Skip to main content

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
Labels:

Comments

  1. marinativeMay 18, 2013 at 9:56 AM

    I don't really get No. 10. Ya wanna see color, come out to the Sunset.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Urban Hiker SFMay 19, 2013 at 1:57 PM

    I understand what you're saying. What I find quirky is the fact that they love SF so much that they painted their house the same color as the GG Bridge. You wouldn't see a house tribute to a bridge in most cities. If you don't like #10, feel free to substitute this one with the Octagon House: http://www.flickr.com/photos/antiquationadmiration/5764768666/.

    ReplyDelete
  3. UnknownJune 7, 2013 at 11:09 PM

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  4. scrappyJune 12, 2013 at 9:14 AM

    #10 is quirkier inside than outside, an homage to aeronautics, civil defense, and err.. other things. http://www.flickr.com/photos/telstar/sets/1354525/

    ReplyDelete
  5. Urban Hiker SFJune 12, 2013 at 4:24 PM

    @scrappy. All I can say is wow. Thank you so much for sharing. I just wish I could live there for an hour or a day - what a great place!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Alex kenAugust 23, 2015 at 11:24 PM

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  7. UnknownMarch 30, 2016 at 9:10 AM

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  8. UnknownSeptember 4, 2018 at 3:03 AM

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  9. lostskyNovember 17, 2018 at 11:17 PM

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  10. JohnnyJuly 13, 2019 at 12:06 PM

    Wow man, I hear Frisco is a gasser. I will have to check you all out when I am coming. You are going to love it.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Four Quick Steps For Identifying Poison Oak

It's that time of year again, and poison oak leaves are sprouting out all over the Bay Area. Getting poison oak is no fun, so if you don't know what poison oak looks like, today is your day to learn!   Poi son oak, you say... So first, why is poison oak so poisonous? It's not that it's actually poisonous, but it does contain urushiol , an oil that can irritate the skin, causing rashes or blisters. The frustrating thing about poison oak (well, one of many frustrating things) is that it's hard to know immediately if you've had contact with the plant. It normally takes 24-36 hours for any skin irritation to appear. I have a quick four-step system to identify poison oak. Feel free to check it out and let me know what you think. (Remember, I am not a medical professional. This is not medical advice. :)) The four-step system Step 1: Listen to the old adage, "Leaves of three, let it be." Poison oak has clusters of three leaves on the entire plan
1 comment
Read more

Urban Hiking and Wine Tasting on Yerba Buena and Treasure Island

The desire to visit Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island had tugged at me for years. I found it fascinating that there were two islands sitting in the bay - one man made and one natural - that were part of the city I lived in. They were close by, yet completely unfamiliar. My birthday in December provided the perfect opportunity to finally explore the two islands. My dad and his wife were in town from LA, and after numerous visits to San Francisco, they were excited to see something new. At a happy hour a few months back, I had met a winemaker from Oro en Paz , and learned that there was wine tasting on Treasure Island. With that as my inspiration, I planned out a birthday itinerary. While you can certainly do this itinerary by car, you can also try it as an urban hike! To do so, check out this map .   Here are two hiking options: Yeba Buena Loop: 1.5 miles ( red ) = 1.5 miles Treasure Island Loop: ( blue ) = 2.75 miles You can combine the Yerba Buena Loop with e
2 comments
Read more

Two Great Hikes Near Cavallo Point and Fort Baker

L ast year, I went to a wedding reception at the Cavallo Point Lodge and my boyfriend and I decided to spend the night there. The morning after the reception, we wanted to take advantage of our location and get some exercise, so we decided to explore some local trails. I revisited these trails again recently and wanted to write about them so you can take advantage of them, too. Hike 1: Cavallo Point Loop 
1.9 miles, 300 feet elevation gain Shortened version on the trail on Relive     Strava route to download or duplicate From outside the hotel’s main building (where the valet stand is) walk diagonally across the large lawn to reach the intersection of Murray Circle and Center Road. There you'll see a (small) trail sign for the Bay Trail. Head straight here onto Moore Road and then take your first left onto Sommerville Street. Start walking along Horseshoe Bay.  When you reach the Presidio Yacht Club after about 0.1 mile, take a wood walkway in front of the buildi
Post a Comment
Read more