City TRIP
San Francisco
In the 1970s, the two detectives Mike Stone and Steve Keller chased criminals and hoodlums in the legendary American television series "The Streets of San Francisco". In sometimes fast-paced chases, they went through the inner city of the West Coast metropolis. In May 2022, on the other hand, we go on the hunt for the most exciting sights in what is probably the hilliest city in Northern California.
At the top of our search list are a couple of strikingly made-up old ladies – the Painted Ladies, to be precise. This is a Victorian row of houses from the 19th century, painted in several colours. Even if the ladies are no longer quite so colourful, they still make a damn fine postcard motif.
Odd characters come our way in the former hippie district of Haight-Ashbury. Vintage shops, comic and record shops and countless second-hand shops characterise this colourful and crazy district, where Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix once lived.
Our travel guide informant gives us the tip to go to the former fishing transhipment point: Fisherman's Wharf. The highlight of this harbour district is Pier 39 – a jetty that leads into San Francisco Bay. Not only do quite a few tourists cavort here, but at least as many sea lions. Roaring loudly, they crowd together on wooden rafts, fight for the best spot in the sun or simply laze around with big yawns and deep snorts. We are talking about the sea lions, of course, not the tourists.
Nearby, ferries leave for Alcatraz – the famous prison island where notorious gangsters like Al Capone, Machine Gun Kelly or the German spy Erich Kimpel were once incarcerated.
Completely unsuitable for car chases, but an absolute must on any visit to San Francisco, is a ride in one of the historic cable cars. The cars, which have been going up and down the steep hills since 1873, are still pulled by cables that run under the road.
Speaking of steep: Lombard Street is also really steep. Even though there are many streets in San Francisco that are even steeper, it is also one of the most winding. Originally, Lombard Street, like so many other streets in the city, was straight. But for most cars, the 27° incline was simply too much. You couldn't even drive to your own house entrance. So one of the residents had the clever idea to rebuild the street in a serpentine shape to reduce the steep incline to about 15°. The idea paid off in any case: since then, Lombard Street is not only passable, but has also become one of the most popular hotspots for enthusiastic photographers and drivers alike.
Just like the detectives mentioned at the beginning, we were also out and about in Chinatown. Probably THE Chinatown of the United States, as it is considered the oldest in the entire country. The partly traditional, partly kitschy decorated streets, but also modern street art, exude their very own interpretation of Chinese flair and form a wonderful contrast to the surrounding urban architecture, such as the Transamerica Pyramid – another landmark of the city.
Steep streets, funny characters, historic trams and old ladies. All well and good. But the real highlight of this city, the one that towers over everything and is not only high on our wanted list – or bucket list, as the case may be – is an orange-red glowing beauty. A sometimes shy beauty that likes to wrap itself in clouds and fog, spanning the strait between San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. We are talking, of course, about an absolute masterpiece of engineering: the Golden Gate Bridge. For us, it shows itself in all its glory on this day. And so it's not surprising that we can't take enough photos of the 'scene of the crime'. Almost from every conceivable angle, lighting mood and shore side: From Marshall's Beach, to Crissy Fields, to Short Range Battery.
What an exciting, winding and – since on foot – also exhausting chase. A chase through the streets of San Francisco. Simply legendary!
USA, May 2022. | All words and photos by The Sturgheons.
