Ever see the Carousel of Progress in Tomorrowland at Disneyland? That was the one where you sit in…read morea theater while weirdly realistic animatronic mannequins pass in front of you to explain the joys of electricity through the last century. No such attraction exists in the Castro (at least not to my knowledge). However, in a city full of wonderful public murals, I have to say Mona Caron's timeline vision of Market Street next to 300 Church Wine & Liquors is still a standout for the amount of thoughtful detail she has put into it. The irony is that her artwork is not on bustling Market Street but on quieter Church Street. I have a feeling that not as many people can appreciate it. At the same time, maybe it's out-of-the way location has prevented the graffiti one would have expected four years after its completion. She accurately describes it as "a 180-degree bird's eye view of San Francisco's Market Street through time". But her treatment is not a straightforward depiction of the different eras. Rather it's her own visualization of what Market Street looks like - from the 1920's to the future where she paints a Utopian world starting at 7th Street. How I wish 7th Street and Market looked as cool as her imagination, a hybrid of Amsterdam's canals and the Jetsons. I love how she uses coloration to mark the different periods and spotlighting different events like the 1934 "Bloody Thursday" longshoremen riot a Pride parade in the mid-1980's, and a protest demonstration of the Iraqi War in 2003. Look carefully at the names of the stores, and you'll see Caron's sense of humor at work. RELATED - In search of San Francisco's hidden gems? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/3K7JKJl

Artist Mona Caron created this mural in 2004, with a face-lift in 2017. Here we see San Francisco…read moretransportation past, present, & future. Ms Caron also created the Wiggle mural adjacent to the Duboce Bikeway. Our pictorial journey starts on Market Street at the Ferry Building heading west towards an imagined future. George Jetson would be proud. Most importantly, the mural celebrates public space, with detailed references to local street art, social movements, and much of the colorful culture that makes SF its own unique planet. Oddly, this mural took a detour off Market to the side of a Church Street corner market.

I believe Mayor Dan Lurie's intention behind his daily Instagram feed is to encourage residents to…read moreget excited about what's new and/or relatively undiscovered in the city. It's working for me because I would've never known about this mural otherwise. In a city full of arresting public art, this one takes advantage of the retaining wall stairs at the end of Burnside Ave and artistically traces the history of Glen Park spotlighting neighborhood heroes and icons. The main facing wall depicts the evolving flora and fauna of the adjacent Glen Park Canyon. The Twin Walls Mural Company is responsible for the colorful mural, and the tile stairway reflects the uniquely stellar work of Aileen Barr and Colette Crutcher, the team responsible for the photogenically definitive SF stairway, the 16th Avenue Steps (review: https://yelp.to/sf6kW9Yg5_). The mural is only a year old, so take Dan's advice and go see it. RELATED - Exploring the Outer Mission? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/TKWsqhWbq0

Reclaiming Islais Creek is a beautiful mural with two main parts. Flowing from the top of the…read morestaircase like water, in a blue hue, is an engaging painting showcasing the history and people of Glen Park, the neighborhood in which this art piece is located. The other portion of the mural, along the wall at the bottom of the steps, portrays lovely colorful scenes in nature, representative of the land, with meaning behind individual creatures and plants shown in the artwork, such as the hummingbirds symbolizing the energy and spirit of the Glen Park community. The mosaic-tiled staircase, featuring legacy tiles, is a just as impressive element of this exhibit as a whole, and just recently opened last month (October 2024). Two flip charts are available on site, hanging from the staircase railing, one containing pictures and labels to help visitors identify the wildlife depicted in the mural, the other one sharing interesting details about the wonderful history of Glen Park and its residents, as shown through the art, including SF's first Americans, the Muwekma Ohlone, the first march for women's suffrage in America, Mission Zoo, railways, and noteworthy businesses. Great little read to learn about what you are seeing here. Also, street parking was free and easy right in front on a Sunday afternoon.

Weeell, I see the mosaic, Walk my neighborhood, feel the…read morerhythm, Wrap around, take a view of my block. What a street! Balboa's believing! I can see it all! I'm photogging for my life! See your passion! And make it happen! Posts come alive! You can walk right through SF! Enriches & beautifies the neighborhood.

Beautiful tiles decorate the gateway of the new balboa street business district in the outer…read moreRichmond.

About Kenny Alley Stairs: Kenny Alley is a public passage…read moreand stariway in the heart of Excelsior District's commercial corridor. In 2015 the friends of Kenny Alley organization was formed by neighbors who wished to see the space rehabilitated and beautified. The waterscape mural was designed by local artist and teacher Matt Christensen. The waterfall and Kenny Alley Gateway mosaics were designed by artist and teacher Kim Jensen and fabricated by students of City Arts and Tech high school and countless neighborhood volunteers. The project was made possible by Community Challenge Grant, SF Public Works, SF Parks Alliance, Excelsior Collaborative, Excelsior Action Group and the many individual donors, artists and volunteers. I happen to see this stairs/alleyway while we went to grab take out nearby, it was pretty nice to see this. I loved seeing the nice and blue decorations on the stairs. We walked up to see what is up there, took some photos, and went back down. Beware there was a person sleeping on the stairs and there was a mess/ lots of rubbish, empty alcohol bottles. Hate to see the mess in such a nice area where everyone put such in so much time & love in to this project. There are CD disc hanging, made place so shiny. Enjoyed looking at the garden & painting before at alley before going up to the stairs. Great, cool, and quick spot to check out, only if you're in the area or even to take a short cut to the neighborhood via the stairs.

What's the frequency, Kenny? Gee, I was beginning to think Aileen Barr and Colette Crutcher had the…read morecorner on all the mosaic tile staircases in the city. The 16th Avenue Tiled Steps are their handiwork and so are the nearby Hidden Garden Steps and the Lincoln Park Steps. However, it's Kim Jensen who was responsible for this semi-hidden passage between Mission and London Streets in the Excelsior. Completed in late 2016, the blue and reflective silver tiles covering the 47 steps are designed to replicate a waterfall. There are nature murals and rows of cacti on the surrounding fences to supplement the bucolic feeling the creators wanted to evoke. The one challenge is upkeep as a roaming homeless population appears to make themselves home on the available benches periodically. Art is where you find it, I guess. RELATED - Exploring the Outer Mission? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/37B1acE

Such a cool tribute to Bruce Lee in the heart of San Francisco's Chinatown. The mural is colorful,…read moredetailed, and captures his intensity perfectly. It immediately brings to mind his classic lines from Enter the Dragon: "Don't think. Feel." and "Boards don't hit back." A must-see for Bruce Lee fans and a great spot for a quick photo.

Officially titled The Duboce Bikeway Mural: Gateway to the Wiggle, this 400' long piece of public…read moreart celebrates the fever dream of a safer San Francisco, illustrating the path to a safer city, protecting cyclists & pedestrians from the mean streets of San Francisco. Thank you to Safeway for donating their back wall, facing the entrance to the MUNI tunnel & U.S. Mint beyond. Props to fiscal sponsor SF Bicycle Coalition & the political powers that be.

Almost everyone I've ever asked about this mural doesn't like it, but I've always enjoyed it…read more I don't remember when it was, but the first time I saw this thing after emerging from the Market Street tunnel, I was very surprised. And since the N-Judah stops and starts quite a lot at that point, I was sitting there in that hard red plastic seat, eager to see how the "story" would "end." I got such a big kick out of it. Since then, I've ridden dozens, probably hundreds of N-Judahs past this mural, and I still like it. My favorite parts are the bird standing on the sand and how the snake turns into a tire track--or vice versa. I was saddened when Muni stopped using the old black bus shelters, because it meant that this mural, which has one of those bus shelters near the corner--right near the street corner it depicts--would officially become anachronistic. But as I said, I've ridden by this mural hundreds of times, and you know what? Besides the specific color scheme of the Duboce Street houses and said bus shelter, nothing else in this entire mural gives away when it was painted. Sure, the boots and socks on the cyclist look vaguely late-'90s, but artist Mona Caron went to great lengths to make the people's appearances as generic as possible so that they wouldn't look dated. Brava! I also think the skunk is cute, but then I find real-life skunks cute too. I've spent so much time around them at Costanoa that I'm no longer automatically afraid of them.

This amazing side street features a wide variety of murals that captures the diversity and…read morestruggles of the city.

If you walk fast, you can easily miss this side street that's filled with incredible street art…read more After having lunch in the Mission I decided to take a walk and check out the area. I'm always driving through, getting whether I need and leave. I realize just how much culture and awesome things I miss by not walking around. You can easily spend 30 mins here because there are so many murals, each one being unique on its own. If you're looking for something to do on the weekend, check this street out if you haven't before and get lunch nearby!

An industrial area transforms from mainly factories to a mix of great restaurants and apartments…read more Fascinating to come to the neighborhood here and see how it is transforming into an up an coming super cool area. A cocktail of restaurants, cafes, apartments and art galleries have made this an attractive destination for city folk (and even humble visitors like yours truly). Over the years this place has evolved into the super cool. I love the meat places, saloons and the proximity to the discoveries that remain to be uncovered on nearby Potrero Hill.

The first time I met someone who told me they're from The Dogpatch, I pictured a torn-up abandoned…read moresandlot with junkyard dogs running amok. I later came to know it as a blank slate between "SF proper" and Hunters Point. My trips here are always for food along 3rd Street. Sometimes I find random art, and sometimes I find myself way off 3rd St aka middle of nowhere.