San Francisco Pacific Heights
Pacific Heights is one of the old money neighborhoods in San Francisco. You'll find it packed with mansions and foreign embassies. Pacific Heights is know for its beautiful views of the San Francisco Bay. The San Francisco Pacific Heights neighborhood is also famous for a movie of the same name.
Perhaps the grandest mansion is Pacific Heights is the Spreckels mansion, located on the Corner of Washington and Octavia across the street from Lafayette park. The Beaux-Arts style mansion was built for Alama Spreckels who had a colorful history before marrying her "sugar daddy", sugar baron Adolph Spreckels. Completed in 1913, the mansion is made of limestone, which has not faired well over the decades causing the mansion to have a slightly crumbling appearance.
The mansion is still a private residence and is currently owned by Danielle Steel of epic romance novel fame. Danielle lives in the mansion and you can often see a portion of her luxury car fleet in the driveway. The Spreckels mansion is surrounded by a high hedge, so it is difficult to see the full grandeur of the mansion, but you can get a glimpse of the corinthian columns adorning the front.
Another San Francisco Pacific Heights home that I point out on a regular basis to visitors is located on the corner of Broadway and Steiner. This Queen Anne style home features a witches hat turret. The home is famous as the home of characters played by Sally Field and Robin Williams in the movie Mrs. Doubtfire
Parks
Pacific Heights features two great parks. The aforementioned Lafayette park and Alta Plaza park. Both of these parks are used regularly by locals walking their dogs. Lafayette park, located at Gough and Sacramento features a sloped grassy hill where many San Franciscans sunbathe on a sunny weekend. Alta Plaza park, located at Steiner and Clay streets, features great views of the city from its south side. You can also view the San Francisco bay from the North side of the park. Many locals come here to observe the Blue Angels buzz the city during the annual Fleet Week each fall. They avoid most of the crowds around the Waterfront and can still enjoy the day and the Air Show.
A few blocks from Alta Plaza park, on Broadway between Broderick and Baker, you can get a glimpse of a robot statue that caused a stir in the neighborhood when it was installed. Located at Broadway and Lyon is a neighborhood workout spot that we like to refer to as the San Francisco stairmaster. The Lyon street steps is the official name for this set of stairways that border the Presidio and span nearly two blocks. The grade was two steep for a street, so the city planners installed a stairway, which is actually quite common among the San Francisco hills. If you stop by the steps, you'll see San Franciscans jogging up and down the steps for exercise, but the views are not bad either.
Shopping and Restaurants
For information on retail and restaurants in Pacific Heights, see the Fillmore.
