Brooke from San Francisco

About me Hello there! I work for a non-profit that supports the Golden Gate National Parks. In this role, I often come across visitors and love to encourage them to explore, not only parts of San Francisco, but our well-known park sites that offer so much beauty and history as well! I love engaging with visitors and locals, seeing what interests them. You can learn a lot about people and I’v...
Sep 20, 2025

Stanyan Tree San Francisco

Unexpected and wonderful

"This beautiful strong tree between two apartment buildings in San Francisco just stopped me in my tracks when I saw it. It's beauty in the little things..."

In San Francisco, you could have these fleeting experiences that maybe some would recognize as either delightful or simply innocuous. I walk around all the time and am blown away by the little things. You know when some things just seem too perfect, like they could be in a movie? I had that moment when I discovered a tree in an apartment courtyard that halted me in my tracks. It may seem uninteresting to most, but I found this tree so fascinating and beautiful. Looking at how healthy it was even while being bookended by two buildings.  It had just enough space to exist.

It reminded me of a children’s book I once had. The name escapes me now. Basically, it was about a neighborhood in a city that was growing rapidly and the older cute houses were being demolished and replaced by apartment buildings. In the middle of all these high-rise buildings, one charming little old house remained. This tree reminds me of that house in the book. It’s not so much what it is, but what it represents. In this case, a bit of nature can still have such a strong presence, and I find that notion beautiful. Let this be a friendly reminder to look for the beauty in the little things.

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Relaxing

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About this spot

650 Stanyan St

US$

no-price

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