I fell in love with San Francisco at first site, the buildings and the light, so much grooviness to dig. The signature building style I call "Wonkatecture" -a kaleidoscopic hodgepodge of giddy pioneer freedom and gilded age excess. It's a modernists nightmare! A prime example is The Vedanta Society HQ, built in 1903 to house a religious sect which fostered a multifold path to God and reflected its openness architecturally. More more more.
This hole-in-the wall noodle shop reminds me a lot of Taipei, an unassuming place that pleasantly surprises the taste buds. San Francisco has endless amounts of amazing food, but this place stands out because of it's size, taste, and prices. There are only about 9 seats in the place but if it's packed, it's worth the wait. While you wait for your noodles or curry, they'll chop open a fresh coconut so you can hydrate yourself before downing a bowl of pure, salty goodness.
Some areas of San Francisco are so steep that the sidewalk literally is a stairway; other times it’s just more interesting to have a stairway between streets… or a slide. I once saw a grown man with a briefcase matter-of-factly go down this slide and continue on his way down the hill. Why not?
In the Mission, now as terminally hip as it was formally poor, the St Francis is a greasy good time since 1918. Stuck beautifully in the 50's both aesthetically and menu wise it's Americana in a bun. Dig in.