Tiled steps in San Francisco: an instance of a neighborhood bonding
Many times before, driving to and from one of our favorite diners in the city, we found ourselves looking up to a not-too distant hill, a rock outcropping, really, covered in grass and a few trees, which seemed to promise sweeping views of the San Francisco.
Looking closer, there seemed to be long flights of stairs leading to the top.
We only recently broke out the map and figured out the way there, and we were in for a serious treat.
To get to the top of that hill, we took two flights of stairs amounting to a combined 300 steps, or thereabouts. I am being vague on purpose, as this is a residential neighborhood which intends to remain that way: as an instance, living near or on Lombard St. as it snakes downwards its ‘crooked’ brick path might sound like fun, until you actually cope with tourists’ traffic and the occasional bus or limo which gets stuck at the very top, unable to make the first turn. Not so much fun any more.
The first set of steps we climbed was decorated by neighbor-volunteers under the direction of two artists, a genuine neighborhood enterprise. It was particularly spectacular in the late afternoon light, as mosaics decorating each step riser were set aglow and seemed to shimmer.
Considered as a whole, the mosaics depict landscapes, seascapes and the glorious sun at its zenith. It swirls and curls upwards in very colorful patterns, and each time we reached a landing, we stopped to take in panoramic views of the city in the fading light.
At the top, we crossed a narrow street, climbed the final flight of stairs, undecorated but very sturdy all the way up the hill shaded by trees. There, we found a perfect spot to sit on a log and wait for the sun to set.
I purposefully fudged certain details of this short hike, for reasons outlined above. But those of you who know the city will not have a difficult time figuring out which place we visited. If you do visit, we hope you will respect the privacy and quietude of the residents, in the mean time, enjoy our pictures.
A postscript to “the treasure of the Sierra Moraga”:
After climbing the tiled steps, we looked over the panoramic cityscape and the sturdy stairs leading up the hill. The sun would set in about 20 minutes or so, and we hoped to get a few good pictures out of it, or some memories at least.
Every so often, each landing offers an opportunity to rest and take in the view: it is rare to find such lofty, sweeping views in any city. This reminded me of the battery overlooking the North end of the Golden Gate bridge, with almost dizzying vistas.
At the top of the grassy hill, under wind-shaped tree canopies, we sat on a log facing the sun as it lowered to meet the ocean, with crystal clear sights of the Marin headlands and Golden Gate to our right, the city’s downtown behind us and the Bay beyond it.
A few other people sat around the hill, some hoping for the ‘green flash’ which can sometimes be seen at sunset, watching light’s play on clouds and dissipating contrails with deepening colors.
We hope you enjoy and appreciate nature’s palette framed by trees as much as we did, San Francisco has many such attainable marvels…
