It is fortunate for me that San Francisco has streets with names that start with “V” so I can use them in my A to Z Challenge!

As you can imagine almost every street corner in the city has traffic signals. If you are wondering whether to stop or go, these symbols are not going to help with that. Instead, the Handsignals represent the themes in the Mission District’s culture. I can identify the people, the knife and fork, the sun, the bike and the mustache down at the bottom. The third one looks like a mask and the fourth one looks like a bird. I’m not sure what those are supposed to represent. Designed by Matthew Passmore/MoreLab in 2014, the signpost marks the entrance to McCoppin Hub Plaza.

The plaza itself was closed when I went by but the signals blink on and off in an irregular pattern both day and night. On the other side, McCoppin is spelled out in black letters on a yellow background.

Best Viewing: Stand on Valencia Street sidewalk to get a close up of the artwork. If you get there early enough, you can walk up the terraced steps of the multi-level McCoppin Hub Plaza to get a higher view of the neighborhood.

There are four more letters to go. I think the Illuminate SF installations I have for them are some of the best of the series so hang with me!