Chinese New Year Parade

This year's San Francisco New Years Parade went really well. The weather was really nice and sunny during day time and it wasn't too cold at night.

I went to the city around lunch time and decided to take advantage of the nice weather by taking some pictures and doing some walking. I went to Embarcadero's Farmer's Market, and then to Chinatown, where a sea of people shopped at street vendors.

Afterwards, I went to a Chinese restaurant at Powell for lunch and then went to Union Square to relax and take pictures. I decided to take the elevator up to Cheese Cake Factory to get a better view of Union Square. I've forgotten how nice the view is from up there.

From there I noticed that people were starting to line up along Powell and Geary for the best view of the parade. I then made my way down and grabbed a nice spot in front of the Sir Francis Drake Hotel. I had to sit there with my MP3 player a good two hours before the parade to get a nice spot.

Below are Pics (As always, click to see a larger image):


Bay Bridge and Yerba Buena Island from Embarcadero


Perfect timing on this seagull


The famous Coit Tower


Farmer's Market and Bay Bridge


Arts & Crafts on Market and Embarcadero


Entrance to Chinatown


Chinatown street vendors


Macy's on Union Square. The top "Macy's" logo is where the Cheese Cake Factory is located.


View of Union Square from Cheese Cake Factory. In the center is a granite column commemorating Admiral Dewey's Spanish-American War victory at Manila Bay with a Victory statue modeled after Mrs. Adolph de Bretteville Spreckels, a San Francisco benefactress.


Corner of Post and Stockton, where you'll find Niketown


Saks, Tiffany and the Victory Statue


More of that Victory Statue


Corner of Powell and Post, where you'll find the Disney Store


iPod Ad, and more of that Victory Statue














The famous Mayor Gavin Newsom. I shook his hand the second time. The first time was during the Chinese New Year Parade two years ago, a couple of days before he tried to legalize Gay Marriage in SF.





























Firecrackers!