Alleyways, pathways, and one-way streets of San Francisco's Telegraph Hill: 20 August 2016

I decided to view the old narrow one-way streets, alleyways, and pathways that make Telegraph Hill such an intriguing and delightful place to explore. In fact, I did not see all of the locations that I hoped to visit. A second and perhaps a third exploration will be necessary. I used a wide-angle 9mm fisheye body cap lens to take the photographs.

A view of the summit of Telegraph Hill. Coit Tower is sited on the top of the hill. The view is from the Filbert Steps. 

Telegraph Hill as seen in 1892. The picture was taken from Russian Hill; the view is looking East. The Berkeley Hills are across the bay. 

A photo of Telegraph Hill taken in 1896 by Dr. John Eng, a dentist who lived in Oakland. The photo was taken from a ship on San Francisco Bay. The view is looking West. 

A map of the Telegraph Hill streets, alleyways, and footpaths explored on this walk. 

Bartol Alley. 

Bartol Street.

Bartol Street. 

Bartol Alley. 

The intersection of Fresno Street and Grant Avenue. 

Fresno Street. 

Fresno Street. 

The intersection of Romolo Place and Fresno Street. 

Fresno Street. 

The intersection of Fresno Street and Kearney Street. 

The Basque Hotel is located in Romolo Place. 

The bottom of the Vallejo Street Steps. 

The Vallejo Street Steps. 

The top of the Vallejo Street Steps. 

The North Beach Restaurant is located on Stockton Street. 

The Stinking Rose Restaurant is a garlic lover's dream. It is located on Columbus Avenue. 

Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church is located on Filbert Street across from Washington Square Park. 

Kearney Street. 

Cafe Trieste and St Francis of Assisi Catholic Church are located on Vallejo Street. 

Hodges Alley. 

Hodges Alley. 

Pollard Place. 

Pollard Place. 

Windsor Place. 

Windsor Place. 

Castle Street. 

School Alley.

School Alley. 

Alta Street. 

The Filbert Steps. 

Genoa Place. 

Sonoma Street. 

Sonoma Street. 

Varennes Street. 

Montague Place. 

Varennes Street. 

Bob Kaufman Street. 

Bob Kaufman Street.

Nobles Alley. 

Medau Place. 

. The intersection of Medau Place and Krausgrill Street. 

Medau Place. 

Krausgrill Place. 

Jasper Place. 

Cadell Place. 

A view looking east from the Filbert Steps. 

This graph shows the elevation changes encountered during the hike.

"A camera is a tool for learning how to see without a camera.” Dorothea Lang 

"Photography has not changed since its origin except in its technical aspects, which for me are not important." Henri Carter-Bresson

"There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer." Ansel Adams

"The important thing is not the camera but the eye." Alfred Eisenstaedt

My first San Francisco Bay Area Photoblog contains galleries of photographs that I posted between 2002 and 2011. Click Here to view the 2002 to 2011 photo galleries.

Angel Island, and a hike to the summit of Mount Caroline Livermore: 13 August 2016

I joined a group of hikers on a tramp to the summit of Angel Island. We left from San Francisco's Pier 41 on a Blue & Gold Ferry and disembarked at Ayala Cove on Angel Island. After a quick snack, we started the ascent to the 788 foot (240 meters) summit of Mount Caroline Livermore. The fog in and around San Francisco was a dramatic sight to see; it was in continual motion for a time span of more than five hours.

Click on an image to view the full-size photograph. 

On the Sunset Trail as we are climbing to the summit of Mount Caroline Livermore. The vista is looking southwest. San Francisco is under a fog cover as is the Golden Gate Bridge. 

The distance traveled was approximately 6.0 miles (9.6 kilometers). The cumulative elevation gain was about 985 feet (300 meters) Mile markers are displayed on the GPS generated track. 

We are on the ferry traveling to Angel Island. This is a view of the south side of Alcatraz Island. 

The Golden Gate Bridge as seen from the ferry. The view is looking west. 

The ferry is approaching Angel Island. The view is looking northeast.

Camp Reynolds (West Garrison)  was an Army base on Angel Island since the American Civil War. The summit of Mount Caroline Livermore is visible in the distance. This view is looking east. 

We are heading to the Ayala Cove ferry dock at Angel Island. The view is looking south. 

A view looking southwest from the Sunset Trail on Mount Caroline Livermore. 

A view of San Francisco and Alcatraz Island under a fast moving fog bank. An oil tanker is steaming out of San Francisco Bay. In all probability, the tanker discharged Alaskan crude oil at the Chevron Richmond Oil Refinery. It is likely that the tanker is heading back to Alaska for another load of crude oil. The construction of the Richmond oil refinery was completed in 1902; it was the first oil refinery built in California. The view is looking south. 

The site of Fort McDowell (East Garrison), as seen from the North Ridge Trail. In 1900 the Army designated the entire island as Fort McDowell. The island was under military administration for more than 100 years and was off-limits to civilians during that time period. The view is looking east. 

The Tiburon Peninsula. The view is from the Sunset Trail on Mount Caroline Livermore, looking north. 

One more image of the in-motion San Francisco fog bank, as seen from the Sunset Trail. In the distance, you can see the presumed Alaskan oil tanker steaming under the Golden Gate Bridge. This view is looking southwest. 

Mount Tamalpais, Belvedere Island and Tiburon as seen from the North Ridge Trail. The view is looking west. 

We took a Blue & Gold Ferry back to San Francisco. It was late afternoon, and many people were with bicycles, waiting to board the ferry. After all the people boarded, we left Angel Island and sailed to Sausalito to take on board more people and their bicycles for the ferry ride back to San Francisco. This is a view of the southeast part of Sausalito. Yes, that is the north tower of the Golden Gate Bridge. 

I was told that the passenger capacity of the ferry is 600 people. The ferry has three decks on which passengers can sit or stand. Each deck was jammed with people. This picture was taken from the lowest deck. 

This graph shows the elevation changes encountered during the hike. 

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"A camera is a tool for learning how to see without a camera.” Dorothea Lange 

"Photography has not changed since its origin except in its technical aspects, which for me are not important." Henri Carter-Bresson

"There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer." Ansel Adams

"The important thing is not the camera but the eye." Alfred Eisenstaedt

GO HERE to see a detailed account of an Angel Island bicycle ride I did during May 2005.

My first photo blog contains San Francisco Bay Area photo galleries that I posted between 2002 and 2011. CLICK HERE.

San Francisco's Telegraph Hill, Russian Hill, Cow Hollow and Pacific Heights: 11 August 2016

An enjoyable walk through a few high foot-traffic tourist destinations. I did the walk using less well-known routes. I ascended Telegraph Hill from the east side, rather than the more commonly used west side of the hill. Instead of climbing Lombard Street, which is known as "the crookedest street in the world," I ascended Greenwich Street, which is one block east of Lombard Street. The photographs are displayed in the sequential order of the walk.

A 19th-century three-unit apartment building on Sutter Street in Lower Pacific Heights. Click the image to see the full-size photograph.

The distance traveled was approximately 6.6 miles (10.6 kilometers). The cumulative elevation gain was about 840 feet (256 meters). Mile markers are displayed on the GPS generated track. Click the image to see the full-size map.

 "Portrait of Georgia O'Keeffe" by Marisol Escobar, 1982. It is located in Sydney Walton Square in the Embarcadero area of San Francisco.
O'Keefe sits on an old tree stump loosely dangling her walking stick and flanked by two wooly dogs. Click the image to see the full-size photo.

 Joan Brown's "Pine Tree Obelisk" is also located in Sydney Walton Square. Click the image to see the full-size photograph.

The corporate headquarters of Levi Strauss and Company is located at 1155 Battery Street, in the Embarcadero area of San Francisco. Click the image to see the full-size photo.

A view of Telegraph Hill from the east. The bottom of the Greenwich Street Stairs is visible. Coit Tower is at the summit of Telegraph Hill. Click the image to see the full-size photograph

This location is approximately halfway up the ascent of Telegraph Hill via the Greenwich Street Stairs. The photo was taken from a small parking area for Julius Castle (San Francisco Landmark #121), which has been closed for some years. Its future is unclear. Click the image to see the full-size photo.

A view looking southeast towards Yerba Buena Island and the western span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. The picture was taken from Telegraph Hill. Click the image to see the full-size photograph.

This lovely work of art is located on Telegraph Hill, adjacent to the upper portion of the Greenwich Street Stairs. Click the image to see the full-size photo.

Coit Tower is sited at the summit of Telegraph Hill. Click the image to see the full-size photograph.

We are descending the west side of Telegraph Hill and are purposely using some of the many small and narrow old streets that are located on Telegraph Hill. Click the image to see the full-size photo.

Descending Telegraph Hill. Lombard Street, aka "The crookedest street in the world" is visible In the distance. The view is looking West. Click the image to see the full-size photograph.

Joe DiMaggio Playground is to the immediate left of this image and is unseen. Joe DiMaggio was a great baseball player who was born in Martinez, California. His family moved to San Francisco when he was one year old. He married his first wife at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church which is sited two blocks from this location. His second wife was Marilyn Monroe. The view is from Lombard Street looking West. Straight ahead at the upper part of Lombard Street is another sight of "the crookedest street in the world." Click the image to see the full-size photo.

A view of Lombard Street as seen from near the intersection of Mason Street. The view is looking West. Click the image to see the full-size photograph.

This is the Michelangelo Playground and Community Garden. It is located on Greenwich Street, between Leavenworth Street and Jones Street.  The view is looking southeast. Click the image to see the full-size photo.

An apartment building located at the northwest corner of Greenwich Street and Jones Street. Click the image to see the full-size photograph.

This is the lower section of the Greenwich Street pathway. It is located at the intersection of Leavenworth Street and Greenwich Street. The view is looking West. Click the image to see the full-size photo.

A view of Greenwich Terrace, which was the first co-operative residential development in San Francisco. It was developed in 1912 and is located on Russian Hill between Hyde Street and Leavenworth Street. Coit Tower is visible in the distance. The view is looking East. Click the image to see the full-size photograph.

A view from George Sterling Park which sits atop Russian Hill. The Presidio of San Francisco is visible in the distance. George Sterling (1 Dec 1869 - 17 Nov 1926) was a poet based in California who was well regarded on the Pacific Coast during the early part of the 20th Century. His most memorable line was delivered to the city of San Francisco: "The cool, gray city of love." The view is looking West. Click the image to see the full-size photo.

La Boulangerie de San Francisco has a location on Union Street in the Cow Hollow neighborhood of San Francisco. Click the image to see the full-size photograph.

A portion of the Union Street shopping area. Click the image to see the full-size photo.

Leaving Union Street and heading up Fillmore Street. The view is looking Northwest. Click the image to see the full-size photograph.

Having cranked up Fillmore Street going south, we are now in the Pacific Heights neighborhood. This view is looking north, down Fillmore Street. Click the image to see the full-size photo.

This is 2500 Steiner Street. The building is a twelve unit co-op located at the top of Pacific Heights. It was constructed in 1927; Conrad Meussdorffer was the architect. In 2014 one of the full-floor units was listed for sale at 9.95 million dollars. The view is looking North. Click the image to see the full-size photograph.

This is a view from Alta Plaza Park in Pacific Heights. Buena Vista Park, Twin Peaks, and Mount Sutro are visible in the distance. Buena Vista Park is the oldest official park in San Francisco. It was established in 1867 as Hill Park and later renamed Buena Vista Park. The view is looking South. Click the image to see the full-size photo.

This graph shows the elevation changes encountered during the hike. Click the image to see the full-size chart.

"A camera is a tool for learning how to see without a camera.” Dorothea Lange 

"Photography has not changed since its origin except in its technical aspects, which for me are not important." Henri Carter-Bresson

"There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer." Ansel Adams

"The important thing is not the camera but the eye." Alfred Eisenstaedt

My first San Francisco Bay Area Photo Blog contains photo galleries that I posted between 2002 and 2011.

Question or comment? I may be reached at neil@mishalov.com