Friday, October 22, 2010

Sunset & Parkside #2

Walk #31

With some extra time on my hands today I decided to reverse my walk from yesterday. I hopped on Muni, got off at the San Francisco Zoo and walked home.

I started out by circling a two blocks, then went up 47th to Lincoln. Out Lincoln to La Playa, down to Kirkham and Kirkham till it ended at 5th Ave.

The Sunset is really a misnomer, as all San Franciscans know. There's no sign of sun and hence no sunset. The Sunset is constantly drenched in fog but they are near the beach and it looks like the residents do the best they can do brighten the place up.

And show off their ocean proximity
























They're also ready for Halloween.






































ooooooh, scary!




And no walk would be complete without the following section on Cement Street Stamps!

No mistake here. I just really love the formatting effort of the "TH" :)

Mistakes here though.
Again, I can't get too worked up about the '1' - 'I' phenomenon as it's EVERYWHERE, but I do love the upside down V. Technically, not misspelled, just awesome.

Around 5th, I covered some dead end streets at UCSF before heading to Hugo, Arguello, Carl, Cole and Waller to get home.

Total mileage: 8.35

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Sunset & Parkside #1

Walk #30

New walking rule. In addition to not walking new routes on the way to work, and always carrying cash, I will ALWAYS carry a rain coat. Luckily, it only began to rain a few blocks from the zoo and the end of my walk, but it could've been much worse.

I started down Lincoln and was headed to the San Francisco Zoo where I did not go, but rather picked up Muni to get downtown and watch (read: be disappointed by) some Giant baseball.

Along Lincoln, I found this which at first glance is fine. But check out the '6'
It's actually the "8" but with a little creative design. This is one of the street stampers better efforts. Especially given that only I, in all of my street stamp OCDness, would notice.
This however is pretty blatant:
As I was decked out in orange, I was happy to find a lot of these along the way.

Hmmmmmm Baby!




Total mileage: 4.49

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

$2 Tuesday

Walk #29

I had some time to kill before meeting MJ and Randy at the City Tavern for $2 Tuesday. So I decided to take Larkin Street all the way out to the Wharf before crossing to the Marina.

I was quite glad it wasn't as much of a hike as I had anticipated. There were some stairs down at the end, but even they weren't too steep or too bad. The weather was perfect and the view was great. What more could a girl ask for?
Once I hit Chestnut Street I decided to bust out a few blocks between Bay and Chestnut, Van Ness and Laguna. All in all it was highly uneventful, though with my Matt Cain t-shirt on I got interrupted a lot and asked for the score of the game. Luckily I knew, 3 - 0 Giants!


After a super cheap night out, hooray for $2 beers and chicken tenders!, I choose Pierce St. to lead me home. As I crossed Union I found this creative effort by the street stampers:
I suppose if you'd lost the 'N' this would be the best way to go. Unless they meant Uivioiv Street. Then my bad. You guys are good.

I ran into a lot of parks on Pierce Street and had to make a few detours. But for the most part it was a straight shot. Then a few blocks from home, I had to ponder my whole plan and existance as this message was left waiting for me:


Total Mileage: 7.54

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Anza-Getting things done for America! Avenue

Walk # 28 - Fired Up!

It was a pretty standard walk home this evening. I followed Ellis from work as far as I could and made a few detours around a school and a Safeway. I walked up Fillmore for just one block, but it was the block that had this honoring Etta James, so naturally I spent the next mile singing "At laaast" because those are the only words I know.

I had to give up on Etta James so I decided to walk with my favorite boy from the cupboard under the stairs.
Ellis ends in a secluded neighborhood on a hill called Anzavista.
Or An-backwards Z-vista (at Encanto Ave)
Or AnAzavista (at Barcelona Ave)
Anavista is also home to a stairway up, and a stairway down . . . .





















Down Lyon, I found this aptly named church. It's called Solid Rock Baptist Church.


Total mileage: 4.29

Friday, October 15, 2010

The Long Way Home

Walk #27

It was a beautiful day in the city, so I decided to take the long way home. From work, I took Golden Gate to 6th St. I'm certain I saw a drug deal of some sort, so I just put my head down and kept walking.
At Howard, I ran into Defenestration.

Basically, an artist, along with a team of volunteers, turned an old abandoned building into art. The building is covered in furniture - beds, bath tubs, chairs armoires-seemingly being thrown from the windows. (get it?) It's pretty fun and the pictures don't really do it justice.












I turned on Brannan, you know to avoid walking on the freeway, and hit up some alleys until I turned down 7th. There was this awesome warehouse-y garage with some retro furniture and a few guys chilling with their beers enjoying the weather but hanging in the shade (people after my own heart) but the pictures came out crappy. Sad. From 7th I worked my way down to the beginning of 17th Street which I had decided I would walk from start to finish.

It was fun to be on 17th Street in the Potrero Hill area mostly because it was totally reminiscent of my marathon training days with the >1 team. At the same time, it made me feel guilty about passing up running for walking and reminded me to find a balance. I digress . . .

At 17th and Florida, I found this:
The street stampers never disappoint!

Then I found Mission Police Stations - Old and New. Dear SFPD, The old (right) building is way better.
Add Image





























Down the road, I found the Women's Building where I may to need to get involved...

As I was approaching Market Street, I had to use the bano but had no cash. So a cute cafe was out of the question. Luckily, there was a 24 hour fitness near by. I knew my gym membership was good for something! The detour also helped lead to a few discoveries 1) the gym in the Castro is way worth trekking to for spin class, 2) new rule for the adventure: ALWAYS carry cash when I walk! I am supposed to be discovering San Francisco not running into the gym or Pete's or Sbux everytime I need a rest stop. 3) Street Stampers strike again:

I like to think of this not as 15th Sheet, but as 15th-ish. Like they just missed the 'I'. "Where is 24 hour fitness?" "It's on Market around 15th-ish." Awesome!

After the pit stop it was a straight shot up to the end of 17th, down Shrader, home.

Total mileage: 8.18

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Walking with Dr. Haygood

While the good doctor was in town, there weren't as many whole walking adventures but we did cover streets all around the city. I'm combining all of those bits and pieces here.


First, I must present my new walking shoes! You know they're awesome and you know you're jealous! Your tennis shoes aren't this colorful.

The timing of their arrival couldn't have been better. Let's hear it for the Giants and the NLCS!! Hmmm Baby!

(See what I've done there? Successfully used your, you're, their, they're and now there, correctly. Learn the basics people, it really isn't that hard.)


On Thursday, after I finished work I went to meet up with Dr. Haygood at the Cable Car Museum. As a side note, I love having excuses to do these touristy things. The museum was totally cool. Anyway, I walked from Polk to Post to Mason. And I should really say UP Mason. Luckily at the top, while huffing and puffing I looked down and what should I see? A little gift just for me:
We all know this is my favorite game, but I feel like misspelling the state capital maybe a bit too far. I do however, like that I can see the "A" under the "R" and the street stamper man obviously thought the vowel was of lesser value.


From the Cable Car Museum, we went down
Washington left on Grant, and through Chinatown to North Beach to grab a slice. Not sure exactly what's happening here. It's got the "1" phenomenon certainly, but the last "C" is pretty sloppy. All I can see is: PAC1F10 . . .

After we sat for a bit we hopped a bus halfway and walked from Union to Ellis down Polk Street.
**Shameless self promotion for Project Open Hand's 25th Anniversary of serving Meals with Love in San Francisco.**


On Friday morning, the promise of sailors and fast, loud airplanes had us headed to the Marina. We walked
along Lyon Street to take in the picturesque Lyon Stairway. There were not as many blooms as the last time I was here, but it was still a stairrific sight. Dr. Haygood was quite the trooper (a little pun intended) and seems to be in good spirits here, halfway down the steps.

As it turns out, the neighbors here take care of all of the gardens. One woman spearheaded the effort and turned it into a service project for plethora of groups and organizations. Yay community! (Even when it seems uppity and bougy.) My favorite thing about these stairs is that it's a magnet for outdoor exercise enthusiasts. You're always in the middle of someones intensely sweaty workout while you're here. Hats off to them, going up those stairs more than once at a time is where I draw the line.

We detoured a bit into the Presidio (as the armed forces were really the theme of the day) and took a quick jaunt into Sports Basement (naturally). We walked down Marina Blvd, where this drove me crazy:
Did you misplace the capital 'L'? Sheesh. Needless to say, Stephanie could not have been less interested, while I fixated on the corners folks will cut to get their jobs done...
We continued on to the 'Dateway' for drinks and headed back to the green for a picnic with an air show.

I have officially decided there is nothing hotter than the Blue Angels. Sure sure, it's a military recruiting tool (and a genius tool at that) and it is a waste of precious fuel and tax dollars blah blah blah - At the same time, it might be the most amazing thing I've ever seen. I can barely walk down the street with a companion without bumping into them once or twice and these amazing pilots fly, in formation, at 450 MPH!!!! It was so incredible it took my breath away. And my ability to hear. I loved everything about it.


At the end of the show, we walked along Chestnut St, which is more of Dr. Haygood's scene than Haight St is, and caught the bus home.



On Sunday, I ventured out on my own for a bit before meeting Dr. Haygood for Sunday's A Drag. If you're interested in a Drag Queen Brunch, I highly recommend it. I kept the walk simple, all the way down Sutter from beginning to end. At Fillmore this made me happy, because I feel like the street stampers are now recognizing their errors and making an effort to correct them. It's not a great effort, but an effort none-the-less.

And after passing the 6th Academy of Art building I a) understood this article (and its vehement comments regarding the AofA buildings being everywhere you look) from the Chronicle so much better and b) wished I had photographed them all. Luckily, I captured this one. Yup, it still says First Concrecational Church.


Total Mileage
Friday: 5.32 Sunday: 5.55












And a parting gift from me to you. wooooosh!

Monday, October 4, 2010

Murals in the Mission

Walk #25

I had some extra time so I left work and headed down to walk some alleys in the Mission.

Heading down Van Ness, I should've known this was going to be an awesome walk when straight away I found this. I recognize the 'T' is missing because they had to repave the accessible sidewalk. Outside of that, I'm pretty sure this is not how you spell "twelfth"


Then just a few blocks down the road I came across 19 teerts. It could be a thing. Or the street stampers don't take an iota of pride in their work. Either way.

On my way down South Van Ness I reaffirmed my belief that street stampers have no sense of uniformity. I get the first two, but Van Ness Ave South. Really? My favorite is So Van Ness. I'm going to start using it as my new SF phrase: "That is so Van Ness".

I walked all the way to Cesar Chavez on So Van Ness and then I walked out and back the alleys between 24th and 26th: Treat, Lucky, Horace, Virgil, Cypress, Lilac, Osage, Orange, and Poplar. A few smelled of spray paint and a few smelled of urine. Each one was full of artistic expression. By far these alleys are the most colorful discovery of the City. Here are just a few of my faves.





















Good Luck Charms?

you know!

high tech!

As I was about to depart this vivid section of the city I found myself down a different alley (Juri), full of aspiring muralists:

I finished on Guerrero and took myself to 28th where I found myself hiking UP to movie night.



Total mileage: 6.55


SIDE TRIP:
I got a ride halfway home so I only had to walk up Church to Hermann to Steiner to Page. But this short jaunt (even after todays long haul) made me giddy.

First there was this. But there was no street sign to help me determine if this was Herman St or Hermann St. Clearly, one was wrong.

Then, I determined it is, in fact Hermann St (double N) but the corner of Hermann and Fillmore said this:
You gotta keep your eyes open around here . . .