A stroll through a farmers' market, then a walk in Chinatown, and finally a visit to Japantown to view the Nihonmachi Street Fair: 6 August 2016

The 43rd annual Nihonmachi Street Fair took place in Japantown on 6 and 7 August 2016. I decided to attend the fair on Saturday and walked to the street fair from the Ferry Building. The photographs are shown in the sequential order of the walk.

The Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market is located outside of the Ferry Building. It is open Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. 

The distance traveled was approximately 4.7 miles (7.6 kilometers). The cumulative elevation gain was about 447 feet (136 meters). Mile markers are displayed on the GPS-generated track.

A restaurant with outdoor seating at the Ferry Building. 

The Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market. 

The Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market. 

The Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market. 

The Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market. 

A photo of Clay Street in downtown San Francisco. The view is looking West. 

This is Montgomery Street in downtown San Francisco. The view is looking East. 

Spicy King Szechuan Cuisine is in Chinatown. 

Waverly Place in Chinatown.

Little Paradise Market is located in Chinatown. 

The San Francisco Public Library Chinatown Branch was built in 1921; it is located on Powell Street. The original name of the library was the San Francisco Public Library North Beach Branch. The name was changed in 1958 to address the fact that the majority of people served by the library are of Chinese ancestry. It is the third library built in San Francisco by the Andrew Carnegie Foundation. The Andrew Carnegie Foundation financed the construction of a total of eight libraries in San Francisco.

This is San Francisco Cable Car #26. It is traveling down Powell Street towards Hyde Street and Fisherman's Wharf. This cable car was originally built in 1890. It underwent a complete restoration in 2012 to ensure that it would continue to provide reliable and safe transportation. 

A view of Jackson Street looking North. The picture was taken from Stockton Street. Angel Island is visible.

This is a view of Taylor Street, looking South. The photo was taken from California Street. Potrero Hill is visible in the distance on the left side of the photo. 

Action on Austin Street. 

Trinity Church was the first Protestant Episcopal Church on the Pacific Coast. The church was founded in 1849, and this structure was erected in 1892. 

These houses are located on Bush Street. The houses were built in the 19th Century, and they are known as "false front" houses. A false front facade was standard for inexpensive homes, apartment buildings, and office buildings in the late 1800s and early 1900s. A false front facade was an economical method to make a property look more prominent, ornate, and expensive than it was in reality.  

In Japantown at the Nihonmachi Street Fair. 

The Nihonmachi Street Fair. 

In Japantown at the Nihonmachi Street Fair. 

Tossing pancakes at the Nihonmachi Street Fair. 

A sample selection of delicious-looking and inexpensive meals is available at Japantown's Nihonmachi Street Fair. 

Cooking up a storm at Japantown's Nihonmachi Street Fair. 

The Thai Stick Restaurant on Fillmore Street in Lower Pacific Heights. 

This graph shows the elevation changes encountered during the hike. 

"A camera is a tool for learning how to see without a camera." Dorothea Lange 

"Photography has not changed since its origin except in its technical aspects, which for me are not important." Henri Carter-Bresson

"There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer." Ansel Adams

"The important thing is not the camera but the eye." Alfred Eisenstaedt

You are welcome to visit: www.mishalov.com

The Haight Ashbury, the Grateful Dead, the Conservatory of Flowers, and the de Young Museum: 2 August 2016

 A mellow walk in the western portion of San Francisco.

On Haight Street. Click the image to see the full-size photograph.

  The approximate distance traveled as tracked by GPS was 4.7 miles (7.6 kilometers).  Mile markers are shown on the route’s track. Click the image to see the full-size map.

 On Cole Street, in Cole Valley. Click the image to see the full-size photograph.

 In Cole Valley. Click the image to see the full-size photo.

 On Belvedere Street in the Cole Valley neighborhood. The northern portion of Tank Hill is visible in the background. The name was chosen because a water storage tank was constructed on top of the hill by the Spring Valley Water Company in 1894. The tank, at an elevation of 650 feet (198 meters), was a repository for drinking water which was pumped up from the Laguna Honda Reservoir. The water tank was removed in 1957. The concrete foundation of the tank is the only reminder of the long forgotten storage facility. Click the image to see the full-size photograph.

 
 This is 710 Ashbury Street. Between 1966 and 1968 the Grateful Dead lived in this house. The house was constructed in 1890. Click the image to see the full-size photo.

Click to listen to a recording of the Grateful Dead playing “Ripple."   

THEN. Grateful Dead band members are hanging out at the house. Click the image to see the full-size photograph.

  NOW. Fifty years later, what once was is no more. Click the image to see the full-size photo.

    This eye-catching work of art can be seen on the building at the southwest corner of Haight Street and Ashbury Street. Click the image to see the full-size photo.

 On Haight Street. Ok, will do. Click the image to see the full-size photograph.

      This photograph was taken from Golden Gate Park. The University of California San Francisco Medical Center is visible in the background. Click the image to see the full-size photo.

 The Conservatory of Flowers is located in Golden Gate Park. Click the image to see the full-size photograph.

Click the image to see the full-size photo.

Inside the Conservatory of Flowers. Click the image to see the full-size photograph.

         This photo was taken near the front of the Conservatory of Flowers. Click the image to see the full-size photo.

      A photograph of the Music Concourse with the Spreckels Temple of Music, also known as the "Bandshell" at the front of the concourse. I took this photograph from the base of a monument erected in 1887 in memory of Francis Scott Key, who wrote the Star Spangled Banner. Click the image to see the full-size photo.

  

   A view of the Francis Scott Key Monument. The estate of James Lick (1796-1876) financed the construction of the monument. Visible behind the Francis Scott Key Monument is the de Young Museum. The view is looking North. Click the image to see the full-size photograph.

The Francis Scott Key Monument as seen in 1890. This view is looking South.

 Inside the de Young Museum. Click the image to see the full-size photograph.

        This photo was taken from the top floor of the de Young Museum's tower. Click the image to see the full-size photo.

 This is a photo of the California Academy of Science, as seen from the top floor of the de Young Museum's tower. The Francis Scott Key Monument is visible on the left side of this photo. This view is looking South. Click the image to see the full-size photograph.

 
A picture of the Richmond Branch of the San Francisco Public Library. This branch, which is located on 9th Avenue between Geary Boulevard and Clement Street, opened in 1914. It was built with funds donated by the Andrew Carnegie Foundation. Thank you, Andrew Carnegie! Click the image to see the full-size photo.

A photo of Clement Street, in the Inner Richmond.  Click the image to see the full-size photograph.

     This picture was taken from Clement Street at Park Presidio Boulevard. Click the image to see the full-size photo.

   This photo shows the removal of sand during an early stage of construction on a lot on 18th Avenue at Geary Boulevard.The vast majority of land in western San Francisco consists of sand dunes. There are very few visible indications that the roads and buildings are constructed on sand dunes. This photo attests to the reality of sand dunes beneath the western portion of San Francisco. Click the image to see the full-size photo.

I concluded this little adventure by taking a Muni Metro 38R-Geary Rapid bus from Geary Boulevard in the Richmond District to downtown San Francisco. Click the image to see the full-size photo.

"A camera is a tool for learning how to see without a camera.” Dorothea Lange 

"Photography has not changed since its origin except in its technical aspects, which for me are not important." Henri Carter-Bresson

"There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer." Ansel Adams

"The important thing is not the camera but the eye." Alfred Eisenstaedt

You are welcome to visit:  www.mishalov.com

San Francisco's West Portal District, the Sigmund Stern Grove and the Sunset District: 30 July 2016

 A walk from the SFMTA West Portal Station to Geary Boulevard.

Click on an image to see the full-size photograph.

This is an L-Taraval streetcar leaving the West Portal Station and traveling to the San Francisco Zoo.

The approximate distance traveled as tracked by GPS was 7 miles (11.3 kilometers). The approximate cumulative elevation gain was 579 feet (176 meters). Mile markers are shown on the route’s track. 

The Muni Metro West Portal Station. An L-Taraval streetcar's headlights are visible in the tunnel. 

This picture was taken from the front of the West Portal Station. The view is looking south down West Portal Avenue. It is cold and foggy with drops of water falling from the sky... lovely. 

 The massive French Chateau style residential building is part of an 11-acre parcel known as Arden Wood, a Christian Scientist residential care facility. 

This is a farmhouse that was built in the 1870s by the Greene Family. It is now used mainly for wedding receptions. It is a part of Sigmund Stern Grove. 

A view of the location of Stern Grove Festival. The workmen are preparing the site for tomorrow's performance by the San Francisco Ballet. 

A seating area in the Stern Grove Festival. 

A pathway in Sigmund Stern Recreational Grove. 

A view of St. Cecilia Catholic Church and School. It is located on Vicente Street at 16th Avenue. 

This playground is a part of Edgewood Center for Children and Families. 

A view looking west from 30th Avenue. The Pacific Ocean can be seen in the distance when it's not foggy. 

 Shin Toe Bul Yi Korean Restaurant. It is located on Taraval Street at 30th Avenue.

Yes! The Pacific Ocean is visible, barely.

The house at 1471 30th Avenue was built by Doelger Home Styles. Mr. Doelger built so many homes in this area that the area is now known as Doelger City. The house is located in the Outer Sunset District and it appears that the structure was built sometime in the 1920s or 1930s. The style of this house was known as Mediterranean Revival. 


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"A camera is a tool for learning how to see without a camera.” Dorothea Lange 

"Photography has not changed since its origin except in its technical aspects, which for me are not important." Henri Carter-Bresson

"There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer." Ansel Adams

"The important thing is not the camera but the eye." Alfred Eisenstaedt

You are welcome to visit: www.mishalov.com