A Descriptive View Of A San Francisco Neighborhood

Phase 4: (50 pts)

Students write a descriptive “view” of a San Francisco neighborhood as an extended metaphor of their self-description and history, including the good, the bad, and everything else.

This is the most difficult and important part of this project.

You are to use the information you gathered in Phases 1-3 to put together a descriptive guide to this neighborhood. Your guide can be in a similar vein to the SFGate descriptions, with a personal touch.

Step 1: Answer the following questions:

What is this neighborhood proud of, what is it famous for?

Originally, this neighborhood was full of shops, taverns, hotels and hardware stores, back in the 19th century. In modern times, the neighborhood spans from the Financial District to China Town. The Financial District contains of thousands of businesses located anywhere between 10 and 853 feet in elevation. The tallest building is the Transamerica Pyramid with five different companies operating within. Chinatown once run by the Chinese Triad, now seems much more tame. It is a hotspot for tourists and known for having many gift shops throughout.

Why are people drawn to this neighborhood?

Many people come to the financial district to work. Commuting from as far as Sonoma County from the North, and San Jose in the south, this is the place to take their careers to the next level.

Chinatown is home for many. Many of San Francisco’s Chinese population live in Chinatown, and many of them own or work in one of the many shops and restaurants. On weekends, hundreds of locals gather in Portsmouth’s Square to gamble, dance, and mingle.

What parts of this neighborhood are “hidden treasures”?

On the corner of Montgomery and Commercial Street, one of the oldest building in San Fran...

... middle of paper ...

...rable. When I am betrayed like this homeless man did, I find myself worrying.

Step 3: Read through your work for Phases 1 and 2 of this project, and highlight anything that is similar to your description of the neighborhood. List these descriptions, word for word.

Then, match up similar descriptions you’ve written in Phases 3 and 4 of the neighborhood. Write them all out.

Finally, construct a descriptive/expository essay, describing your SF neighborhood, and drawing connections to descriptions of yourself. Each paragraph and description must draw these connections. Make sure your connections aren’t petty or simplistic. Take time to make this meaningful.

This is to be written in google docs (sent to you soon), and graded according to the attached proficiency scale.

For references, read online neighborhood descriptions.

Due Date: May 21/22