Think of San Francisco. What do you see? The Golden Gate Bridge, some steep streets, the pier? I love my home city’s famous sights, but just like any other place, there are some hidden beauties you should discover the next time you take a day trip away from SCU (Warning: may lead to too many artsy photos for that Instagram #aesthetic).
San Francisco is known for its colorful “Painted Ladies” (the Victorian-style townhouses). On the other side of the peninsula, with your feet in the Pacific Ocean, you can see the beach adaptation of this SF trademark: my family calls these the “Beach Painted Ladies” (real original, I know). Most tourists do not go to Ocean Beach because it is far from the general city area, but with beautiful architecture and breathtaking ocean views, it’s definitely worth the trek all the way out there. Pro tip: scope out the sky on a sunny day for paragliders!
Because of the oceanic climate, San Francisco is full of nature. Other than Golden Gate Park, which is incredibly scenic, you will see beautiful succulents growing in people’s yards (you may spot me taking photos of each one I see… oops). This is one of SF’s most overlooked qualities: nature within urbanity.
And lastly… The stairway walks! San Francisco is known for its hilly streets, which is why it has so many hidden staircases. There is even a guidebook for all of the staircases, 10/10 would recommend. It’s always exciting to step out of the city for a minute and into a hidden garden or mosaic staircase.
Next time you take CalTrain up, make sure to check out some of these places to get the authentic San Francisco feel! (Not pictured: the grey fog that everyone pretends doesn’t take over the city)