Mission Murals

Here are some murals from around the Mission, one of my favorite neighborhoods in San Francisco. I spend a good amount of my weekends walking around the area, and these are only a few examples of the great artwork that can be found there. Whether they're bright and simple icons or complicated images across entire building facades, I appreciate them all (I don't always 'get' public art but I get that it's important). I don't know much about their creators, but I have some links to further reading and tour info below.

More reading:

http://www.sanfrancisco.travel

Precita Eyes

7x7
http://dirt.asla.org/2012/10/15/why-public-art-is-important/

Life Lately: Rainy City

a little Paris in San Francisco

It's been raining a lot in San Francisco the last couple weekends, so I've been spending more time indoors. Some of my friends joked how they appreciate the excuse to not go out, which both resonates with me and makes me think about why we feel this way yet still want to live in cities. My generation insists on living in cities (small and big ones) and paying to be so close to other people, but also reserves the right to choose how to be active in our cities. Plus, my friends and I have pretty much lived for a decade or so in various metros. Perhaps for us, it's age (almost all of us have turned 30, so I myself am a granny millennial) that turns us into little urban homebodies.

I've been using my time at home - on the couch, if we're being honest - planning upcoming travel to France. Now I don't speak French, so the research itself is an education (I downloaded Duolingo and am browsing YouTube videos to get familiar with the language). It's also inspiring me to go back and read books and watch movies set in France. Even walking around in the rain has made me look forward to walking around in Paris (hopefully not in the rain but I'd still take it).  

 Pampalasa

I still have gone out a little bit though, running errands and meeting up with friends for a comedy show and a movie. One friend lent me her umbrella as I had to keep walking after she got in her car (she did offer me a ride but I really wasn't going far to my next destination and it would've taken more time driving just a few city blocks). Having to walk led me to snap the picture above outside Pampalasa, a Filipino restaurant that I'd heard of but never actually located. "Have you eaten yet?" is something my Filipino father asks me all. the. time. and even though it was pouring I had to smile at remembering my childhood. I look forward to going back to the restaurant and actually going inside.

Abalone at Cala

One restaurant I did go into was Cala, which could be the Best New Restaurant in the country soon enough (my husband and I have also enjoyed Liholiho Yacht Club so I'm cheering for either SF-based spot to win). It reminded me of traveling in Mexico and other Latin countries with its delicious seafood-based dishes. One California-based item was the abalone, which I've only had once before in my cousins' kitchen up in Mendocino. Cala's version was smaller and farm-raised in Santa Cruz, but just as delicious. Like State Bird Provisions, everything that came out felt like such a treat. Since (a big) part of my vacation-planning is setting our budget, I probably won't go to Cala again anytime soon, but it was totally worth it. 

Late Winter Livin'

Winter in San Francisco is something I still haven't gotten used to, which is fine because then I've felt extra-grateful whenever it was 70 degrees out and I realized, yup it's February. Sure I still carry around a jacket and/or scarf like it's any other time of year in SF. But I'm peeling off clothing layers while enjoying a hike with an amazing view of the coastline, eating lunch on the patio outside my office, or sitting on grass watching a college lacrosse game. It's just easy to enjoy the outdoors almost any time of year in the Bay Area.

Around the city, I've been wandering the Mission, getting a reflexology massage in Russian Hill, eating dim sum in the Richmond, and catching up with friends in Hayes Valley, the Tendernob and the Dogpatch. I love how our neighborhoods have such distinct, descriptive and somewhat whimsical names. I've been spending a lot of time walking and brought visitors from out of town to Dolores Park. They loved the views, of course, and the people watching.