12 Things San Francisco Taught Us

San Francisco is one of the coolest cities in the country. Often times, I forget that this country has so many odds and ends to explore. 
These are 12 Things San Francisco Taught Us during our lovely visit. 

1 San Francisco is only about 112 years old!!!

In 1906 a huge earthquake damaged the city. Fires ignited following the disaster and further leveled what was left of San Francisco.

What we see today is the rebuilt San Fran.

California is due for another monster earthquake in its future.

2 SF was the Wild West 

Today, SF is a charming city, you would have never imagined its wild roots. The gold rush sent people flocking to California from all over the world.

Many of these people arrived by ship and when the captains were ready to set sail again crews often times would abandon them in search for their own gold.

This gave rise to kidnappings and Shanghai dens.

Imagine this, you just arrive to San Fran in search of your fortune. You met some friendly people that invite you out for a drink.

You take them up on the offer, but after the drink you start to feel dizzy.

You’ve been drugged.

You fall through a trapdoor in the floor of the den.

If the fall doesn’t knock you out, then a man with a bat would knock you over the head.

When you wake up you’d be shackled to a boat out in the middle of the ocean.

You’ve just been Shanghaied!

Kidnapped and sold as a slave to the ship’s captain.

The captains need to find a way to man their vessels in light of the runaway crews.

Kidnapping via Shanghai Dens were the answer.

Look out for these plaques embedded in the sidewalks of the city. They highlight San Fran’s underworld.

Just along side of Union Square you can find the plaque that marks the first red light district and one of the old Shanghai Dens. Now, a fancy row of shops.

3 The Painted Ladies

A row of brightly colored Victorian homes across from Alamo Square. People flock here to take pictures with the home from Full House.

Truth is, this isn’t the house the popular television show was filmed in.

The house you see here was used during the opening credits, but nothing more.

4 How California Became a Union State?

Originally it was Mexican territory, however, the lands were won during the war.

During the 1800’s, USA was split between Union & Confederate States.

The principal differences being the standpoint on slavery.

Up until the time California was recognized as its own state, the system worked like this…

For every union state, there was a confederate state.

The choice of union vs confederate was largely geographical. More or less the north were “free” states while the south hung onto slavery.

So what happens when a territory that runs nearly the length on the country wants to be recognized as a state???

California wanted to be recognized as a union state.

This would throw off the political balance between the 2 parties.

In the end The Compromise of 1850 was introduced.

This legislation was terrible for the black communities, free and slaves.

Prior to the law if a slave made it to the free states they had a chance at freedom.

The bill made it legal to track runaway slaves into free states and bring them back to confederate states.

The bill even went a step further and made law officials in free states legally responsible for returning any potential runaways. Despite however long they could have been living in freedom.

As terrible as this was, it was one of the pivotal moments in abolishing slavery.

People in the union states were morally torn, seeing their friends and neighbors being ripped from their houses.

It was really the push people needed to fuel the full scale revolution against slavery.

Yes, California gained its statehood as a union state.

The confederacy gained in the law changes.

However, nothing would be the same after.

America, would never be the same.

5 San Francisco is home to one of the most visited sites in the country

The Golden Gate Bridge!

Originally, the city wanted to paint the bridge with yellow and black stripes.

Instead, it was painted red so that ships could see the bridge through the dense fog of the bay.

6 The First Lighthouse of The West Coast

Alcatraz Island in San Fran’s Bay is home to the west coast’s first lighthouse.

7 California is home to the most visited site in USA and 8th most visited site in the world

(following the Taj Mahal)

The Alcatraz Prison (see guide here).

Ranking courtesy of the tour guide on the island.

I’m not sure who ranked the island, but it sure is a cool site to explore!

8 Oldest Chinese Community in North America

San Francisco’s Chinatown is really where the concept of Chinatown as we know it today originates.

Here, we have the oldest Chinese community in North America.

However, prior to this the Chinese communities were more or less slums.

Tons of people from all over the world moved to USA during the gold rush.

Many of those people found work building the railways.

The Chinese population would go down in history as the major contributors to the railways.

Where many others died from cholera, the Chinese beat cholera because they drank tea in place of unboiled water. Killing the bacteria.

Once the Earthquake and fires of 1906 destroyed the city.

The city planners tried to move the new Chinatown 18 miles away from the city.

The would be displaced families got word back to China.

A representative of the emperor at the time traveled to San Francisco. And demanded the people not be displaced.

He threatened to help the people move to Oregon and shift Chinese imports to the port there.

This would have been a huge economic blow to San Francisco.

City planners agreed to integrate the Chinese into the new city.

But they were to rebuild their own communities.

This is when Chinatown developed Chinese like architecture. The dragon gates and this type of structures.

Yup, that all started here in San Francisco. With the hard work of the families that came here to build a life.

Chinatowns all across the country and world modeled themselves after San Fran.

9 First Dim Sum House in USA

Dating back since 1920.

Hang Ah Tea Room.

10 Bruce Lee!!!

Bruce Lee was born in San Fran’s Chinese Hospital and lived above this noodle house before returning to Hong Kong with his parents.

11 Sugar Daddy, Sugar Mama

And if all those weren’t enough for you then guess where the term Sugar Daddy or Sugar Mama originates……..

That’s right! San Fran.

Let me take you back in time to meet Alma, The Grandmother of the city.

She was born here to a poor family.

She wanted to be an artist and would pay her way through art school by nude modeling.

Alma met her future husband after modeling for a monument that can still be seen in Union Square today.

The piece barely made the cut but was accepted after the vote of committee member Adolph Spreckels.

He was 24 years older than Alma and the head of Spreckels Sugar Company.

Adolph was rich and powerful.

The two married and Alma suddenly found herself around the elites of San Fran.

However, she wasn’t accepted by her new piers.

But none of that seemed to matter to her.

Alma would brag about the expensive/extravagant gifts Adolph bought her.

She nicknamed him, Sugar Daddy. (In regards to his sugar company).

And just like that the lifelong saying was born.

12 Mexican American Food!!!

I love Mexican inspired foods!

I thought we had good burritos and such in Philadelphia, only until I came to California.

West Coast Mexican food beats East coast Mexican by a landslide!

We have a fair population of Mexican-Americans in Philadelphia therefore, this caught me by surprise.

California Mexican is where its at!

Don’t believe me?! Go see for yourself!

Take the BART over to the Mission District, Check out Farolito or any of the dozens of restaurants.

You won’t be sorry!

 

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