Down Town

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San Francisco until the 1849 Californian gold rush was just a sleepy hamlet of 300 people that changed dramatically after the rush.




Once installed in the hotel decided to explore locally as I had arrived in the morning and so to maximize my time headed for Union Square. San Francisco is all hills and like South America all the interesting stuff seems to be at the top, or “it’s only 2/3 blocks away” (what they don’t mention is that each block is at least 200 metres).
Eventually found Union Square, a square in the true sense, very much a meeting place and an area for displaying artwork .On each side is some of the top stores in the States, If you have unlimited credit this is the place to shop, Macys, Tiffany, Saks etc are all here.
S.F. gives one the impression of being fairly laid back and sophisticated .Not a lot of high rise building I was to find out on a later trip the reason why, earthquakes, lying on a major fault of the earths crust.
I found out also I was staying in the fashionable Nob Hill area and the Academy of Art University. That evening decided to try one of the many restaurants, chose an Italian one just down the hill from the hostel. L’Ottavo V111.had very pleasant meal and an interesting conversation with Maitre De. His name Ruselum.He turned out to be Russian from the Ukraine and had lived in S.F. for 8years. Then chilled out and returned to hostel.

Phileas

P.S. Didn't see any PIE scale candidates that day

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Photos

Definately here Macys
Were promoting Indian goods hence the big poster couldn't get all in the pic

Taylor Street
My Hostel right at the top of the Hill!!
groan