USA

Heart Definitely Left

Posted on December 31, 2017

Tony Bennett said it best in his song I left my heart in San Francisco.

I’m going home to my city by the bay

I left my heart in San Francisco

High on a hill, it calls to me

To be where little cable cars climb halfway to the stars

My first impression of San Francisco was “where is everyone”. I landed on a Sunday morning from Sydney International airport thinking it would be a very busy city. I caught the train to the city, which was surprisingly easy, to find that the area surrounding Union Station was almost a ghost town. An Uber app error on my part prevented me from getting a ride so I asked a stall owner about taxis. I didn’t realise that America is so full of Uber drivers that finding a normal taxi now is very difficult. Add that to Sunday morning church and you have a lonely Aussie standing on the street for a long time waiting with tired breath. After watching the roadies for Nine Inch Nails bump out gear from the night before for 45 mins I decided to change to the other side of the road. This finally helped me to find a taxi driver who took me to my hotel.

Instantly you notice the steep hills. Car brake mechanics would be busy here. The entire city feels like a film set and as you walk the hills you are bombarded with architecture you are certain was in a film you have seen. The famous Lombard Street is incredible and it is amazing to watch the traffic spiral down the windy road.

I walked to the Painted Ladies, famously the backdrop of the Full House television show and many Hollywood films. The architecture at every turn is incredible and so unique to the area.The United States seems to have combined contemporary functionality with classic aesthetics. It evokes a feeling of nostalgia, just take one step into any diner and order a slice of apple pie to experience it yourself.

Love at first sight

I think the reason I fell in love with San Francisco was that I had researched the rich history of the area. Originally a Spanish mission, once the gold rush started San Francisco developed into a cosmopolitan metropolis. Gold, Chocolate, Fortune cookies, bread and that incredible Golden Gate Bridge were all elements of this extraordinary Harbour city. And let’s not forget those notorious cheeky prisoners.