Visiting San Francisco's TEN Mosaic Stairways

San Francisco is home to TEN beautiful mosaic stairways (see map here), but they were all inspired by one.

The 16th Avenue Tiled Steps Project (2005)

The 16th Avenue Tiled Steps project began in early 2003 when Sunset residents Jessie Audette and Alice Xavier decided to bring people together while beautifying their neighborhood. Aileen Barr and Colette Crutcher were chosen as the project artists. The 163-step mosaic features a landscape that spans from the bottom of the ocean all the way to the sun in the sky. The inspiration for the steps came from Selarón’s staircase, a mosaic staircase in Rio de Janeiro named after artist Jorge Selarón. The ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on August 27, 2005–which the mayor’s office proclaimed “16th Avenue Tiled Steps Day.”

Location: Moraga Street between 15th and 16th Avenues

Hidden Garden Steps (2013)

Inspired by the 16th Avenue Tiled Steps, the

neighboring Hidden Garden Steps were conceived in January 2010 and completed in November 2013. Aileen Barr and Colette Crutcher were brought in again to create this 148-step mosaic depicting flora and fauna, including flowers, ferns, butterflies, and a salamander that extends up 26 stairs.
Location: 15th Avenue between Kirkham and Lawton Streets

Flights of Fancy Steps (2014)

Barr and Crutcher won yet another competition to design the 87-step Flights of Fancy stairway in the Bayview neighborhood. This mosaic pattern was inspired by decorative patterns from Ghanaian Adinkra cloth, Central American weaving, Middle Eastern tile and Native American pottery. This stairway is on Aurelious Walker Drive, a street named for a pastor and champion of the Bayview neighborhood.

Location: Intersection of Aurelious Walker Drive and Innes Avenue

Lincoln Park Steps (2015)

Next there's the Lincoln Park Steps, which sits alongside the Lincoln Park Golf Course. In 2007, the Friends of Lincoln Park, a neighborhood organization, began a seven-year-long renovation of the 52-step-stairway. Barr and Crutcher came back for their fourth mosaic, which was inspired by historic photographs of Sutro Baths and buildings of the 1890 World’s Fair in San Francisco. The renovated steps debuted their new design on May, 28, 2015.

Location: 32nd Avenue between California Street and the Lincoln Park Golf Course

Quesada Gardens Tiled Steps (2016)

The Quesada Gardens initiative was designed to beautify a block of Quesada Avenue between 3rd and Newhall Streets. The Quesada Gardens Initiative (QSI) was founded in 2002 as resident-led network to 

“build community and connect people through community-defined public art and gathering spaces, gardens, events and organizing.” QSI’s vision manifested itself on a block of Quesada Avenue between 3rd and Newhall Streets. The project includes a charming garden spanning the entirety of the block's median, a mural by Diedre DeFraceaux with Santie Huckaby situated at the north end of the block, and a tiled stairway leading up from the murall. The stairway features nearly 600 colorful ceramic tiles painted in 2007 by children living in Bayview. The tiles feature fish, flowers, trees, water, and more, and were inspired by an environmental education program led by Heidi Hardin of Think Round Inc. The tiles were finally installed in 2016 after sitting for nearly 10 years in a Quesada Gardens member's garage as the group sought funding for their installation. QSI received initial funding through a grant from the SF Community Challenge Grant program and later received a gift of DPW labor facilitated by Supervisor Malia Cohen. 

 

Unity Plaza (2016) 

Built in 2016, Unity Plaza sits at the start of the Ocean Avenue business corridor, and connects Ocean Avenue with City College. When the plaza was being developed, there was a contest to name it, and Ms. Chaeneice Evans chose the winning name.

Within the plaza, the small mosaic stairway features tiles with black and white photos printed. The photos, sourced from the community, showcase glimpses of the neighborhood's people and places, including elementary school students, students at City College, a local church, the Ingleside Sundial, and more.

Wowhaus Studios printed the images on porcelain enamel tiles and the San Francisco Arts Commission financed the project. 

 

Kenny Alley Steps (2017)
Kenny Alley was a forgotten stairway across the street from the Excelsior Safeway grocery store. The Kenny Alley Steps project was started in 2016 to beautify the area and increase foot traffic to the grocery store, local businesses, and public transit. The design is represents flowing water and hearkens back to the time when the Excelsior was part of a watershed. Kim Jensen, a local artist and teacher at the City Arts & Tech High School, led the design work. And another local artist, Matt Christenson, created a complimentary mural alongside the steps.
Location: Kenny Alley is situated between France and Italy Avenues 

Athens-Avalon Greenspace Steps (2017)
Opened in mid-2017, the Athens-Avalon Greenspace has transformed a former undeveloped plot of land and former dumping ground into a beautiful green space and neighborhood attraction for the Excelsior. This stairway was a long time coming. The original idea for improving the stairway came about in 2008 and the design was finalized in 2010. The stairway is lined with gardens full of drought-resistant plants and is just a few blocks away from San Francisco's second largest park: John McLaren Park.
Location: The Athens-Avalon Greenspace is situated at the corner of Athens Street and Avalon Avenue

Tomkins Stairs (2019)
Opened in spring 2019, the Tompkins Stairs bring a vibrant splash of color to the southeast corner of Bernal Heights. The tiled stairway has a multicolored zigzag design inspired by the Steps to Peace in Deir Atieh, Syria. It is surrounded by a drought-tolerant garden and leads people to nearby schools and the Alemany Farmers Market.
Location: The Tompkins Stairs are on Tompkins Avenue between Nevada and Putnam Streets.

Miraloma Mosaic Stairs (2020)

This cheery stairway popped onto the scene in July 2020. It has a serene organically-inspired design featuring plants and flowers. You can easily combine a visit to this stairway with a hike in Mount Davidson, taking stairway Avoca Alley to get part of the way there. You could also head to nearby Lulu Alley, one of San Francisco's 10 or so dirt roads.
Location: Bella Vista Way across from Dorcas Way.

Which stairway is your favorite? Where would you like to see the next mosaic stairway? What would be your chosen design?

Updated: 8/4/2020