My friend John offered me the excellent opportunity to stay at his centrally located apartment off Market St. The past few days have been an exploration in the urban landscape. The diversity within the small peninsula that is San Francisco is purely astounding. There truly is "something for everyone here", even the nature lovers. A variety of neighborhoods pepper the cityscape. Each offer unique traits through their produce, signage, restaurants, racial makeup or sexual orientation. Careful patterns of growth and an abundance of available open spaces offers an outdoor opportunity to soak in the abundant fall sunshine. Areas on the western slopes closer to the ocean are often foggy while just a few blocks away the sun bakes trash water on the sidewalk. Make no mistake, this is still a large urban center with concrete jungles in the CBD, yet their height restricted covenants and century year old row houses create a housing density that cannot "go up". The city is full of "techies" and "designers" of all stripes and colors. People tell me it is a city of "flakey" people and I suppose I'll just believe them. The city smells of diesel, fry grease and urine all come wafting through my cracked visor as I explore the Mission, Castro, Haigh-Ashbury and Presidio. Bouncing through the construction zones and potholed asphalt, the Ruckus feels comfortable on the city streets. I'm free to park on the sidewalk where a large enough area exists. I'm much more aprehansive though in leaving the bike around in high-traffic and homeless areas.
4 Comments
Chris(mica)
11/7/2014 01:35:47 pm
Amazing trip Mike. Hope to see ya when/if you come home to get the rest of your belongings. :)
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Mike Saunders
11/8/2014 03:39:21 am
Sure thing. See you at LF?
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11/8/2014 12:10:04 am
Very cool photo's. I like the one with the mirror the best I think. Is that one woman homeless or just a hippy? I noticed she didn't have shoes on.
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Mike Saunders
11/8/2014 03:40:10 am
Thanks! No she was homeless and I saw her the following day in the same part of town.
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Mike SaundersIn May 2014 I quit my job to ride a Honda Ruckus over 69'000 mi and counting. Wild camping most nights and cooking most of my own meals, I keep the costs low and the landscape changing. Archives
April 2018
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