San Francisco’s Unique Signs Convey Its Many Layers

Every city has its icons and landmarks. New York has the Statue of Liberty and Times Square. Chicago has the Sears Tower (now known as the Willis Tower); Boston has Faneiul Hall and Fenway Park. But, San Francisco likely has all of them beaten. The Golden Gate Bridge. Fisherman’s Wharf. Lombard Street. The TransAmerica building. Cable cars. Wine country within an hour’s scenic drive. And those are just the superficial archetypes.

As you scratch the surface and navigate The City (San Francisco is the only burg besides NYC that’s earned the right to be referred to as such – with a capital C), it teems with vibrant energy. Every city block seems to feature three world-class restaurants and stunning architecture. And, each neighborhood functions as its own ecosystem. The Financial District represents the main cog of San Francisco’s business community; Chinatown is the historical and hyperkinetic (and aromatic – in both good and bad ways) center of the city’s immigrants from the Far East; Haight-Ashbury has proudly maintained its bohemian roots and houses many funky stores and restaurants; and Nob Hill and North Beach are ethnically diverse areas that enrich the city’s broad cultural tapestry.

Like a radiant beauty, the city attracts visitors. According to www.sanfrancisco.travel, more than 16 million people visit San Francisco – and spend nearly $9 billion there annually. And, with the city’s explosive information-technology and social-media industries (Facebook, Twitter and many other household-name cyberspace entities have brick-and-mortar headquarters there), it’s a venture-capital magnet. According to www.theatlanticcities.com, San Francisco generated nearly $7 billion in 2012 venture-capital investment – approximately 25% of the nationwide tally.

Granted, the city has its shortcomings; the homeless and downtrodden are ubiquitously visible, especially in the city’s low-lying areas. And, the weather is volatile; fog and coastal wind gusts can drop the mercury 20ºF in minutes. But, as long you’re prepared for the “layers” of San Francisco – as in, wearing layers of clothing to prepare for the weather, and having an understanding of the city’s many cultural and socioeconomic layers – it’s a singularly enjoyable place to visit.

I attended the Society for Environmental Graphic Design (SEGD) conference in San Francisco in early June – fittingly, it was called Above the Fog. As usual when I travel, I wandered with a camera and came back with an eclectic assemblage of sign and environmental-graphic pictures that, I think, represents the city’s diverse character.