I've just spent over four years living in the San Francisco Bay Area, but each time I explore the city, I discover more and more hidden gems and unique places to visit. It makes the experience seem as though I am exploring a never-ending cabinet filled with eclectic interests and curiosities. I seem to find something new every time I turn a corner. You can walk along the Colour Factory route to visit some of the coolest neighbourhoods in San Francisco. City Lights Bookstore City Lights is considered to be one of the most famous bookstores in San Francisco. It has a very quaint and vintage look, with books stacked up to the ceiling, and there are small quiet reading areas throughout the store. It may appear very small from the outside, but once you walk in, you can find books covering a wide range of topics. They carry bestselling fiction and religious studies books, as well as independently published poetry chapbooks. It is the type of store that you will want to walk around in and get lost, rather than to be one that you walk in and walk out of with a list of titles to find. You can find them at 261 Columbus Ave, San Francisco. City Lights Bookstore, which is located in North Beach, was founded by Lawrence Ferlinghetti in 1953. It used to be a home base for Beat Generation writers Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg. Even today, it stands firm amid all the changes happening around it. San Francisco Hill Streets The iconic steep hills of San Francisco define the city itself. Each time one comes into view, there is almost an involuntary reaction to shout 'This is pure San Francisco!''
The House: Creative Asian Cuisine The House has a unique menu offering innovative takes on Asian cuisine coupled with a refreshing flair. It is not cheap but is worth the splurge. Unagi and Avocado Sandwich, $14 A rich, sweet eel combined with soft, buttery avocado is an unexpected combination that is excellent. The serving size is very fair for the price. Pan-Seared Sea Bass with Garlic Udon and Green Beans, $29 The most expensive item on the menu turned out to be the right choice. The sea bass was cooked to perfection. The center was still a little rare and had an incredible bouncy texture. The udon and green beans were also great and had a delicious char grilled flavor. Everything on the plate was meant to be there and added to the dish. Address: 1230 Grant Ave, San Francisco 【Legion: Independent Fashion Store】 With an entrance just off the Chinatown district, Legion is a well-designed little shop. The bench and neon sign outside are almost as attractive as the shop front. Inside, there are some unique art pieces as well as lots of independent designer clothing with some rather bold price tags. The clothes are great but they don't come cheap. Address: 678 Commercial St, San Francisco Legion of Honor Exhibition Store 【Antique Shop】 Next to Legion is an antique shop run by a Chinese gentleman. While I was stuck at the window staring at the vintage cameras, he kindly invited me to come inside to look [around]—no ticket required. A nice little moment. Morse Code Buttons Things to Note: The lobby of the nearby Method Products office building, a San Francisco cleaning products company, has a small exhibition in partnership with Color Factory. 【Mister Jiu’s】 Mister Jiu’s is an upscale restaurant in Chinatown, but the real destination is the Color Factory street art piece hidden behind its back entrance. Each button you press on the installation activates a loudspeaker to play a song that mentions that color in the lyrics. The black and white section plays Michael Jackson’s “Black or White.” I was a little disappointed that the red button did not play Taylor Swift’s “Red.” Address: 28 Waverly Pl, San Francisco 【San Francisco Chinatown】 The day I went to Chinatown, it seemed like an event akin to a Halloween carnival with lots of handmade stalls and a haunted house and families everywhere. There was a Chinese group too. If you listened closely, it sounded like one or two of them were actually playing seriously, and the rest were playfully improvising. They even passed out instruments to audience members for photo ops. The mural of Bruce Lee behind them was also quite nice, even if the likeness was a bit off. San Francisco Chinatown San Francisco's Chinatown is one of the only ones in the western United States that can be compared with New York's. Its center is located at the intersection of Grant Avenue and California Street and is home to more than 80,000 Chinese residents, creating a city within a city. Although Union Square and the western financial district are nearby, Chinatown speaks a distinctly different visual and auditory language: its streets are covered in Chinese character signs and its sidewalks are filled with Chinese voices. Many Chinese tourists feel a sense of nostalgia when visiting this location.
【Chinatown Kite Shop】
This store focuses on various unique kites. It can be a little messy inside and is not the best location for taking photos, but that messiness adds to the store's character.
Location: 717 Grant Ave, San Francisco
Chinatown Kite Shop
【Chinese Snack Stairway】
Here is the highlight of the day: a mural created by artists from Color Factory. Each step is designed as a Chinese snack and has its own unique color scheme and pattern.
From bottom to top, the steps represent: lotus leaf sticky rice, taro buns, preserved egg and pork congee, green tea, black sesame ice cream, red bean soup, egg tarts, bubble tea, mapo tofu, dragon fruit, stir-fried pea shoots, char siu pork, shrimp chips, pig's ear, beef rice noodles, soup dumplings, lychees, sesame balls, black bean chicken feet, and salt and pepper crab.
With so many tasty references, people are bound to find a favorite.
Location: Vinton Ct, San Francisco
The white step with green stripes is scallion preserved egg and pork congee; the gray one with black flecks is black sesame ice cream; the beige one with oversized black dots is bubble tea; the reddish purple one with green triangles is dragon fruit; the brown one with white stripes is pig's ear; and the yellow step with white sesame shapes is a sesame ball. The little details are too cute to handle.
【Little Giant Ice Cream】
Here is a lovely little ice cream parlor with a robot as its logo and lots of little robots.
Location: 214 Sutter St, San Francisco
【Color Factory】
This popular museum for photos is the one that created the street art map for this itinerary. I've still not been able to visit as it seems like tickets always sell out right before I think to buy them. There are rooms that are color-coordinated and made for photos.
Location: 575 Sutter St, San Francisco
Hotel Rex
This hotel is right across from Color Factory. The Color Factory map notes that a little secret is located in the library room that’s off the lobby.
Location: 562 Sutter St, San Francisco
Larkin Street
The map from Color Factory directed us to a café on this street called Jane for a dragon-fruit bowl, which was closed when we got there, but in the evening we got an unexpected reward as the street’s string lights were stunning.
HERO SHOP
This is a high-end designer boutique, the sign is designed to be unnerving but in a stylish way.
An oddly fantastic Color Factory vending machine was inside, but sadly we had to let it go since we didn’t have any coins.
Location: 982 Post St
Hero Shop
The Tenderloin is full of trendy shops and restaurants and it’s very lively. Even when you don’t have the feeling of being unsafe walking here at night, it is recommended that you don’t walk alone as it can be a little sketchy. We were yelled at several times as we were passing by some unhoused people, and to lighten the mood we joked about it being a real-life Halloween haunted house.
Area Details:
The Tenderloin, which surrounds this neighborhood, is an area of San Francisco that has long been associated with unhoused people, safety issues, and mental health. Street behavior can be unpredictable, and some people may be in a mental health crisis. Please note the following rules. Stay respectful and maintain a safe distance. Be aware of your immediate surroundings. Exercise caution as if you are in an urban area. Each year, I see a restaurant where you eat and bathe and I finally got to see it in person. The restaurant is very popular so I had to make a reservation. Note that dining and bathing need separate bookings. The restaurant features a design that is a combination of Japanese and industrial designs. A strange but very good combination. The food is Japanese inspired. However, it no longer tastes Japanese. The combination of flavors and ingredients are unexpected but that's what makes it so interesting. Below are images from the restaurant menu. Left: Hawaiian tuna poke with crispy rice, avocado sauce, and wasabi aioli. Right: pan-fried dumplings. I cannot remember what the menu said was in the dumplings, but in my opinion, the filling was an absolute mystery and very delicious. After walking in the cold weather all day in the city, it was a true luxury to finish my day with a good meal and then a nice soak. The bath was about $35 for 2 hours and this included a soaking pool, dry sauna, and a steam sauna as well as showers and lemon water. While the bathing area may not have been as nice as what you would find in China, it is a luxury for the United States. Behind the restaurant is a passage to the bathing area which is designed in the Japanese and industrial style. Unlike traditional Japanese bathing, the pool is co-ed and you have to wear swim suits. Though communal nude bathing may be a tough fit for American social norms, there are two days each week set aside for men and women when swimwear is optional.
When we arrived for the baths, they were empty and the staff were nice enough to let us take a short photo.
This is located at 466 Eddy St, San Francisco
【16th Avenue Tiled Steps】
The staircase is decorated with a mosaic of colorful tiles. It’s appearance transforms completely from day to night.
Located at 16th Ave, San Francisco
Mosaic Art Steps
At the crossing of Moraga Street and 16th Avenue, a mosaic staircase of 163 steps pays homage to Brazil’s Escadaria Selarón. For two and a half years, ceramic artist Aileen Barr and mosaic artist Colette Crutcher, along with over 300 volunteers from the community, constructed this staircase. With over 75,000 pieces of glass and ceramics and more than 2,000 handmade tiles, the mosaic depicts the flowing design of ocean currents, a plethora of flowers, plants, and animals. It is a stunning example of public art created by a community. The staircase extends upwards to the sky, where it portrays stars and a giant sun.
【Clarion Alley】
This is an alleyway that is completely covered in street art. The Mission District surrounding this alley is home to some of the best street art in San Francisco.
Address: Clarion Alley, San Francisco
San Francisco has large murals in almost every neighborhood, including Little Italy, Civic Center, and Haight-Ashbury. They are beyond the Mission and Clarion Alley and are worth the search.
【Hearts in San Francisco】
There are 131 heart statues located through downtown San Francisco, each with a unique design. Some places are easier to find than others. The heart in Union Square is both the easiest and the most popular. Hayes Valley Hayes Valley has a lot to keep you entertained! There are many reasons to spend time in the area, including the mini market constructed from shipping containers, quaint and colorful shops, and a wide variety of charming and quirky boutiques! Address: Hayes Street, San Francisco Financial District The Financial District showcases a wide range of architectural styles from modern to vintage. This makes it a great location to practice more sophisticated and city-inspired street photography. Golden Gate Park Golden Gate Park is a major attraction. Many visitors only venture into the California Academy of Sciences, the de Young Museum, and sometimes the Japanese garden. However, these are just a few of the many attractions. It is one of the biggest man-made parks in the world, so big that you can easily get lost. It stretches from the Pacific Ocean to central San Francisco and is comprised of over a dozen smaller parks covering 53 blocks. The park contains museums, art galleries, a variety of sports courts, botanical gardens, and even a golf course!
Popular museums include the California Academy of Sciences, the Asian Art Museum, and the M. H. de Young Memorial Museum. It is a great option for a family day out or picnic.
Dutch Windmill
The windmill is especially beautiful during tulip season, which is from mid-March to mid-April. It is located at the far western side of Golden Gate Park and right next to Ocean Beach. It is free to enter!
San Francisco Botanical Garden
The botanical garden is huge and has an endless variety of unique plants and flowers that bloom in every season. It’s not too manicured, which adds to its charm. Entry is free for residents of San Francisco, whilst non residents pay $7.
【Bernal Heights Swing】
I only learned about this from Susie last weekend: there is a swing at Bernal Heights Park that gives you the impression you are being launched over San Francisco.
Location: 3400-3416 Folsom St, San Francisco
【Kirby Cove Swing】
This swing has an even more spectacular view: it looks like it swings out over the Golden Gate Bridge.
Location: 948 Fort Barry, Sausalito
【Museum of Ice Cream】
Along with the Color Factory, this is another of San Francisco’s famously Instagrammable museums, and tickets are just as difficult to get. I went for the first time recently with a friend who was lucky enough to score tickets. It was whimsical, dreamy and unapologetically girly.
Location: 1 Grant Ave, San Francisco
