City Scenes

I've enjoyed this scene of The City ever since I was in college. The pic is taken from Russian Hill, in Ina Coolbrith Park, with the Transamerica Pyramid prominent. This spot has a history from the 1906 quake and fire. A house just to the right of the picture was threatened by the flames spreading up the hill; the owner raised the American flag, the firefighters saw it, rallied round, and saved the neighborhood atop the hill while flames consumed the entire surrounding area. So, you can still spot some 19th century building on the hill while everywhere around the area features early 20th century architecture.

This picture is taken from the top of the Lyon steps, at Broadway on Pacific Heights. There are a fair number of streets in San Francisco where the grade is too steep for a roadbed, so the street is merely a staircase for a few blocks. These are hidden gems in The City, usually beautifully landscaped, islands of tranquillity in the urban environment. Pacific Heights is not a sketchy neighborhood. Folks like Dianne Feinstein, Robin Williams, and Danielle Steel have homes here.