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San Francisco 2016, Day 2, Part 1

North Beach (Part 1), Russian Hill, and Washington Square

I took a lovely walk through Chinatown on the way to North Beach in the morning.  The borders between the 2 neighborhoods are getting very blurry.

Where North Beach and Chinatown meet, Bill Weber's "Jazz Mural" (1987) celebrates the 2 neighborhoods. On the left are China-themed scenes. The corner represents the Barbary Coast. San Francisco, United States, North America.
Where North Beach and Chinatown meet, Bill Weber’s “Jazz Mural” (1987) celebrates the 2 neighborhoods. On the left are China-themed scenes. The corner represents the Barbary Coast.
The east side of the mural. On the right are scenes of North Beach and Italian fishing boats. On the Barbary Coast corner, a jazz trio plays: Benny Goodman on clarinet, Gene Krupa on drums, and Teddy Wilson on piano. Maybe you can see open books hanging from wires in front of the mural. That is an artwork called "Language of the Birds". San Francisco, United States, North America.
The east side of the mural. On the right are scenes of North Beach and Italian fishing boats. On the Barbary Coast corner, a jazz trio plays: Benny Goodman on clarinet, Gene Krupa on drums, and Teddy Wilson on piano. Maybe you can see open books hanging from wires in front of the mural. That is an artwork called “Language of the Birds”.

North Beach Breakfast

North Beach is San Francisco’s historic Italian neighborhood.  It’s loaded with Italian caffès.  I took a light breakfast at Caffè Trieste.

Caffè Trieste was opened by an Italian immigrant in 1956 as the first espresso house on the West Coast. It soon became popular with luminaries of the Beat Generation. San Francisco, United States, North America.
Caffè Trieste was opened by an Italian immigrant in 1956 as the first espresso house on the West Coast. It soon became popular with luminaries of the Beat Generation.
Old photos on the wall inside Caffè Trieste. San Francisco, United States, North America.
Old photos on the wall inside Caffè Trieste.
Fishing-themed mural inside Caffè Trieste. The original owner came to the US in 1951 from fishing village formerly part of Italy, now in Croatia. San Francisco, United States, North America.
Fishing-themed mural inside Caffè Trieste. The original owner came to the US in 1951 from fishing village formerly part of Italy, now in Croatia.

Russian Hill

Vallejo Steps

Later in the day, I return for a full tour of North Beach.  But now it’s time to start climbing.  Russian Hill was named after a small 19th-century Russian cemetery that was located at the top of the hill.

Heading west from North Beach, sloping Vallejo Street becomes the steep Vallejo Steps climbing Russian Hill. San Francisco, United States, North America.
Heading west from North Beach, sloping Vallejo Street becomes the steep Vallejo Steps climbing Russian Hill.
Pretty flowers along the Vallejo Steps. San Francisco, United States, North America.
Pretty flowers along the Vallejo Steps.
Overcast view from the east slope of Russian Hill. San Francisco, United States, North America.
Overcast view from the east slope of Russian Hill.
Still a lot more steps to go. San Francisco, United States, North America.
Still a lot more steps to go.
1915 Beaux-Arts balustrade at the top of Russian Hill. San Francisco, United States, North America.
1915 Beaux-Arts balustrade at the top of Russian Hill.
Close-up of a section of the balustrade. San Francisco, United States, North America.
Close-up of a section of the balustrade.
Slippery When Wet? I'd be more concerned that the road disappears from view! Speaking of views, there's Alcatraz out in the bay. You can't escape from it. Alongside the pier is the USS "Jeremiah O'Brien", explored on Day 1. San Francisco, United States, North America.
Slippery When Wet? I’d be more concerned that the road disappears from view! Speaking of views, there’s Alcatraz out in the bay. You can’t escape from it. Alongside the pier is the USS “Jeremiah O’Brien”, explored on Day 1.
More pretty flowers on Russian Hill. San Francisco, United States, North America.
More pretty flowers on Russian Hill.

Macondray Lane

Macondray Lane, famous as the inspiration for Barbary Lane in Armistead Maupin's "Tales of the City". San Francisco, United States, North America.
Macondray Lane, famous as the inspiration for Barbary Lane in Armistead Maupin’s “Tales of the City”.
In most places in the world, this would be a staircase. In San Francisco, it's a lane. San Francisco, United States, North America.
In most places in the world, this would be a staircase. In San Francisco, it’s a lane.
Beyond the staircase, Macondray Lane becomes something resembling more of an actual lane. But I wouldn't attempt to drive on it. San Francisco, United States, North America.
Beyond the staircase, Macondray Lane becomes something resembling more of an actual lane. But I wouldn’t attempt to drive on it.
Serenity spot on Macondray Lane. San Francisco, United States, North America.
Serenity spot on Macondray Lane.

Green Street

Serenity spot on Macondray Lane. San Francisco, United States, North America.
The Feusier Octagon House, built in 1857-58.
Directly opposite the Octagon House, Engine Company No. 31, built in 1907. It was the last firehouse built in San Francisco for horse-drawn vehicles. During this time, firehouses were built on hilltops so it was easy for the horses to race downhill to a fire. San Francisco, United States, North America.
Directly opposite the Octagon House, Engine Company No. 31, built in 1907. It was the last firehouse built in San Francisco for horse-drawn vehicles. During this time, firehouses were built on hilltops so it was easy for the horses to race downhill to a fire.

Hyde Street

Cool ficus trees on Hyde Street. San Francisco, United States, North America.
Cool ficus trees on Hyde Street.
View of Telegraph Hill from Russian Hill. Below Telegraph Hill is Saints Peter and Paul Church on Washington Square. San Francisco, United States, North America.
View of Telegraph Hill from Russian Hill. Below Telegraph Hill is Saints Peter and Paul Church on Washington Square.

Lombard Street

A curve on Russian Hill's most famous feature--Lombard Street, the so-called "crookedest street in the world". San Francisco, United States, North America.
A curve on Russian Hill’s most famous feature–Lombard Street, the so-called “crookedest street in the world”.
Cars coming around the curves. San Francisco, United States, North America.
Cars coming around the curves.
A pretty house with bright bougainvillea on Lombard Street. San Francisco, United States, North America.
A pretty house with bright bougainvillea on Lombard Street.
More brilliant bougainvillea on Russian Hill. (Bougainvillea always reminds me of my former home Los Angeles.) San Francisco, United States, North America.
More brilliant bougainvillea on Russian Hill. (Bougainvillea always reminds me of my former home Los Angeles.)

San Francisco Art Institute

The prestigious San Francisco Art Institute, housed in a Spanish Colonial-style structure, complete with bell tower. San Francisco, United States, California.
The prestigious San Francisco Art Institute, housed in a Spanish Colonial-style structure, complete with bell tower.
Baroque arch over the entrance to the San Francisco Art Institute. SFAI is the oldest art school in the West. You may recall it was previous located on Nob Hill on the site of the Mark Hopkins Hotel. San Francisco, United States, North America.
Baroque arch over the entrance to the San Francisco Art Institute. SFAI is the oldest art school in the West. You may recall it was previous located on Nob Hill on the site of the Mark Hopkins Hotel.
A quiet moment in the courtyard at San Francisco Art Institute. Current art hangs in the cloisters. San Francisco, United States, North America.
A quiet moment in the courtyard at San Francisco Art Institute. Current art hangs in the cloisters.
"Totally Over the Rainbow", Nicholas D. Sanchez. San Francisco, United States, North America.
“Totally Over the Rainbow”, Nicholas D. Sanchez.
"Eat like you mean it", Erika Gomez Henao. Yum! San Francisco, United States, North America.
“Eat like you mean it”, Erika Gomez Henao. Yum!
"Journey in the West", David Lu. I was excited about this one because I figured it had something to do with "Journey to the West", the classic Chinese story featuring the Monkey King I first learned about at Haw Par Villa in Singapore. San Francisco, United States, North America.
“Journey in the West”, David Lu. I was excited about this one because I figured it had something to do with “Journey to the West”, the classic Chinese story featuring the Monkey King I first learned about at Haw Par Villa in Singapore.
The most famous artwork at San Francisco Art Institute is Diego Rivera's 1931 mural "The Making of a Fresco Showing the Building of a City". It's very meta. San Francisco, United States, North America.
The most famous artwork at San Francisco Art Institute is Diego Rivera’s 1931 mural “The Making of a Fresco Showing the Building of a City”. It’s very meta.

Washington Square

After spending most of the morning on Russian Hill, it was back down to level ground.  Time to explore North Beach’s Washington Square.

Saints Peter and Paul Church

Washington Square and Saints Peter and Paul Church, previously seen on Day 1. The current church was built in 1924 to replace the previous one destroyed in the 1906 earthquake. San Francisco, United States, North America.
Washington Square and Saints Peter and Paul Church, previously seen on Day 1. The current church was built in 1924 to replace the previous one destroyed in the 1906 earthquake.
Beautiful detail on the main portico of Saints Peter and Paul Church. The inscription is a snippet of a quote from Dante that runs across the facade. San Francisco, United States, North America.
Beautiful detail on the main portico of Saints Peter and Paul Church. The inscription is a snippet of a quote from Dante that runs across the facade.
The glorious high altar of Saints Peter and Paul Church. San Francisco, United States, North America.
The glorious high altar of Saints Peter and Paul Church.
Madonna Addolorata ("Blessed Mother of Sorrow"). San Francisco, United States, North America.
Madonna Addolorata (“Blessed Mother of Sorrow”).
Beautiful replica of Michelangelo's "Pietà". San Francisco, United States, North America.
Beautiful replica of Michelangelo’s “Pietà”.
The rose window depicts iconography from the Book of Revelation. San Francisco, United States, North America.
The rose window depicts iconography from the Book of Revelation.

Washington Square Monuments

On Washington Square, the magnificent Volunteer Firemen Memorial by sculpture Haig Patigian (1933). San Francisco, United States, North America.
On Washington Square, the magnificent Volunteer Firemen Memorial by sculpture Haig Patigian (1933).
East Coast favorite Benjamin Franklin (born in Boston!) stands quietly over a time capsule from 1979 to be opened in 2079. San Francisco, United States, North America.
East Coast favorite Benjamin Franklin (born in Boston!) stands quietly over a time capsule from 1979 to be opened in 2079.

[Factual information is primarily gathered from Wikipedia, so you know it must be true.]

Related posts:

San Francisco 2016, Day 1, Part 2 The 2016 BSFBB Awards San Francisco 2016, Day 3, Part 2 San Francisco 2016, Day 5

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