Many visitors to San Francisco include the magnificent Golden Gate Bridge, isolated Alcatraz Island and scenic Lombard Street, “the most crooked road in the world,” on their must-see list.
However, many of them miss the attributes and appeals of 36 neighborhoods and smaller districts within them, which the city’s Planning Department identifies.
While travelers understandably wish to see Bucket List sites at destinations they visit, there’s another way to experience the history, architecture and other attractions of cities and towns of all sizes. That is through investigation of and immersion in neighborhoods that can demonstrate various aspects of local lore.
San Fransisco’s Meat Connection
Consider San Francisco’s historic connection with beef, which introduces several distinct districts. There’s more than one theory about how the downtown area known as the Tenderloin got its nickname.
One suggests that the enclave is the “soft underbelly” of the city. Another recalls that policemen who lived there in the 1930s were so well paid that they could afford to buy expensive cuts of meat.
A 10-block stretch was named Butchertown when a slaughterhouse industry thrived there. Union Street, a ritzy boutique-lined thoroughfare, is located where dozens of dairy farms stood during the late 19th century. That accounts for its persistent nickname, Cow Alley.
This is but one example of how exploring neighborhoods can provide a behind-the-scenes introduction to cities. Seeking out areas many tourists miss can provide interesting insights into local life that might otherwise be overlooked.
Hogs of Chicago
It was hogs that accounted for the name of the Back of the Yards district in Chicago. That’s where many people who worked in meatpacking at the Union Stock Yard lived for nearly a century, beginning in 1865.
So many unfortunate animals ended their life there that Chicago became known as “the hog butcher for the world.”
Back of the Yards is one of about 200 neighborhoods in the Windy City. Ashburn offers a relaxed suburban feel augmented by several parks. Its name harks back to the 1800s when people often dumped their furnace ashes there.
Denver’s Revival
Another rags-to-riches story is told at South Broadway in Denver. It has left behind its industrial, somewhat seedy atmosphere and morphed into a hip haven of art galleries, antique shops and performance venues.
The mile-long 16th Street Mall location offers a collection of boutiques, outdoor cafes and other businesses connected by a free shuttle bus.
River North, nicknamed RiNo, is an artsy district that hosts galleries and studios, jazz bars, boutiques and brew pubs.
Trendy Side of Washington DC
Shopping is also a popular pastime in Washington, DC’s trendy Georgetown. It is one of 131 neighborhoods recognized by the city’s Office of Planning. Georgetown was founded in 1751 as part of the Colonial-era Province of Maryland. It was incorporated into the District of Columbia more than 100 years later.
Today, it’s home to Georgetown University’s main campus, several foreign embassies and the Old Stone House (1765), the oldest unchanged building in the city.
Other often visited communities in the Nation’s Capital include Adams Morgan (AdMo), a historic hub bustling with entertainment alternatives. Dupont Circle is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and colorfully named Foggy Bottom. This moniker is believed to relate to 19th-century industrial facilities located there that emitted smoke.
International Neighborhoods
Touches of other countries are tucked into neighborhoods of some U.S. cities. Koreatown (K-Town) in mid-town Manhattan, New York contains more than 150 businesses that offer hints of that Asian nation. They range from small restaurants, shops and beauty salons to large bank branches.
Despite its name, Philadelphia’s sprawling Italian Market neighborhood also includes many places to eat and shop that cater to the growing Hispanic population. Claiming to be the country’s oldest, continuously operating outdoor market, the awning-covered sidewalks, carts, shops and restaurants span over 20 city blocks.
Seattle’s Asian Influence
Photo by Denise P. Lett/Dreamstime.com
From the 1860s through much of the 20th century, many Asian immigrants made Seattle their first stop in the United States. They gathered near Pioneer Square, which once was the city’s heart.
Today, the International Centre area is dotted with one-of-a-kind boutiques and Chinese, Japanese, and Vietnamese restaurants. Also, the Wing Luke Museum, which tells the neighborhood’s story.
Seattle is also among cities that employ names given to neighborhoods as a way to recall and recognize Native Americans from the country’s history.
The Leschi residential area, located along the western shore of Lake Washington, carries the name of a Nisqually chief who was executed by territorial authorities in 1858 following a conflict between the United States and Indian tribes.
More Intriguing Americana
The name of Ahwatukee, a village in Phoenix, Arizona, is said to have its roots in the Crow language. There are several theories about how the name came to exist. One theory is that it was derived from Crow for “land on the other side of the hill” or for “flat land.”
From Native Americans to New York’s Koreatown, Philadelphia’s Italian Market to Seattle’s Asian enclave introductions to centers of cultures, historical tidbits and other intriguing aspects of Americana await discovery.
They invite travelers to follow their interests and expand their knowledge by planning to check out sometimes overlooked neighborhoods in cities they’re going to visit.
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