{"id":4322,"date":"2023-10-01T10:51:12","date_gmt":"2023-10-01T10:51:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev-alumn-nus.pantheonsite.io\/alumnus\/?p=4322"},"modified":"2025-07-15T16:07:57","modified_gmt":"2025-07-15T08:07:57","slug":"a-fresh-twist-on-frisco","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/2023\/10\/01\/a-fresh-twist-on-frisco\/","title":{"rendered":"A Fresh Twist on \u2019Frisco"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Since its completion in 1937, the Golden Gate Bridge<\/strong> has attracted throngs of tourists from all over the world, and cemented its place as one of the United States\u2019 must-see attractions. There are many vantage points from which to appreciate this engineering marvel, but Mr Arvind Ayyala fancies a unique one: from under it. \u201cConsider taking a private boat and go under this 2,700m-long suspension bridge for a fresh perspective of this landmark,\u201d suggests the investing partner at venture capital firm Geodesic Capital. If you prefer a postcard view of the bridge, head to Battery Spencer, a 19th century fort. \u201cYou\u2019ll have to get to the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge and drive up the Sausalito Hills to get there. But the views are worth it,\u201d he adds. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
The city\u2019s Ferry Building and piers at sunset in the springtime.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
An aerial view of San Francisco\u2019s Museum of Modern Art and the Bay Area beyond it.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Mr Arvind certainly knows his way around the Bay Area<\/strong>, which refers to the counties surrounding San Francisco Bay. After all, he has lived here since 2017, when he relocated to run the North American operations of EDBI, the investment arm of the Economic Development Board. \u201cI live in the outskirts of the city. Most of us with families move out of the city to get space for our kids to grow up,\u201d says Mr Arvind, who is a father of two daughters. His family now lives in San Mateo County, which covers towns like Hillsborough and Palo Alto. Last year, he was appointed chair of the NUS Alumni Overseas Chapter San Francisco. \u201cI feel energised by bringing people together,\u201d he said in an interview with the Singapore Global Network earlier this year. \u201cIt has been a privilege to be invited into communities and shown the ropes along the way, and I\u2019m just trying to pay it forward.\u201d<\/p>

ARVIND\u2019S \u2018FRISCO PICKS<\/strong><\/p>

To me, the best lunch spot in the city<\/strong> has to be Roka Akor<\/strong>, a contemporary Japanese joint that specialises in steak, seafood and sushi. As a vegetarian, I don\u2019t eat these, but they are happy to provide a vegan menu on request. Nestled in the heart of San Francisco\u2019s Jackson Square<\/strong>, near the city\u2019s financial district, it\u2019s a good spot for a business lunch or a quiet dinner. Seafood is a San Francisco tradition and you\u2019ll be spoilt for choice at Fisherman\u2019s Wharf,<\/strong> one of the city\u2019s busiest tourist areas. Friends tell me that the crab and clam chowder, served in sourdough bread bowls, is among the best in the world. It\u2019s a vibrant area worth checking out, even if you aren\u2019t a fan of seafood.<\/p>

My favourite way to end the day<\/strong> is with the sunset at Golden Gate Park. Set up a picnic mat on its gently sloping hill and take in the ocean views as the sky darkens above you.<\/p>

San Francisco is home to<\/strong> so many famous neighbourhoods, each with a distinct character. My favourite is the Presidio<\/strong>, found within the Golden Gate Park. It\u2019s quiet, serene and leads to some of the city\u2019s best historical architecture. Not to mention the views of the Bay, both its man-made and natural sides.<\/p>

Shoppers should make a beeline for Union Square<\/strong>, an exciting district that boasts the city\u2019s best retail, dining and theatre experiences. You\u2019ll find everything from designer boutiques to department stores there.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

THE HILLS ARE ALIVE<\/strong><\/p>

San Francisco is synonymous with its hilly landscape and even those who haven\u2019t been to the city can easily picture its many sleep stopes. \u201cMany may think San Francisco was built on seven hills, similar to Rome, but in fact there are actually around 48 or 49 in the city!\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

See the famed Golden Gate Bridge from a different angle, says Mr Arvind Ayyala (Engineering \u201910), who calls the San Francisco Bay Area home.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4324,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"elementor_theme","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4322","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-life"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4322","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4322"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4322\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5034,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4322\/revisions\/5034"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4324"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4322"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4322"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4322"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}