The North Beach district in San Francisco has
managed to maintain its old world rustic charm
while smack-dab next to the city’s Financial
District. Yet high-rises are still far enough away
not to loom over the usually sunny neighborhood
where residents and visitors linger over cappuccino
and brioche while reading the newspaper or exchanging
gossip in the local cafes.
For this reason, among others, the 41,000-member
American Planning Association named North Beach
one of the 10
Great Neighborhoods in America. The
planners praise its physical attributes as well
as the community spirit, which has helped preserve
the ambiance and vitality of North
Beach.
The San
Remo Hotel is a definite contributor to
the district’s allure. Built in 1906 and
still operating as a moderately-priced hotel drawing
guests from around the world, the San Remo has
changed very little from its colorful early days,
when it housed laborers, merchant seamen, immigrant
families, artists and poets. Today’s visitors
-- tourists and business travelers -- appreciate
the antique furnishings, comfortable surroundings
and warm welcome they experience every time they
check in. Some things, fortunately, never change.
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