San Francisco is full of Victorian houses, built in the late nineteenth century and painted in bright colors since the 1960s and 70s, when owners started picking out their trim in three or more shades. The most famous row stands on Steiner Street, facing Alamo Square, with the towers of downtown rising behind it. It became known worldwide from the opening credits of a 1980s and 90s television sitcom.
The photo
The classic view is from the grassy slope on the east side of Alamo Square, looking across the park at the row with the skyline beyond. Late afternoon gives the warmest light on the fronts. The houses are private homes: enjoy them from the park and the sidewalk, and do not climb their steps.
Alamo Square park
The park itself sits on a hilltop and was renovated a few years ago, with a playground, a dog area and paths around the top. Bring a picnic: the view is just as good from a blanket.
What is nearby
- Hayes Valley, a short walk south-east, for cafés, independent shops and lunch.
- The Haight-Ashbury, about twenty minutes' walk west through more Victorian streets.
- The Fillmore and Japantown, a few blocks north.
For more of the city's best outlooks, see the best views in San Francisco.
The Victorians of San Francisco
Between the 1850s and the early 1900s, San Francisco built tens of thousands of wooden Victorian and Edwardian houses. Builders used catalog designs and machine-cut ornament: bay windows, brackets, spindles and false fronts. Thousands burned in the 1906 fire, and many survivors were later covered in plain stucco or painted battleship gray.
In the 1960s, an artist began painting his Victorian in several bright colors to pick out its details, and neighbors followed. The fashion spread, and the term "Painted Ladies" was popularized in the 1970s by a book of photographs of the city's colorful houses. Today, colorful Victorians line streets across the city, especially in the Haight, the Western Addition, the Mission and Noe Valley.
Styles to spot
- Italianate, from the 1860s and 70s: flat-fronted, tall narrow windows, heavy cornices.
- Stick, from the 1880s: square bay windows and vertical trim boards.
- Queen Anne, from the 1890s: turrets, rounded bays, gables and fish-scale shingles. The Steiner Street row is mostly in this style.
- Edwardian, after 1900: simpler, with wide bays and classical columns.
A short Victorian walk
From Alamo Square, walk west along Hayes Street and then south through the streets of the Haight towards Haight-Ashbury, looking at the houses on Fell, Oak, Page and Waller Streets. It is about a mile, mostly downhill, and passes dozens of beautifully kept homes.
Frequently asked questions
Can you go inside the Painted Ladies?
No. They are private homes.
What time is best for photos?
Late afternoon, when the sun is behind you and lights up the fronts of the houses.
How do I get to Alamo Square?
Several city buses stop nearby. From Union Square, allow about twenty minutes by bus.