Year after year, I always take pictures of images of Christmas in San Francisco.  My adoptive hometown is known to be one of the most beautiful cities in America if not the most beautiful and Christmas here is definitely pretty.  There are decorations and trees everywhere and couple that with the cold in this often foggy city, the ambiance is magical.  Enjoy these scenes I took from Christmas in the past few years.

This is how Union Square looks at night during the holiday season.  The square is actually full of people, locals and visitors alike on weekends taking pictures of the tree or of themselves with family in front of the gigantic tree.

I can't think of San Francisco without Macy's.  It is an institution here in the city.  I remember a time when it used to be one of the very, very few stores to shop in in the city.  Thank goodness, now there are other competitors like the GAP, Old Navy, H & M, ZARA, Banana Republic, J. Crew, Mango, and the like.  Now I am just waiting for the Downtown San Francisco Target to open next year, 2012, as well as the opening of  Japanese retail giants like Uniqlo and MUJI and my world would be complete.

One of Macy's Christmas windows

This was taken inside the St. Francis Hotel in Union Square.  This display could be seen right above the check in counters of the hotel.  In previous years, the hotel had a display of different Santas from all over the world.  The display to see and visit in the St. Francis at Christmas is its huge gingerbread house or better yet, castle.  The sweet smell of the sugar frosting fills the air and it is just divine.

This is the Hi-Tech Santa inside the ever popular and ever busy Apple store

The facade of the Intercontinental Hotel with its huge wreaths right above its entrance is a wonderful sight in upscale Nob Hill.