It’s no secret that I love San Francisco, and I’ve been dozens of times—but usually our visits are pretty focused. We go into the city, do the thing (art museum, meet a friend at SFSU, take the kids to the zoo, hike out to Lands End to see the Golden Gate, etc.), and then head home. I’ve never really had time to just wander.
So when the opportunity came to be in the city itself for five nights, I thought, Wouldn’t it be fun to be there on my birthday? We started planning this trip a few months ago, and I’ve really been looking forward to it.
We spent two days at Brenna’s new home in El Cerrito, and the whole family—except for Kelly and the boys—was together for dinner one night. Also had a two hour coffee date with a good friend. (Hi Debbie!)
It was an easy journey on BART to our hotel, where we dropped our luggage. We had coffee and pastries at Stella, described online as A longtime North Beach bakery (since 1942) known for Italian classics like cannoli, tiramisu, and other pastries with espresso.
The atmosphere was great. The pastries, not so much. But I have high expectations since it’s my birthday.🎂
We took a walking tour of Chinatown, where the city began. The history of the Gold Rush, the building of the railroads, the extreme racism Chinese immigrants faced, and the rich culture that persists today were all fascinating
Especially interesting was learning about the SROs in this area—single-room occupancy housing where a family rents one room and shares a kitchen and bathroom with eight to ten other families. This model makes it possible for people to afford living in the city. It reminded me again of our ongoing housing shortage. I admire the creativity of the solution, even while recognizing how challenging that would be as a way of life.
Marsh Travels 