Telegraph
Hill
Neighborhood
Link
Coit Tower, a 180 foot-tower resembling a fire hose nozzle sits
authoritatively on top of Telegraph Hill. The tower, built in
1933, was a gift to the city from Lillie Hitchcock Coit, who
requested the monument be built in honor of the firemen at Knickerbocker
Engine Company.
The hill was originally referred to as "Signal Hill"
when a semaphore system was installed to alert residents that
a ship was coming through the Golden Gate. In 1850, the Maria
Telegraph replaced the semaphore, and the area was officially
named Telegraph Hill.
By the end of the 19th century, the area was still ethnically
diverse with large populations of Irish, Italians, Germans,
Spanish and Portuguese. Because the fishing and shipping industries
surrounded the hill, the neighborhood had never been home to
the wealthy. With the building of Coit Tower, the hill became
automobile-accessible. Consequently, Telegraph Hill became an
expensive neighborhood for those seeking panoramic views of
the bay.
Nob
Hill
Nob Hill hosts some of the most elite of San Francisco addresses
as well as some of San Francisco's richest history. With the
completion of cable car in 1843, the influential and the wealthy
moved to Nob Hill. In the late 1800's, major figures of the
mining and railroad industries resided in the huge mansions
that now make up the Fairmont Hotel, Stoufer Stanford Court,
Huntington Hotel and Mark Hopkins Inter-Continental.
Today, Grace Cathedral sits beautifully atop the hill with the
Fairmont Hotel and the Pacific Union Club nearby. Impressive
apartments and flats dot the area. Tayor and Jones streets offer
a few select restaurants and shops while the cable car makes
its way through the neighborhood, giving it true San Francisco
Flavor.
Russian
Hill
Neighborhood
Link
Russian
Hill is located in the northeastern part of San Francisco. It
runs from Broadway to the Bay and from Van Ness Avenue to Columbus
Avenue. This neighborhood is built upon one of the city's steepest
hills, rising above Chinatown and the waterfront, tucked between
Nob Hill and Pacific Heights. The Muni-bus line provides easy
public transportation to the Financial District, while the bells
of the cable cars echoes up the streets, transporting residents
and tourist alike to Aquatic Park, the Maritime Museum and nearby
Fisherman's Wharf.
Russian
Hill is blessed with fantastic sunny weather and marvelous breath
taking views in almost all directions. Known mostly as a residential
enclave, from the grand houses on the Vallejo Street, to the
curiously shaped dwellings, to the larger condo and apartment
buildings. Russian Hill is home to some of the most sought after
addresses in the city.
Russian
Hill includes a variety of businesses, ranging from the shops
at Ghiradelli Square, to the popular Tower Records, to the quaint
corner stores, fresh produce markets and a wide selection of
restaurants and eateries. The neighborhood's business centers
can be found on Polk Street and Hyde Street, typified by a growing
number of antique shops, an abundance of sidewalk cafes and
a mixture of boutiques and small, privately owned stores.
Ever
present, amidst the special qualities of Russian Hill is the
famous "Crookedest street in the world," Lombard Street.
No journey to San Francisco is complete without a quick peek
at its curvaceous landscape.
For
those who love city living and are not afraid to set their sights
high, Russian Hill is a place to see and explore.
North
Beach
North
Beach
North Beach is known as the "Little Italy" of the
West, with its abundant Italian restaurants, cafes and bakeries.
The cathedrals of Saints Peter and Paul gracefully sits on the
northern side of Washington Square, a grassy piazza and center
to North Beach's energy and cultural buzz. Every dawn, Washington
Square hosts a handful to a hundred people greeting the day
with ancient Asian Tai Chi.
Cathedral
Hill
The New St. Mary's Cathedral tops this hill and is surrounded
by finely crafted apartment buildings and retirement residences.
The imposing presence of the First Unitarian Church, St. Mark's
and St. Paul's help to explain the name of this neighborhood.
Chinatown
The heart of the Chinese community downtown since Cantonese
immigrants came as workers during the Gold Rush, Chinatown is
filled with colorful produce shops, herbalists, fish and meat
markets and continues to be one of the City's most popular tourist
destinations. Despite severe discrimination and the Oriental
Exclusion Act in the 1880s, Chinese Americans persevered in
this neighborhood. Its wooden buildings were destroyed by fire
following the 1906 quake and replaced by stone and brick structures.
Civic
Center
This is an area of great architectural, social and historical
interest. The San Francisco Civic Center, City Hall, the new
City Library, Herbst Theater and the War Memorial are all found
in this grand area which also contains some failed attempts
at urban renewal. The open civic spaces are sometimes home to
many of the city's underprivileged and elderly poor. The Tenderloin
neighborhood is one of the City's poorest. Community groups
work to stabilize the area today, which seems still in the flux
of economic pressures and change.
Embarcadero
Center
Bordered by Battery, Davis, Sacramento and Pacific Streets,
Embarcadero Center is a large complex of residences, shops,
movie theaters and offices surrounding landscaped plazas.
Financial
District
Much of what is now the densest part of the city was once water.
The shoreline was roughly at Montgomery Street and the east
west streets ended in wharves. The Wall St. of the West, Montgomery
St. and others downtown streets are the financial and corporate
headquarters of the City. Some of the best commercial architecture
can be found here including skyscrapers and modern condominiums.
This area was originally part of the Bay, which extended to
Montgomery St. At the time of the Gold Rush, the wharves that
extended out into the bay became streets and buildings. Their
foundations included the hulks of old sailing vessels! The opulent
Sheraton Palace Hotel is here along Market Street which still
has the spirit of the original Palace Hotel of 1873.
Fisherman's
Wharf
Real fishing boats and restaurants serving fresh crab, historic
sailboats and a new walk-through aquarium are here at one of
the City's most popular tourist attractions. Go on, grab a boat
to visit Alcatraz, or a ferry to Sausalito...
Jackson
Square
The largest collection of mid-19th Century brick buildings still
standing can be found in this historic district. Because the
city was mostly destroyed by fire from the 1906 earthquake,
these vital traces of local heritage have been designated an
official historic district, with architect and sign control.
You'll see interior design shops along with some advertising
agencies, world class hotels and restaurants.
North
Waterfront
The strip of land from the Ferry building to Fisherman's Wharf
has always been considered prime real estate. The condominium
complexes on the Northern tip are well maintained, offering
excellent views, amenities and a convenient location, including
the Golden Gateway which includes some hi-rise offices and condominiums,
centered around some elaborately landscaped plazas. Most recently,
many loft and condos have been built at is southernmost tip
and more are in development.
Polk
Gulch
A valley built on an underground river, Polk Gulch includes
an interesting mix of restaurants and coffee shops. The first
gay neighborhood, it still includes gay bars among other shops
and boutiques. Upper Polk Street runs through Russian Hill and
houses many condominium buildings and small 2-4 unit buildings.
Union
Square
Union Square has been the heart of San Francisco's shopping
and hotel district since well before the 1906 earthquake leveled
its first commercial buildings. In 1942, the first ever underground
garage, designed by Timothy Pflueger was built. The concrete
structure was meant to double as a bomb shelter. Covering it
is a landscaped square with pathways. Nieman-Marcus, The St.
Francis Hotel, and the Saks building surround a central square
where shoppers can enjoy the grand scale of Union Square. A
side alley off the square was once a red light district. Now
the modern shopping street is known as "Maiden Lane".
Ticket outlets and cultural events can be found on the square
itself. Street mimes and performance artists are here as well.
The City's most popular cable car line passes the square up
and down Powell St.
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