16 . POINTS OF INTErEST | Never the same. Always San Francisco. POINTS OF INTEREST CONTINUED 40 OCEAN BEACH Along Great Highway at the western edge of San Francisco. On the westernmost edge of the city is an area of sand and surf that has long been a favorite with tourists and sunset watchers. Swimming and wading at this beach is strongly discouraged because of strong currents and frigid waters. Seal Rocks, the original attraction of this vicinity, are small, stony islands just offshore at the foot of Point Lobos Avenue; except for a few loners, most of the sea lions have departed for cozier quarters at PIER 39. Here, too, is the Cliff House, one of the city’s best-known landmarks on the west side. 42 PACIFIC HEIGHTS Van Ness to Presidio Avenues, Sacramento to Green Streets. Stately Victorians crown hills blessed with glorious views in one of San Francisco’s most prestigious neighborhoods. Consulates, finishing schools and condominiums share this tree-lined perch with some of the city’s wealthiest families. Jackson Street near the northwest corner of Alta Plaza Park is a good place to begin a tour of the neighborhood’s mighty mansions. The house tour reaches its apex along the Broadway bluff between Webster and Lyon Streets. 45 POrTSMOUTH SQUArE Kearny Street between Clay and Washington Streets. Commander John B. Montgomery landed from the sloop Portsmouth to raise the United States flag on this spot, July 9, 1846, claiming possession of San Francisco (then Yerba Buena) in the name of the United States. California’s first public schoolhouse stood here, African American pioneer William A. Leidesdorff opened the city’s first hotel (City Hotel) at the corner of Clay and Kearny and a monument to Robert Louis Stevenson was erected in 1897. Nowadays, it’s in the heart of Chinatown and is a popular gathering place for neighborhood residents. 43 PALACE OF FINE ArTS Marina Boulevard and Baker Street. A stunning Greco-Romanesque rotunda with Corinthian colonnades rising from a lagoon, the Palace of Fine Arts was built in 1915 for the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. Restored to its original splendor in 2011, this landmark currently houses a 120,000-square-foot space featuring rotating exhibits, workshops, events and educational programming. 46 POTrErO HILL U.S. 101 and 280, Mariposa to 26th Street. Within the city’s “sunbelt,” Potrero Hill takes advantage of its sunny outlook with outdoor film series and numerous sidewalk cafes. It is also one of the few areas to survive the 1906 earthquake and fire. One of 11 historic districts in the city, the area known as Dogpatch is home to several urban wineries and the Museum of Craft and Design. 41 OLd ST. MArY’S CATHEdrAL 660 California St. at Grant Avenue; 415-986-4388. Having survived the 1906 earthquake and a fire in 1966, Old St. Mary’s, erected in 1854, has earned its place on the corner of Grant and California. Above the clock dial, its red brick facade bears this warning: “Son Observe the Time and Fly from Evil.” The city’s first cathedral is diagonally across from St. Mary’s Square where a statue of Dr. Sun Yat-sen by sculptor Beniamino Bufano presides. 44 POLK STrEET East of Van Ness Avenue. The Polk Street district parallels Van Ness Avenue and extends all the way to Fisherman’s Wharf, where it terminates in front of the historic Maritime Museum. The area is one of the oldest shopping districts in San Francisco. At the turn of the century, it was one of the city’s most exclusive shopping districts, favored by residents of nearby Nob Hill and Pacific Heights. The area features many specialty shops, galleries (art, jewelry and handmade crafts), discount stores, restaurants and entertainment. 47 THE PrESIdIO OF SAN FrANCISCO Northwest corner of San Francisco; main gate at Lombard and Lyon Streets. Founded in 1776, the Presidio served as a military garrison under the flags of Spain, Mexico and the United States before it became a national park in 1994. Its long history is reflected in many places: 17th-century cannons, a diversity of architectural styles and a forest planted in the 1880s. Within the boundaries of this 1,480-acre (599 hectares) preserve are The Walt Disney Family Museum, Main Post, the Officers’ Club, San Francisco National Military Cemetery and Fort Point. The Presidio is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Outdoor Adventures 3 ANGEL ISLAND STATE PARK • 13 CRISSY FIELD 18 FORT MASON • 22 GOLDEN GATE NATIONAL RECREATION AREA • 23 GOLDEN GATE PARK 30 LAKE MERCED • 47 THE PRESIDIO OF SAN FRANCISCO 43 sftravel.com Victor Wong
San Francisco Travel Planner's Guide 2018: Page 16
