I Left My "Healthy" Heart in San Francisco.

Andrew Cole

San Francisco Signage

5/1/12

                                                Health and San Francisco

Throughout San Francisco you see grocery stores, farmers markets, and specialized health stores all around the city. The overall theme of health in the area is extremely noticeable. While traveling through the city you will notice an astronomical number of people biking to work and running regardless of the weather conditions. However one does not have to do much to get a work out in San Francisco due to its hilly geography.  Besides the geography there are a handful of gyms in every district in the city. For the USF student we are lucky to have the Koret Gym. The overall health conscious lifestyle helps the health stores such as Trader Joes, Whole Foods, and Haight Street Market thriving.

Health has shaped the city of San Francisco for many years now, giving it the reputation of being the “healthy city” Currently, according to bestplaces.net California has three cities on the top 10 healthiest cities. San Jose holds the first position, San Francisco the third, Oakland, Sacramento, and Orange County respectively, are all among the top ten.  California hosts many events and programs to promote the city’s healthy lifestyle. One event that happened in 2009 was the one that the PTA and Jamba Juice put together in order to honor 45 different schools for their outstanding education about supporting healthy lifestyles. There are many programs throughout the city that support ones health. Many organizations have been made in order to help those continue the healthy lifestyle, which is not an inexpensive one. Healthy San Francisco is an organization in the city that helps those who cannot afford health insurance/services, more accessible. This is fantastic for many of those who are unhealthy are so due to lack of funds to buy fresh produce and quality food, resorting in the purchase of fast food. The city as a whole has a very healthy atmosphere.

Speaking of “healthy atmosphere’s” Health stores have been thriving in the city. Whole Food, which is a major health store, has almost ten locations in the city alone. One location in particular that has been doing extremely well is the Whole Foods on Haight Street. This Whole foods, which is pictured below has modified its marketing patterns to accommodate its surrounding environment. The market has illustrated its store to show different areas of the city. This chain of health food stores is one that is known to be pretty pricey. A favorite motto for whole foods that I hear from my mother especially is “whole foods, whole price”. On the other end of the price scale is Trader Joes, also pictures below, which is my personal favorite food store. Here they have fresh produce and a wonderful assortment of wine for a very reasonable price. Trader Joes like has a handful of stores in the city. With its low prices there is never an empty store. Trader Joes deals with fresh organic produce that is partially locally grown. Besides these two main health distributors there are also smaller health stores like the Haight Street Market, which buys local fresh produce and has organic food as well. Even with the major stores easily accessible these stores are still thriving and just as packed. Many of these stores have unique signage system to let you know what is organic and what is not. These grocery stores have helped increase the health conscious lifestyle throughout the city.

Farmers markets are held throughout the city on a weekly basis contribute to a huge portion of produce sold. With over 25 farmers markets happening in Frisco weekly, many local businesses are able to sell their food and network throughout the city. On Saturday one of the largest farmers market around is held on Embarcadero Street. According to the website, www.sanfrancisco.about.com, around 25,000 people visit the market every week. Because of their weekly hours farmers markets are a main attraction for those shopping for the best food available. Most of the people shopping are your regular food buyer, however chefs and other important farmers are there as well. Not only does this way of buying food shape the way one eats in the home but as well as the way one eats when one goes out for dinner. Many people in San Francisco use this system as their main source of food shopping and some stick with the grocery stores, but for USF students we don’t have to go far.

Bon appetite management has impacted USF student’s way of eating. The group helps bring in all local foods from around and outside the bay area, allowing many local farms to be the resources to our fresh produce. While our cafeteria offers the typical burger and french-fries we also have two salad bars, which are my personal favorites. Besides vegetables they have a variety of fresh fruit for your enjoyment.  While looking through their website they state, “They prepare and serve often within 48 hours of harvest”, by doing so they are ensuring fresh local produce. Also, Bon appetite only buys from those farmers that are able to use sustainable farming. Besides the health of our students the management company are very conscious about the overall health of the planet. They currently practice lowering emissions by reducing their airfreighted products. Another service provided at USF is the Health Promotion Services, which help students manage healthy lifestyles.  This system promotes ten vital health tips for the college student facing the growing health issues in the United States. For these reasons USF is extremely health conscious and readily promoting a healthier lifestyle for our students.

Fitness in San Francisco is a huge part of the typical Californian lifestyle.  For us USF students and those in the close proximity of our district can enjoy the Koret Center, which is a very large gym with the largest pool in the city. Many people work out on a daily basis weather its hitting the gym or going to the park for a run. Because of the weather in San Francisco it is extremely easy to participate in outdoor physical activities such as running and ultimate Frisbee. Also, a lot of people enjoy water sports, such as kite surfing and surfing. The variety of parks in the city is a huge proponent to our cities physical activity because many people walk in the park and play sports. The Golden Gate Park host many sporting events from basketball to polo.

San Francisco’s overall health has shaped the way the city functions on a daily basis. With all of its stores, markets, and gyms the signage system has varied in order to market to those health conscious individuals.  The food signage itself has been now redirected to reflect a healthier lifestyle and causes those unhealthy persons to think more closely about what they are eating   As a whole san Francisco is one of the healthiest cities in North America and reflects it in its advertising. 

Artsy Fartsy

Andrew Cole

Thought paper 7

On this windy yet wonderful day our class went to the Mission and the Castro district. Both districts are beautiful with an overall artsy breeze in the air. One district however is a little more vibrant than the other. The Spanish first established the mission district, where they created the Mission San Francisco de Asis. The Castro district was named after José Castro, however is now known for its populations of lesbians, gays, transgender, etc.…

            The Mission was wonderful walking through because of its many attractions such as thrift town. Here I bought a fabulous Patagonia pullover. The streets seemed to be packed with people walking about the district. The overall feel was that of a welcoming fun loving area that was also hip and a bit artsy. I don’t have the best selection of pictures from this trip so I picked a very colorful building that we saw walking . (pictured at the bottom) this building is very colorful. The paintings are extremely bright and it clearly shows the life of a nurturing woman, which is appropriate seeing as how it is the front of the women’s building. This is just one part of the mission. Also there are a lot of fancy and up and coming bars and restaurants all popping up all throughout the area. The target for the this district would have to be the people who are into the art scene and for some reason I also feel like if people were to move from Oakland to San Fran they would most likely move into this neck of the woods. I mainly think that because when walking through Oakland, although not the most luxurious you can tell that it still is extremely artsy and has strong attempts of being hip throughout the city. Next we went to the Castro. Entering this area was extremely well marked because of the gay pride flags waving throughout the side of the streets. Here there seems to be a very happy energy to the area. This section, although stereotypical, appeared very nice and organized. The picture that I chose is that of the street with the flags along the poles. This section is for those well kept friendly types who, after walking into a fabulous clothing store, don’t mind spending half a grand on shirts and pajamas.  Clearly this district attracts those of LGBT interests and maybe some of the straight men who like to be a bit metro. Although different, each district is extremely rich with history and visual appeal.

            These two impressive sections of the city have been created and are continuously 


changing with time, however its historical feel mixed in with its hints of art still remain. 

polar opposites

Andrew Cole

Thought Paper

Our fieldtrip went into two extremely different worlds while traveling down market and venturing into the tenderloin. The two districts include one dealing with a lot of poverty and drug abuse, while the other targets wealthy consumers. Each district has a unique feel and overall appeal to them.

            While walking through the tenderloin I felt a sense community, however not the community one would desire. I felt as if people were almost lost and ended up in the tenderloin. Many of the advertisements that I saw in that area pertained to how to make cash quick, such as loans (see picture below). This audience clearly was for those who were on the street most of the day and were usually looking for money. The buildings themselves were interesting because one could tell their history just from their appearance. While going through market street and union square the advertisements changed very quickly. For the most part the signs were conveying some sort of product that a middle-upper class American would be interested in. for the most part it was advertisements for the local stores such as GAP and Abercrombie and Fitch. There were many people in this area who worked on market street so the advertisements never went to high This is also one of the main areas in the city so it is only expected to be a little over the top with signage.

            Overall the two districts that we explored clearly had two different audiences, one for the middle upper class American and the other for the lower class Americans. Each district although vast differences, had its own unique beauty to it. 

...no more ballyhoo!

Throughout Golden Gate Park there are many signs to look at, some directional, some informative, and some are simply for decorative purposes. During our time walking around we saw many different types of the signs teaching us about our current surroundings.

            The beginning of our journey started off with a stadium like building surrounding a field. Our class tried to find information on the buildings founder, however could only find a plaque about a famous athlete who used to play there. The sings in this area were a little lacking especially for a building so beautifully designed as the one we first walked through. While walking we saw signs that showed what certain buildings were and their purpose. First we looked in the art building near hippy hill. Here we were kicked out because it was not open, however there was no sign informing us of this. I personally was a little disgusted by the event mainly because it showed a lack of detail in the system. Also, the woman in charge was not friendly at all. Next we wandered to the AIDS memorial site that was absolutely incredible. The layout of the space was long and there were rocks with memorial engravings them spread out throughout the area. The signs here were clear that the area we were in was a dedication to all those who lost there lives to the terrible disease. The signs here were very meticulous and beautiful. After this area we walked around the museums, which was pretty cool. The museums are very different from each other almost polar opposites in fact. The De Young museum is very industrial and somewhat cold, where as the academy of sciences is vibrant and light. Each museum had a different signage system that was wonderful to compare because again, they are so different from one another. Finally, the last sign I can remember seeing was that of the park map. This sign was interesting to me because during our trip we got lost, mainly due to my awful sense of direction, however this was a the first one I saw. I think that the park, especially because its absolutely massive, should have many more maps like this around so hopeless wanderers like myself will know where I am going.

            Overall the signs in the park were pretty awesome. The colors, designs, and compositions never bored me.  The signs are almost a timeline to the park illustrating its history and its eternal charisma. 

"What A Wonderful Day In The Neighborhood"

Haight and Ashbury are two intersecting streets that became the center of a vivacious neighborhood in the mid 1960’s. The crossroads symbolize the summer of love, when the psychedelic scene began. For a period of time many people would come to the area and experience the newly discovered “hippy” subculture lifestyle.

            The two street signs became the national symbol for the area during its hippy movement. Many tourists now a days come back to visit the still colorful neighborhood to experience a slight feeling of what it was like forty three years back. The streets are still filled with psychedelic art and murals painted on the sides of homes and stores. Many of the stores have head shops, which is an example and continuum of the time period. Also, stores in the district will have peace signs and symbols representing the summer of love and the overall atmosphere of it all. The signs along the roads vary is size and creativity. There are large signs that are coming out of people’s houses and small signs standing in front of a doorway. The counterculture in the area was extremely dense back in the sixties due to the fact they opposed the social standards of society at the time.  Many of the hippies would go against being in the mainstream and would live independently and go against social standards. This force was undeniably prevalent back in the sixties in all sorts of outlets, such as lifestyle, media and politics. The overall atmosphere of Haight-Ashbury is still very much the same as it was back then with the signs still indicating the hippy movement vide and in such a creative colorful ways.

            This beautiful district shines brightly with all its artistic decorations that only add to its rich history. The area is a wonderful place to get a sense of the valuable movement and counterculture that was created.  

"NO DUMPING"

Andrew Cole

2/6/12

Thought Paper 2

The photo that I have selected to write about happens to be my favorite of the bunch. It’s a small sign embedded on the sides of the roads stating “No Dumping”. The sign has various indications and reasoning’s for being placed where it is.

            The sign that I chose is placed near a drain on the side of the road. The message is simple and clear saying “Only Rain Down The Drain” which I like a lot. I think that they made it very simple and rhyme so it would catch on and people would feel worse about dumping trash there. The sign is intended for all those people who consider doing so or have done so in the past. The sign creates a sense of place partly because it has a slight hint of order to it, which creates the feeling of collectiveness and cleanliness. I feel like I would feel this even no matter what area or part of San Fran I was in. Back in the day I don’t think they had anything like this especially not 100 years ago. I think that people would just throw there trash away all over especially because they probably did not have these intricate drainage systems. And they definitely not use as vibrant colors for their signs if they were to have them.

            I think that this signs specific purpose is simple and very clear, keeping a slight order and a sense of place throughout. The crab also adds a little fun illustration, which everyone loves!