Golden Gate Bridge

Lonely Planet review

Strange but true: the elegant suspension bridge painted a signature shade called ‘International Orange' was almost nixed by the navy in favor of concrete pylons and yellow stripes. Joseph B Strauss correctly gets heaps of praise as the engineering mastermind behind this marvel, but without the aesthetic intervention of architects Gertrude and Irving Murrow and the incredibly quick work of daredevil workers, this 1937 landmark might have been just another traffic bottleneck.The project first proposed in a proclam­ation by beloved local eccentric Emperor Norton in the 19th century began to become a reality in the 20th, when ferries began to seem impractical to accommodate traffic to and from the North Bay. The War Department didn't want to take any chances with the ships passing through the Golden Gate, so safety and solidity were its primary goals – but a green light was given to the counterproposal by Strauss and the Murrows for a subtler deco span and color that harmonized with the natural environment. Before the War Department could insist on an eyesore, laborers dove into the treacherous riptides of the bay and got the bridge underway in 1933. Just four years later workers balanced atop swaying cables to complete what was then the longest suspension bridge in the world at nearly 2 miles long, and the 746ft suspension towers were higher than any construction west of New York.Today, Brooklyn still tries to debate who has the more beautiful bridge, but for San Franciscans that argument was won 70 years ago, and the only debatable point is where to get the best vantage point on their beloved bridge. Cinema buffs believe Hitchcock had it right: seen from below at Fort Point, the bridge induces a thrilling case of Vertigo. Fog aficionados prefer the lookout at Vista Point in Marin, on the north side of the bridge, to watch gusts rush through the bridge cables. Crissy Field is a key spot to appreciate the whole span, with windsurfers and kite-fliers to add action to your snapshots. Unlike the Bay Bridge, the Golden Gate Bridge provides access to cyclists and pedestrians.

The picture-perfect Golden Gate has a surprisingly dark side: the bridge is San Francisco's number-one suicide site. A suicide-prevention net is being studied to curb the numbers, which now top 1000 (for the latest, see www.ggbsuicidebarrier.org). Few live, though an 18-year-old woman survived a jump in 1988 only to commit suicide from the same spot two months later. A German stunt man made the jump in 1980 with the intention of surviving. He didn't, and it's safe to say that Tarzan swings are not among the best ways to cross the bridge.

But without the aesthetic intervention of architects Gertrude and Irving Murrow and the incredibly quick work of daredevil workers, this 1937 might have been just another traffic bottleneck.

The project first proposed in a proclamation by beloved local nutcase Emperor Norton in the 19th century began to become a reality in the 20th, when ferries began to seem impractical to accommodate car traffic to and from the North Bay. The War Department didn't want to take any chances with the ships passing through the Golden Gate, so safety and solidity were its primary goals - but a green light was given to the counter-proposal by Strauss and the Murrows for a subtler deco span and color that harmonized with the natural environment. Before the War Department could insist on an eyesore, laborers dove into the treacherous riptides of the Bay and got the bridge underway in 1933. Just four years later workers balanced atop swaying cables to complete what was then the longest suspension bridge in the world at nearly two miles long, and the 746ft suspension towers were higher than any construction west of New York.

Today, Brooklyn still tries to debate who has the more beautiful bridge, but for San Franciscans that argument was won 70 years ago, and the only debatable point is where to get the best vantage point on their beloved bridge. Cinema buffs believe Hitchcock had it right: seen from below at Fort Point , the bridge induces a thrilling case of Vertigo. Fog aficionados prefer the lookout at Vista Point in Marin, on the north side of the bridge, to watch gusts rush through the bridge cables. Crissy Field is a key spot to appreciate the whole span, with windsurfers and kite-flyers to add action to your snapshots. Unlike the Bay Bridge, the Golden Gate Bridge provides access to cyclists and pedestrians (see Walk Tour ).

The picture-perfect Golden Gate has a surprisingly dark side: the bridge is San Francisco's number one suicide site. In 2006 a suicide prevention study was initiated to curb the number of bridge suicide attempts, which now top 1000. Few survive, though an 18-year-old woman survived a jump in 1988 only to commit suicide from the same spot two months later. A German stunt man made the jump in 1980 with the intention of surviving. He didn't, and it's safe to say that Tarzan swings are not among the best ways to cross the bridge.