A stunning shot from the back deck at Scoma's in Fisherman's Wharf has been making the rounds, and it deserves a moment. The frame captures three of San Francisco's most iconic towers in a single composition: Coit Tower, the Transamerica Pyramid, and Salesforce Tower — lined up like a timeline of the city itself.

Think about what each one represents. Coit Tower, built in 1933 with funds bequeathed by Lillie Hitchcock Coit, is pure old San Francisco — civic pride funded by private generosity, no tax dollars required. The Transamerica Pyramid, completed in 1972, was controversial at the time but became the symbol of the city's financial ambition. And then there's Salesforce Tower, the gleaming 2018 monolith that announced — for better or worse — that San Francisco had become Big Tech's company town.

Three eras. Three economic identities. Three very different relationships between private enterprise and the city's skyline.

What's quietly remarkable is that none of these towers were government projects. Each was funded by private wealth or corporate investment. The city's most recognizable landmarks weren't designed by committees or approved through decades of bureaucratic review — they were built by people willing to bet on San Francisco's future. Imagine trying to get any of them permitted today.

As one local put it, the real standout is the "Eat Crab Tower" — a fair nickname for anything near Fisherman's Wharf. Another commenter joked they were disappointed the photo wasn't about "the unfinished sequel to Lord of the Rings, set in SF."

The humor tracks. San Francisco does sometimes feel like a fantasy epic — sprawling, beautiful, full of strange creatures and questionable leadership.

But that skyline? Still undefeated. Three towers standing as proof that when you let people build things, great cities happen.