For fans of Tales of the City, it's definitely worth stopping by for a pic of the sign and the view…read moreof the bay in back of it. Otherwise, it is nothing else like the show, there is no apartment complex nestled in the hill, that was filmed on a soundstage. Technically there are some apartments along the path but nothing really to see. It's nice go this way if going from North Beach to the Marina/Cow Hollow or Russian Hill. Vallejo, Lombard, Green, and Greenwich pathway stairs are nearby so best to make a stair walk out of it.

If you've been wondering where the steps of 28 Barbary Lane are in the city, here they be. That's…read morebecause the cloistered walkway that is Macondray Lane served as the inspiration for Anna Madrigal's compound in Armistead Maupin's "Tales of the City", the classic series of books about the liberating life in San Francisco primarily during the '70's and '80's. The residential path is in front of a series of charming homes that are understandably well ensconced in the seven-figure range. On the other side is a steep embankment covered with greenery and freckled with nice touches like a tranquil little waterfall and a trio of trousers doubling as planters. Just be quiet and respectful because people live here but enjoy the atmosphere. RELATED - Exploring Russian Hill? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: http://bit.ly/2IfTVOB

Francisco Steps has 85 steps that go from the Fisherman's Wharf area to Francisco Street. This is…read moremore of a neighborhood thoroughfare yet if someone is doing something at Pier 39 and walking to North Beach it could be a little excursion. Caffe Capriccio and Café Francisco are a few blocks away. For a mile walk of Telegraph Hill you could also incorporate the nearby Greenwich, Filbert, and Vallejo Street steps.

As much as I hate exercise, dear husband got excited when he saw this was 'a thing.' It's out of…read morethe way so you have to purposely be looking for the entrance at the top. Really worth seeing the old houses when walking to the entrance. The stairs are wooden, but have guardrails and taped edged for safety, and every though it was winter-the views and foliage were gorgeous! Just a few hundred yards across the street and you're down at the wharf at the Embarcadero end. 100% worth the fun little jaunt to do them.

This place is AMAZING!!!…read more Sooo many places to eat under one roof. From cookies and milk to burgers, steaks, desserts etc.. the choices are endless. During my visit, the entire large building was very crowded as this is a very popular place. Located along the San Francisco Bay a mere feet from this beautiful building, stepping outside offers amazing views of the bay, boats and the surrounding area. This is is MUST see when visiting San Francisco

This is probably the 1st time I've reviewed a road, or at least a stretch of road. But it's…read moreobvious that the current City government is promoting the scenic places of my home city as destinations for visitors and locals alike. The Ferry Building is the epicenter of this these days with the variety of restaurants and stores (mostly food related) that occupy the building. With its panoramic view and being a transportation hub to other parts of the Bay Area, the Ferry Building is a star. In the past few months, I've seen various pieces of art popping up along the waterfront starting from the baseball stadium (Oracle Park) going north towards Fisherman's Wharf. In recent months, the City has installed large art pieces along the walkways, obviously camera friendly for passerby tourists and locals alike. There were some on the south side of the driveway (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&start=24&select=xiiIO96AcOW-cCucyOR-yQ), (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&start=24&select=xGDByhMkEQhRegUuWbkBxA), and one to the north near pier 7 (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&start=24&select=DJu4WY8DQvygzF9QJsGsOw). The one that caught my eye is actually closer to Oracle Park, the home stadium for the San Francisco Giants. It is almost directly across from a local favorite eatery, Delancey Street Restaurant. Kudos to our city government's vision and foresight in beautifying our waterfront as well as other parts of the City. While it wasn't a visitor friendly city from 2021 to 2024, it looks like things are turning around now as visitors and now the workforce is breathing life back to the city.

Clarion Alley is a super impressive free outdoor mural gallery from local artists. I got lucky and…read morewas invited into the studio of one of them as I was walking by, admiring the pieces. There are a range of messages and meanings, but almost every single one revolved around a social justice matter. Prioritise this alleyway if you're visiting SF!

An outdoor art experience, for sure!…read more I read that many of the murals along this alley have political undertones to them -- had I not known that going in, I might have looked at the murals in a different way. There is a ton of talent displayed on these walls, garages and doors. I also noticed that a few murals have expanded to the streets directly left and right of here - kind of extending the experience. Worth a stroll through. To be honest though -- I'm not great at interpreting a lot of their meanings, but do plan to do a little more research. Note: I was here a little early (9am-ish) on a Saturday. I had the alley to myself, along with one gentleman in the middle of the street who may have been on some substances (based on his behavior). I overall felt safe... but was a little put off by him and did walk past him on the quicker side. 2024: 69/100

About Kenny Alley Stairs: Kenny Alley is a public passage…read moreand stariway in the heart of Excelsior District's commercial corridor. In 2015 the friends of Kenny Alley organization was formed by neighbors who wished to see the space rehabilitated and beautified. The waterscape mural was designed by local artist and teacher Matt Christensen. The waterfall and Kenny Alley Gateway mosaics were designed by artist and teacher Kim Jensen and fabricated by students of City Arts and Tech high school and countless neighborhood volunteers. The project was made possible by Community Challenge Grant, SF Public Works, SF Parks Alliance, Excelsior Collaborative, Excelsior Action Group and the many individual donors, artists and volunteers. I happen to see this stairs/alleyway while we went to grab take out nearby, it was pretty nice to see this. I loved seeing the nice and blue decorations on the stairs. We walked up to see what is up there, took some photos, and went back down. Beware there was a person sleeping on the stairs and there was a mess/ lots of rubbish, empty alcohol bottles. Hate to see the mess in such a nice area where everyone put such in so much time & love in to this project. There are CD disc hanging, made place so shiny. Enjoyed looking at the garden & painting before at alley before going up to the stairs. Great, cool, and quick spot to check out, only if you're in the area or even to take a short cut to the neighborhood via the stairs.

What's the frequency, Kenny? Gee, I was beginning to think Aileen Barr and Colette Crutcher had the…read morecorner on all the mosaic tile staircases in the city. The 16th Avenue Tiled Steps are their handiwork and so are the nearby Hidden Garden Steps and the Lincoln Park Steps. However, it's Kim Jensen who was responsible for this semi-hidden passage between Mission and London Streets in the Excelsior. Completed in late 2016, the blue and reflective silver tiles covering the 47 steps are designed to replicate a waterfall. There are nature murals and rows of cacti on the surrounding fences to supplement the bucolic feeling the creators wanted to evoke. The one challenge is upkeep as a roaming homeless population appears to make themselves home on the available benches periodically. Art is where you find it, I guess. RELATED - Exploring the Outer Mission? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/37B1acE

Named after Adah Bakalinsky the author of Stairway Walks of San Francisco, this stairway is 90…read moresteps connecting Waller St to Buena Vista Ave. There's a green patch to the right of the stairs with plants and trees that serves as a sanctuary bird habitat as well as a plaque on top honoring Adah. I wouldn't come out of my way for this staircase but it's good to do as an add-on to hiking at Buena Vista Park and Corona Heights Park. Every 4th Saturday of the month Nature in the City has a volunteer workday that cleans and maintains the steps.

Another FtR? Why are people adding photos without reviewing? OK, dumb question; I do that all the…read moretime. But for something that hasn't been reviewed yet? I gave others a fair head start. They did not take advantage of my chivalry. The spoils of glory are absolute to the corrupt victor? Or something? Absolutely! These stairs are lovely. I don't understand why they and a cute little garden exist instead of a house or other large building, but I'm glad for the rare open space. I guess if you happen to live at the inside corner where Broderick Street turns into Waller Street, this is a convenient way to get to Buena Vista Park without having to walk back down to Haight Street, but otherwise, these stairs don't really serve a purpose. OK, I'm lying again, because when I park my car next to Buena Vista Park, these stairs allow me to walk to my house more directly than curving back around on Buena Vista Avenue, East, and spending a block on Haight Street, but when I walk back to my car, I don't use these steps, because while more direct going downhill, they don't make the uphill climb any easier. So it's a convenient way to get from one very out-of-the-way high place to another very out-of-the-way high place. In short, if you're walking, unless you happen to live within a very short distance, it's a climb to get to either end of the stairs, so they don't really serve any convenience purpose whatsoever for 99.99997 percent of the population that will encounter them. One of my favorite San Francisco landmarks is the Too Close for Comfort House. If you walk down Buena Vista East from that house, these stairs are on your right. But if you don't take the stairs and instead continue to the intersection with Haight Street, you'll see the neato triangular building at the corner. So these few blocks do hold some wonderful secrets, and they'll give your calves a proper workout.

We visited San Francisco for my birthday recently and were amazed at the improvement one year with…read morethe new mayor has wrought! We were also there in January of 2025, and the staff at the hotel was very excited that the mayor was meeting and engaging with the Asian community in Chinatown for Lunar New Year celebrations! This is a backbone community that not only works, but lives just two blocks away from Union Square. One year later, the downtown is now alive and humming. Hundreds of workers on every kind of transportation imaginable pour into downtown each day. We saw many riding the new electric bikes that are now ubiquitous. People on electric scooters and skateboards, and lots of pedestrians insure that the downtown businesses thrive. We at dinner at Cheesecake Factory in Macy's on Union Square and walked through the square to see the huge lighted Christmas tree and the skaters on the frozen pond. Hundreds of people were there, enjoying the sights and the Christmas market near the square. San Francisco is a town reborn and enjoying the good life!!

This review is for the Annual Tulip day. It's a total joke because you have to wait in many lines…read morejust to get tulips. I went today and was very angry. Poor crowd control and very disorganized. Complained to many different staff associated with the event that it needs improvement and they don't seem to care. This is a very shoddy event no matter if you arrive early or not. If you have elderly family members over the age of 65, it's best to avoid at all costs. Please bring snacks if you have poor health because you will suffer greatly. My mum had a hard time today because she didn't eat anything. It's also very impossible to grab food along the lines because 1. it's overpriced 2. It's very hard to return because the barricades are sealed tight. There needs to be a time in the Tulip day event where people over the age of 65 and their family get first priority. 3 hour wait for a small amount of Tulips, not acceptable. Pigs! The news and social media is lying to you.

Met here for a networking dinner. Staff was welcoming and polite. Food was delicious and…read moresatisfying. Yummy Gorgonzola and pear salad. Handmade raviolis with amazing bolognese sauce. The waiter said the chef is known for his sauce! The entire entree was superb

In the 70's, when I was in the service, stationed in Sacramento, I often drove down to San…read moreFrancisco for the weekend, staying for about $10 per night in the Montgomery Street Barracks which are set alongside the parade grounds, which have since been converted to The Lodge at the Presidio. I spent many of those days in North Beach, regularly visiting City Lights, where the staff taught me how to choose from amidst the mass of books they offered. RIP founder Lawrence Ferlinghetti, who managed to squeeze charm and pleasantness into the few minutes we spoke, the one time we met. I'd pick one or two books, then head over to Caffe Trieste, where, in my late teens, I tasted my first espresso and first heard operatic music performed live. I'd spend hours, reading and watching people. Later, when I'd get hungry, I'd walk down to Mario's Cigar Shop for a sandwich, or to Stella Pastry for a sfogliatella or (well, plus) a slice of sacripantina cake. Other times, I'd wander the city, learning about architecture and Chinese food and latter-day hippie culture, but when I was on Columbus Avenue, I stayed put. It was home base, and, for me, a comfort zone.