Southern exposure from the top of Nob Hill. This is just four blocks from me, but it's some of the steepest four blocks you'll ever see. Actually, for San Francisco, it's not that bad. The trained eye can make out the Hastings tower just left of center in the picture, with it's American flag sticking out the top. Here's a closeup to help.

It turns out this hill is why cable cars were made. Back in the day, the older, wealthy folks needed a convenient way to ascend back to their lofty estates. Today, it's mostly tourists that ride, but professionals needing a lift over the hill to get to the Financial District have no shame climbing aboard in the predawn hours. All of the city's cable cars are located in the northeast quadrant where I'm at, and are designed to get passengers up and over the steep hills. Here's a look down California, west toward Van Ness.




The day after these shots were taken, the fog came back. Hastings' tower is now just a faint silhouette. And California Street disappears in the haze, even in the middle of the afternoon. It's about ten or fifteen degrees cooler with the fog cover, and no one uses words like "gorgeous" or even "nice" about it like they do on the perfectly clear days. But it is eaxctly those things for someone from Florida, where days like these are rare and linked with holiday cheer.

Hastings College of the Law. As you can see, the college is situated like any other building, on the corner of Hyde and McAllister, in the heart of San Francisco's downtown Civic Center district. Apparently, going to school in the middle of a major urban area is a shock to some people, since a good part of the tour involved explaining that seeing homeless people and drug addicts is an inevitable part of the Hastings experience. Security for students is top notch, though, with full time UC police on duty in addition to the local force. This is, after all, the Tenderloin.

The college is one of the few stand-alone law schools in the country, meaning it doesn't sit on the campus of a larger university. The context of Hastings is the city's center of government, home to City Hall, the federal and local courthouses, the California state building and other civic treasures like the opera house and the main branch of the public library, pictured here above. Knock the style if you want, but the library is crucial for any avid reader and cinephile living on a budget. I must not be the only one -- circulation is up 15% from last year according to The Examiner.
In addition to placing law students close to the legal center of the city and not so far at all from the financial district, Hastings offers students a front row seat to events taking place in the expansive Civic Center square. The organic victory garden, left, was the setting for the Slow Food Nation series of exhibitions earlier in the summer. On this particular day, though, it was the scene of an anti-Prop 8, pro-gay marriage demonstration, complete with an all-male choir. "We don't care what you call it", one protester expained, "we just want civil liberties."

I guess the golden rule of freedom is to do whatever you want as long as it doesn't hurt anyone, and it's simply unbelievable to think that these people getting married is causing anyone real harm. And if their rights can be taken away so easily, where does it end? Still, even though I voted against Prop 8, it never ceases to amaze me just how much gaiety there is in this town. And other than the solidarity that comes from being a persecuted group, it's hard to tell exactly what most of these people have to be so proud about.

Anyways, getting back to Hastings, my favorite part of the tour was a visit to "The Tower", which serves as a residence hall and meeting place for most of the student groups. On the 24th floor, the aptly named skyroom features a 360-degree panorama of the city, one of the best views anywhere, easily rivaling Top of the Mark on Nob Hill or Coit Tower. Apparently, it's a popular study spot and is frequently used to host events. If I'm accepted to the college, this, the tallest building in the Civic Center, is where I'd most likely be living next year.

As for the info session, it went very well, with me asking several pertinent questions, introducing myself to key admissions staff, and leaving with an overall feeling of confidence. It's not Berkeley, but UC Hastings is one of the top 50 or so law schools in the country and produces more judges than any other law school in the state. And, Hastings has the single largest career placement program of any law school in the country, with thousands of interviews by top firms conducted on campus every year. The admissions coordinator also assures me the almuni network is quite vast and includes legal professionals across the U.S. who assist graduates in getting positions in every major legal center.

So, that's the Civic Center, just a short 10 or 15-minute walk down Polk, and an impressive part the city. On the way back, I snapped a shot of California Street just minutes before the parade portion of the anti-Prop 8 demonstration rolled through with loud cheers and horn-honking. As you can see, it was one of those warm winter days with nary a cloud in the sky. Lately it's either this or complete fog, which, frankly, is just as beautiful.

"Your business gets a lousy reputation once you get to Polk Street", says Sal the barber, whose shop, it should be noted, is not on Polk Street. "It's known for all those junk shops and...", he trails off. Well, maybe so -- Polk Street is the lowest point between Nob Hill and Lafayette Park, in more ways than one. And there are several shops that are best left unmentioned. But, Polk Street is where I became a San Franciscan.

My place is actually just off Polk, right at the dividing line between the Tenderloin District, which is one of the roughest neighborhoods in the city, and the respectable residential blocks of Financial District professionals. Around here, Polk Street is heavy on bars, nightclubs, smoke shops, cafes, and restaurants. As you get north of California Street, towards the wharf, the gorgeously manicured neighborhood of Russian Hill unfolds with some of the best views in town. And the stores become boutiques, fancy cheese shops, booksellers, and pet groomers . Even though it's not the highest point, there's a nice slope down here from Polk toward Van Ness that reveals a spectacular view of the Marina and Cow Hollow districts. You can't quite make it out in this pic on the left, but that's a pretty decent vista behind me.

Passing right in front of City Hall and extending through the heart of the ghetto down to the bay, Polk Street is used to seeing a lot of changes. And my place in particular is right on the dividing line, the transitional area, the place where all types mingle. It's a perfect spot for starting off a new phase of life and offers constant reminders of which direction each decision leads. And speaking of transitisions, here's a more recent pic showing what I looked like when Sal the barber got through with me.


On to the Hastings information session!

When the lights go down in the City
And the sun shines on the bay,
I want to be there in my City.

So you think you're lonely,
Well my friend I'm lonely too.
I want to get back to my City by the bay.
Ooh, ooh, oooh!