registered 2,700 evictions once the dust has settled.

Here's a terrifying thought experiment: if eviction notices continue to increase by 10% per year, how long until everyone - all 900,000 of us - are evicted? The answer is 2078. Let's hope that by then we've all uploaded our consciousnesses into a computer, rendering us unevictable.
3. Eviction notices go up and down with the housing market.
This is the most damning piece of evidence that shows that landlords scheme to evict people when they know they can profit the most. Since San Francisco is always at full capacity, the increase or decrease in evictions year to year should be about the same, provided that the demographics stay the same.

To give some context: evictions in 2006-2007 numbered 1,450, while in 2007-2008 they hit 1,650. Then there was a drop that correlated with the Great Recession, and evictions dipped to a 15-year low of 1,250 in 2009-2010 before beginning the trend of the 10% annual rise mentioned above. This strongly suggests that landlords do their darndest to evict when they know they can either sell for big bucks or rent to wealthier tenants.
4. Evictions due to "breach of lease" rose the fastest from 2012 to 2015.
When I was in the 10th grade, a sheriff came to speak to our driver's-ed class. At the time, the law said you could not be pulled over for not wearing a seatbelt, but if you were pulled over for something else, the cop could then ding you for not wearing one. On this matter, the deputy said to the class, "Technically, we can't pull you over just for not wearing a seatbelt. But if we see you're not wearing one, trust me, we can find a reason to pull you over."

It seems that landlords follow a similar logic, which could be summed up as follows: "We can't evict you for no reason whatsoever, but if we want to evict you, trust us, we'll find a reason." Likewise, it's unlikely that in the period of 2012-2015 - when evictions due to breach of lease nearly doubled, from 468 to 738 - we were hit with an epidemic of hooligan San Franciscan renters graffitiing kitchens, throwing ragers and doing things that broke their leases. More likely, the rising housing and rental market was too tempting for some landlords, and they studied the situation until they could figure out how they could bend the rules to evict their tenants.
5. Ellis Act evictions went way down for a few months when landlords were threatened by communities organizing against evictions.
Though it wasn't the law's original intent, the Ellis Act is a state statute that has been wrangled by landowners to mean "we can evict everyone in the building unconditionally and then renovate and rent it to new people for more money." Interestingly, when the Ellis Act was drafted, its intent was actually to stop unscrupulous landlords from wronging evicted tenants by providing compensation to low-income tenants who were evicted when landlords went under. Now, with the Ellis Act, they have to change what the function of the building is in order to evict - even if that change is superficial, such as changing it from rental apartments to condos.

Ellis Act evictions shot up between June 2011 and February 2014, from 50 a month to over 400. What happened in February 2014? That was when community organizers and activists started blowing the whistle, putting pressure on city council to do something. Then Proposition G, a proposed tax on speculation, went on the ballot, and landlords and big developers got scared.

Hence, Ellis Act evictions plummeted to February 2011 levels, in the sub-50 range, and remained there until - and here's the kicker -  immediately after the November 2014 election, when Proposition G was defeated. They've been rising steadily since; by April 2015, they'd peaked at 250 again.

The moral here? Activism and community organizing work. Obviously, it helps to win at the ballot box, but in the short term, simply the fear of tenants fighting back was enough to scare landlords away from using the Ellis Act to flip rentals.

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Here Are the Hard Numbers Behind the Eviction Epidemic in San Francisco

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You hear about evictions and displacement all the time in San Francisco. In fact, it's one of the most dominant international news stories about our foggy city: the real estate "explosion," the housing crisis, the Googlization of San Francisco - or whatever you want to call it.

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Every two years since 2005, the City of San Francisco performs a " homeless census" that is officially called the "Homeless Point-In-Time Count and Survey." The 2017 results were released a couple of weeks ago and at the outset, things looked a teeny tiny bit better than they were two years prior. We told you all about that here.

This year's 78-page census results from a count one night in January 2017 revealed that overall, the homeless population decreased by 0.5%, but a closer look at the numbers — as taken this past weekend by the Chronicle's Heather Knight — shows that San Francisco's homeless problem is as bad as it's ever been.

While the overall drop in homelessness is half of a percent, experts think that's due to the fact that homeless families and children are being moved off the streets together. Which, good. But the number of individual homeless adults on the street, which Knight points out are the most visible members of the homeless community, have increased.

In 2016, the call line 311 received five times as many calls about homeless encampments, discarded hypodermic needles, and human waste as it did in 2015.

Here are some hard numbers.

7,499: 2017 total homeless population
7,539: 2015 total homeless population
(The number was 6,436 in 2013, and 6,455 in 2011.)

5,518: 2017 single homeless adults
5,342: 2015 single homeless adults

1,363: 2017 unaccompanied homeless youth
1,567: 2015 unaccompanied homeless youth

1,100: 2017 approximate waiting list for shelter bed
900: 2016 approximate waiting list for shelter bed

Dispelling the notion that the majority of those on our streets have drifted here from elsewhere to receive free services and food, 69% of the homeless population claim they lived in San Francisco housing prior to becoming homeless, and 55% say they've been homeless for a decade or more. 41% say that have drug or alcohol addiction, 39% claim mental health issues, and 11% say they have HIV or AIDS. As for how San Francisco's homeless population is spread throughout the city, 3,680 people live on the streets of District Six — which includes much of SoMa and the Tenderloin — far and away the district with the highest homeless population.

Also, as we look at these numbers, it's important to remember exactly who is (and is not) getting counted. Claims the report:

In this study, the HUD definition of homelessness for the Point-in-Time Count is used. This definition includes individuals and families:

Living in a supervised publicly or privately operated shelter designated to provide temporary living arrangement; or

With a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings, including a car, park, abandoned building, bus or train station, airport, or camping ground.

This narrow definition of homelessness is in contrast to the considerably broader definition adopted by the City and County of San Francisco. The definition of homelessness in San Francisco expands HUD's definition to include individuals who were 'doubled-up' in the homes of family or friends, staying in jails, hospitals, and rehabilitation facilities, and families living in Single Room Occupancy (SRO) units. While this data is beyond the scope of this project, information on those residing in jails, hospitals, and rehabilitation facilities were gathered and are included in this report where applicable.

You can pore over the whole thing with the Executive Summary, the Homeless Youth Count Report, and the Homeless Count Report. It's a lot of info.

And the Chronicle has dug into the money numbers, noting "The city spent $275 million on homelessness and supportive housing in the fiscal year that ends Friday, up from $241 million the year before. Starting Saturday, that annual spending is projected to hit an eye-popping $305 million."

The city's entire annual budget is $10 billion.

Jeff Kositsky, the director of the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing and whom you can read about here, is trying to stay positive in the wake of the 2017 census. Kositsky claims that since September, 11 encampments have been removed and only two of them popped back up. 70% of the people within those camps have moved indoors, thanks to outreach and services provided by the city. "Thirty percent wandered off, but that's a lot better than 100 percent. When you just go move people, that's what they do," said Kositsky.

Kositsky, who's tasked with solving the overall homeless problem, says these things take time and money, and he's seeing improvement in the long term. Meanwhile Public Works Director Mohammed Nuru, the guy responsible for cleaning up encampments, discarded needles, and human feces, is growing impatient.

"We feel like we're a maid service. We clean, we come back. We clean, we come back. The real question is, 'Are we getting anywhere?' We don't want to just continue going around in circles," Nuru told the Chron.

According to Knight, Nuru blamed the 2016 Super Bowl (which was held in Santa Clara and celebrated endlessly in San Francisco) as a possible cause of the increase in tent encampments. At that time, certain groups were worried that the homeless would be kicked out in favor of shining San Francisco up for visitors, so many gave members of the homeless community tents.

"The Powell Street BART Station is basically a homeless shelter, and not a well-maintained one. There are homeless people sprawled all over the place, sometimes shooting up, sometimes with clothes not completely covering their backsides. Some people have seen people masturbating. There's the smell, the dirt. The needles, the human waste, the garbage. I just don't understand why we think it's OK," lamented District 8 Supervisor Jeff Sheehy.

Newest @SF_HSH navigation center coming together thanks to hard work of @sfpublicworks pic.twitter.com/aekXTbI0Hd
- Jeff Kositsky (@JeffKositsky) June 10, 2017

In his department's defense, Kositsky pointed out that when a homeless person is moved off the streets and into supportive housing, the public doesn't really notice it. "Our successes are invisible, and our failures to resolve a problem are very evident," he explained.

As for Neru, he echoed a sentiment that many newcomers and tourists have said about SF in recent years, speaking to the Chron: "It just hurts me to see a beautiful city like this."

Related: There Are Close To 1,500 Homeless Youth Living On San Francisco Streets

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2017 San Francisco 'Homeless Census' Reveals That Despite Numbers, Things Are Worse, Not Better

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Every two years since 2005, the City of San Francisco performs a " homeless census" that is officially called the "Homeless Point-In-Time Count and Survey." The 2017 results were released a couple of weeks ago and at the outset, things looked a teeny tiny bit better than they were two years prior.

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Published 1:12 pm, Wednesday, July 5, 2017

If there's any area of San Francisco that evokes images of the long-gone '60s hippie culture, the Haight is it. Fragments of that flower-power, incense-burning, acid-dropping, tie-dye-wearing, peace-and-love-vibing era can be purchased at smoke shops and Eastern-influenced outlets bearing names like Dreams of Kathmandu and The Love of Ganesha. But save for a few hippie relics, the Haight today is a whole new scene. Exclusive boutiques, high-end vintage clothing shops, secondhand stores, Internet cafés and hip restaurants have all settled in.

Neo-punks, club kids, fashionistas, tourists and neighborhood folks are equally at home here, whether they come to get a new piercing, grab a burrito, find the latest drum 'n' bass 12-inch or people-watch from a café. But there are two distinctly different areas of the Haight: The Upper Haight, which stretches from Stanyan to Masonic, is the more moneyed shopping zone. Meanwhile, the Lower Haight, roughly Divisadero to Webster, is a more diverse neighborhood with a grittier feel. While it has been an alternate nightlife hub for years, the Lower Haight has become a main draw among DJs and ravers with the proliferation of dance-music record shops and clubs.

The Haight has a just-rolled-out-of-bed vibe during the day - perfect for lazing around in cafés and bookstores - but you'll have to navigate through plenty of panhandlers and tourists. Weekends can get quite crowded with shoppers and brunch seekers during the day, and bar- and club-goers at night.

There's metered parking on Haight and nearby neighborhood parking, but actually finding a spot can be tough. Muni buses 7, 71 and 71L run the length of Haight from Market; Muni bus 6 comes from Market also, but turns on Parnassus. The 37 runs from Twin Peaks to the Haight, and the 33 goes along Stanyan in the Upper Haight. For more info on public transportation in this area, see the 511.org website.
SIGHTS AND CULTURE
Photo: Robert W. Klein, Associated Press
Corner of Haight & Ashbury
Back in the mid-1960s, this was perhaps the most famous intersection in the world, a place where young people congregated from all over the world in search of love and peace. Some found it and some didn't, but that was only one chapter in this neighborhood's long and colorful history. Today it's worth a visit just to see the beautiful Victorians that surround the area. And maybe to get a Ben and Jerry's ice cream cone, if you like that sort of thing.

Hike, jog, walk or lean your back against a tree in 36 acres of forested parkland with great views of surrounding Victorians and the city. Oak and pine trees stand next to eucalyptus and Monterey cypress, with trails winding throughout. It's one of the city's oldest parks, and you can still see some fragments of headstone inscriptions in the retaining walls, which were built with granite and marble partly salvaged from former San Francisco cemeteries. ( Website)

In the mid-'60s, the Grateful Dead lived together (with other transients) in this 1890 Cranston-Keenan building (that's Cranston, as in former US Sen. Alan Cranston's grandfather). 710 Ashbury St.
Haight Ashbury Street Fair
In June, locals and tourists pack the Upper Haight for the Haight Street Fair, featuring local bands, food stalls from neighborhood restaurants and, of course, plenty of shopping.
LODGING
Photo: Anna Yelizarova/Peninsula Press

The Red Victorian, a-turn-of-the-century hotel that has had two previous incarnations, is one spot on the Haight where the Summer of Love lives on. Sami Sunchild's Peace Arts Center, which is part of the guest house, sells peace T-shirts, human-diversity posters and the like. Rooms are decorated in themes, such as the Flower Child Room and the Sunshine Room, and the staff acts more like family than workers. Prices are very reasonable. 1665 Haight St., (415) 864-1978. ( Website)

Built in 1904-05, the Stanyan Park Hotel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Victorian-style hotel has since been restored and now houses 36 rooms and suites with period artwork and decors. The hotel does have modern amenities, but adds old-fashioned touches like evening tea and cookies. 750 Stanyan St. (near Haight), (415) 751-1000. ( Website)

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San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury: Top things to do

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Exclusive boutiques, high-end vintage clothing shops, secondhand stores, Internet cafés and hip restaurants have all settled in. Neo-punks, club kids, fashionistas, tourists and neighborhood folks are equally at home here, whether they come to get a new piercing, grab a burrito, find the latest drum 'n' bass 12-inch or people-watch from a café.

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Many San Franciscans have the impression that homelessness has been growing in recent years. What's confusing is - the population of homeless people in San Francisco has actually stayed relatively flat. So, if the numbers aren't changing, what is? Three things. In 2016, residents called 311 to complain about encampments five times more than in the previous year.
The growth of encampments

The number of homeless people isn't changing, but the number of tents definitely is. They really began proliferating at the end of 2015.

Back then, I reported about a crew of San Franciscans known to some as "the Tent Mafia," who'd gotten angry watching the Department of Public Works trashing tents, and then crowd-sourced money to hand out new ones to people without.

The head organizer, Shaun Osburne told me back then that they raised $4,000 within hours of kicking off the campaign. There was an outpouring of support that has tapered off in the last year. The whole operation "wrapped" this past October.
Fewer places to hide
In cities up and down the West Coast, charity groups like the Tent Mafia handed tents out, and when municipalities tried to clear them like trash, they got community blowback.

Now, the tents are a mainstay.

Another reason why homelessness is more visible in San Francisco: development.

With so much building going on, there just are fewer secluded places for homeless people to live out of sight, says Mohammad Nuru, director of San Francisco's Department of Public Works.

"With all the construction downtown - the Transbay Terminal, Mission Bay, the Eastern Waterfront - the boom in construction has displaced a lot of people," he says.

Meaning, people who lived in alleys and parking lots away from foot traffic. Also, people that lived in cheap rooms that were redeveloped, and ended up on the street.

Nuru takes a lot of pride in his caretaker role for what he sees as a beautiful city.

"Our goal is to make sure that our city is presentable. At all times things need to look clean, green, beautiful flowers, beautiful buildings," Nuru says. "That's a reflection of a healthy city."

Nuru says he believes in a zero tolerance approach to people living on the streets. It's his department that disbands and clears out tent cities.

Still, he's glad that development has made homeless people more visible, because this way it's easier to connect people to services

"At least we can see the people, we can interact with them," he says. "A lot of the population we're talking about has been on the streets for a while, and the city is trying to bring everyone together and find the right place for these individuals."

One man, who introduced himself as Wynden, said he used to live in China Basin. It was pretty secluded, he says, until construction sent him on the move. He doesn't want to live in a tent encampment - mainly because he's worried about safety.

"I'd rather stay alone, by myself, no one next to me, and mind my own business," Wynden says.

He briefly tried to live in Golden Gate Park, but he says that without a dog to protect you, it's too dark in the park to feel safe.

Now Wynden is in Potrero Hill, by the freeway, the only tent on the block.

It's one of the last remaining places where he can get some space without being in anyone else's.

So, why does it seem like there's more homelessness even though the numbers don't bear that out?

Development has pushed people out of seclusion, into concentrated neighborhoods.

And, tent encampments have led to a streetlife that draws attention.

How do these changes affect the people that actually live on the street?

Outside a row of tents in the Mission, a man named Curtis says over the course of his time living on the streets, the encampments have gotten crowded.

"It's getting worse," he says. "A lot of people be on drugs, people be getting stabbed, people be raping the woman and the homosexuals."

Curtis says he recently got a spot in an SRO hotel - he's carrying a potted plant he plans to bring home. He's glad to not be living out here anymore.
Stemming family homelessness
But, for other people, the encampments are just about the only stability in their lives.

"It's better than I would have imagined," says a woman named Rachel. "There's a sense of community. In this little circle we try to keep an eye on each other's stuff."

The last big factor explaining why the number of homeless isn't growing despite all appearances is this: certain segments of the homeless population are growing while others are shrinking.

The group that's shrinking is the least visible: homeless families. That's where the city is focusing its efforts.

Mianta McKnight's is one of the nearly 1,000 families San Francisco has helped house in the last three years. She just moved in to a brand new one-bedroom apartment for her, her baby, Aiko, and her father - Aiko's grandfather.

It's clean and bare, with wall-to-wall carpeting.

"She loves it," says Mianta, "she's never stood on carpet before."

When Mianta applied for rent support she was living in a temporary transitional housing facility, like a halfway house. This was after 17 years in prison.

"I was a teenager when I went to jail and had never lived on my own as an adult," says Mianta.

She was pregnant with Aiko and working two jobs, but she was worried about making rent once her lease at the facility was up.

"I needed to find somewhere to bring her back to because she deserves to be born to a space that is like a home."

In transitional housing, and pregnant, Mianta was vulnerable to becoming homeless.

But, a nonprofit called Hamilton Families stepped in to temporarily cover her rent.

It's part of their Rapid Rehousing program - even though Mianta wasn't on the street, living in the facility meant she was counted as a sheltered but homeless person.

In 2014, The city of San Francisco partnered with Hamilton Families to scale up the Rapid Rehousing program, with the goal of assisting people before things fall apart and homelessness locks in.

According to Tomiquia Moss, the director of Hamilton Families, the city aims to ensure that any family that experiences a housing crisis won't be exposed to that crisis for any longer than 90 days.

"We had a doubling in family homelessness in San Francisco past the recession," says Moss. "Many have been living with relatives, and that's why you don't see the visibility that you do with single adults."

San Francisco also has an initiative to house the roughly 1,300 families that have been homeless for a long time.

That, combined with Rapid Rehousing, is "what we're talking about when we talk about ending family homelessness in San Francisco," says Moss.

One big way the city is housing more people is by looking outside its own borders.

"We know that if a family is homeless in San Francisco, but we can find them an affordable unit in Sacramento, they're going to take the unit. We were housing 75 percent of our families in San Francisco and in the last three years that's flipped," says Moss.

Mianta's family moved out of San Francisco with assistance from Hamilton Families. That was two years ago. She's been covering rent on her own for a year, and this new apartment is an upgrade.

"It feels safe, it feels clean, feels like a home," says Mianta.

Hamilton Familes says 91 percent of the families they assist stay housed after their subsidy ends - and Mianta's not worried about backsliding.

She was a teenager when she went to prison, but she's a go-getter. She worked as an organizer during her incarceration, and now she's employed as an advocate with Justice Now.

So, the number of homeless people in San Francisco hasn't changed in over five years.

But, in most cities around the country, the numbers are rising.

And, there are still over 4,000 people living on the streets in San Francisco. And another 3,000 in shelters. The problem may not be worse, but it's bad.

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Why homelessness in San Francisco appears to be growing when, in fact, it isn't

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Many San Franciscans have the impression that homelessness has been growing in recent years. What's confusing is - the population of homeless people in San Francisco has actually stayed relatively flat. So, if the numbers aren't changing, what is? Three things. In 2016, residents called 311 to complain about encampments five times more than in the previous year.

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The San Francisco Bay Area, with its Teslas, tech start-ups and $3,700 one-bedroom rents, is one of the most affluent regions in the country but also home to nearly 15,000 homeless children.

Most of the students are in the urban areas, but they also live in the wealthy enclaves. They're in Menlo Park, they're in the San Ramon Valley, they're even in Ross in Marin County, where the median household income tops $200,000. And they're most certainly undercounted: parents report to schools whether their family is homeless, and they have plenty of reasons not to admit to it: fear of deportation, fear of the government taking their children away, and shame.

According to the Department of Education, "homeless" means living in a car, motel, campsite, shelter, on the street or doubled up with other families due to financial hardship. In the Bay Area, most of those children are doubled up with other families, although in San Francisco hundreds are living on the street or in shelters.

The Bay Area has 420 school districts, charter schools and county offices of education in its nine counties, spread over 6,900 square miles from Cloverdale to Gilroy. But almost none have a higher percentage of homeless children than the Ravenswood City Elementary School District in East Palo Alto.

The Ravenswood district is less than three miles from Stanford University, yet has one of the highest percentages of homeless students in the state. More than 37 percent of the district's 3,076 students are homeless, and of those, 96 percent live "doubled up" with other families, sharing a home or apartment or even a garage.

Nearly 88 percent of Ravenswood students qualify for free and reduced-price lunch, and 64 percent are English learners.

The district receives some federal grant money to help these children, but "that's just a drop in the bucket. A Band-aid," said Superintendent Gloria Hernandez-Goff. "Paying for these services ends up being a huge encroachment into the general fund. But we do it because kids can't learn if they're hungry, if they're tired, if they're distracted or worried. Our schools need to be a safe place where families know their children are cared for."

The district also gets extra funding under the state's Local Control Funding Formula, which steers money to schools to serve high-needs students, including those who are homeless, low-income, English learners or in foster care.

Ravenswood provides three meals a day, plus snacks, to all students regardless of whether they're homeless and arranges for a food bank to give regular, two-week supplies of groceries to parents. The district also provides free uniforms for students, washers and dryers on school campuses, full-time counselors at every school, and arranges for families to get free showers at the local YMCA. A nearby Catholic church allows families to sleep overnight in the parking lot.

Perhaps the biggest expense, Hernandez-Goff said, is transportation. Children who bounce between homeless shelters are legally entitled to free transportation to school, so the district will send buses, taxis or even Uber to deliver the children to school every day. Homeless families tend to move frequently, and sometimes find themselves at shelters 20 miles away. By law, homeless children can continue attending the same school without having to transfer to a new school every time their family moves.

"It's expensive, but we patch things together," she said. "The bottom line is, the thing that has always unified this country is public education. Schools have always stepped up to address the needs of students. It's not just about books - it's so much more."

In Ravenswood, most of the homeless families are Latin American immigrants living with other immigrant families. But in San Francisco, state data show, roughly half of the city's 1,984 homeless students live on their own: teenage runaways escaping abusive homes or violence elsewhere.

No one knows exactly where these students live in San Francisco, but 300 a night sleep at the Larkin Street Youth Services shelter. Hundreds of others sleep in parks or under freeways, on friends' couches, or trade sex for a place to sleep, according to Larkin Street's executive director, Sherilyn Adams.

Amazingly, some find a way to get to school every day.

"A lot of these kids are not visibly homeless, and they often don't want you to know they're homeless," Adams said. "Adolescence is a time of blending in, not standing out. So these kids face a lot of shame, a lot of isolation. Trying to do school work while figuring out where they're going to sleep every night - they have a lot on their plate."

In addition to the shelter, Larkin Street provides medical and behavioral services, street outreach and a drop-in center. Another nonprofit, Hamilton Families, contracts with San Francisco Unified to provide after-school tutoring and activities, field trips, bus passes, uniforms and other services to more than 800 children annually in the city.

In the East Bay, Oakland Unified saw its number of homeless students shoot up from 400 in 2014-15 to 635 in 2015-16 to 901 in 2016-17, largely due to the escalating cost of housing, the district's homeless coordinator, Trish Anderson, said.

"Those numbers are real," she said. "Rents are too high, and people are losing their homes."

Oakland Unified provides a one-stop shop of services for its homeless families, including food, referrals to shelters and help enrolling in Medi-Cal. The district also provides immediate enrollment to homeless students, allowing them to waive much of the paperwork, and bus service to school. Like San Francisco, Oakland has a significant number of homeless youth who aren't living with their families. Some find emergency shelter at DreamCatcher, an eight-bed shelter that provides a range of services for students as long as they remain in school.

Just north of San Francisco, San Rafael City Schools in Marin County goes to great lengths to identify homeless children and train teachers to accommodate them. In 2016-17, the district reported 625 homeless children at its eight elementary schools, one of the highest rates in the state.

As is the case throughout California, lack of affordable housing is the primary cause for the high homeless rate in the area. Immigrant parents working in the restaurant, housekeeping or landscaping sectors cannot afford to rent an apartment, so they share space with other families. Median monthly rent for a two-bedroom apartment in San Rafael is $3,080, almost three times the national average.

"We definitely have affordable housing issues. Unfortunately, that's not something officials are moving very quickly on," said Julia Neff, accountability coordinator for San Rafael City Schools. "But it's the school district's responsibility to meet these students where they are. We do what we can."

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Amid affluence, youth homelessness surges in the Bay Area

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The San Francisco Bay Area, with its Teslas, tech start-ups and $3,700 one-bedroom rents, is one of the most affluent regions in the country but also home to nearly 15,000 homeless children. Most of the students are in the urban areas, but they also live in the wealthy enclaves.

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The Best San Francisco View!

Want a spectacular 360 degree view of San Francisco? Head for the top of Twin Peaks, San Francisco.

These two hills rise almost 1000 feet above the City and sit just about in its geographical center.

From the viewing area next to the parking lot at the top, you can see many of San Francisco's landmarks: the Golden Gate Bridge, Bay Bridge, Alcatraz, Transamerica Building, downtown skyscrapers and Market Street. Photographs just don't do it justice.

Look in the other direction and there's the Pacific Ocean and Golden Gate Park:

And looking east, a clear view of San Francisco Bay with the cities of Berkeley and Oakland across the water, and Mount Diablo in the distance:

This is truly one of the most spectacular of all the San Francisco sights! Twin Peaks is where locals like to take their guests.

If you come up here on a clear night, the lights of San Francisco sparkle below you in every direction.

Twin Peaks also hosts a large reservoir holding 300 million gallons, installed on the peaks after the 1906 quake as a water supply for fighting fires.

Climb to the top. For an even better view, climb the rugged stairs to the top of one of the peaks. You really will feel you're floating above the whole Bay Area! The peak furthest from the parking lot (the southern one) probably has the best view.

Try to go on a clear day. When it's foggy, Twin Peaks sits right in the middle of it and you won't see anything but swirling fog.

Dress warmly. It can be very cold and windy up there, so bring a jacket, even if it's a warm day.

Go early. Twin Peaks San Francisco is a popular place to come, for both locals and visitors. If you come before 10:30 a.m., there'll be fewer people. But even with more people up there, it's not that crowded; it just might mean waiting for a parking spot if you're driving. And most visitors don't climb the peaks.

Car break-ins have become a big problem in San Francisco, unfortunately. Don't leave anything visible in your car if you park here.

There are restrooms near the parking lot.

The Mission Blue Butterfly

In addition to having many native plants covering the slopes of Twin Peaks, these hills are the habitat for a pretty little butterfly that only exists two places on earth, Twin Peaks and San Bruno Mountain further down the peninsula.

The butterfly is endangered and lives on the Silver Lupine ground cover that does well on the peaks. The butterflies come out of their cocoons in April and May, and can be seen on the hills.

Getting to Twin Peaks San Francisco

By Car

Twin Peaks is very easy to get to if you have a car. Just follow Market Street west (away from downtown) all the way to the top of the hill (where the name changes to Portola Drive), then turn right on Twin Peaks Boulevard. A short, winding road brings you to the free parking lot at the top.

The parking lot isn't large, and tends to fill up on clear days, but if you wait, a spot will usually open up before long.

By Bus

It's not that convenient via public transportation. Buses 48 and 52 stop on Portola Drive near the Twin Peaks turnoff, but it's a long hike up the mountain from there.

Tip: you can get a lot closer to the top by taking the 37 Corbett Bus and get off at the #74 Crestline Drive stop. From there, a series of rugged steps will take you to the base of the hills.

You can get here from Market Street downtown if you take one of the street car lines J, KT, L or M (it's the subway downtown, running under Market Street). On the J-Church train, get off at the Church and Market stop just after the train comes out of the tunnel; the 37-Corbett bus stop is at Church and 14th Street nearby. For the KT, L and M trains, get off at the Castro Street station (underground), come up to Castro Street and catch the 37 Corbett bus at Market Street and Castro, close by. See route for 37 Corbett, click on Live Map.

Path from the 37-Corbett Bus Stop: The bus stop at #74 Crestline is across the street from the path to Twin Peaks.

A taxi ride from downtown to Twin Peaks costs about $20-$25.

Note: I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through some of the links on this page, at no extra cost to you. This helps me provide all the free information I post on this website.

Tours Which Include Twin Peaks

Another option is to see Twin Peaks as part of a city tour.

Day Tour of Twin Peaks

There's a popular 3.5 hour guided city tour which stops here (weather permitting, which I assume means on days when there is a view). You get to see the major attractions in San Francisco, as well. $62. Morning or afternoon tours available. To check out the tour, see city tour.

Twin Peaks Night Tours

To get up to Twin Peaks at night, there are a couple of city tours that stop up here.

Small Group Night Tour. See the major SF sights in a VW van, including Fisherman's Wharf, Chinatown, the Golden Gate Bridge, and Coit Tower. 2.5 hours, $79. See night tour for more info and booking.

The San Francisco Love Night Tour. For something a little different, see the main sights in San Francisco also in a VW bus, but with a hippie vibe and 60's music. You'll see the city at night, including the Golden Gate Bridge, plus get a ride up to Twin Peaks to see all the city lights spread out below you. They drive down the crooked block of Lombard Street, too. 2 hours, highly rated. $55. See the love tour for more info and booking.

Maps of Twin Peaks

Twin Peaks Weather

Twin Peaks San Francisco has a reputation for intense weather (by California standards). It does tend to be windy and cold, due to its high, exposed position. Twin Peaks gets the full blast of the prevailing winds coming in off the Pacific Ocean.

Twin Peaks is often the dividing line when the fog rolls in, leaving the western half of the City socked in and the eastern half in the sun.

That said, just bring a jacket and you'll be fine.

For everything you've ever wanted to know about San Francisco weather, see fog.

San Francisco Movie Trivia

At the end of the film " San Francisco" (the 1936 film with Clark Gable and the song "San Francisco") there is a panoramic view of the City showing the devastation from the 1906 earthquake.

And as you are looking out at the smoldering ruins of the city, the scene morphs into a vision of the future "modern", rebuilt San Francisco. Pretty cool. That scene was the view from Twin Peaks, circa 1936.

More hills: you can see Corona Heights from here, the small brown hill in the center, and forested Buena Vista Heights on the left.

There's another hill very close by that also has great views, but very few people visit: Tank Hill. Most locals haven't been there, either.

Tank Hill is easy to get to and easy to park there. See more info about this local secret!

Ready to explore some of our coolest hills with a guide? There is an Urban Hike, Hills and Hidden Gems Tour that takes you to Twin Peaks, Tank Hill, Mount Sutro, and some other neat places, all in the same area of the city. Do you dare to go down the Seward Slides? To check it out, click here.

More to explore...

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Twin Peaks San Francisco; The Best San Francisco View!

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Twin Peaks has a spectacular 360 degree view of San Francisco. Get a local's tips on visiting this cool spot: see what's up there, how to get there, and the best times to go. Put this on your list of top San Francisco sights!

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Twin Peaks: San Francisco's Best View

Twin Peaks is a must-see stop on your tour of San Francisco. Why? The view, the view, the view. This set of high peaks is located near the geographical center of the city, offering stunning 360-degree panoramic views of this beautiful city and the bay and ocean beyond. And you might be surprised to find that it offers a few other things to you as well.
History of Twin Peaks
Twin Peaks was so-named in the 19th Century but of course it's a natural attraction that was present long before it got that name. It is believed that the native Ohlone people used the area as a lookout point, which makes sense since you can see everything from up here! In the 18th Century the Spanish conquistadores came to the area and named the peaks the Breasts of the Indian Maiden, reflecting their natural shape. The two peaks actually also have their own names: the North Peak is Eureka Peak and the South Peak is Noe Peak.

Twin Peaks is a natural area that rises to a high point of more than 920 feet, the second tallest peak in the city after Mount Davidson. This makes it an obvious choice for a scenic viewpoint. But it actually makes it an obvious choice for some more practical things as well, which is why you will find a handful of transmission towers up there. After all, it's tough to get transmission signals in the lower hills of the area but those signals are nice and clear up there on the tall peak. You do notice them as you're heading up to the peaks and you'll see them up close while you're up there but you're honestly so distracted by the stunning views that they don't take anything away from the aesthetics of the experience.

All Twin Peaks Photography by Michael Lax Photography, San Francisco

In 1954 the city built the Summit Reservoir on top of Twin Peaks. This 14 million gallon water hold is hugely important since this is what provides the water for San Francisco's fire departments. The idea for this reservoir developed in the wake of the 1906 earthquake and fire when it became obvious that firefighters needed a huge reservoir of water to keep the city safe. The reservoir also provides the city's residents and the city's bird life with drinking water.

Aside from the transmission towers and the reservoir, the top of Twin Peaks has remained undeveloped. This undeveloped portion of Twin Peaks has been slated as a Natural Area, and is preserved by the Natural Areas Program (NAP), a 31-acre division of the San Francisco Recreation and Parks department. This Natural Area acts as a preserve for native vegetation, allowing indigenous plant life to grow virtually untouched.
Enjoying the View from Twin Peaks
You will be able to see a terrific view of the city from any spot that you are at on top of Twin Peaks. However, if you want to get the full experience of the peaks then you should take the time to journey around the entire area. It's about a half mile around with some relatively steep ascents and descents.

At the summit parking lot, there is a sidewalk that curves around a portion of the hill, where most people stop to lean against the railing and admire the city. This area also provides telescopic viewers that, for 50 cents, will get you a close-up look at various San Francisco landmarks.
From there, you can hike the trails over the North and South peaks. From the parking lot, you will walk around the transmission towers to the peaks where the trail is pretty clearly marked. If you travel across to the south peak you will get a 360º view of the city and it's surrounding areas. There is the Mission District and Mount Davidson to the South then going clockwise you'll look over the Sunset district and the Pacific Ocean, then over Haight Ashbury to the Presidio and the mouth of the bay with the always-spectacular Golden Gate Bridge. Keep scanning over the city to Telegraph Hill, on to downtown to check out the Transamerica Building and the SOMA area.

One of the things that make San Francisco magical for many people is the fog that blankets the city. Watching the fog make it's way from the Pacific is quite a sight to see from the top of the peaks. The fog will sometimes climb up the western side of the hill and slowly cascade down the east side. On rare occasions, when the fog is low lying, you'll be in the sun at the summit, with the fog actually below you. It is an amazing experience that you may get to enjoy during your trek.
What Else You'll Find at Twin Peaks
The primary reason to visit Twin Peaks is to see this amazing view of the city. But while you're taking the time to go to Twin Peaks, you should be aware that there are some other things that you can enjoy at this attraction:

Lovely architecture. As you make your way up the winding road that takes you to the top of Twin Peaks, you will see that the bottom portion of the hill has been developed into a residential neighborhood of beautiful, colorful houses. Take the time to pay attention to the lovely architecture of these homes.

Wildlife. The area also acts as home to an array of natural wildlife, including raccoons, skunks, opossums, white crowned sparrows and Red Tail Hawks. Most importantly, Twin Peaks is only one of three areas that provide a home to the endangered Mission Blue Butterfly.

Plant life. There is an abundance of beautiful plant life atop Twin Peaks. Some of these plants can't be seen anywhere else in the city so take a good look while you're here.

Event views. Twin Peaks is a popular place for people to go when they want to see major events that are happening in the city. For example, it's a popular place on Fourth of July because you can see the fireworks clearly. Of course, this means it's crowded at this time so you'll want to get there very early if you're planning to watch a special event from this great vantage point.

Some Twin Peaks Tips
The following tips will assist you in maximizing your enjoyment of this great San Francisco attraction:

Be aware of the fact that it is always very windy on top of Twin Peaks. This typically means that it is cold. Be prepared by bringing a windbreaker with you! The east-facing slopes tend to get more sun than the west-facing slopes due to unique geographical features of the hills so keep that in mind if you're getting too chilly up there!

Twin Peaks is pet-friendly. However, dogs are required to be on leash here.

Parking spots are limited on top of Twin Peaks. This is one of the drawbacks of taking a rental car up to the top of the peaks. If you are visiting during a peak travel time (a nice day in the summer, for example) then you may have to wait in your car for a bit before you can pull into a parking space. Be aware of this.

The main parking lot does have a public restroom, which is always nice to know!

It's best to wear hiking shoes to this attraction.

How to Get To Twin Peaks
The most common way for people to get to Twin Peaks is to take a car so if you have got a rental car then you're one step ahead of the game. In fact, Twin Peaks is one of the stops on the 49-mile scenic drive that many people do when they get a rental car in San Francisco.

You will want to consult your map for exact direction to Twin Peaks from your starting point but here are the two most common options:

The easiest way to get to the base of the mountain is by Market Street. From downtown, take Market southwest until it turns into Portola. From Portola you will take a right on Twin Peaks Blvd. and follow the road up to the top.

Another route is to take Market to 17th, then go left on Clayton, then right on Twin Peaks Blvd. After you take the right, you have to take another left to stay on Twin Peaks, but then you can wind up to the parking lot on the summit.

A rental car is not the only way to get to Twin Peaks, though, so if you're not driving in the city, don't fret. Some of your other options include:

Bike rental: Renting bicycles is a popular thing to do in San Francisco because a bike allows you to get an amazing workout while seeing all of the sights up close and personal. You can rent a bike and take the same route to Twin Peaks as you would with a car. One very important thing to note is that there are no bike lanes on this winding road so you have to be very cautious as you ride.

Hiking. You can combine your tour of this attraction with some urban exercise by doing a hike up Twin Peaks. Again, you would follow the same path that you would take in a car or bike. However, once you are at the base of the peaks you can choose to climb straight up the hillside rather than take the roadway if you would like. You'll get some great exercise either way!

Public transportation. There are currently no San Francisco buses that actually go to the top of Twin Peaks but you can take a bus close to the base of the peak and then hike up to the top to see those great views. The 37 Corbett MUNI is the bus that will get you closest to the peaks.

Tour bus: There are many different tour bus operators in San Francisco and most of them do include Twin Peaks in their trip.

Hotels Near Twin Peaks
Are you interested in staying in a hotel that is located close to Twin Peaks so that you can jut on up there and enjoy the view a few times during your stay? Some great nearby hotels include:

Casa Luna SF. If you are going to be in San Francisco for an extended stay then consider renting out of these vacation rental apartments that are eco-friendly and within short driving distance from Twin Peaks.

Inn on Castro. This gay bed and breakfast housed in a 1912 Edwardian home offers you a great chance to enjoy the Castro neighborhood while staying close to Twin Peaks.

Carl Hotel. This Inner Sunset hotel is one of the best options if you're seeking a budget hotel near Twin Peaks.

Metro Hotel. This boutique hotel is located very close to the famous Painted Ladies so you'll be near two great attractions for the price of one!

Twin Peaks Hotel. This Castro neighborhood hotel is another budget hotel option that places you close to Twin Peaks.

Notably, however, it is easy to get to Twin Peaks from any hotel that is located near Market Street, which includes all of the hotels in Hayes Valley, SoMA, Union Square and the Financial District.
Twin Peaks Photo Gallery

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Twin Peaks: San Francisco's Best View Twin Peaks is a must-see stop on your tour of San Francisco. Why? The view, the view, the view. This set of high peaks is located near the geographical center of the city, offering stunning 360-degree panoramic views of this beautiful city and the bay and ocean beyond.

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San Francisco's Downtown area saves the city from being seen simply as a series of villages. With a high concentration of cultural attractions and a substantial shopping district, its cosmopolitan character exceeds its modest size, yet the compact urban center is easy navigate on foot. Once a pro-Union rallying point during the Civil War, Union Square is a handsome plaza surrounded by upscale hotels and department stores; shoppers gather on its benches and lawns for retail respite. Just east of Union Square, Maiden Lane, once a notorious red-light district, is now a decoratively gated alleyway lined with designer boutiques. Further west, tech money is funding much-needed revitalization projects on long-neglected mid-Market Street, with new high-rise offices, luxury condos, high-end restaurants and ACT's renovation of the historic Strand Theater due to open in 2015.

To the east, the Financial District has been San Francisco's business and banking hub since the 1849 Gold Rush. Its northern edge is overlooked by the iconic spike of William Pereira's 1972 Transamerica Pyramid (600 Montgomery Street) and the Jackson Square Historical District, the last vestige of San Francisco's notorious Barbary Coast, once a seething mass of low-life bars and brothels.

There are two competing stories as to how the gritty Tenderloin district got its name. The first is that police who worked the beat there in the 19th century were paid extra for patrolling the tough neighborhood, so they could afford to buy better cuts of meat. The second is that the cops got their extra cash in the form of prime-cut bribes from local hoods. Panhandlers and drug addicts still cluster on street corners, but the area's character is changing with the ever-growing presence of trendy bars, music venues and excellent ethnic restaurants.

Southwest of the Tenderloin, Civic Center is a complex of imposing government buildings and immense performance halls grouped around manicured Civic Center Plaza. Beaux Arts 1915 City Hall stands on its west side, capped with a gilded dome modeled on St. Peter's in Rome. Lying opposite is Gae Aulenti's spectacular Asian Art Museum, carved out of what was once the city's Main Library (the library is now around the corner in a modern-day Beaux Arts edifice designed by James Ingo Freed). On the edge of Civic Center, United Nations Plaza hosts a regular farmers' market and the gourmet food-truck coalition, Off the Grid.

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Downtown San Francisco neighborhood guide

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San Francisco's Downtown area saves the city from being seen simply as a series of villages. With a high concentration of cultural attractions and a substantial shopping district, its cosmopolitan character exceeds its modest size, yet the compact urban center is easy navigate on foot.

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Top 10 Things To Do And See In Downtown San Francisco

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From Fisherman's Wharf to South of Market, downtown San Francisco offers enough things to do and see for everyone.

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MUNI is San Francisco's Bus and Metro system that run like a web of veins throughout the city. Utilizing MUNI to its fullest capabilities will save you time, money, and provide different points of views of the city. Let's start with bus basics:

Plan Your Trip
When you need to get somewhere on MUNI, locate your destinations then find what routes will take you there. You may need to transfer from one bus to another, which is free for 90 minutes after you purchase your ticket. Google Trip Planner and 511 Trip Planner are indispensable tools to help plan.

Once plans have been made, find the intersection on a bus route nearest you. Bus stops will have a shelter, yellow paint on a sign post, or white paint on the street.

Board and Pay
All buses allow boarding through the front and rear doors and are equipped with ramps or lifts.

Board at the front door and feed the meter with bills and/or change, a valid transfer, or your Clipper® card. There is also a Clipper® reader at the rear doors. Make sure it reads your card correctly-the reader will make a loud beep noise and show the balance remaining on your card. You cannot ride if you have insufficient funds. You may also board at the front or rear door with a valid Visitor Day Pass or CityPASS.

MUNI Metro
There are six Metro lines that go inbound towards downtown San Francisco/Caltrain Depot and outbound towards various places. Similar with the MUNI bus, locate your destinations first to decide which line best takes you there. Using the Metro Map, find the nearest metro to your locations.

Metro stops are located both under and above ground. If you are boarding underground, make sure you are using the MUNI Metro machines purchase tickets and not the BART Machine. When above ground, Clipper cards and exact change are accepted.

Photo thumbnail by Oran Virivincy / CC BY-SA

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MUNI is San Francisco's Bus and Metro system that run like a web of veins throughout the city. Utilizing MUNI to its fullest capabilities will save you time, money, and provide different points of views of the city.

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San Francisco is made up of 49 square miles of long boulevards, curvy streets, hidden alleyways and lots of hills. But have no fear! Follow these tips, along with some of our app recommendations, and you'll be the transportation hero of your San Francisco adventure.

You'll find zipping around the city without a car is not only easy and affordable, it's actually more convenient 99% of the time. Driving in the city can be challenging and parking fees are costly. Details on public transportation, ride-sharing and taxi cabs are below.

Getting to San Francisco

Flying into San Francisco International Airport (SFO)

United Airlines is the leading carrier into SFO, with the most domestic and international flights serving the airport annually. United's domestic flights are based out of Terminal 3, with service in the International Terminal as well. Get started on a trip to San Francisco with United here.

BART BART rapid rail is a fast and inexpensive way to get from SFO to San Francisco. After picking up your luggage, look for signs for AirTrain, the free tram service. Take either the Red or Blue AirTrain line to the Garage G and BART stop in the International Terminal. Hop on the BART train going towards Pittsburg/Baypoint, signified by the yellow line on the BART map.

BART costs are associated with how far you travel; the greater the distance, the higher the fare. A round-trip BART fare from SFO to downtown San Francisco is $17.90 ($8.95 one-way). Buy your ticket and pass through the gates by slipping your ticket through the turnstyle. You'll have to scan your ticket again when you arrive at your destination. Don't worry if you run out of funds when you exit. You can always add more inside the station.

You can also purchase a BART SFO Voucher in advance to save time. The $20 voucher has enough value for a round-trip BART ride from SFO to downtown San Francisco, downtown Oakland or downtown Berkeley, plus a small balance you can apply toward another ride on the BART system. Note, this ticket voucher must be exchanged at the special SFO Information Desk before you go to the BART station.

SFO trains arrive and depart three to four times per hour until 11:50 p.m. daily. The ride to downtown San Francisco takes about 30 minutes. All BART services resume at 4 a.m. on weekdays, 6 a.m. on Saturdays, and 8 a.m. on Sundays.

Ride-Sharing AppsWith app-based transportation services, including Lyft and Uber, you can arrange to ride with drivers using their personal, non-commercial vehicles via smartphone. These services pick up passengers at the curb on the Departures/Ticketing Level of all terminals. Fares and travel times vary according to demand and traffic, but it typically takes 30 minutes and costs $30-40 to get from SFO to popular San Francisco neighborhoods like Union Square.

Shared Van & Shuttle Service Several privately-owned, shared-ride vans provide service between SFO and passenger-specified locations. The one-way rate from SFO to the city center is approximately $17. Depending on the number of passengers, shared ride vans may make multiple stops, so the travel time can vary from 35-90 minutes. In the Domestic Terminals, shuttles pick up passengers curbside on the Arrivals Level terminal. In the International Terminal, passenger pick-up is on the Arrivals Level roadway center island.

Taxis & Limousines SFO is served by a number of taxi and limousine companies. Taxis depart from roadway islands on the lower level outside the Arrivals/Baggage Claims area in all terminals. Uniformed taxi coordinators work from 7 a.m. until 1 a.m. to ensure a smooth process for travelers. All cabs are metered. The travel time to popular drop-off points in downtown San Francisco is usually around 30 minutes (depending on traffic) and fares range from $45-60.

Terminal 2: Arrivals/Baggage Claim Level, center island adjacent to Courtyard 2.

Terminal 3: Arrivals/Baggage Claim Level, curbside adjacent to Courtyard 4.

International Terminal: Level 1 at Courtyard A and curbside adjacent to Courtyard G.

For a limousine, arrange service in advance with your company of choice or upon arrival via the Lodging, Transportation and Attraction Boards, which provide free phone connections to participating limousine operators. These boards are located on the Arrivals/Baggage Claim Level of all terminals. Contact the service provider for pricing and availability.

SamTrans Buses
The San Mateo County Transit Agency (SamTrans) runs public buses between SFO and downtown San Francisco's Transbay Center on the KX, 292, 397 and 398 lines for $2-$5 one-way for adults. Find SamTrans bus stops in the following locations at each terminal:

Flying into Oakland International Airport (OAK)

Taking BART from OAK is an easy and low-cost option to get to San Francisco. After you've picked up your luggage, look for BART signs in the baggage claim. The station is located across from the Terminal 1 baggage claim area and a short walk from Terminal 2. Board a train for the quick eight-minute ride from OAK to the BART Coliseum station, where you can transfer to the BART train bound for your final destination in San Francisco.

OAK trains depart every 5 minutes from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Service is less frequent at other times. Round trip BART fares from OAK to San Francisco ($20.40), downtown Oakland ($15.90) or other East Bay cities are less than half the cost of taxis or shuttles to the same destination. For more information on taking BART from SFO, see How to Get to San Francisco from Oakland.

Shuttle, Taxi and Limo ServicePrices vary for shuttles, taxis and limousines from OAK to San Francisco. There are multiple options and special prices for traveling groups. You can call or make your reservation online.

Flying into San Jose Airport (SJC)

Caltrain Caltrain provides commuter rail service along the San Francisco Peninsula. To get from the San Jose Airport to the Santa Clara Caltrain Station, take the Airport Flyer-VTA Route #10 bus. The Airport Flyer makes a continuous loop between the Metro Light Rail Station, the Santa Clara Caltrain Station and the Airport Terminals. A new shuttle departs each designated stopping point approximately every 15-30 minutes from 5 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. One-way fare is $2.

Caltrain fares are based on the number of zones that are partially or wholly traveled through by the passenger. There are two Caltrain stops in San Francisco: 22nd Street and Fourth Street. Both are in Zone 1. Allow a minimum of 60 minutes to arrive in San Francisco. Occasionally, the trip might take longer. For more information, see How to Get to San Francisco from San Jose.

ShuttlesPrices vary for shuttle service from SJC. There are also multiple options and special prices for traveling groups. You can call or make your reservation online.

From the North, take the Coast Starlight from Seattle and Portland, or the Capitol Corridor from Sacramento.

From the South, the Coast Starlight travels daily from Los Angeles, and the San Joaquin offers departures from Bakersfield and Fresno.

From the East, the California Zephyr travels from Chicago and Denver daily.

Arriving by Train

Amtrak offers a comfortable and enjoyable way to get to San Francisco. The city is served via Thruway bus connections at Emeryville. Ride with the convenience of amenities and picturesque scenery right outside your window as you explore what the Bay Area has to offer.

Getting Around San Francisco

For all Muni routes and times, you can call 511. There are also many smartphone apps, including the 511 SF Bay Transit Trip Planner app, that provides maps, routes and times.

1-Day Visitor Passport: $21

3-Day Visitor Passport: $32

7-Day Visitor Passport: $42

Adult CityPASS: $89

Children ages 5-11 CityPASS: $69

Taxi
As is customary in most U.S. cities, visitors may hail a taxi directly or use a smartphone app.

San Francisco Visitor Passport & CityPASS
If you are staying for more than one day, Visitor Passports and CityPASS are useful because they provide unlimited rides on Muni, Muni Metro, historic streetcars and cable cars for three consecutive days. There are multiple locations throughout the city where you may purchase tickets and day passes, including the San Francisco Travel Visitor Information Center, where the VIC staff and volunteers curate the San Francisco experience, providing one-on-one interaction with visitors from around the world. Find the VIC at the Powell and Market cable car turnaround at 900 Market St.

BART from SFO to SF downtown: round-trip $17.90, one way $8.95.

BART from OAK to SF downtown: round-trip $20.40, one way $10.20.

Single Ride Muni Bus/Train: $2.75 ($2.50 with a Clipper Card or the Muni Mobile App).

Single Ride Cable Car Ticket: $7.

Ride sharing (like Uber and Lyft) is typically under $15 for most trips around the city.

Taxis are typically under $20 for most trips around the city.

VIEW TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS
Clipper Card The Clipper Card is an easy way to use the various modes of public transportation throughout San Francisco. Purchasing this pre-loaded card gives you access to BART, Muni buses, Muni Metro, and cable cars. When you board, hold the card over a scanner and listen for the beep to make sure that you have an adequate balance on your card for your fare. Be warned: fines are steep and Muni personnel check frequently for fare evasion. Cards can be bought at multiple locations and refilled at Muni/BART stations.

Transportation Costs For reference, here are typical prices for various transportation options around the city as of July 2017

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How to Get Around San Francisco: Transportation Basics

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San Francisco is made up of 49 square miles of long boulevards, curvy streets, hidden alleyways and lots of hills. But have no fear! Follow these tips, along with some of our app recommendations, and you'll be the transportation hero of your San Francisco adventure.

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San Francisco Municipal Railway History - Western Railway Museum

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The San Francisco Municipal Railway is a pioneering, publicly-owned transit system serving the City of San Francisco.

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In the Marina, hopping nightlife for young residents meets great casual dining, nice weather and plenty of recreational space for outdoors activities. - SFGate

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SF Neighborhood - Marina District - Bay City Guide - San Francisco Visitors Guide, Tours, Maps, Events, Coupons

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See San Francisco's Marina, where a century-old palace reflected in a lagoon inspires artists and thrills visitors.

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SF Neighborhoods - The Richmond District - Bay City Guide - San Francisco Visitors Guide, Tours, Maps, Events, Coupons

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Once called Outside Lands, the Richmond District borders the Pacific Ocean, Golden Gate Park and the Presidio.

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The Inner Richmond, close to the Presidio, has a citywide reputation for great food, courtesy of many popular Asian restaurants, and Irish pubs. - SFGate.com

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The F-Market & Wharves line is the most successful vintage rail line ever opened. With 20,000+ riders per day, it is on a par with the National Historic Landmark St. Charles streetcar line in New Orleans, which has been in service continuously as a rail line since 1835, and as an electric streetcar line since the 1890s.

San Francisco Municipal Railway photo.

The F-line, by contrast, is a very recent phenomenon. But, while it first opened in 1995, its roots are nearly as deep as the St. Charles line.

San Francisco's main boulevard, Market Street, has had nearly continuous rail transit service since 1860.

Steam trains, then horse cars, then cable cars provided passenger service on Market Street until the morning of April 18, 1906, when the great earthquake and fire devastated the system. When the city rebuilt, it was largely with electric streetcars.

The privately-owned United Railroads installed multiple streetcar lines that provided service the length of Market. Several of these, the 5, 6, 7, and 21 lines, still exist today as bus routes.

San Francisco Municipal Railway photo.

On December 28, 1912, the Municipal Railway was born, government-owned (a novelty at the time), and a reaction to the sometimes corrupt practices of private transit companies.

Within a few years, Muni had laid down its own set of tracks on Market Street, flanking the United Railroads tracks, to compete with that private company (which in 1921 was reorganized as the Market Street Railway Co., from which our unrelated nonprofit group takes its name).

San Franciscans of a certain age still fondly remember what was called the Roar of the Four, a quartet of streetcar tracks side by side from the Ferry Building all the way to Castro Street, where Market Street Railway Co.'s 8-line turned south and terminated, while Muni's K, L, and M lines plunged into the City-built Twin Peaks Tunnel.

San Francisco's original F-line, the F-Stockton for which the Stockton Tunnel was built. Bob McVay photo, Walter Rice collection.

Muni had several additional streetcar lines in addition to the ones on Market.

There was the E-Union, which ran north from the Ferry Building for a few blocks on The Embarcadero, then headed west through the now-vanished produce district, up Columbus through North Beach, then over Russian Hill on Union and other streets to reach the Presidio.

And there was the F-Stockton, which started at Market Street, headed north on Stockton past Union Square, through the Stockton tunnel, built primarily for streetcars, then through North Beach and the Marina District. But after Muni took over the Market Street Railway Co. in 1944, streetcar lines quickly vanished by the dozens, including these two replaced by trolley buses (the 41-line replacing the E, the 30-line replacing the F).

The Fall and Rise of Market Street

Most US cities abandoned their streetcar systems altogether in this time period, but Muni kept the tunnel lines (K, L, M, N) and the J-Church.

San Francisco Municipal Railway photo.

By 1958, Muni's original streetcar fleet had been retired, replaced with 105 streamlined PCC type cars (the art deco cars most often seen on the F-line today). These continued to run on the surface of Market Street, by this time reduced to two tracks.

The passage of a huge bond issue in 1962 to build the regional BART rail system also included money to upgrade Muni's streetcar lines by providing a second subway level above the BART tracks, under Market Street. By the early 1980s, this subway was completed and linked to the old Twin Peaks Tunnel at Castro Street. New streetcars - now given the fancy name of light rail vehicles (LRVs) - were bought from Boeing. Market Street itself was rebuilt with the idea that the streetcar tracks would soon be removed. In the fall of 1982, the last PCC streetcars ran on Market...or so it was thought.

Return of the Streetcar

Some San Franciscans wanted to retain surface streetcar service on Market. Others envisioned streetcar service the length of The Embarcadero, something that had never been practical while the busy State Belt Railroad, with spurs to every pier, dominated that roadway. Indeed, in 1979 Muni had first proposed an E-Embarcadero line, and in 1980, an F-Market line to replace the 8-Market trolley bus line between the Ferry Building and Castro Street.

Some derided these proposals, saying old streetcars weren't reliable, couldn't be maintained, and wouldn't attract riders. It's fair to say they were only gaining limited traction by 1982.

Bob McVay photo, Walter Rice collection.

But then an idea emerged from the transportation committee of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce.

Coincidentally, the city's famed cable car system was being shut down in the fall of 1982 for a desperately-needed complete rebuilding. Cable cars would be off the streets for eighteen months.

The visitor industry was worried that tourists would stay away. The committee chair, Rick Laubscher, a journalist turned public relations executive, noticed that to celebrate the end of streetcar service on the surface of Market, Muni had rolled out its very first streetcar - car No. 1, built in 1912 - and leased another retired car, No. 178, from a museum. These two cars were running on Market for several weekends.

What if more such streetcars could be gathered from other sources so that more frequent, visible service could be provided, on weekdays as well? Could this be promoted as a substitute historic rail attraction to visitors while the cable car system was under repair?

The Chamber's leadership embraced the idea, as did Mayor Dianne Feinstein. Muni staff moved to prepare necessary facilities, while Laubscher and other volunteers, including longtime streetcar advocate Maurice Klebolt, worked to lease or otherwise acquire additional streetcars.

Market Street Railway photo.

In June, 1983, the San Francisco Historic Trolley Festival opened, running on the old surface streetcar tracks. The route went from the Transbay Terminal at First & Mission Streets to Market, then up Market to Duboce Avenue. From there, it followed a 'temporary' streetcar detour built in the 1970s to bypass subway construction under Market: Duboce, Church Street, and 17th Street to Castro. An improvised outdoor maintenance and storage area for the historic streetcars was constructed on the Duboce Avenue right-of-way between Market and Church (now the site of Market Street Railway's Pharr Division restoration yard).

The Trolley Festival did draw railfans and other visitors to San Francisco, but its greatest success was with San Franciscans themselves.

Walter Rice collection.

Many regular Muni riders in the Castro and Upper Market Districts soon began using the historic streetcars instead of the new Muni Metro or surface bus routes. Quite a few automobile commuters switched to the streetcars as well. Part of the attractiveness of the Festival service is that you never knew what might come along next: a bouncy single-truck streetcar from Portugal; a smooth-riding tram from Australia; a Muni original from the 1910s; even an open-topped Boat Tram from Blackpool, England, complete with a skull and crossbones flag on the trolley rope. People just plain loved it.

So much so that when the Festival ended in October, there was a clamor to do it again the following summer (though it had only been intended as a one-year event) - in fact, with the Democratic National Convention coming to San Francisco in 1984, Mayor Feinstein insisted. So the sponsors and volunteers geared up and did it again...and again, and again, and again...five summers in all.

The Chamber of Commerce, which never intended to get into the streetcar business, asked Laubscher to help find another nonprofit organization to support Muni. A seven-member preservation group called Market Street Railway - founded in 1976 to preserve an old Muni trolley bus - offered to meet that need. That small organization was expanded into a membership organization, and became Muni's nonprofit preservation partner, with over 1,000 dues-paying members today.

From Festivals to a Permanent F-Market

The growing success of the Trolley Festivals re-energized the proposals for a permanent F-line. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved the idea, and planning began to identify funding for the line.

By 1987, all was ready. After that year's Trolley Festival concluded, Muni methodically began replacing the old Market Street tracks with new ones. They restored tracks to upper Market, creating a continuous ribbon of steel to Castro again.

Knowing that the permanent operation required operation up to twenty hours per day, 365 days per year, they evaluated different types of vintage streetcars to provide the backbone of the F-line fleet. They settled on the easy-to-maintain PCC car, a genuine part of San Francisco's transit heritage, and already much missed by residents. They restored fourteen such cars acquired second-hand from Philadelphia, plus three of Muni's own retired double-ended 'Torpedo' PCCs.

Market Street Railway photo.

On Friday, September 1, 1995, the F-line opened on Market Street with a big parade of streetcars led by Mayor Frank Jordan. The PCCs were glistening in different paint schemes representing some of the two dozen North American cities that this type of streetcar once served. Immediately, the ridership on the line shot way beyond Muni's expectation. They scrambled to find additional vintage streetcars to meet demand, and acquired ten Peter Witt-style trams just being retired in Milan, Italy, built in the 1920s but meticulously maintained and renovated.

But this was only the beginning. Plans and funding were nearing completion to extend the line to the foot of Market, then north past the Ferry Building to reach the popular Fisherman's Wharf area via the northern portion of the earlier proposed E-line. This would provide an alternate historic transit route between Downtown and the Wharf area, complementing the venerable Powell Street cable car lines. Visitors could take a cable car in one direction, a streetcar in the other, avoiding a second long cable car line. The backers of The Embarcadero extension, led by Market Street Railway, referred to the F-line/cable car combination as the Iron Triangle. Today, we refer to the combined system as the Museums in Motion.

Market Street Railway photo.

In March 2000, the F-line extension to Fisherman's Wharf opened amid much fanfare. The streetcars swarmed with riders. Muni had rolled out every operational historic car for the opening parade, but did not intend to put them into regular passenger service. The PCCs and Milan trams were thought to be sufficient to meet demand. The very first day, though, Muni realized what a hit they had on their hands. The historic cars were pressed into service as Embarcadero shuttles from the Ferry Building to the Wharf. These soon became regularly scheduled runs.

History in the future

Historic streetcar service has now been extended farther along San Francisco's waterfront with the opening of the E-Embarcadero line from Caltrain to the Wharf, sharing track with the F-line to the north and the Muni Metro south of Folsom Street. The E-line is a direct result of Market Street Railway's advocacy.

There is strong community support, led in part by Market Street Railway, to extend this line west from the Wharf to Fort Mason, a big center for nonprofit organizations and events. Market Street Railway also advocates extending the E-line southward from Caltrain through the fast-growing Mission Bay and Dogpatch neighborhoods, sharing existing tracks with the light rail T-Third line. Market Street Railway has helped to acquire dozens of restorable streetcars for these future extensions.

It's all due to the huge success of the F-line and the Trolley Festivals that sparked the historic streetcar movement in San Francisco. It's a history that does the city proud.

None of this would be possible without the financial support of Market Street Railway member. Please consider becoming a member to support historic streetcar service in San Francisco.

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A Brief History of the F-Market & Wharves Line | Market Street Railway

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The F-Market & Wharves line is the most successful vintage rail line ever opened. With 20,000+ riders per day, it is on a par with the National Historic Landmark St. Charles streetcar line in New Orleans, which has been in service continuously as a rail line since 1835, and as an electric streetcar line since the 1890s.

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Historical BART Construction Films | bart.gov

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Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.

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Curries, naan, and tandoori galore

The past year has seen an explosion of Indian restaurants in San Francisco, from fast casual lunch spots to trendy New York City imports. There's now an abundance of street food, tasting menus, gonzo mash-ups like tikka masala burritos, and of course your classic curry houses to fall back on. No matter what style you like, Indian food is definitely having a bit of a renaissance in the Bay Area.

In light of the explosion of excellent options, this map will point you to the best of the best. Here you'll find vegetarian fare, meaty tandoori, whimsical pizzas, massive dosas, and much, much more, whether you want to spend $10 or go all out with a $62 coursed feast.

Read on for the 13best Indian restaurants in San Francisco and the East Bay. If we missed your favorite spot, please do let us know in the comments.
Looking for the best Chinese fare, sushi, or burgers? We can help you there, too.
Note: Restaurants on this map are listed geographically.

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Where to Feast on Indian Food in San Francisco and the East Bay

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The past year has seen an explosion of Indian restaurants in San Francisco, from fast casual lunch spots to trendy New York City imports. There's now an abundance of street food, tasting menus, gonzo mash-ups like tikka masala burritos, and of course your classic curry houses to fall back on.