Alamo Square travel guide

The most scenic San Francisco city view

If you only have time to enjoy one view, make sure it’s this one – captured on thousands of postcards: from Hayes Street you look North-East towards Steiner Street where the famous and stunning Victorian houses – the painted ladies – are lined up in a “postcard row”, neatly framing the city’s financial district in the background. Actually, the label “Victorian” is not entirely correct. The only thing the architectural style of these houses has in common with the prime of the English bourgeoisie, the strict moral principles and romantic honoring of the British crown, is the period they were built in: the second half of the 19th century. Other than that Queen Victoria influenced the style of the “gingerbread” houses much less than the actual carpenters who built them - many of them seamen who got inspired and brought back ideas from their travels. And their designs were far from guided by moral principles: the spade shaped woodworks in the balustrades and gables quite simply illustrated the ace of spades symbol, meaning that in such a building gambling was practiced. Also the ornamental bottles and hearts had advertising character – for taverns and brothels.
In the 70ies the “Victorians” had their Renaissance and - with their large bay windows and steep stairways – they are until today San Francisco’s jewels and homes of the wealthy. Whoever owns one guards it jealously!
If you can’t get enough of the painted ladies, check out more colorful Victorians at Lafayette Square, on California Street, on Liberty Street or between Franklin Street and the Presidio.

If you go to Alamo Square, please take a look at the quirky "shoe garden" around the gardener's shack. (at the very center of the park) If you have a quirky old shoe, maybe you can plan ahead to bring it, and add it to the garden. . To make a shoe plant, take one interesting shoe that is worn out, add some earth, and a plant, and some time.

I lived in and around this neighborhood for a very long time, and I miss San Francisco greatly. The shoe garden was one of the neat hidden reasons why I love San Francisco. (Also, the many hidden pedestrian only stairways, the incredible view from the top of Corona Heights and the Presidio Pet Cemetery)

Alamo Square travel guide last edited by christ0ph edit this text

Latest Reviews for Alamo Square

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lieber

Bets city view! :-)

2008-06-07 / follow lieber / report abuse

Joshhudd

Bets city view! :-)

2008-05-23 / follow Joshhudd / report abuse

venturescout

mit Deiner Ducati müssten die Berg- und Tal-Strassen so richtig Spass machen! Enjoy it...

2008-05-05 / follow venturescout / report abuse