San Francisco Rent a Car and Coit Tower
Built by funds left to the city by local philanthropist Lillie Hitchcock Coit, the Coit Tower is one of San Frans tallest structures, measuring in at just over 210 feet tall. Located atop historic Telegraph Hill, the Coit Tower provides car rental San Francisco clients with a stunning 360 degree view of the surrounding cityscape, including breathtaking glimpses of the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Island. Although the tower serves no specific purpose within the city it does provide travelers with an exceptional example of symbolic art (the tower is shaped like a fire hose nozzle in remembrance of the fire fighters who fought in the 1906 earthquake fires), as well as a local source of pride and excitement. Known for its interior collection of local artwork and politically charged paintings, the Coit Tower is currently accessible by car and public transportation, as well as by foot.
Designed in a distinctive Art Deco style, the Coit Tower is made up of mostly unpainted, reinforced concrete, providing it with a dazzling snow-white appearance. Erected in 1913 thanks to the generous donations of Lillie Hitchcock, Arthur Brown Jr and Henry Howard, the Coit Tower now serves as a type of mini-museum, enticing car rental San Francisco travelers with its controversial artwork and original structural design. Authorized as a Publics Work of Art Project in 1933, the murals currently located inside the tower showcase a very leftist political outlook, making a bold statement on the days contemporary issues. This art project, which was intended as the prototype for the decade of New Deal Art that followed, was specially designed to provide an iconographic look at that American Scene including scenes of social protest, agriculture and urban life. Six master artists and nineteen assistants participated in the towers internal beautification process, the fruits of whose labor are still apparent within the structure.
If youre interested in visiting the Coit Tower during your upcoming car rental San Francisco vacation Super Cheap Car Rentals encourages you to utilize a form of public transportation instead of attempting to navigate the hill from with your rental vehicle. Due to the areas extreme topography, the towers parking lot is only accessible by one road an issue that causes major headaches for morning and afternoon commuters! Since Coit Tower is such a popular car rental San Francisco tourist attraction, the traffic can often backup for miles, creating an outrageous 40 minute commute from the top of Telegraph Hill to the bottom! The San Francisco Department of Parking and Traffic is currently reviewing legislature that would eliminate public parking at the top of Telegraph Hill, so remember to keep that in mind when planning your upcoming visit. Alternative forms of transportation up the hill include a system of wood and concrete stairs, and the 39-Coit Bus.
The Coit Tower is currently open daily from 10am to 5pm. There is currently no cost to view the murals on the towers lower floor but do note that a $3 charge is applied to those visitors wishing to ride the elevator to the towers top lookout floor. The murals at the top of the tower are not currently open to the public unless youre involved in a group tour. Car rental San Francisco customers interested in booking a tour of the towers top section should contact tour coordinator Masha Zakheim@earthlink.net (1-415-362-0808). Regularly scheduled tours of the towers top floor are also held every Saturday at 11am. Car rental San Francisco customers are also encouraged to participate in the Local 1930s Art Tour with Masha Zakheim, which takes place the first Wednesday of every month at the City Club.
To learn more about Coit Tower before embarking on your upcoming car rental San Francisco vacation please feel free to contact Masha, or you can also log on to the Soit Tower Art and History website at www.coittower.org. This website currently contains a wealth of background information on the tower, including artist biographies and in-depth mural breakdowns.
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