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At Joie de Vivre, our mission is to create opportunities to celebrate the joy of life. Every day I get to do this through our Golden Gate Greeter program, which pairs hotel guests with local volunteers who give them a free insider’s tour of San Francisco. The tours are conducted on foot or using public transportation so there’s no separation from experiencing each neighborhood. Exploring San Francisco with a native is like hanging out with a friend who knows all the cool places. What I most enjoy showing people on my tours are the city’s architectural landmarks. Unlike Chicago or New York, San Francisco isn’t necessarily known for its architecture, but there are some landmarks and hidden gems that are truly worth seeing. Here’s my short list – I’d love to hear what your favorite sights are, too.

Image: Steve Rhodes on Flickr

Grace Cathedral

What looks old is actually new.

Grace Cathedral may look like an old French Cathedral, but the groundbreaking was in 1928 and it was finished in 1964.  The newness of the Episcopal cathedral itself means that the finds inside are relatively modern – even radical by some standards.  There is a sculpture of St. Francis by sculptor Benjamin Bufano, the AIDS Memorial Chapel (which includes pop artist Keith Haring’s last work before his death from AIDS), and iconic portraits of Mary Magdalene and Martin Luther King, Jr.

My favorite: The Einstein window; it’s the only cathedral stained glass window in the world representing science; the carillon bells at Grace are from the Tower of the Sun, the centerpiece of the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition held on Treasure Island! 

Image: Sacha Fernandez on Flickr

De Young Museum (also pictured at top)

Twist and Turns

Why I love De Young: designed by Swiss architects Herzog and de Meuron, the first thing that visitors notice when they approach the new de Young Museum is the 144-foot tower attached to the main building.  It is, after all, hard to ignore a large, twisting, copper encased parallelogram that climbs into the sky. Once you take the elevator to the top (free of charge), you will have one of best views of Golden Gate Park’s lush green trees and the entire city! 

Image: David Pham on Flickr

Xanadu Gallery

Frank Lloyd Wright in San Francisco

Find the Xanadu Gallery near Union Square, in the only Frank Lloyd Wright-designed building in San Francisco, and it’s a treat to visit.  Wright was commissioned to design the V.C. Morris Gift Shop in 1948, and the building is now the home of Xanadu Gallery, which specializes in antiquities and artifacts from around the world.  Don’t miss the beautiful period-piece ceiling of domed white bubbles.  Just one of the of the charming touches that make the building truly memorable. 

Image: Cheryl Holloway on Flickr

POPOS

Secret Gardens in the City

In an effort to provide more public space downtown, the City of San Francisco partnered with private developers to create a number of privately-owned public spaces (POPOS), taking the form of courtyards, plazas, rooftop gardens, and corporate atriums. For more of San Francisco’s POPOS, such as PARK(ing) Day, featured in the image above, visit REBAR.

Image: Scott Beale / Laughing Squid

Site of the Original Shoreline

Discovering the city’s history on the streets

Beyond its historic buildings, the city’s history can also be noted on its plaques.  A plaque on Market and First Streets marks where the city’s original shoreline started.  It reads: "This tablet marks the shoreline of San Francisco Bay at the time of the discovery of gold in California, January 24, 1848." Now, the city is built much farther out – down to the Ferry Building on the Embarcadero – on landfill, sand dunes, rubble from the 1906 earthquake and the debris from abandoned sailing ships that came into to the bay during the Gold Rush.  I like the fact that everyone is rushing going to and from their busy days never looking down at this historic plaque right beneath their feet.

Image: David Rumsey Map Collection