Located in the San Francisco Bay, the Oakland Bay Bridge is a bridge that connects San Francisco, Yerba Buena Island (also known as Vanilla Island), and Oakland. It is also part of the bridge that spans Interstate 80 and is one of the largest spans in the world.
The Bay Bridge consists of two parts: the East Bridge connecting the west coast of Vanilla Island to the city of Oakland and the West Bridge connecting the east coast of Vanilla Island to the city of San Francisco. The West Bridge is a suspension bridge consisting of four towers with six spans, while the East Bridge is a cantilever bridge.
Aside from the bridge, there are other tourist attractions to see in San Francisco.
1. Union Square
Union Square is located in downtown San Francisco at the intersection of Powell St., Post Street, Stockton Street, and Geary Street. It is a landmark of downtown San Francisco that covers 550,000 square meters and is surrounded by hotels and shopping centers, making it the third-largest shopping district in the United States. In the center of the square stands the towering Dewey Monument, which commemorates the U.S. Navy's defeat of the Spanish Armada in Manila Bay on May 1, 1895.
2. San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
Originally built in 1935 in the Veterans Building in Civic Center, the museum was the first museum dedicated to modern art on the West Coast of the United States and the second-largest in the country. The museum moved to SOMA in 1995, and the new building, designed by Swiss architect Mario Botta, has a very modern feel.
The museum houses the works of some of the most representative Western artists of the 20th century, such as Henri Matisse, Andy Warhol, and Georgia O'Keeffe, as well as Mexican painter Frida Kahlo, who specialized in the human figure.
3. North Beach
San Francisco's North Beach is a neighborhood located between Chinatown and Fisherman's Wharf that has transformed from an Italian village of early fishermen to a lively commercial district with restaurants and cafes. North Beach is also known for the City Lights Bookstore, an independent bookstore on Columbus Ave. that sells forward-thinking books.
First populated by immigrants from Chile, North Beach is now predominantly Italian and is home to San Francisco's hippie culture, known as the "Little Italy District." The area is full of trendy stores and restaurants, and the cafe scene, in particular, has always attracted uninhibited artists. The most famous of these was the Beat era in the 1950s, represented by figures such as Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, and Neal Cassady.
4. Lombard Street
Lombard Street, located in North Beach, is known as "the most crooked street in the world" and is one of the most famous attractions in San Francisco. San Francisco is a city built on a hill, so most of the streets in the city have a slope, and Lombard Street is a typical example.
The street not only slopes down at a 30-degree angle but also has eight 90-degree turns, making it a thrilling drive. However, if your brakes don't work well, it is recommended to visit on foot. The street is covered with flowers and trees, with hydrangeas in spring, roses in summer, and chrysanthemums in autumn, making it a delightful and refreshing place to stroll through.
