San Francisco Real Estate Properties

While Westerners may talk about the “man in the moon”, the Chinese speak of the “woman in the moon”.

As our days are getting noticeably shorter with the Autumn Equinox now behind us, there is good reason why every San Franciscan takes notice of the moon.  Both September’s Harvest and October’s Hunter’s full moons rise in the East roughly at approximately the same time the sun sets in the West and vice a versa in the early morning. What a perfect time for every San Franciscan to celebrate the Chinese “woman in the moon”.  

On the 15^{t h} day of the 8^th month of the Chinese Lunar Calendar, the bounty of the summer harvest, the fullness of the moon and the immortal moon Goddess, Chang O (who lives in the moon) is celebrated in different parts of Asia with festivals of many names: the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Moon Festival, and/or Moon Cake Festival.

One of two auspicious San Francisco festivals in Chinatown each year (Chinese Lunar New Year being the other) is the highly celebrated Annual Chinatown Autumn Moon Festival Street Fair and one not to be missed next year.  

Walking down Grant Street, one can easily imagine being at any one of these Asian festivals with the excitement of dragon dancers performing to the beat of the drums and gongs.

And listening to the unique sound of a Chinese Opera in concert on the street.  

And the sound of Chinese vendors calling out 月饼, 月饼  (moon cakes, moon cakes) on the street, as they sell the traditional festival food, the moon cake. The moon cake is to be eaten outside under the Harvest Moon with good friends and family, looking up at the rising “woman in the moon”, as the moon cake symbolizes a “Chinese Thanksgiving” of sorts as the bounty of the summer harvest ends. 

Mark your calendar now for another San Francisco photo-op as the October Hunter Moon rises on Thursday, October 25 just as the sun is setting at 5:51 PM and look for the “woman in the moon”.

It depends on several things, such as: price point, neighborhood, view and parking!

In San Francisco, the real estate market changes every day. One needs to continually investigate, analyze, understand and interpret the real estate market to make informed intelligent buy and sell decisions. A normal week’s marketing schedule in San Francisco is determined by several factors: which properties came on last Thursday and no later than last Friday at Noon to get on the Broker’s Tuesday Tour and still be able to advertise the first Open Houses before the San Francisco Chronicle’s Saturday and Sunday Open Home Guide deadline and which properties got offers this past week and/or closed. Checking on what’s new on the market in a particular neighborhood and if it is on the view side of the street, and how close a walk for a latte is a normal happening in the San Francisco real estate market.

At sun rise on Saturday morning…

We were taking our dog on a walk down to the San Francisco Bay, along the Marina, to watch the sun come up when I noticed across the way, there was an event being set up on the Marina Green. 

I thought we must come back later in the day to check it out. 

We also noticed that J/105 sailboats from as far away as Maine were tied up in front of the St. Francis Yacht Club with their flags and the 2007 Rolex Big Boat Race Series pennants fluttering a waiting the weekend racing events to commence. 

By mid afternoon we were walking around the Palace of Fine Arts to get to the Bay… 

And from the path leading to Crissy Field and the Golden Gate Bridge, we watched the events of the 2007 Rolex Big Boat Series on the water. 

And passing the yacht club docks, we could see another event floating in the air at the Marina Green.

This is a yearly tradition, “Family Fun Kite Festival”.

And across the way, the boats were returning.  

And back full circle by the end of the day.

Just a typical Saturday in San Francisco!