Pavement painting of heart with make love not war slogan
California,  Monday walks,  Photographing Public Art,  Street art,  Street photography

Going to San Francisco: a walk in the Haight

November 12, 2024 / 61 Comments

If you’re going to San Francisco

Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair

If you’re going to San Francisco

You’re gonna meet some gentle people there

For those who come to San Francisco

Summertime will be a love-in there

In the streets of San Francisco

Gentle people with flowers in their hair

John Edmund & Andrew Phillips, © Universal Music Publishing Group

Growing up in 1960s London suburbia my imagination was fired by all I saw and heard about hippies. Their lifestyle, their messages of peace, their long flowing skirts and yes, flowers in their hair. So much more appealing than my bottle green school uniform with its regulation skirts just above the knee!

I was too young of course to run away to San Francisco and live in a commune there. I didn’t get the chance to visit the city until 1991 when Chris and I included a day there in our first California road trip itinerary. We saw many of the iconic sights: the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Chinatown, the Coit Tower, North Beach. But others we missed, among them the epicentre of hippy culture, Haight Ashbury.

On our most recent visit to the state therefore we determined to allocate another full day to see some of the sights we’d missed previously. To make the most of our limited time we bought tickets for the ‘Hop On Hop Off’ bus and used that to travel between quite scattered sights. But we spent much of the morning on foot, by far the best way to explore and take photos: a walk I’m sharing for one of Jo’s Monday Walks.

Column with statue on top
Building with ornate decorations at roof line

In Union Square

We caught the bus in Union Square, just around the corner from our hotel. The early morning fog had already given way to warm sunshine, so we chose seats on the upper deck and I managed to grab a few photos as we drove.

Building with imposing dome
City Hall

We got off at Alamo Square to see the famous Painted Ladies. The sun wasn’t right for photos of them, but I took a few nevertheless.

Row of painted houses with city skyscrapers beyond
Park with painted houses and city skyscrapers beyond

In Alamo Square

From Alamo Square we decided to walk to Haight Ashbury rather than wait for the bus. It was a good decision as our route led along streets lined with similarly attractive houses.

In the Haight

We stopped for a cold drink and piece of cake then carried on into the heart of Haight Ashbury, the junction of the two namesake roads. As we went I took lots of photos of street art (which Natalie will hopefully enjoy), quirky shops and some interesting local characters.

On Ashbury we saw the house where Janis Joplin once lived and another that was the base of the Grateful Dead. According to Lonely Planet,

‘After they were busted for drugs in 1967, the Dead held a press conference here arguing for decriminalisation. They claimed if everyone who smoked marijuana were arrested, San Francisco would be empty.’

It took nearly fifty years but in 2016 California did legalise adult recreational marijuana use in private!

Tall pink house with bay windows
Janis Joplin’s house
Narrow house with steps to front door
House used by Grateful Dead

After our morning wandering around some of the streets that had inspired me in my early teens, we hopped back on the bus to see some more of the city. But that’s a tale for another post …

I last visited San Francisco in September 2024 when all these photos were taken

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