Urban Hiker SF

The beauty of the Internet age is that we have the power to undo almost everything we create. With the simple click of the delete button, our mistakes are erased and forgotten. Unfortunately, not everything today is part of the Internet age, and the evidence of this is all over our city streets.   In case you haven’t noticed, you’ll find the name of the street stamped into the concrete at most San Francisco street corners. The DPW contracts the stamping job to a third party, and while they get it right most of the time, there have been some laughable typos cast into the concrete.   One of the first sidewalk typos I remember seeing was on 22nd and Church. On the southeast corner of the street, I found “22 ND” stamped with a backward N. Just one block later, I found 23RD with a backwards and upside down “3”. Since spotting those, I’ve been scouring the sidewalks for typos, and I’ve found a number of gems. There was “Buchnana” where Buchanan was supposed...

Hikers on a Match.com hike This month, we at Urban Hiker SF are proud to celebrate our first anniversary! For the past 12 months we have helped you discover the stairways, hills, and hiking trails of San Francisco while you learn the history that shaped the City by the Bay. 500 Hikers and Counting Since last August, we’ve toured San Francisco with over 500 hikers from over 10 countries!  We’ve expanded our services to cover corporate events, and have run events with airbnb , Akamai , Eventbrite , and Google . Lastly, we’ve run dating events with Match.com and couples events with HowAboutWe.com .     New Hiking Routes When we launched our business last year, we had three hiking routes , “Urban Jungles,” “Stairways to Heaven,” and “Walk on the Wild Side.” In the past year, we launched two new tours , “Presidio Exploration” and “Tales of the City”. “ Presidio Exploration ” explores the historic Presidio neighborhood and includes points of interes...

When I was little, I had Barbie dolls - lots of them. There were the standard Barbie dolls like Malibu Barbie, and then there were the ones my dad would get on his business travels like Indian Barbie and Chinese Barbie (who was then called the cringe-worthy “Oriental Barbie”). I loved dressing up my dolls, doing their hair, and inventing make-believe lives for them. While arguably not the best role model for little girls, Barbie had one clear benefit - she gave me the ability to exercise my imagination and creativity. Now as a 34 year old woman, the dolls (and my childhood) are both long gone. But somewhere up in Upper Market, the spirit of Barbie is still alive. Yes people, I have found Market Street Barbie.   I run urban hiking tours with my company Urban Hiker SF . On my Urban Jungles (Castro/Upper Market/Twin Peaks) hiking route, I pass by the intersection of Market and Glendale Streets numerous times a week. It is here where I have found Market Street Barbie. ...

I recently received an invite to the Google Glass Explorers program. What this means is that I am one of approximately 10,000 people who were chosen by Google to try out Glass and see what comes of it. If you're not already familiar with Google Glass, the new wearable technology device helps you take photos, videos, and run Google searches all from voice commands.  I got my Glass on June 5 and think it could have some fun applications for urban hiking. Many people don't know what I mean when I say that I run urban hiking tours, so I'll be able to show them what it's like to climb on a hiking trail to Twin Peaks (see below), walk through a eucalyptus forest in the city  (video), or slide down the Seward Street Slides  (video)!  Weekend hikers heading up to Twin Peaks. Photo taken #throughglass. If I had a constant Internet connection, which I could get from a wireless hotspot on my phone, I could share the photos and videos I take with my hikers - instant...

Recently we published a slidesho w in the SF Chronicle on 10 of San Francisco's Quir kiest Homes . This is the or iginal blogpost that inspired me to r each out to the Chronicle. San Franciscans are known for being quirky. We've got a n 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 B ig W heels 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 ...

On a recent hike, I was asked what comes to mind when I think of spring. I liked this question because it's not somethi ng I hadn't really thought about before in any co ncrete wa y .  As I thought about it, I realized that f or 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 b urs t with fruit exhibiting nature's abundance throughout t he city. As fall comes, the rain transforms the b rown, dusty hilltops into lush green hideaways. An d there are much more subtle shifts too too. There's a changing of the guard for the city' s flowers see mingly every few wee ks. There's al ways 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....

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 locat ed 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 Be...