Union Square

Francisco,

if there's one touristy spot i find a guilty pleasure, it's Union Square off Powell and Market Street. open air, ongoing foot traffic, and the most breathtaking panorama of urban life, it is a pristine spot to find all sorts of inspiration, especially for my writing.

a marvelous little concrete flatland edged on all corners by beautiful architecture and high-rises; Macy's flanks the the south, Tiffany and Co. opposite North, and the majestic Westin St. Francis is just on the western border with its scenic elevators that reach towards the skies and overlook the city. they've always considered you the "Paris of the West," and Union Square adequately supports this. it's romantic, beautiful, anitque-- it's hard not to feel like you're somewhere in Paris, sitting at a café and taking in all these gorgeous moving sights and sounds. yes, thank goodness for Emporio Rulli right on the eastern corner of the square. the coffee is reasonable and decent, a fresh finer taste to casually sip while i scribble in my notepad and examine the details to find a good story within. though overcast, the air is very warm and stiff. i love it all. i love the feeling of art and carefree admiration everyone is giving off. sitting outside on a day like this cannot be rivaled.

i must tell you how truly romantic you are; not be the biggest or most international urban spot in America, but who needs all that? i don't. what you have instead, Francisco, is the laid-back European pace of life and setting that invites its dwellers to act in the same peaceful and beautiful way-- to just laugh and enjoy life, to love it.

Paris