#Wordless Wednesday - The Lyon Street Steps

Top 10 Quirkiest San Francisco Houses

Recently we published a slideshow in the SF Chronicle on 10 of San Francisco's Quirkiest Homes. This is the original blogpost that inspired me to reach out to the Chronicle.

San Franciscans are known for being quirky. We've got an entire website dedicated to the topic. We're the city that hosts Bay to Breakers (exhibits A, B, and C), and we flock to Burning Man for Labor Day. We have an bike race on Big Wheels Bikes and a hunky Jesus competition...on the same day! 

 While many of us carry our quirk inside of us, some of us wear it on our bodies, and some choose to express it through our homes. As we scour the city with Urban Hiker SF, we've taken note of some eccentric houses and buildings all over the city. Here's a list of 10 of our favorites:

 

1. The Bike House - You think you like bikes, but not as much as this guy (or gal).

• Neighborhood: Laurel Heights
• Location: Blake Street between Geary Boulevard and Laurel Hill Playground

  

 


2. The Jungle House - What can I say, it's wild! 

• Neighborhood: Noe Valley
• Location: Church between 22nd and 23rd Streets

Image courtesy of geekstinkbreath on Flickr

3. The Mondrian House - An homage to a Dutchman by the beach

• Neighborhood: Outer Sunset
• Location: Great Highway between Rivera and Quintara Streets

 
 
 

4. The Buddha House - This home is a trompe l'oeil. In addition to the Buddha on the garage door, 100% of the 'stones' are painted onto the house.

• Neighborhood: Castro
• Location: 17th between Church and Sanchez Streets

5. Old Vedanta Temple 
Not really a house per se, but people from the Vedanta Society do live here. Learn More on the SF City Guides site. 

• Neighborhood: Cow Hollow
• Location: The corner of Webster and Filbert Streets

6. The Rainbow House - Because your whole neighborhood should know your stance on gay marriage.

• Neighborhood: Noe Valley
• Location: Clipper between Douglass and Diamond

7. The Yoga House - A zen retreat in the shadow of Bernal Hill

• Neighborhood: Bernal Heights
• Location: Folsom between Ripley and Stoneman Streets

 

8. The Addams Family House  - Houses need haircuts too sometimes.

• Neighborhood: Castro
• Location: 17th between Church and Sanchez Streets
  

Image courtesy of Bernalwood

9. The Chalkboard Garage House - God bless these folks. These are surely the most trusting people in all of San Francisco. 

• Neighborhood: Bernal Heights
• Location: Mullen Avenue between Montcalm and Franconia Streets

10. The International Orange House - Because because it's a long drive from Bernal Heights to the Golden Gate Bridge.

• Neighborhood: Bernal Heights
• Location: The corner of Precita and Shotwell

Spring is in Full Bloom in San Francisco

On a recent hike, I was asked what comes to mind when I think of spring. I liked this question because it's not something I hadn't really thought about before in any concrete way. 

As I thought about it, I realized that for me, spring means the change in light and the burst of color from new flowers. 

 

Springtime flowers in Redfield Alley in Russian Hill

Since starting Urban Hiker SF last summer, I have gained an acute sense of the changes in weather and season. 

During the summer, the bushes and trees burst with fruit exhibiting nature's abundance throughout the city. As fall comes, the rain transforms the brown, dusty hilltops into lush green hideaways. And there are much more subtle shifts too too. There's a changing of the guard for the city's flowers seemingly every few weeks. There's always something new to look at.

Now is a great time to get out for a hike because there is evidence of spring almost everywhere you look. On a recent hike in the Presidio, I saw gorgeous lilies growing wild by the dozen. On hike yesterday in Russian Hill, flowers filled up a tiny garden with color. My 1:30 pm hikes, which usually end with a darkening sky and a cool breeze are now warm and light the whole hike through. 

 Lilies in the Presidio

In spring, the world just seems greener. What comes to mind when you think of spring?

When Size Doesn't Matter - Five Pint-Sized Parks Worth a Visit

We've all heard of Golden Gate Park and Alamo Square, but have you heard of Juri Commons or Bernal Heights Mini Park? With over 220+ parks and open spaces scattered throughout the city, it's easy for some of the smaller parks to be overshadowed by their larger and more famous neighbors. Some of these pint-sized parks are fun to visit, and can be combined with other nearby sights to make a trip worth your while. 

Jack Early Park (North Beach/Telegraph Hill)

View from Jack Early Park via @gwdexter on Flickr

Jack Early was a former neighborhood resident who passionately planted the steep hillside where this park is located today. After ascending 63 stairs, you arrive at a postage-stamp sized perch with a stellar view of the Bay. Get ready, this is one of the tiniest and most romantic viewpoints in the city. 

• Location: http://goo.gl/maps/uFF8d 
• Vibe: Romantic, Classic SF 
• Other nearby sights: Greenwich Street Steps, Filbert Steps

Bernal Heights Mini Park (Bernal Heights)

The Slides of Bernal Heights Mini Park

If you've been on an Urban Hiker SF tour, you surely remember the Seward Street Slides. If you liked those, there is second set of slides in the unofficial park known as Bernal Heights Mini Park. Over the years, these slides have had their ups and downs (pun intended). At the slides' opening in 1979, then Mayor Dianne Feinstein raced down the slides and defeated district supervisor, Lee Dolson. In the late 90s, the slides were almost shut down due to what were estimated to be prohibitively expensive repairs. Volunteer labor and a petition signed by neighbors saved the slides.

• Location: http://goo.gl/maps/AV45d
• Vibe: Playful
• Other nearby sights: Coleridge Mini Park, Bernal Hill

Juri Commons (Mission)

The inviting entrance to Juri Commons

Believe it or not, the Southern Pacific Railroad used to run right through the Mission District in the early 20th century. Some buildings and homes (like this one) still conform to the railroad line, and so does Juri Commons. Juri Commons is a well-maintained diagonal strip of land between Guerrero and San Jose and 25th and 25th Streets. It houses a playground and a few benches where you can relax.

• Location: http://goo.gl/maps/y4Qc0
  Vibe: Cozy Neighborhood Spot
• Other nearby sights: Murals on Orange Alley or Balmy Alley.

  

Al's Park is quirky through and through.

Al’s Park (Upper Market)
While Al's Park isn't an official park (yet), it's a great reflection of the spirit of San Francisco. A thin strip of land in what one can only assume is someone's backyard, Al's Park is full of interesting plants, furniture, and quirky art pieces. I am not sure who Al is, but he is a San Franciscan through and through. 

• Location: http://goo.gl/maps/30TMZ
• Vibe: Quintessential Quirk
• Other nearby sights: Iron Alley Steps or Pemberton Place

Hawk Hill with Mt. Davidson in the back.

 

Hawk Hill Park (Forrest Hill)
Not to be confused with its similarly named neighbor to the north, Hawk Hill Park is nestled into the Forrest Hill neighborhood. From this sandy and grassy overlook, you can see Mount Davidson and take in sweeping views of the ocean. This park makes the list because most people don't know you can actually visit the park - they think it's just a hillside. The best point of entry is on San Rita Avenue.

• Location: http://goo.gl/maps/kuZI1
• Vibe: Top Secret
• Other nearby sights: Pacheco Steps, 16th and Moraga Mosaic Steps, Golden Gate Heights Park

Urban Hiker SF’s Urban Foraging Field Guide

Urban Hiker SF has been around for a few months now, and since I started my company, I’ve become much more connected with the city. I now notice minute architectural details, hidden alleyways...and, for the first time in my life, plants.

I had never been a plant person, but, one day as I walked around the city with my father, a lifetime plant lover, he pointed out a nasturtium plant and told me that it was edible. Now he had my attention: as a foodie, I find plants infinitely more interesting when I also see them as food. Now that I know what to look for, I see numerous edible plants on a daily basis on my hikes. While the summer’s blackberries and plums have disappeared until next spring, there are a number of other edible plants around the Bay Area that you can enjoy year-round. Here’s a mini field guide to help you on your urban foraging expeditions.

1. Nasturtium

You can identify nasturtiums by their jewel-toned yellow, orange, and red flowers as well by their lilypad-shaped leaves. The flowers can be enjoyed as a colorful and spicy salad topper, and you can also eat the leaves. I’m intrigued by this nasturtium pesto recipe that makes use of both parts of the plant.




2. Fennel
Fennel is easy to spot with its long stalk, feathery dill-like leaves, and yellow flowers. You can also often smell the plant’s licorice scent before you see it.

In restaurants, you’re most often eating the fennel bulb, but on hiking trails, it’s much easier to eat the flowers and seeds. These above-ground parts of the plant have a lovely anise flavor and act as a great natural breath freshener.

3. Lavender
There are multiple of varieties of lavender all over the city, but the ones I most often see are English lavender hybrids (left) and Spanish lavender (below left). An easy way to make sure you’re dealing with lavender and not something like Mexican Bush Sage (below right), which is not edible, is to give the plant a pinch and sniff your fingers. If you smell the signature lavender smell, you’ve hit ‘purple gold’. Most people don’t eat lavender by itself, so inspired by the Bi-Rite honey lavender ice cream flavor, I’ve taken to making these honey lavender cookies.

4. Rosemary
If you’re not seeing rosemary everywhere in the city, you may not be looking hard enough. I’ve seen rosemary in almost every neighborhood, and sometimes it can dominate entire walls and gardens. As with lavender, there are many varieties of rosemary: it can be “creeping,” it can grow as a bush, and it can feature blue, pink. or white flowers. Since there are so many types of rosemary, do a sniff test before you eat to make sure you’ve got the right plant. Lately, I’ve been using rosemary to make these delicious biscuits.

Before you head out into the streets and woods, remember that foraging can quickly become dangerous if you accidentally ingest the wrong plant. You should be meticulous in your plant identification in order to stay safe.

Once you know you’re indeed dealing with an edible plant, enjoy! The city is your salad, so get outside and start snacking.

San Francisco - A (Literal) Playground for Adults

When I refer to San Francisco as a playground for adults, I mean it in the most innocent of ways. While standard playgrounds are designed strictly with children in mind, scattered throughout the city are the unofficial playgrounds of slides and swings where kids of all ages can relive their childhoods. Here's how to find them:

Slides

1) According to the SF City Guides, The Seward Street slides were born in 1973 when then 14-year-old Kim Clark won a contest to design the lower part of the Seward Mini Park. The slides are centrally located, and you can walk to them easily from the Mission or Castro. I've loved these slides in the past, but have been slightly turned off of late by a grumpy neighbor who occasionally threatens to call the police on visitors. You can read the Yelp reviews for more information on that situation.

2) I recently learned about the Bernal Heights Mini Park slides through one of my urban hikers (thanks Anita!). On Yelp, the first picture alone makes me want to run over there well...now! These slides are located right next to Bernal Hill, so you could visit both spots easily on the same walk. These slides look so fun that I may have to create a new urban hiking route to add to my route portfolio.

Swings
1) Located in Glen Park, Billy Goat Hill gives you a downtown and southern city view, and can be reached via the Church Street MUNI lines or Glen Park BART. As you walk toward the top of the park, you'll find a rope swing hanging from a tree. The swing has two loops for your feet, and when you hop on, you'll feel like you're flying high over the city even though the ground is safely within reach.

2)  Golden Gate Heights Park in the Inner Sunset boasts a simple, but lovely tree swing. While this neighborhood isn't the most central location for many, the park and swing are worth a visit if you're in the area. Or, if need an extra reason to make the trek, head a little north to check out Grand View Park and the ever-amazing 16th and Moraga mosaic steps.

Do you know of any other city slides or swings that fit for adults? If so, I'd love to add them to my list. You can reach me at alexandra@urbanhikersf.com.

Walk, Hike, Run Bernal

I don't think I could love Bernal Hill more than I already do. Maybe it's the houses cozily nestled into the hillside, maybe it's the contrast of the light-colored land with the dark trees up top, or maybe it's the fact that it's close to my home. Whatever it is, the hill always draws me in.

 

Photo courtesy of: http://aios-staging.agentimage.com/tmontgomery_pending.com/htdocs/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/bernal-1.jpg

And I'm not the only fan of the hill. Bernal has a great vantage point over the city, so it's a popular neighborhood spot to bring your dog for a walk, to have a picnic, or to read a book.

For runners, the hill has yet another layer of appeal. The roughly circular path around the base of the hill is exactly one mile long, so you can measure your runs in loops around the park.

The microwave tower at the top of the hill is affectionately nicknamed "Sutrito Tower" after its larger to the northwest. The tower even has its own twitter account.

If you want to visit the park and are coming from points north, take Folsom Street south, cross Cesar Chavez past Precita Park, and head all the way up the hill (it's steep, but just for a few blocks). When you see this house, you've almost made it. The park begins where Folsom Street ends.