Page 692 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - USA

690  C ALIFORNIA

submarine USS Pampanito, At the junction of Broadway and
which fought several battles Columbus Avenue, the City
in the Pacific, sinking six enemy Lights Bookstore, once owned
ships. Visitors can tour the by the Beat poet Lawrence
torpedo room, galley, and Ferlinghetti, was the first
officers’ quarters. To its south bookshop in the US to sell only
on Jefferson Street is Ripley’s paperbacks. Vesuvio, south of
Believe It Or Not! Museum, City Lights, was one of the most
which displays the cartoonist’s popular Beat bars. Welsh poet
collection of curiosities – one Dylan Thomas was a patron
of which is a cable car built of here, and it is still a favorite with
275,000 matchsticks. Farther poets and artists. The Condor
Shops and amusements at Pier 39, along Jefferson Street, The Club is located on a stretch
Fisherman’s Wharf Cannery, earlier a fruit processing of Broadway known as The
factory, now houses a mall Strip, noted for its “adult
8 Fisherman’s with restaurants, museums, entertainment.” This landmark
Wharf and shops. The San Francisco establishment was where the
Maritime National Historical area’s first topless show was
Map E2. Between the coastline Park incorporates a museum staged in June 1964. Caffè
& Beach St. @ 15, 19, 25, 30, 32, on Beach Street, which displays Trieste, on the corner of Vallejo
39, 42, 45, 47.  Powell–Mason, various nautical objects, and Street, is the oldest coffeehouse
Powell–Hyde.
hosts visiting exhibitions. The in San Francisco and a genuine
Italian seafood restaurants have park also includes a large Beat rendezvous since 1956.
replaced fishing as the primary collection of old ships moored Very much a part of Italian­
focus of Fisherman’s Wharf. at the nearby Hyde Street American culture, it offers live
Fishermen from Genoa and Pier. Among the finest is the opera on Saturday afternoons.
Sicily first arrived here in the C.A. Thayer, a three­masted Lombard Street, a little to the
late 19th century and founded schooner built in 1895. north, is renowned as “the
San Francisco’s fishing industry. crookedest street in the world.”
Since the 1950s, the area has Banked at a natural incline of
given way to tourism, although 9 North Beach 27 degrees, this hill proved too
brightly colored boats still set Map E2. @ 15, 30, 39, 45.  Powell– steep for vehicles to climb.
out to sea early each morning. Mason, Powell–Hyde. In the 1920s the section close
The specialty here is the to the summit of Russian Hill
delicious Dungeness crab. South of Fisherman’s Wharf is was revamped, and eight tight
Pier 39 is the Wharf’s hub, North Beach, also known as curves were added. There are
with restaurants, shops, and “Little Italy.” Settlers from Chile, spectacular views of San
specialty stores, set against a China, and Italy brought their Francisco from the summit,
backdrop of stunning bay enthusiasm for nightlife to the especially at night. Close by,
views. Refurbished in 1978 to area, earning North Beach its the San Francisco Art Institute
resemble a quaint wooden vibrant reputation and is famous for its Diego Rivera
fishing village, the pier is also attracting bohemians and Gallery, which contains an
home to groups of sea lions writers, including the leading outstanding mural by the
that bask on the docks. Docked chronicler of the “Beat famous Mexican muralist
at Pier 45 is the World War II generation,” Jack Kerouac. created in 1931.
The 210­ft Coit Tower lies
San Francisco’s Murals at the top of Telegraph Hill.
The lobby has many
San Francisco’s cosmopolitan heritage Depression­era murals.
comes alive in the bright murals that
decorate walls and public places in
several parts of the city. Life in the metro­
polis is one of the major themes. The
Mission District has over 200 murals
showing every aspect of daily life on
the walls of restaurants, banks, and
schools. Many of these were painted in
the 1970s, when the city and various
public bodies commissioned many public
works of art. One of the best is the
Carnaval Mural on 24th Street. The city
also has three major murals by Diego
Coit Tower’s mural of Fisherman’s Rivera, the Mexican artist who revived
Wharf in the 1930s fresco painting in the 1930s and 1940s. Cars negotiating Lombard Street, “the
crookedest street in the world”
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp710–12 and pp713–15

690-691_EW_USA.indd 690 11/2/16 2:49 PM
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.7)
Date 1st October 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm