San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Off the beaten path …
Oracle Park:
The secret of the San
Francisco Giants’ ballpark is that the less money you spend on seats, the better your view gets. The seats high above left field, looking toward the Bay Bridge and Oakland, are the most stunning. @TheCaptainLou on Twitter was the first to nominate the 20-year-old ballpark for this list. “Top row, first base side, AT&T, err, Oracle Park,” he directed, taking a jab at the recent name change. With a rebuilding year or two or three looking inevitable, we recommend investing in enjoyment of the Bay views more than ever.
UCSF parking lot: Lisa McElroy (@captiveww on Twitter) offered several suggestions that made our list. But her most creative nomination was the corner of Second Avenue and Parnassus on the UCSF campus. “Best view from a parking lot, as my dad always said on our visits there,” McElroy said.
We confirmed during a bike ride that it’s indeed a stunning view of San Francisco, showing off how much greenery the city still has in Golden Gate Park, the Presidio and beyond.
Anywhere on the Muni 43 Masonic: When we asked readers to share their favorite views, the Muni bus system was well-represented.
Jon Anderson on Twitter suggested the view looking down Larkin Street toward Alcatraz on the 30 Stockton. The corner of California cable car line, looking east toward the Transamerica Pyramid, is stunning during sunrise. The 25 Treasure Island features a glorious view of the Embarcadero as it returns to the city over the Bay Bridge.
But the best views on a bus in San Francisco are on the 43 Masonic, which passes Mount Davidson and winds through the Presidio and Fort Mason. McAllen (@that_mc on Twitter), who rode every Muni line endto-end during his Total Muni Summer, sings the praises of the 43 and its lovely path through the city.
Bernal Heights: With apologies to Twin Peaks and Diamond Heights, the neighborhood with the most reliably extraordinary views in San Francisco is arguably Bernal Heights. Charles Cadiz (@csix on Twitter) made this argument with a stunning photo of a child on a rope swing, seemingly ready to jump into Mission Bay.
While Twin Peaks and Diamond Heights offer a better view of the lights of downtown, the Bernal views are a reminder that San Francisco is still a city of neighborhoods. And as much as the city has changed, more things have stayed the same.
Oakland Zoo gondola ride: The Oakland Zoo recently added a new California Trail exhibit, with grizzly bears, jaguars and California condors.
But like so many other destinations in the Bay Area — from the back patio of the Lawrence Hall of Science in Berkeley to the Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland — the biggest takeaway is the stunning perspective from San Francisco to the San Mateo Bridge on the gondola ride up the hill.
The view overlooking the bison pasture is exceptional as well.
From sea level …
Alameda ferry at dusk: You can replace “Alameda ferry” with “Larkspur ferry” and “Richmond ferry” as well.
The only public transit in the Bay Area that serves beer and wine during the journey also offers some of the most memorable views of San Francisco. The close-up view is always stirring, as is that moment when you look upward, and the Bay Bridge is directly above.
But the view after touching ground deserves notice as well. Walking back to your car at the Alameda Main Street terminal, with the San Francisco skyline on the left and Oakland port cranes on the right, is a great argument for the beauty of both communities.
Ocean Beach looking toward the Cliff House: The Twitter personality @RevDaveW, a self-proclaimed “bivocational pastor and business owner,” sent a photo with one of the most consistently spiritual views: Looking north from Ocean Beach toward the Cliff house.
“I love San Francisco when the sun is out and the people are out in Golden Gate Park and this beach