Visit San Francisco

I'd like to take advantage of being on Page Street, as it features a fine collection of colorful Victorian houses, to tell you that before the 1970s, San Francisco's Victorian houses were not at all multicolored! Read more

For you information, the church you just walked by has nothing of a traditional one. That is the famous Church of 8 Wheels. Yes you are indeed in front of a holy disco roller skating institution! If you want to skate, dance, or have the time of your life in a disco setting, go right ahead, and enter into this church that is like no other! Read more

We're heading for the heart of the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood. Where it all began and ended rather badly, but foremost left us with a legacy and an "out of the box" way of thinking still in force today. Yes, folks, without the hippies, there would be no yoga or organic bulk groceries! Read more

I'll leave you to admire the three stars of the neighborhood on one side, the three Js: Jimi, Janis and Jerry, and the evolutionary rainbow on the other. This rainbow was painted by Joanna Zegri in '67, when she was the building's business manager. Read more

You're now walking along San Francisco's famous Golden Gate Park. You're free to explore it if you've got a bit of free time on your hands, but be warned, it's a big place! We're talking 412 hectares. To give you an idea, if you've been to New York Read more

See the large house on the corner? That's the Haight Ashbury Free Clinic. It was founded in 1967 by Dr. David Smith, who was at the time head of the drug and alcohol testing unit at San Francisco General Hospital. Read more

Here you are at the junction of the two legendary streets that gave their names to the district. Haight comes from Henry Huntly Haight, who was governor of California in 1870, and Ashbury from Munroe Ashbury, Read more

So, just for your information, and for the Zen minute of our tour, the orange house you see on the corner with the Tibetan prayer flags decorating the stairs, is actually the Kagyu Kunchab Buddhist temple created in 1974. Read more

Far less known than the 7 Painted Ladies, the four neatly aligned houses on Lyon Street with the park in the background really deserve a quick photo break! If you were wondering, the street name has nothing to do with the city of Lyon in France Read more

You're now on Divisadero Street, which, as its name suggests, divides San Francisco in two from North to South. It runs from Marina Street in the North to Castro Street in the South. Its history begins with that of the city. Read more

You are probably wondering where we are headed to after climbing these steep streets! The answer is right in front of you, and I sure hope you're dazzled! This is the magnificent Saint Ignatius Church! Read more

You're now crossing the Panhandle Park, for its long and narrow shape. This strip of greenery is only one block wide and eight blocks long. It's an extension of the Golden Gate Park. It actually served as a testing ground, if not a draft, Read more

Well, Victorian style doesn't apply only to houses - some people think big and build themselves a castle! Take a look at this sumptuous mansion that takes up the entire street corner! It's Chateau Tivoli, now a luxury bed & breakfast. Read more

As you can see, we're in the district of beautiful Victorian houses. Here, all along the street, you'll find magnificent examples of the colorful buildings typical of the region. Above all, Victorian architecture refers to an era. Read more

San Francisco's steep streets will undoubtedly feel like a leg workout, but we can't blame them for not offering superb views! From the top of Fulton street, you have a panoramic view of the Civic Center and the majestic City Hall. Read more

There's more to Alamo Square than the Painted Ladies. There's also the William Westerfeld House! Its history is as rich as it is extraordinary! The current occupant, Jim Siegel, recounts the story on how he fell in love with this house from the backseat of his parents' car! Read more

Here you are, in the heart of the famous Alamo Square, so famous that it eventually gave its name to the entire neighborhood! From the heights of the park, once the view is clear and the well-known fog has lifted, you can catch a glimpse of the Transamerica Pyramid Read more