With the name of a once-very popular series, I say “hello” to you, dear ArtTmodernmiami Newspaper readers!
I was a child when I watched the TV series “Streets of San Francisco”, but it left a mark on me. I remember Michael Douglas’s handsomeness and energy in his youth and his partner Karl Malden’s compassionate, mature, and humorous attitude. I also remember them running around the streets of San Francisco in pursuit of thieves and bad men like today… It is like a love story, even though it’s not a TV series love story. ��
Speaking of love; the streets of San Francisco are like a love story; meaningful, rugged, zigzag, colorful, difficult, tiring, and beautiful. I am a secret romantic because everything leads to love, too.
You may remember these bumpy roads from many Hollywood movies… Those who do not know or have not seen them should not worry! I took many photos. It is almost like a plateau, it turned out great in photos. ��
I went to San Francisco to attend the Turkish festival held there for the first time at the end of September. Participating in the San Francisco Turkish Festival was especially meaningful because I attended the Chicago Turkish Festival in 2007 and 2008, early in my artistic career.
Although I have since participated in many exhibitions and fairs, returning to Turkish festivals after many years felt like revisiting the past and taking stock of my journey. Reflecting on the past helps me observe myself more easily, and I recommend it to you too.
Being at the festival also provided a great opportunity to gauge reactions to my new T-shirt collection, which has just been released. I previously explained the design process in one of my articles. I am including the link!
While everything has been going well, shouldn’t hurricane news be heard across Florida? Interestingly, I didn’t hear any hurricane updates until two days ago, mainly because I was preoccupied with preparations for the exhibition. However, we are currently in hurricane season.
Those two days were quite challenging, but I got through them thanks to my prayers and whatever else was helping me! Despite my fear and anxiety, I didn’t give up. �� I think there’s a little bit of madness in my veins.
When I arrived in San Francisco after my adventurous journey, I was greeted by the cool Autumn weather. This was quite surprising after the heat of Florida, as I had always imagined California to be warm. It’s interesting to note that despite California’s vast geography, the size of a state in America is comparable to that of a European country.
You may have seen it in the movies: a street where a red Corvette jumps into the air! That street is Lombard Street, intersecting California Street. I didn’t rent a car because I had a full schedule, and Uber was sufficient for my short trips.
First, I’d like to discuss the San Francisco Turkish Festival I attended. The festival at Embarcadero Plaza, the heart of the city, featured participants from the Turkic Republics, Turkey, and various parts of America, including myself. This was the festival’s inaugural year and was a great success. I want to congratulate Calturs for their efforts.
What happened at the festival? They organized programs to attract tourists, showcasing the diverse tastes of Turkey. There were artists from Turkey, folk dances, a whirling dervish performance, and even a belly dancer. Viewing my country through the eyes of a tourist was intriguing. The smiles on the faces of Americans enjoying the performances, with the bittersweet happiness of Turks in attendance made me feel glad to have participated. They saw a glimpse of Turkish culture in my paintings and T-shirt collection. ��
Now let us talk about the classic 10 things to do in San Francisco and my comments:
It is also a must to take the F line, where nostalgic trams pass, going along Market Street, the main street of San Francisco, passing through the Castro District, shopping and financial districts, turning north along the Ferry Building and Embarcadero to the heart of Fisherman’s Wharf. This line operates from 6.00 in the morning, until 01.00 after midnight, 365 days a year.
Trams run every six minutes during the day and every 10-15 minutes in the morning and evening. (Unfortunately, I did not encounter it. I hate waiting, even if it’s just for two minutes. Ironically, I often keep others waiting.)
Take a boat tour to Alcatraz and the Golden Bridge; I prefer the one at sunset. (The boats departing from Fisherman Wharf are quite old and touristy, but I would not know until I tried.Do not expect much!)
Walking the streets of San Francisco, and exploring the colorful winding streets. (I loved the colorful streets, and the restaurant discoveries were great. I do not need to mention the wines; I am in the region where the best wines are produced.)
Participating in a wine tour in Napa Valley;
If you are in San Francisco, you should take a trip to Napa Valley which is just an hour away. This region is famous for its vineyards, including the Culinary Institute of America, one of the world’s most prestigious cooking schools. Notably, renowned chef Anthony Bourdain is one of its graduates. Napa Valley is known for its full-bodied Cabernets, fruity Merlots, and velvety
Chardonnays, and it is home to more than 400 winemakers.
I realized that I enjoy tasting tours, and during my recent experience, I visited three different places. I joined a day tour introducing me to Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and a small, family-run vineyard. You can also arrange a similar tour through Booking.com. Some wines were served while others were not, and wine lovers will understand the joy I felt during this experience. As I sampled those wonderful wines in their beautiful settings, different stories began to unfold in my mind. I found myself wondering what it would be like to run a vineyard. Some barrels had not been opened for 100 years; how long will they continue to wait? I contemplated the immense patience required for this work. While in the vineyards, I imagined myself as a girl picking grapes, considering how many baskets I could collect, but ultimately decided that this part wasn’t for me. I concluded that I should focus on tasting the wines instead. ��
In conclusion, I highly recommend it. We Turks have a classical discourse. Some people want to settle in Bodrum or the Aegean part of Turkey when they get older. (Turkey’s Aegean and Mediterranean coasts) In America, this is said about Napa Valley �� but my preference is different. I will not say it here, but I will make my manifesto. Time will tell whether it is successful or not.
Crossing the Golden Bridge (The Bridge is truly legendary.) I do not know if there is a psychological meaning behind the bridge attracting so much attention, but the Golden Bridge was eye-catching with its length and Red color in the middle of the Blue.
Alcatraz Island deserves a bit more explanation. Originally used as a prison for the country’s most notorious criminals from 1861 to 1963, it has since been turned into a museum. Visitors can explore the cells, dining hall, and library while listening to the experiences of former prisoners and guards through headphones. Although Alcatraz Island is a well-known site, I wouldn’t want to visit a prison; I briefly viewed it from a boat while traveling, which was sufficient for me. Extra tours are available for those interested; anyone is welcome to join.
However, as someone who values freedom, I prefer to view places where others are incarcerated from a distance.
Chinatown
Chinatown in San Francisco is the largest and oldest in the United States. This is the largest Chinatown outside of the Asian continent. Like the Italian immigrants who established Little Italy, Chinatown was founded by Chinese immigrants who came to San Francisco during and after the Gold Rush, between 1848 and 1855. When visiting, it’s essential to walk through the iconic Chinese gate and indulge in delicious Chinese cuisine!
Must-See Places Around Union Square:
The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is one of the largest modern and contemporary art museums in the United States. Here, you can see works by artists from around the world like Frida Kahlo, Gerhard Richter, and Andy Warhol, hang out in the outdoor sculpture garden, or take a break at one of three restaurants inside. Open from Friday to Tuesday, 10.00-17.00, and on Thursdays, 10.00-21.00. Closed on Wednesdays.
(By the way, I felt very fortunate; the museum was 2 minutes away from my hotel. ��)
Although there are many more places to explore, I could only get a sense of this area because of the festival I had to attend. Stanford University stands out in my memory, so if you visit, check it out! I can almost hear you mention Silicon Valley, but as I stated earlier, I didn’t go there. If we talk about its history; In 1776, the Spanish constructed a castle and a Christian missionary building, named after Saint Francis of Assisi, where the Golden Gate Bridge stands today. The California Gold Rush, which began in 1848, led to rapid growth, quickly turning it into the largest city on the West Coast. Although San Francisco was nearly destroyed by the catastrophic earthquake and subsequent fires in 1906, it was rebuilt in a relatively short time.
During World War II, San Francisco sent many soldiers to the Pacific Theater. After the war, the city experienced significant growth due to the return of service members, a major wave of immigration, the liberal movement in the region, and several other factors. With the rise of the hippie movement and the gay rights movement, San Francisco has become a stronghold of liberalism in the United States.
The California Gold Rush attracted a surge of gold seekers to the region in 1848, leading to a rapid population increase. The promise of wealth became so enticing that the crews of ships arriving at the port of San Francisco abandoned their vessels as soon as they docked, eager to search for gold. California quickly became a prominent state, prompting the United States Army to establish Fort Point in the Golden Gate region and a fortress on Alcatraz Island to ensure the security of San Francisco Bay.
The discovery of silver in the area further fueled the population growth, as miners flocked to the city. As the city expanded, lawlessness became prevalent, and the Barbary Coast section gained a notorious reputation for murder, prostitution, and gambling.
Entrepreneurs sought to leverage the wealth generated by the Gold Rush. The banking and railroad industries were among the first to benefit from these efforts, with Wells Fargo established in 1852. As the San Francisco Port developed, the city transformed into a trade hub. Numerous businesses emerged to cater to the needs of the local population, including fabric trading houses founded by Levi Strauss, leading to the creation of Levi’s. The arrival of newly immigrated workers added to the city’s linguistic diversity, notably with Chinese laborers who worked on the railways and established Chinatown. In 1873, the first streetcar began operating on Clay Street. During this time, Victorian houses started to be built throughout the city, and civic leaders opened a public park, which led to the planning of Golden Gate Park.
San Franciscans also focused on building social institutions, including quality schools, churches, and theaters, which helped the city develop rapidly. By the next century, San Francisco became famous for its distinctive style, magnificent hotels, and grand mansions located on Nob Hill. No city in history has ever been so destroyed. San Francisco was destroyed.” – Jack London said this sentence after the 1906 earthquake and fire!
At approximately 5:12 a.m. on April 18, 1906, a major earthquake struck San Francisco and Northern California. Many buildings collapsed as a result of the quake, but it was the breaks in the gas lines that ignited widespread fires. These fires quickly spread throughout the city and continued for several days. With the water supply system incapacitated, military units
implemented a fire prevention strategy by creating a firebreak and using dynamite to destroy certain buildings. As a result, three-quarters of the city, including the downtown area, was reduced to ashes.
In the following years, the city consolidated its status as a financial center, and when the 1929 World Economic Depression occurred, no San Francisco-based bank went bankrupt. Indeed, the crisis has touched San Francisco. What a privilege! Even at the height of the crisis, San Francisco completed two massive engineering projects; He completed the San Francisco- Oakland Bay Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge in 1936 and 1937, respectively. During this period, Alcatraz, which was previously used for military purposes, was converted into a prison that hosted high-level criminals such as Al Capone. –Wikipedia Meanwhile, the 1996 movie “The Rock,” starring Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta-Jones, was filmed at Alcatraz.
World cuisine dominates the city; my preference is Italian and French. �� My ascendant is Gemini, and my zodiac sign is Taurus �� so a good meal and quality wine have a different meaning for me. With that gusto, your perspective on life changes. Inspiration comes from every aspect of life.
As I conclude another travel article, I bid farewell until we meet again, sharing my favorite lines from Madame Gandhi.
Pay attention to your thoughts; they shape your WORDS.
Be careful with your words; they influence your ACTIONS.
Be mindful of your actions; they develop into your HABITS.
Observe your habits; they define your CHARACTER.
Pay attention to your character; it determines your DESTINY.
Tugba Yazici
Multidisciplinary Artist
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