Russian Hill, San Francisco, California

Russian Hill, San Francisco, California

Russian Hill is an affluent, largely residential neighborhood of San Francisco, California, in the United States.Views from the top of the hill extend in several directions around the Bay Area, including the Bay Bridge, Marin County, the Golden Gate Bridge, and Alcatraz. Russian Hill is home to the prestigious San Francisco Art Institute, located on Chestnut Street between Jones and Leavenworth Streets.

Because of the steepness of the hill, many streets, portions of Vallejo and Green streets, for example, are staircases. Another famous feature of Russian Hill are the many pedestrian-only lanes such as Macondray Lane and Fallon Place, both with beautiful landscaping and arresting views.

Location

Russian Hill is directly to the north (and slightly downhill) from the highly affluent Nob Hill, to the south (uphill) from Fisherman's Wharf, and to the west of the North Beach neighborhood. The Hill is bordered on its west side by parts of the neighborhoods of Pacific Heights, Cow Hollow, and the Marina District.

The boundaries of Russian Hill are generally considered to be Van Ness Avenue on the west, Pacific Avenue on the south, Columbus Avenue on the east (northeast), and San Francisco Bay on the North [http://hood.theory.org/map.html] . The portion of Lombard Street (between Hyde and Leavenworth streets), that is sometimes referred to as "the crookedest street in the world" is on Russian Hill, and the Powell-Hyde Cable Car line passes directly over Russian Hill on its way to Fisherman's Wharf.

Downhill to the north is Ghirardelli Square, which sits on the waterfront of the San Francisco Bay, Aquatic Park, and Fisherman's Wharf, an extremely popular tourist area. Down the turns of Lombard Street and across Columbus Avenue to the east is the neighborhood of North Beach. Down the hill to the west, past Van Ness Avenue, are Cow Hollow and the Marina districts.

History

The neighborhood's name goes back to the Gold Rush era, when settlers discovered a small Russian cemetery at the top of the hill. Although the bodies were never identified, the bodies probably belonged to Russian fur traders and sailors from nearby Fort Ross, an old Russian outpost north of San Francisco. The cemetery was removed, but the name remains to this day. There is no significant Russian presence here as the city's Russian community is located primarily in the Richmond District.

Life in the neighborhood during the 1970s was used as the base for the fictionalized series "Tales of the City" by Armistead Maupin.

See also

* San Francisco cable car system
* List of San Francisco, California Hills

External links

* [http://www.sfgate.com/traveler/guide/sf/neighborhoods/russianhill.shtml The Chronicle's standing article about Russian Hill]
* [http://www.rhn.org Russian Hill Neighbors association]
* [http://www.jbmonaco.com/russian_hill/index.html JB Monaco Russian Hill Photographs]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Nob Hill, San Francisco, California — Nob Hill refers to a small district in San Francisco, California adjacent to the intersection of California and Powell streets (and the respective cable car lines). Location The actual peak of Nob Hill lies slightly to the northwest in the area… …   Wikipedia

  • San Francisco, California — Infobox Settlement official name = City and County of San Francisco nickname = The City by the Bay, The CityFact|date=October 2008, Frisco, [cite news last = Sullivan | first = James title = Frisco, that once verboten term for the city by the bay …   Wikipedia

  • San Francisco (California) — City and County of San Francisco San Francisco Ciudad condado consolidada de los Estados Unidos …   Wikipedia Español

  • Neighborhoods in San Francisco, California — Counting both major, well known neighborhoods as well as smaller, specific subsections and developments, there are over 100 neighborhoods in San Francisco, California, USA.Alamo SquareAnza VistaAshbury HeightsAshbury Heights is a neighborhood on… …   Wikipedia

  • History of San Francisco, California — The history of San Francisco, California, has been greatly influenced by its coastal location, which has made it a natural center for maritime trade and military activity. Since its incorporation into the United States, where it is now the… …   Wikipedia

  • Ocean Beach, San Francisco, California — Ocean Beach at sunrise …   Wikipedia

  • North Beach, San Francisco, California — North Beach is a neighborhood in the northeast of San Francisco adjacent to Chinatown and Fisherman s Wharf. It has a primarily Italian flavor. North Beach is sheltered from ocean breezes by Russian Hill to the west and often enjoys sunny days… …   Wikipedia

  • Pacific Heights, San Francisco, California — Pacific Heights is an affluent neighborhood of San Francisco, California, on the north side of California Street in the city. Pacific Heights is located in one of the most scenic and park like settings in Northern California, offering panoramic… …   Wikipedia

  • Marina District, San Francisco, California — The Marina District is one of the northern districts of San Francisco, California. The area is bounded to the east by Van Ness Ave, on the west by Lyon Street and the Presidio, on the south by Lombard St. The neighborhood sits on the site of the… …   Wikipedia

  • Swedenborgian Church (San Francisco, California) — Infobox nrhp2 | name =Swedenborgian Church nhl=yes caption = location= 2107 Lyon Street, San Francisco, California lat degrees = 37 lat minutes = 47 lat seconds = 25 lat direction = N long degrees = 122 long minutes = 26 long seconds = 45.2 long… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”