Landmark in the City - Coit Tower and a 360 degree view of the city

The Coit Tower officially closed for renovation five days ago on November 20, 2013. Luckily, Mijo and I was able to visit this city landmark before that date.  It is scheduled to open in April 2014.

Let me take you on a virtual tour of the Coit Tower, its 360 degree views of the city, and the beautiful murals inside the tower.  Enjoy!

The Coit Tower is a city landmark located on top of Telegraph Hill. It was competed in 1933 and it was named for Lillie Hitchcock Coit. I remember I fell in love with the city the first time I visited Coit Tower 17 years ago. It was from here that I truly admired the pretty vistas of the city. Of course, I was not familiar with the city back then. The same feeling of admiration came back when Mijo and I visited the Coit Tower the other week.  This time, I knew more about the city.

Here is a view of the tower from Hyde St.

Here is another view of the tower near its base in Pioneer Square.

Parking in Pioneer Square is not ample. There was a long line of cars waiting for a parking space and the wait was long judging from the faces of the drivers that day. The Muni bus #39 goes to the Coit Tower if you want to take public transport. You can catch the #39 bus from Fisherman's Wharf.

Mijo and I took the Filbert stairs via the Levi's Plaza to get the the Coit Tower. The climb was not bad at all if you pace yourself and enjoy the western views of the city. We tried the Vallejo stairs before but I did not take pictures.

I heard the chirping sounds made by the parrots of Telegraph Hill while admiring the cute house ssurrounding the area. I am curious how the residents enjoy this kind of city living - hiking the stairs everyday. They are probably in good shape.

Look at that view!  I now understand why the residents here endure the steep climb everyday. If I had this million dollar view, I would probably not mind the climb as well.

It was refreshing to see other people doing the same thing Mijo and I were doing. Only some of them are smarter because they were climbing down instead of up.

We finally reached the base of the tower. There is an elevator that takes you to the top of the tower for a 360 degree view of the city.

Don't forget to check out the many murals adorning the walls of the tower inside. The murals depict the life in San Francisco during the Depression. 

 

 

For a fee, the elevator takes you to the observation deck on the top of the tower. There is a discount on the ticket if you are a San Francisco resident.

I was admiring the art deco style of the observation deck. This is a haven for photography enthusiasts as there are so many angles to choose from.

 

And now for the views.

This is a view of the San Francisco Bay, the Bay Bridge and some parts of downtown.

 

The observation deck is covered with a plexi-glass that needed cleaning, in my opinion. So pardon me for a few dark spots on my photos. Below is a downtown view from the tower.

Here's a view of the San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge.

Below is a view of the Bay, the Alcatraz and the Levi's Plaza. If you have time, the Levi's Plaza has a small museum about the Levi's company and the evolution of blue jeans. I'll blog it next time.

 

The Coit Tower is wonderful city landmark. I am not sure if access to Pioneer Square is open to the public during the Coit Tower's renovation. There are city views from the Square but some of it is obstructed by trees. 

The Coit Tower is scheduled to be back open sometime in April 2014. Until then, enjoy these views and scenes. :)

Ciao!

~rl