New series! I created a new category of posts for my blog called “Exploring SF,” where I chronicle my adventures living in the amazing city of San Francisco. For my first post I’ll be highlighting some nearby favorites, including Chinatown and the Cable Car Museum. Enjoy and comments/feedback always appreciated!
It was a beautiful, sunny day in San Francisco, quite a rarity in the city known for its boundless fog and bay weather. I’d just finished my second week of work, and since it was such a nice day, I decided to venture out to explore some nearby places. My summer roommate Heng and I were able to take a stroll through Chinatown, check out the local YMCA, and stop by the San Francisco Cable Car Museum, all within walking distance from our apartment.
Our first stop was Chinatown, a place I pass by every day on my way to work. I’ve been to quite a few of the restaurants in this area through the years (for various club events), but I hardly had the chance to just stroll at a leisurely pace and take in the sights and sounds. Since it was the weekend, the sidewalks were absolutely packed, and it felt extra lively as tourists, locals, vegetable vendors, and shop owners mixed and mingled.
We appreciated the sights of colorful Asian architecture, various trinkets at the storefronts, and Chinese lanterns floating in the air. It was amazing to think that this was the oldest and largest Chinatown in North America, established during the Gold Rush era and currently attracting more visitors a year than the Golden Gate Bridge. With its rich history, including some crazy stories seemingly made for the movies (The Golden Dragon Restaurant Massacre, anyone?), Chinatown SF was a pleasure to visit.
The YMCA in Chinatown was quite an impressive facility, with a nice pool, full-court basketball court, and weight/exercise room. We toured the place because I was interested in purchasing an annual membership, and I just might go with this place after seeing the newly renovated facilities, we’ll see!
After the tour, we took a grueling walk uphill and reached the San Francisco Cable Car Museum, a free museum that houses the actual machinery running all the cable cars in the city. It was fascinating watching the gigantic wheels of the GE power houses spin and drive the cables, which are constantly moving underneath the tracks. The exhibits were informative and gave a great overlook of how the cable cars work, as well as provide some context through the years.
The coolest part was learning that the cable cars of today are largely unchanged in style and technology, relying on the same kinds of pulleys and brakes (wood!) that equipped the originals of the late nineteenth century. Crazy that the city almost shut down the system in the late 40s – glad that didn’t happen, thanks to public outcry. It’s hard to picture San Francisco without its cable cars.
All in all, we had a fun time enjoying the sunshine, seeing some cool parts of San Francisco, and learning more about the city’s rich history!
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