Blog Archives

Castro to BV

10/25/2016

Duboce has 70 south side-steps up to Divisadero from Castro: first two.

The top of Waller has 90 steps (south side) and a layered planting space in middle. The north side is a walkway with no steps: 3 thru 11

The Waller stairway is now called “Adah’s Stairway,” pic 12

Searched Google Maps using this name and was taken right to it.

It was dedicated several years ago to the author of “Stairway Walks in San Francisco,” Adah Bakalinsky.

Alpiine's east side-stairs down to Waller: 117, pix 13, 14

Duboce also has 73 north side-stairs down to Divisadero and some steps hugging the fronts of homes; the latter not counted: 15, 16, 17

The whole three blocks from Castro to Buena Vista park should have side-stairs; supersteep in this area.

1 Duboce at Castro, south side

2 79 steps up to Divisadero

3 Waller steps renamed Adah's Stairway

4 90 steps

8 Plantings at the top

9 Top at Buena Vista Ave. East

12 Adah's Stairway sign at top of stairs

13 Alpine Terrace

14 117 steps down to Waller

15 North side of Duboce

16 73 down to Divisadero

17 North side of Duboce - alongside the residences

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Noes

10/23/2016

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Down from Diamond Heights Blvd. into upper Noe Valley … steeply.

Safira is a walkway/ramp with steps at each end: 34 total, first 7 pix.

It descends along the south side of fenced-in Douglass Playground, a popular dogwalking park. The entrance is at the foot of Safira.

Valley stairway is a minipark with 69 steps down from Diamond: 8, 9, 10

When you get to the foot, Valley here is a median-divided street. Take the upper (north side) to descend 52 side-steps: 11 thru 16

The steep Castro stairway (63) rises from 28th St.: 17 thru 27

Was then at the top of the Duncan-Castro Openspace, another minipark. This one could really use some steps. It’s steep dirt if you’re sliding down or climbing up: 28 thru 32

There’s a wide driveway towards Duncan’s east dead-end that passes under homes and turns to the left (west). It’s then a dirt driveway up to the foot of the minipark.

This took me exactly where it did years ago: homes on either side, then the openspace above to my left (south).

To my right (north) was the top house with the various rust-colored metal sculptures in its front and side yards: 33 thru 39

Glad to see the yard art is still here. If they were on my property I’d paint therm bright colors to make them stand out more.

The three older homes just below the foot of the steep uphill dirt trail to the opsepace are themselves eye-candy: 40, 41

The old wood stairway (24 steps) descends to the top of the 27th St. side-stairs/elevated walkway on the south side of the street: 42 thru 47

The elevated walkway continues to the east dead-end of median-divided 27th: 48

98 steps for 27th down to Noe: 49 thru 53

Seven side-steps on the east side of Noe as I made my way down the steep street to 26th and a stop for the #24 Divisadero:

1 Down from Diamond Heights Blvd.

2 34 steps and a walkway in the middle

3 Douglass Playground to the left

4 Looking back up

5 Fenced in - popular dog play area

8 Valley stairs - down from Diamond

9 69 steps for the main Valley stairway

10 At the foot Valley is a divided street. Take the upper for the side-stairs.

11 More steps up ahead

12 52 steps on Valley's north side

17 Foot of Castro stairs at 28th St.

18 63 steps

28 Duncan-Castro Openspace

29 Top of the Duncan-Castro

30 Top of the minipark

31 Foot of the Duncan-Castro Openspace

32 Foot of Duncan-Castro Openspace

33 One of the sideyard critters

36 Unique yard-art

40 Top house with all the sculptures

41 Trio above 27th St.

42 24 steps down to the elevated walkway

43 27th St. elevated walkway below

44 Old, wood, with wide railings

46 27th St. south side-steps up to an elevated sidewalk

47 The wood stairs above the walk

48 Dead-end of 27th at top of stairway down to Noe

49 Top of 27th St. steps

51 98 steps

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Two Stairway Loops

10/16/2016

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Passing the top of he Lyon stairway (290 steps) on my way to the Presidio’s Broadway Gate trailhead: first pic

Partway down from the Gate nto the forest (2, 3), noticed the old brown wood fence was gone that had been here since prehistoric times.

It stood between the forest and upper Simonds Loop neighborhood homes and I was quite fond of it.

The guardrail is now the only thing separating this section of forest from the road: 4

Stacked in the forest: 5

It wasn’t completely down when I was there but this part on the west side still standing might also be gone by now: 6

Went to get a staircount for “hidden” Gibbon (25) east of the Simonds Loop steps: 7

At the foot, a short curvy distance away, was the foot of the Simonds Loop stairs (62). So back up: 8 thru 13

There’s also a separate walkway with seven steps between upper and lower Simonds Loop homes: 14, 15, 16

To the forest that’s below the road and above Lovers Lane: 17, 18

Heading west: 19

Amatury Loop (Park Trail near the Cemetery Overlook) has 47 upper and 34 lower steps.

You can see the foot of each flight well from the vehicle streets. However, they ascend to between the residences and there are no street signs. So not easy to see the tops from the streets.

Upper: 21 thru 24

Lower: 25, 26, 27

To the Cemetery Overlook: 28 thru 36

1 Lyon down from Broadway

2 Lyon stairway below

4 No more fence

7 "Hidden" Gibbon: 25

8 Simonds Loop: 62

16 Walkway between upper and lower Simonds Loop

17 Forest above Lovers Lane

19 Southeast Presidio

20 Top of upper Amatury Loop

22 47 steps

25 Top of ;tower Amatury Loop steps

26 Down to Park Blvd. and Park Trail

28 Lower trail thru the forest. Upper trail alongside residences.

29 Upper trail to Cemetery Overlook

33 Cemetery Overlook

34 Above is a trail that descends thru the forest to the Post Chapel/Main Post area

35 98 steps descend to Park Trail

36 Top of Cemetery Overlook steps

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Telegraphing

10/14/2016

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3Romlo up fem Broadway has 27 older east side-stairs: First three pix

The west side has newer steps. Some years ago there was a parking lot just to the left of these. When they built a new apt. building here they also constructed new side-stairs. Not counted thistime

Up steep Kearny for the west Filbert stairwa: pic 4

Pioneer Park is on the left as you ascend the 64 steps. Near the top is a fenced vacant lot to the right. Up to Telegraph Hill Blvd.: 5 thru 8

Across the street is a south stairway into the park. 29 steps to the first landing where there’s a bench. 64 up to Coit Tower’s walkway: 9, 10, 11

Walkway at oot of Coit Tower: 12, 13, 14

91 park steps on the west side down to Telegraph Hill Blvd. The last flight is old stone steps: 15 thru 25

From Telegraph Hill Blvd. continuing with 50 steps down to the top of Greenwich on the southwest side off the park: 26 thru 31

Now 26 south side-stairs to Grant: 32, 33, 34

Up from Lombard just above Grant, 29 steps for Child: 35, 36, 37

Julius, 9: 36

Jack Early Park is a narrow, one-way stair-park with benches and 64 steps. East side of Grant directly across from the east end of Pfeiffer, between Chestnut and Francisco: 39 thru 46

Now for Francisco. The steps and immediate area got a huge facelift from the way it looked here in the 1970s. A few THENs: 47 thru 50

And NOW, 85 steps: 51 thru 64

This doesn’t go all the way down to Sansome, but you can get to the foot of the Greenwich and Filbert steps from here by curving round the foot of the hill for a few blocks.

1 Romolo: 27 older side-steps for the east side (right)

3 Newer sidewalk steps on west side (top)

4 Up Kearny for west Filbert stairway

5 Foot of Filbert west steps at Kearny

6 64 steps up to Telegraph Hill Blvd.

7 Still a vacant lo right - houses demolished here in 1999

8 Top of Filbert west stairs

9 64 steps south side of Pioneer Park

12 Walkway around Coit Tower

14 South side

15 91 west park steps down to Telegraph Hill Blvd.

16 Down to a paved park trail

19 Last flight down to Telegraph Hill Blvd.

24 At Telegraph Hill Blvd.

26 Telegraph Hill down ro top of Greenwich west at foot of park

27 50 steps for this flight

31 Foot of park at top of Greenwich. Side-stairs on north side too

32 26 side-steps for south side of Greenwich

35 Child;s foot

36 29 steps

37 Up from Lombard

38 Julius out to Whiting

39 Jack Early's foot

40 64 steps

43 A view north from the top of Jack Early Park

45 Back down again

46 Jack early is an up-and-back stair-park

47 THEN 1970s: Top of Francisco steps

48 THEN 1970s: Top of Francisco stairway

49 THEN 1970s: Francisco steps

50 THEN 1970s: Foot of Francisco stairway

51 NOW - Francisco stairs

52 85 steps

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Memorial Steps

10/13/2016

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It’s an awesomely beautiful, huge forested park, but I find Golden Gate Park somewhat difficult to navigate.

The infosigns have these vague arrows. Streets and trails curve so it’s easy to make a wrong turn. The directions are not clear enough. Signs should also be at eye level instead of way above my head.

Examples of easier to follow trailsigns are at the Presidio, Lands End, and other GGNRA parks. These show how many feet, miles, or partial miles for various destinations.

And less vehicle traffic, please. Cars and parking spots all over the place. I’d like to see more streets closed off with pedestrian skyways above those that remain.

After a couple wrong turns, finally found the National AIDS Memorial Grove last visited some years ago. This is such a gorgeous place: 1 thru 9

Entered from a paved trail on the south side with 13 steps for the first flight seen - up to a bench: 10, 11, 12

18 for the next: 13

30 for a third one: 14 thru 18

72 steps for the longest stairway, descending on the north side: 19 thru 25

Heading south on my way out of the park, a pleasant discovery of 14 older tiled steps on the north side down to the carousel: 26 thru 29

Around to the south side of the carousel: up 30 older steps: 30 thru 33

Near Arguello exiting the park to climb up a steep street for the N-Judah Metro: 34

10 13 steps to a bench

13 18 steps

14 30 steps

19 Northside stairs: 72

26 Down to the carousel

29 14 steps

30 Behind the carousel

32 30 steps

34 Near Arguello

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3 Glen Parks

10/9/2016

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Hamerton, with 67 steps up from Bosworth, is a favorite way to the Sunnyside neighborhood. For the Sunnyside, keep uphilling to the east dead-end of Mangels and continue west.

Hamerton unfortunately had litter and dumping where its two benches are, one where you first start up and a lot of it on its middle landing, including what looked like old bedding. Disgusting. Hopefully gone by now. Hemerton: 1 thru 6

Back down to Bosworth and a tad to the west for the Burnside steps down to Paradise, 59 steps. 7 thru 14

A THEN showing Burnside in the early 1970s, pic 15. Dorothy Erskine Park was dedicated as a city park in 1977.

Up Lippard (pic 16) for a couple of urban alleys. No streps for Ohlone Way (pix 17, 18, 19) nor the next one, Poppy Lane.

Ohlone runs thru but the part of Poppy east of Diamond still does not. If it did, it would probably come out at Bemis. Poppy Lane: 20 thru 25

Penny Lane is one block downhill from Poppy, entered off either Diamond, Sussex, or Surrey.

A fence on Sussex on my way to Penny Lane: 26

There’s a steep dirt trail entrance down from Sussex. It could use some steps; there are only two at the foot of this part.

Where Penny descends to Surrey is where the garden steps are: 39.

Penny Lane: 27 thru 41

Last: Couple of homes on Surrey St.

1 Hamerton up from Bosworth

2 67 steps

7 Top of Burnside stairs

8 59 steps to Paradise

15 THEN: 1970s. Dorothy Erskine Park to right

16 A book exchange at this corner house, Lippard & Surrey

17 Ohlone Way

19 Sign at north entrance to Ohlone Wy

20 Poppy Lane

21 Poppy Lane out to Diamond

22 Crossing Diamond, east uphill on Poppy Lane

26 On Sussex heading for Penny Lane's north entrance

27 Penny Lane down from Sussex

29 Left for main trail out to Diamond

42 Surrey St,

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Fort Scott to Rob

10/5/2016

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To start this Presidio hike, old steps down to the tennis courts area: 48, first two pix

Dragonfly Creek old stone bridge: 60 if you continue N to S and up the steps to the street: 3 thru 6

A short offshoot stairway leads down to a trail that continuas east to a pedestrian bridge, then the Presidio’s nursery: 7, 8, 9

30 for the nursery stairway. This is a replacement flight, still wood: 10, 11, 12, 13

South to Wisser Ct. for a pleasant visiit to the “hidden” Fort Scott Community Garden: 14 thru 25

11steps for the garden’s stone stairway: 26

17 for the old steps out the east garden gate down to the rear of the residences: 27, 28

The Presidio has lots of short stairways, like these (29, 30). The latter leads up to a favorite trail behind Fort Scott neighborhood homes. Up this short trail to the east edge of Rob Hill Campground.

13 wteps up to the campground: 31

Over to the west side of the campground area and down 30 leaf-covered old wood steps for a newer addition to the park, a few years ago, part of the Anza Trail: 13 steps here, a short dirt trail and five more down to Washington.

So 18 total for this trail segment Onto a trail alongside residences and to Battery Caulfield Road’s sidewalk on the west side of the street.

Pix 32 thru 43 ...

1 48 steps

3 Over Dragonfly Creek

7 Presidio plant nursery

10 Old stairway has been replaced

11 30 steps

14 Fort Scott Community Garden

22 Lemon tree

26 11 steps

27 East garden gate

28 Eastside down

31 Up to Rob HillCampground

36 30 wood steps

40 Between Washington & Rob Hill Campground

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Molinari Mini

10/3/2016

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Off Hyde St. on Russian Hill is a nice little minipark with seven steps called Hyde & Vallejo Minipark: first pic

This day's main destination was formerly two separate alleys. They were combined several years ago to make one garden-minipark.

Descending off Union this visit, down from the long Jones sidewalk streps, is the Molinari Mana minipark that used to dead-end for walkers with only a couple of steps. Now where it used to dead-end are more steps down.

There are around 26 total, counting the few at the Taylor & Redfield entrance on the east side.

The area is now a beautiful, secluded, stepped garden oasis tended by residents.

Alongside the steps are a couple of benches. Then another short stairway.

The garden then turns and there’s a delightful “hidden” walkway enclosed by fences and residences that goes out to Taylor and Redfield.

The whole thing, starting from the Union entrance: 2 thru 28

Crossing Taylor, another narrow dead-end alley called Aladdin invited me to take time to walk it. There’s now a courtyard below that appears to belong to a private residence. However, along the street were some cool personal touches: 29, 30

Waldo Alley offLeavenworth: 31

Detoured east on Broadly below Taylor to check out another little garden: 32, 33, 34

The garden is fenced but 29 public stairs descend to another narrow dead-end (for vehicles) street called Salmon.

Crossing Pacific, Salmon becomes Auburn (pic 35) with the north side of Nob Hill’s Cable Car Museum up ahead across the street.

Starting down from Mason & California on the east side of Mason, 10 steps: last two

1 Hyde & Vallejo Minipark

2 Between Jones & Taylor off Union

3 To start, walkways with a center median

4 A couple of steps to start

6 Steps start down

25 Looking back

27 Out at Taylor

28 Redfield Alley has a street sign

29 Alladin is across Taylor from Redfield

30 Aladdin off Taylor

31 Waldo Alley off Leavenworth

32 Fenced garden to left

34 29 steps

35 Auburn, Nob Hill

36 Mason down from California St.

37 Mason, Nob Hill

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48th and Sutro Heights

10/3/2016

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The Balboa Natural Area is on the south side of Sutro Heights Park and “wilder” than the north side. So I like this area more than the main park.

Descended theBalboa steps, 118, graffiti-ed at the top: 1 thru 10.

At the foot, over to 48th Ave. as I was gonna walk up some old stairs not done in years.

There are railed sidewalk steps on each side. West side: 48 steps: 11 thru 14

East side has 36: 15, 16, 17, 18

At the top, however, thought I’d previously been able to get up to the next street Sutro Hts. Ave. from here. Looking round, confused, for the rest of the way up. Why’d I think this was thru? Did I dream this or did it used to be?

Stairs have been filled in (Linda Vista, Crocker-Amazon area, and the old wood steps in the Presidio behind Julius Kahn Park down to El Polin Spring).

Or feced off, like upper Acme Alley near Kite Hill. This latter was a garden-y spot created by the residents. It used to descend to the next street, the steps nearly all the way down. Then the next time I was in the area it was blocked it off at the foot with a fence.

But then you have Bengal Alley, fenced and blocked off for several years and then magically transformed into a stepped minipark gardensite, Miraloma up to Lansdale.

To my left was a trail (19) out to the Balboa stairway. In the center a wall with impenetrable plant tangles behold it. To my right private residences.

So back down and a block east to 47th and steeply up to Sutro Hts. Ave. No trail at the top here for walkers - just more scruffy-looking plants (pic 20 - this look like it used to run thru to you?) No wonder I couldn’t see it on Google Maps as a thru stair-street: it’s not.

Back in Sutro Heights Park, to the overlook on the south side 34 steps: 21 thru 29

Views from up here: 30 nthru 34

21 steps for the north side.

Enjoying the park … last three

1 Top of the steps

3 118 log steps

11 West side-stairs at 48th Ave.

12 38 steps

15 East sidewalk steps

17 36 steps

19 This trail leads out to the Balboa stairway

20 Sutro Heights Ave.

21 Back in Sutro Heights Park

22 South side

23 34 steps this side

28 South steps

31 Ocean Beach

36 No one was home

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Ina Revisited

10/1/2016

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In a recent post about the Russian Hill’s Ina Coolbrith Park,, forgot to include the old stone stairs on the north side. So a revisit: 36 steps, first 3 pix.

More park pix: 4 thru9

The Broadway sidewalk stairs have built-in benches at the top. The street does not run thru at the top for vehicles.

Broadway north: 10, 11, 12

Broadway south: 13

At the top there’s Florence with 54 steps: 14 thru 19

Florence meets the next street, Vallejo, with side-stairs north and south.

North elevated Vallejo side-steps and short stairway up to them: 20

Vallejo north 42 steps: 21 thru 25

Vallejo south elevated walkway: 50 steps: 26, 27, 28

These two elevated walks run between the minipark (29) on the east side and the double Jones steps (20 steps each, pix 30, 31, 32) on the west.

Vallejo’s stairway’s 104 steps down alongside the miipark on the south side to Taylor: 33 th5u 39

Long Jones east sidewalk steps (356): 40 thru 47

Green St. steps up from Taylor:48. 49