Bengal Alley, a convenient stairway on Mount Davidson’s west side in the Sherwood Forest neighborhood, is on private property. It descends from Lansdale to Miraloma directly to a #43 bus stop.
It was closed for several years, blocked off, evidently because of some safety concerns. The street sign for the stairway stayed in place at the bus stop, though there was a chainlink fence there – and still is, though there’s been an opening out to the sidewalk for a while. Hopefully the fence will be removed once the renovations are fully completed.
Neighbors had a change of heart a few years ago and started to improve the stairway. I walked it in 2009 when they were just getting started on the renovation project and counted about 73 steps. Now in its latest incarnation there are 107.
Just the other day, looking out the window of the #43 as it climbed Miraloma, I noticed the striking middle section of attractive redwood planters, steps, and retaining walls (first foto). The whole stairway is clear of debris and obviously greatly improved from last time I saw it.
So today got off at my usual stop at Juanita & Marne, but instead of heading up to the park, turned the other way to ascend curvy Lansdale.
At the top of the stairs is a wooden gate (second pic) and the first section of steps of old, rough stone.
The latest, all-wood, addition starts in the middle (third and fourth pics). I can imagine what this will look like when all the new plantings get growing. There’s a built-in wood bench as well (fifth photo). Reminds me of the impressive job neighbors did in 2004 on Bernal Heights’ Franconia stairway.
The third section is regular, older concrete stairs, fully walkable right out to the bus stop.
See
www.bengalstairs.org
for a good explanatory article, “Bengal Stairs, A San Francisco Street Park.”
Bengal Alley up from Miraloma
Top of Bengal Alley at Lansdale
Bengal's new middle section
Bengal's new planters
Bengal's new bench
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