The #36 Teresita bus stops at Mount Davidson Park's main south entrance at Dalewood. Love this trail up. Butterflies, bees, birds, beauty!
Ascended the short north stairway (22 steps, first foto) to the top of the openspace area (pics 2, 3). Another short stairway descends to a trail on the east side. Enjoyed the view-of-the-whole-world openspace, then onto a trail that starts down near the iconic cross (pics 4, 5).
Meandered downhill through the forest that comes out at steep Dalewood on the mountain's west side (pic 6).
From Dalewood, downhilled a few blocks to the north, then uphill on Lansdale for the top of the Bengal Street Park, now a gorgeous greenway-stairway-minipark (109 steps). Some old stone steps (7th pic) descend from the attractive gate at the top. Partway down starts the newer part. There's a built-in wood bench alongside the stairs and lots of planters. The chainlink fence that used to be at the foot is finally gone.
This whole transformation is amazing, with a lot more plants having been added since my last visit in February, and they're doing beautifully (pics 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13). This magical makeover should win numerous awards and writeups as one of the most uniquely awesome renovations ever. A must-see, especially if you remember how it used to look when the stairway was nearly buried and fenced off. Renovation started in 2009. See:
http://bengalalley.org
and
http://www.westsideobserver.com/news/bengal.html
And here are two THEN pics, 14 and 15, from 2005: Compare these with the way it looks now.
It's conveniently located on the #43 bus line; the stop is right there at the stairway's foot on Miraloma. While waiting on the bus had several minutes to take a few from down here (pics 16, 17, 18).
Ascended the short north stairway (22 steps, first foto) to the top of the openspace area (pics 2, 3). Another short stairway descends to a trail on the east side. Enjoyed the view-of-the-whole-world openspace, then onto a trail that starts down near the iconic cross (pics 4, 5).
Meandered downhill through the forest that comes out at steep Dalewood on the mountain's west side (pic 6).
From Dalewood, downhilled a few blocks to the north, then uphill on Lansdale for the top of the Bengal Street Park, now a gorgeous greenway-stairway-minipark (109 steps). Some old stone steps (7th pic) descend from the attractive gate at the top. Partway down starts the newer part. There's a built-in wood bench alongside the stairs and lots of planters. The chainlink fence that used to be at the foot is finally gone.
This whole transformation is amazing, with a lot more plants having been added since my last visit in February, and they're doing beautifully (pics 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13). This magical makeover should win numerous awards and writeups as one of the most uniquely awesome renovations ever. A must-see, especially if you remember how it used to look when the stairway was nearly buried and fenced off. Renovation started in 2009. See:
http://bengalalley.org
and
http://www.westsideobserver.com/news/bengal.html
And here are two THEN pics, 14 and 15, from 2005: Compare these with the way it looks now.
It's conveniently located on the #43 bus line; the stop is right there at the stairway's foot on Miraloma. While waiting on the bus had several minutes to take a few from down here (pics 16, 17, 18).
1. North openspace stairway, Mount Davidson Park
2. View from left: Mount Sutro, Sutro Tower, Twin Peaks
3. Viewbench, Mount Davidson Park. From left: Mount Sutro, Sutro Tower.
4. Mount Davidson Park
5. Starting down a forest trail
6. Out from the park on the west side at Dalewood
7. Bengal Alley's old stone steps down from Lansdale
8. Bengal Alley Street Park, June 2013
9. Bengal, 2013
10. Down to Miraloma, Bengal Alley Street Park
11. Bengal Alley now
12. Bengal Alley now
13. Bengal's foot at Miraloma
14. THEN: Bengal Alley, 2005
15. THEN: Bengal Alley, 2005
16. Bengal's foot at Miraloma
17. Bengal at Miraloma
18. Bengal Street Park at Miraloma
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