By Katie & Cape
Today started off with two groups going to breakfast cafes. Afterward, we all headed to the San Francisco Chinatown where we were given a group tour around the district. Our tour guide, Linda, talked to us about the history and culture of Chinatown, specifically Chinese-American culture.
San Francisco housing is one of the most expensive in the world, ranked just behind New York City. The Chinatown that we visited is one of the most densely populated areas in the United States, and this lack of space contributes heavily to its expensive real estate. As a result, many Chinatown residents are forced to grow up in close quarters with extended family, many of them sharing small rooms and sleeping in the same beds. After the tour around Chinatown, we visited some local shops and got to see more of the beautiful architecture that is so distinct from the rest of the city.
Chinatown Streets
In Front of Chinese School
Shopping in Chinatown
Chinatown Alleyway with Taiwan Flags
Shortly after, we hopped on one of San Francisco’s famous trolleys which took us partway to our next destination–the Castro District.
Castro District Streets
This part of the city is known for being a hub for the LGBTQ+ community. Rainbow pride flags lined the streets as we walked to the GLBT Museum. There we looked at exhibits showcasing the LGBTQ+ history of San Francisco, including figures such as Harvey Milk and the story behind the first pride flag. From there we spent some time at Dolores Park then walked around the Mission District, passing through Clarion Alley and stopping to look at the murals depicting different societal issues.
One of the Mission District Alleyway Murals
Cape: The most impactful part of my day was visiting the alley of murals. We were able to see the problems we face in society through the perspective of art. It was interesting to be able to interpret the intent behind the artist’s different works and it helped me view the issues we face in different ways.
Katie: I loved going to the Castro District—the whole area was so colorful and the GLBT Museum had amazing information about the gay history of San Francisco. I think the highlight of my day was grabbing ice cream and hanging out in Dolores Park (we got to pet a dog there). The murals of Clarion Alley were beautiful, and getting dinner at the sushi place across the street from our hotel was a great way to end the day.