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Cable Car - Powell/Mason Line

3.4 (125 reviews)

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Powell / Mason cable car

Me and my friend were trying to get to Fisherman's Wharf so we decided to take the cable car. We got on from the Powell street cable car turnaround. The wait was about 20 minutes. If we wanted to get on the Powell / Hyde cable car, the wait was much longer. Tickets costed $9 one way for each adult. We paid the exact amount in cash on the spot. The ride was slow. I thought it was boring because I was just sitting in the cable car watching the buildings and cars pass by. It felt no different than being in a car or bus. They had stops along the way similar to bus stops where people could get on and off. As more people got on, it started to get crowded and people were holding onto the poles from the sides which blocked off the views from the people that were seated. There was an elderly man that was trying to get on at one of the stops and I was happy to give up my seat for him. Instead of sitting, I was now holding onto one of the poles from the side which became the exciting part of the ride to me. I loved hearing the sounds of SF, feeling the breeze hit my face and being able to see the views of SF all around me. I felt like if I didn't hold on for dear life, I would fall off the cable car. There were cars driving or parked on the street that looked like they were inches away from being in an accident with the cable car. I didn't think there was much to see on this route. The first half of the ride was seeing the downtown businesses and the second half was mostly passing by residential areas. The only places I recognized was Union Square in the beginning and seeing Coit Tower from a distance towards the end. It took about 20 minutes to complete the route and Fisherman's wharf was a few blocks walking distance up ahead.

24$ for a 1 way ride
Falisha R.

Yikes. I've had 2 different experiences on this thing. First time was so cool and amazing and obviously a must-do for first time visitors of San Francisco. My first experience a few years ago was super cool. The driver was really chill and it was an evening experience so SF was lit up and beautiful and I believe we had a day pass. 2nd experience which was just a few days ago was really disappointing, especially because it was my daughters first time, the driver was so freakin rude to everyone, I get there's rules but you can also enforce rules and just be polite instead of saying "excuse me are you deaf, what did I say" or "put your backpack in the front that's not a suggestion" or "and people wonder why we have attitudes on here" I mean he was really out of hand. One of the ladies actually was deaf so after he figured it out he didn't even apologize. They should tell you that if you don't get a day pass it's just a 1 way to the other side of the city and your on your own when you get dropped off. Instead of paying another 24$ to be taken back where we started, just get an Uber for 10$ instead to take you back. That's what we did. I think the experience depends on your driver..

Ian H.

Had an amazing ride to pier 39 this morning on the Cable cars. Really nice folk working on them and they seem as safe as can be. Authentically bumpy and loud these are a staple of San Francian life and should be appreciated and cherished. Much love for No. Cali! Thanks for reading!

Jo S.

This line is fun to take, we used it a lot while visiting San Francisco, since it takes you to Union Station and and Fisherman's Warf. The drivers are on the rough side, so you need a thicker skin when deaking with them. It is $8 to take the famous cable car (need to do it at least once while in town), we used our Visitor's Passes. This isn't a reliable source of transporation, but you can use it a few times. It is fun, you can get great views around and it is an adventure! I even got a cable car X-mas ornament with Poweel/Mason because.... San Francisco!

Cris I.

When you're asked about things that remind you of San Francisco, most common answers are Golden Gate, clam chowder, and cable cars. That's right, no visit to the Golden City is ever complete without hopping on to these cable cars that take you to the wonderful places around. This particular station is located just outside the Powell/Market Bart station. You won't miss it because you'll see right away a long line of people waiting at this turn around station. I heard wait time could take as long an hour but you got to do whatever other tourists do. Designated as a National Historic landmark, these cable cars has been ferrying people since 1873. They run from 6am through midnight. Fare is $7 each way which can be bought at ticket booths, the car conductor, or through the Muni app. So what are you waiting for?

Annie C.

I've lived in San Francisco basically my whole life, and I never bothered to ride a cable car until recently. Don't get on the cable car at the two terminals! The lines there are crazy long with tourists. Instead, follow the cable car route and get on one of the stops instead! Great experience and I would definitely ride one again!

Fisherman's Wharf sign next to cable cars
Spencer Y.

One of those things where you should do at least once, riding a cable car in San Francisco will complete your tourist experience! We purchased our tickets for $7 on a weekend afternoon and waited in a fairly long line for half an hour. The cable car doesn't leave until another car arrives. When a car arrives, the employees need to manually rotate and push the car around to face the opposite direction. When we got onto the car, we missed the mad rush to sit in a seat so we ended up hanging off the side of the pole. Some close moments while riding the car as a few trucks were parked a little too close to the line. Seems ok for adults but pay special attention if children are hanging off those side poles. An interesting throwback experience with these antiquated cable cars in the city of cutting edge technological advances!

Powell street cable car
Kimberly M.

This was truly a friendly and fun experience! Well one of the conductor seemed a little bit grouchy, it was almost comical like the rest of the conductors knew to expect it... We didn't let his big personality rain on our parade. In fact, we found it was a little bit entertaining. Anyhow, everybody was friendly, courteous, and helpful. This was definitely a highlight of our trip. We should've sorted out the trolley/cable cars on the first day of our trip that would've saved our feet and possibly some time. When we return to San Francisco we will be riding the cable cars again. We use the Muni app and bought an all day pass.

Dawn H.

First time in San Francisco - Gotta ride one of the famous trolley cars! Yes, very touristy, but come on!!! You wouldn't leave SF without trying fresh baked sourdough...would you? If so, you might just get home and regret it. So here's the 411 from a non-local. Do NOT wait in line at the super busy, major pickups like Union Square or Fisherman's Wharf! Simply walk down a few blocks to the car's next stop and it is pretty easy to just hop on. The cost is supposed to be $6 p/p per trip (or you can buy a day pass); however, the few times I jumped on and traveled just a few blocks I was never charged or didn't see a place to insert the fee...and the people who jumped on next to me didn't pay or flash a pass either???...I was very willing to pay and either stood right next to the conductor/brake man each time. Hum. I dunno. Not encouraging trying to sneak a free ride...I was so excited I actually didn't realize I failed to pay until I walked away from the tracks. Tiny bucket-list item - checked!

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It wasn't the smoothest ride, but, glad I got to try it. It is one of the oldest form of public transportation.

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Waited an hour to board the trolley while the drivers sat there doing nothing. Not worth it.

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Review Highlights - Cable Car - Powell/Mason Line

We downloaded the Muni app and purchased our tickets ($7 one way) just like we purchased our bus tickets.

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Cable Car - Powell Hyde Line - Last stop on line

Cable Car - Powell Hyde Line

3.3(406 reviews)
0.0 miUnion Square

On my recent weekend in San Francisco, I went on a cable car for the first time in about 15 years…read more So, we were staying at the Intercontinental Hotel down by Union Square, and the cable car station is located right around the corner, about 2 blocks away. That is one of the starting points for the cable car, and we were trying to get to Chinatown. When we arrived on a Saturday morning around 10am, there was a line. It did take us about 30 to 45 minutes to get onto a cable car, but they were moving steadily, and picking up passengers. Once we got on board, however, we noticed that the line had gotten even longer behind us, so we were glad we came when we did. We took the car uphill on the Powell/Hyde line, and told the engineer that we were trying to get to Chinatown. It was pretty much a straight shot uphill on Powell, and then we exited on Jackson Street, which was exactly where we wanted to be in the Chinatown neighborhood. Because we had bought a day long pass, we were able to use it throughout the day. We also had downloaded the Muni mobile app to see where the location of the cable cars were. I was excited to sit on the outside seat, and see the cars going by, other cable cars, and folks on the street waving hello. If you are nervous about the outside-facing cars they do have indoor seating as well. This iconic San Francisco tourist attraction, very unique, cannot be done anywhere else in the country. I highly recommend going on it.

Love this ride through SF, up and down hills, through Chinatown, Union Square…read more Great experience, fun people watching and seeing the neighborhoods & SF Victorian homes. . Lots to see, the cable car is all windows, seating and standing and hanging on from the steps.... It's a wonderful historic beloved part of SF. We used our clipper cards - (for seniors its HALF OFF) but for everyone, if you have one, you don't have to stand in the ticket line. Then, Get in the line around the cable car to board. Music playing, shade, benches too.

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Cable Car - Powell Hyde Line - Cable car

Cable car

Cable Car - Powell Hyde Line
Cable Car - Powell Hyde Line - At stops you can reach out and touch a standing rider on a cable car going in the opposite direction.

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At stops you can reach out and touch a standing rider on a cable car going in the opposite direction.

SFMTA - Powell & Market Cable Car Kiosk

SFMTA - Powell & Market Cable Car Kiosk

3.2(28 reviews)
0.0 miUnion Square

Powell street was decked out for NBA All Star and I was one of the lucky few that got to be able to…read morecheck out some cool events. There is going to be a foot locker and shoe palace opening on the Powell street locations which will be really good for the city because there is a major bounce back happening. I truly believe that the city is on an upward trend which is really good for the beautiful city of San Francisco. A lot of NBA Players and Legends were walking around the area and how truly lucky we are to live in a beautiful city like San Francisco so let's please take care of it!

It May Not Be Too Practical Now, But It Sure Is Fun And A Vision Of Our Future Selves We Should…read moreHave Pursued Ardently More Than 100 Years Ago. SITREP I love cable cars. They are fun. Great to ride. Great to catch on Powell Street. And great to ride up the hills of San Francisco. For me, it's a time-trip up & down memory lane. It's sad that this costs $6 as a single-rate trip, rather than as a free community-sponsored endeavor to convince people of the benefits of mass transit. Both Muni and BART our outgrowths of these modest cable car-beginnings. But in addition, it's critical to drive home to the citizenry with these tangible object-lessons when comparing the vast amounts of money that were poured into fossil fuels and cars, and how little that accomplished for the community good by comparison. SAD SAD HISTORY As such, cable cars on this line remain a vestige of a bygone era when we, as a society, were on the "right track" (har har, I love puns) to creating a transportation infrastructure that was both useful and did not have a huge carbon footprint such as the one created by cars & gad that are imperiling our lives today. However, the very tragic greedy collusion of oil magnates, coal barons, and car company overlords at the turn of the 19th to 20th centuries, ensured that for at least for a full century (and until well into another century) that fossil fuels, such as gas and coal, would continue to drive our cars and trains. And not only was it greedy, but it has damaged our planet. If we had remained an enlightened American society - instead of a greedy capitalist one - we would not be facing be the level of global warming we are today. And perhaps we would not have implicitly set a bar for industrialization that the Chinese and Indian sub-continent feel the need to duplicate now, furthering endangering our planet. MORE THAN A TOY OR TOURIST TRAP So when I see the beloved cable cars today, I think a lot of "what if?". What if the cable car had led to the earlier development a bullet trains? What if the cable car tracking mechanisms had been advanced faster, from chains, cables and tracks, to high-speed levitation? What if the trains of some future Sci-Fi dream were in fact the trains of NOW, a hundred years earlier, because we had actually engineered them to be? THE LOWDOWN If not for a greedy hiccup in time, this would have been the path we would have firmly remained upon.

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SFMTA - Powell & Market Cable Car Kiosk
SFMTA - Powell & Market Cable Car Kiosk
SFMTA - Powell & Market Cable Car Kiosk

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Cable Car Turntable - guitar slide  - LeMonde Studio

Cable Car Turntable

3.7(9 reviews)
0.1 miUnion Square

The cable cars are a staple of San Francisco. And if you're a tourist, it's most likely high up on…read moreyour bucket list of things to do. However, do yourself a favor and don't get on to the cable car from this location. This is the beginning (or end) of 2 lines. Because of that, it is busy but turning the cable cars around can take time which means load time can be slow. And given that it is in the heart of downtown, it is an area of very heavy foot traffic. That means long long lines. It's going to eat up a ton of (what could be) precious time in your day. If you are here to just see a cable car and see what it looks like to have them turn around/switch lines, then great. You can see that from the area easily. However, if you are wanting to actually ride one of the cars, It's a better plan to get on to the other end of one of the lines and ride it in to Union. You will have a much quicker/shorter wait.

This review is for the Cable Car Turntable at Powell and Market Streets in the Union Square/SoMa…read more(South of Market) area in San Francisco. The cable cars are fun and iconic. They've been a symbol of the city for over 150 years now, since 1873. There are four turntables: 1. Powell and Market Streets (this one) in Union Square near SoMa. 2. Taylor and Bay Streets in North Beach near Fisherman's Wharf. 3. Hyde and Beach Streets in Fort Mason near Fisherman's Wharf. 4. Car barn next to the Cable Car Museum in Nob Hill. There are three lines: 1. California 2. Powell/Hyde 3. Powell/Mason The California line is a straight shot, roughly east-west, on California Street from the Financial District to Nob Hill, Pork Gulch, and Pacific Heights. The California line doesn't include any turntables. The Powell/Hyde and Powell/Mason lines travel roughly north-south between the Union Square/SoMa and Fisherman's Wharf areas. These two lines include the four turntables mentioned above. The cable cars are a popular tourist attraction and therefore, you'll always see tourists lined up waiting to board at the turntables. This turntable at Powell and Market is located "downtown" in a retail area. There are a lot of shops nearby as well as the San Francisco Centre shopping mall across the street (formerly Westfield San Francisco Centre): https://www.yelp.com/biz/westfield-san-francisco-centre-san-francisco-3 During our most recent visit to San Francisco, we stayed at the Axiom Hotel ( https://www.yelp.com/biz/axiom-hotel-san-francisco ) which is adjacent to this turntable. The hotel is home to the Turn Cafe and Little Sweet, the former being aptly named: https://www.yelp.com/biz/turn-caf%C3%A9-little-sweet-san-francisco-12 I recommend all of these places. Along with retail and hotels, this area also has numerous restaurants and office towers/buildings, and the turntable is situated right next to a major BART station (Powell Street Station) and an SF Muni station (Powell Station). In addition, each day, vendors set up tables and canopies to sell stuff and you're likely to run into street performers and religious folks holding signs and speaking into megaphones. So, there's a lot going on around this turntable. As for the turntable experience itself, it can be interesting to watch the SF Muni staff (the cable cars are operated by SF Muni) manually operate the turntables. Coming and going from our hotel, we noticed this turntable was consistently busy with riders, day and night. Cable car tickets must be purchased in advance. I like to use the Clipper Card on my phone because it works for BART too. For more information on buying tickets, visit https://www.sfmta.com/getting-around/muni/cable-cars Also, I recommend checking out the Cable Car Museum in Nob Hill, just west of Chinatown. Admission is free: https://www.yelp.com/biz/cable-car-museum-san-francisco

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Cable Car Turntable - Powell and Hyde Streets cable car on November 5, 2023.

Powell and Hyde Streets cable car on November 5, 2023.

Cable Car Turntable
Cable Car Turntable

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Cable Cars - This was our stop!

Cable Cars

3.0(78 reviews)
1.7 miRussian Hill, Fisherman's Wharf

Being in San Francisco, you've gotta do at least one cable car ride -- whether just for the…read moreexperience or as a quick little "tour" down Market Street from Powell to Union Square. It's $9 each way though -- still trying to figure out why some "locals" could hop on at some stops -- without showing their MTR-pass.

The Powell & Hyde Cable Car Turnaround is one of those classic San Francisco sights that never…read morereally gets old. It is located at the end of the Powell-Hyde line near Fisherman's Wharf and is one of the three places where the cable cars are manually turned around for their return trip. It's fun watching the operators physically push and rotate the cable car on the turntable. It may be a simple process, but it is fascinating to watch. It might be because it's something you don't see in many places anymore. There's often a small crowd gathered around, so one can take a few minutes to watch, take photos, or even line up to ride the next car. The Powell-Hyde line itself is one of the most scenic routes in the city, passing landmarks like Lombard Street and offering great views of the bay along the way. It's a part of one of the last manually operated cable car systems in the world and is a part of San Francisco's history. I watched it as a teenager for the first time, and many times as an adult, and I still find it fascinating, a fun "San Francisco" experience.

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Cable Cars
Cable Cars - Golden Gate in the distance

Golden Gate in the distance

Cable Cars

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SFMTA - MUNI - Cable Cars - Loved the floral deco on this cable car!

SFMTA - MUNI - Cable Cars

3.6(188 reviews)
0.7 miNob Hill

Back on the cable car ..it's $9 for a single ride ..most days and until 11 pm…read more Fun delightful SF past time

Horrible experience…read more I have been living in San Francisco for 10 years and never had the desire to ride this before, mostly because I had never heard anything good about it. Unfortunately, my experience confirmed everything I had heard. My child loves trains and buses, so we decided to give it a try to make him happy. We waited for two hours, and then out of nowhere they announced it was delayed. When someone asked how long the delay would be, the staff said, "I don't know." It was extremely frustrating -- isn't it their job to know what's going on? If they had been clear from the beginning, we would have left, but we thought it might only be a 10-minute delay. Almost 40 minutes later, they said it was closed and they didn't know when it would reopen. They mentioned there was a "free bus" around the corner, but people were fighting just to get on it because it was the only one they provided. Just a reminder: each ticket costs $9, yet no one explained anything or offered help. Unfortunately, I didn't learn my lesson. Wanting to make my child happy, we tried again another day. I honestly hope my child never asks to ride it again. After waiting another hour, just as we were about to get on, the man taking tickets told me -- in a very rude way -- that he would not accept my ticket and told me to move so others could get in. When I asked why and what he meant, he just repeated, "I'm not taking your ticket. Move." No explanation, no help, just rudeness. My husband told him we would buy another ticket, and even then he refused to let us on -- despite the car staying there for another 10 minutes. Completely unacceptable service and an awful experience overall.

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SFMTA - MUNI - Cable Cars
SFMTA - MUNI - Cable Cars
SFMTA - MUNI - Cable Cars

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Powell & Mason Cable Car Turnaround

Powell & Mason Cable Car Turnaround

3.8(6 reviews)
1.5 miNorth Beach/Telegraph Hill

The Powell/Mason Cable Car Turnaround is at Taylor and Bay Streets. It's the northern end of one of…read moreSan Francisco's famous cable car lines. Since these cars can't go in reverse, they use a wooden turntable to turn the nine-ton cars around 180 degrees so they can head back to Union Square. You can actually watch the gripmen and conductors push the cars by hand, which is pretty cool. For years, when I first moved to San Francisco, I used to catch the cable car here every morning and ride it all the way to the very end at Market Street, then walk to work. I did that just because it was fun, not because it made my commute faster or shorter! Over time, I got to know the cable car operators who worked the early shifts and many neighbors who also took the cable car to work, and we often chatted and shared a few laughs while waiting. We also enjoyed live performances from street musicians. It is a fun ride, especially for visitors and their families who take the cable car as part of their San Francisco visit experience.

Great tourist experience riding the cable car. They are beautiful original works of engineering…read moreart. The vistas and buildings along the way between Fishermans wharf and market are gorgeous. Only downside is side is the long long wait in queue. They took ages to load every act. I am sure there is a valid reason for the delays between departures ( the cars were there waiting). But it was a pain to wait. Perhaps a sign saying the cars go every 15 mins might have helped.

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Powell & Mason Cable Car Turnaround
Powell & Mason Cable Car Turnaround
Powell & Mason Cable Car Turnaround

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Golden Gate Ferry

Golden Gate Ferry

3.8(290 reviews)
1.2 miEmbarcadero, SoMa

Traveling by ferry is such a wondrous experience…read more So traveling by ferry to the island of Tiburon is the only way to travel there! The Golden Gate Ferry ride offers spacious quarters, amazing views, and good snack and beverage choices. There are cozy chairs inside or comfortable chairs on either outside deck (deck levels dependent on which ferry boat you get). There are cell phone charging stations by several seats if you bring your charging chord. And staff and riders alike always seem overjoyed to be sharing the experience with you. I take this ferry several times a month sometimes during the week and weekend to visit family. This is truly a unique and quintessential Bay Area experience worth having.

PREFACE- this is a rewrite for a review I wrote the other day but posted it to the wrong Ferry…read moreCompany whose owner was so polite and courteous to let me knnow. Thank you Margaret of Angel Island-Tiburon Ferry!!! Here is my story: 5th Star for the gorgeous view sailing in the San Francisco Bay. Uber'd over to Tiburon from Inner Sunset. Our intent was to ferry back to SFO then leisurely muni or foot mobile our way back to Inner Sunset. The ferry ride was well organized but you need to know a few things and they are: Be sure you have your Clipper card. If you don't you will need to scan the upc code from the sign at the entrance and load your card for at least $10 OR ELSE, you will not be on that ride (There are attendants at the entrance with their scanner for your Clipper Card) Soft drinks, snacks and adult beer and wine are available for purchase on the 2nd level. Lower level, 2nd level, 3rd level provide seating. 2nd and 33rd level have outside deck seating. Restroom facilities available on the lower and 2nd level. Best part? San Francisco blessed me with a perfect weather and blue sky day so my sail back to SFO was ABSOLUTELY perfect. I'll hand it to the ferry system at large! They got the system down pact in summary? and you want to cruse/sail the Bay? Ferry is the way to go ($8/ one way per adulty)

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Golden Gate Ferry
Golden Gate Ferry - San Francisco Ferry Terminal - Man Rising

San Francisco Ferry Terminal - Man Rising

Golden Gate Ferry

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BART - Powell Street Station

BART - Powell Street Station

3.0(295 reviews)
0.0 miUnion Square

Since growing up in San Francisco & Oakland, CA, I have always liked the Powell BART station due to…read moreconvenience in downtown San Francisco & Market St. attractions. Today, I still like stopping here whenever I visit the city. It's not cheap riding from San Jose/Milpitas to this station $10 one way now. I can still remember old times when riding only cost a few bucks. Powell BART station connects riders to all sorts of trains/muni destinations. Public restrooms are always available and staffs do their jobs well. You will see lots of foreign visitors and often hear people speaking in French, Spanish, German, etc. This is one of San Francisco's best stop. It's unfortunate that SF Westfield Shopping Center lost its businesses due to high crimes, high cost of doing business here, and other city regulations. This BART station really had it all years ago, especially when it was easily accessible after stopping here and walking distance to the food court and retail stores. I think Powell Station vibes are still positive for commuters. Advertisements are everywhere. This BART station still feels safe in public and it does feel like home of San Francisco center. I'm still glad that their tunnels and walkways are spacious and can accommodate major transportation for event days. JPMorgan Chase ads are highly visible.

I've chosen to live car-free because of the city's convenience, but BART is making that choice…read moredifficult lately. To be fair, the fares are decent and when it works, it's the best way to get around. However, the consistency just isn't there. Almost every day there is a new 'issue' or delay. The stations are consistently dirty, and broken escalators have become the norm rather than the exception. What's most frustrating, though, is the customer service. I've approached station agents for help only to feel like I'm 'interrupting' their personal phone time or chats with colleagues. A little professional courtesy would go a long way. I want to keep supporting public transit, but the overall experience needs to improve.

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BART - Powell Street Station
BART - Powell Street Station
BART - Powell Street Station - Bathrooms 11/26/22

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Bathrooms 11/26/22

Cable Car - Powell/Mason Line - cablecars - Updated May 2026

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