Random Things in San Francisco #4

Some random things in San Francisco.

During a recent walk, we spotted one of those traffic message signs on a nearby street.  We were not surprised because there is building and road construction all over San Francisco.  We watched the sign's changing messages and were surprised by one of the messages.  Check it out.  

We guessed that some resourceful 49er's anti-fan hacked the sign to add the surprising message.  (By the way, the San Francisco 49er's were in the last Super Bowl, losing to Kansas City.  This season, the 49ers are last in their division, with a 4-3 record.)

Below, some random hottie points out a sign on the local fire station.  The sign reminds us of similar practices we learned about in Italy and France.  We wonder how many teenagers are dropped off.  

California is for wine lovers.  So, of course, you can get a manicure while sipping fine wine.  

Recently, the weather in San Francisco has been lovely--cool temperatures and blue skies.  Yesterday, the sunrise was especially beautiful.  

Did you know? #2

A couple of weeks ago, we posted about coffee in San Francisco.

After, we heard from Susan's cousin Jeff, who shared a story about Folger's which was founded in San Francisco long ago.  

"I have been reading a book about the Presidents of the U.S. Did you know that Teddy Roosevelt loved his coffee, drinking up to a gallon a day? On one occasion as he finished his Folger's coffee he said, 'Ah, good to the last drop.'” It got published and picked up by Folgers and became their tag line for the next 60 years."

Who knew?

To celebrate Jeff's contribution, we recently visited the Folger's building, which is just around the corner from our apartment.

Here's to you, Jeff!

Some random hottie enjoying a cup of Joe outside the Folger's Building

The Folger's Building at Spear and Mission Streets, San Francisco

A Nod to Buckminster Fuller

If you recognize the name Buckminster Fuller, then you know he popularized the geodesic dome in the United States long ago.  

An enterprising San Francisco restaurant, Hashiri, adapted the idea of a geodesic dome to create a unique outdoor dining experience.  Check it out.

Because indoor dining in San Francisco was banned until recently, Hashiri a few months ago moved their gourmet dining experience outside into clear plastic domes.  Since Greg is a fan of Buckminster Fuller and someday wants to live in a geodesic dome house, we strolled over to Hashiri for a look-see.  Greg liked the idea so much that he wants his own geodesic dining dome.  

In case you were wondering, Hashiri's menu is dedicated to gourmet sushi.   Dinner is around $200 per person.  No joke.  That must be some mighty fine sushi.  

San Francisco Bay #1

Year 5 in San Francisco has many benefits.

A wonder-filled benefit is viewing San Francisco and watching all of the boats on the bay.  

During our many strolls along the edge of the bay, we see all sorts of vessels coming and going--from the very large (container ships, oil tankers, car carriers and naval ships) to the very small (one-person sailboats, kayaks and even paddleboards).  

Every now and then, we see something extraordinary.  During a recent walk on one of the many piers along the bay, we spotted the sailboat pictured below.  

We see many sailboats.  However, the one above caught our attention because of its extremely tall, colored sail and its black hull.  We looked closely and spotted some telltale information on the sail--"Oracle" near the bottom and "USA 76" near the top.  

If you are a fan of competitive sailing, then you might have already guessed that the sailboat above is an America's Cup Class yacht.  The yacht was a challenger for the America's Cup in 2003.  So, it is large, sleek and very fast.  Unfortunately, it was not fast enough.  It did not qualify for the final round of the America's Cup race.  It was defeated by Alinghi, which then defeated New Zealand in the final round to win the America's Cup.

So, what do you do with an America's Cup yacht after the competition ends?  One option is to return the yacht to its home port (in this case San Francisco) and charter the yacht for day sailing on San Francisco Bay.  Check it out.  

(From ACSailingSF.com)

Who knew?

Flowers in San Francisco #1

Since the start of Year 5 in San Francisco, we have taken daily walks and discovered beautiful flowers everywhere.  What is most striking are the vibrant colors--all colors of the spectrum.  

What is also striking is the type of flowers growing here.  Most of the flowers are what you might find in a hot, dry climate, such as southern Italy and France.  In fact, one of the parks we visit often is planted mostly with flowering plants from Mediterranean-like environments around the world.

Here is a sample of the lovely flowers we have enjoyed.  

More to come.  

Did you know? (Part 2 of 2)

In the last blog post, we shared the story of San Francisco's important role in keeping the country caffeinated.  

Well, it turns out that Greg's brother has a connection to that story.  Greg's brother, Michael J. Bendlin, has the same initials as one of the early coffee brands in San Francisco.  The brand, MJB, was founded during the same period as Hills Bros. and Folgers.  MJB, considered the third of the "big three", was likewise located in the S.F. neighborhood where we live.

One day, we went in search of the former MJB headquarters.  We found it a few blocks away.  It turns out that we had passed by the building many times during our daily walks.  

Below, some random hottie stands in front of the former MJB Coffee building at 665 3rd Street. 

MJB Coffee building, completed in 1916

The building, one of many warehouses in our neighborhood, is still known as the MJB building.

Below is a 1913 photo of an earlier MJB building near the waterfront.  Check out the big coffee pot on top of the building.

(From FoundSF.org)

Now, back to Greg's brother Mike, aka MJB.  This year, Mike celebrated a milestone birthday.  (Mike is a lot older than Greg.)   So, we sent Mike some genuine MJB coffee, plus a coffee mug with the MJB logo.  

Mike initially thought that the coffee can and mug were custom made for his birthday.  He was happy to learn that MJB Coffee is the real deal from the former coffee capital of the U.S.  

P.S.  In a small twist of fate, Hill Bros. and MJB, once rivals, are now part of the same family of businesses.  They are sister companies still serving great coffee after 140 years.  Did you know?  

Did you know? (Part 1 of 2)

Did you know that San Francisco was once the coffee capital of the United States?  It's true.

Some of the biggest names in coffee got their start in San Francisco.  Hills Bros. and Folgers are the best known.  Those brands and others started very small in San Francisco and grew into household names.

Why San Francisco?  Following the Gold Rush, the city, with its well-protected bay, became a bustling port.  The completion of the transcontinental railroad connected the city to the rest of the rapidly growing country.  So, San Francisco was a logical place to import coffee beans from nearby Central and South America and prepare them for distribution throughout the U.S.  

To help preserve the coffee, it was roasted and vacuum packed, an innovation embraced by Hills Bros.  So, long ago, the neighborhood where we live was filled with the smell of roasting coffee.  From our apartment, we can see the former headquarters of Hills Bros.  

A view of the Hills Bros. building, including the tower for storing and blending coffee beans. 

A view of the front of the Hills Bros. building, built in the Romanesque Revival style.

Another photo of the company's trademark, located in Hills Bros. Plaza.

Around the corner is the former home of Folgers, also built in the Renaissance Revival style.  The building reminded us of architecture that we saw during Year 2 in Florence.   

(From Wikipedia)

In our neighborhood, we have seen banners along the streets celebrating San Francisco's caffeinated history.  

So, San Francisco was once the coffee capital of the U.S.  Who knew?

Next Up:  Is there link between San Francisco, coffee and Greg's brother?

Namaste

Susan is from a family of talented dentists--father, brother, sister-in-law, cousin and future son-in-law.

So, during our strolls around San Francisco, Susan's heart skips a beat whenever she spots a dental office.  

Shortly after Year 5 began, we spotted the dental office pictured below in the Financial District.  The office is located in a very old building with an out of the ordinary vintage neon sign.  

Another day, we spotted an office with a unique approach to dentistry.  Check it out. 

We guessed that each treatment plan begins with meditation and chanting.  Greg still wants novocaine for a filling.   

Namaste.