San Francisco: A look at the hidden-away Filbert Steps

After our very informative, entertaining and filling North Beach culinary tour on February 22, 2008, we proceeded up a very steep section of Filbert Street to reach the top of Telegraph Hill. In the mid 1800s a semaphore or signaling tower was located here that would announce the arrival of ships to local financiers, merchants and speculators. This signaling system was later replaced with an electrical telegraph in 1862.

The 360 degree view from atop Telegraph Hill is amazing, we could see the downtown financial district with the Transamerica Pyramid, the San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge, the northern waterfront with Alcatraz and the Marine Headlands in the background, the Golden Gate Bridge and the western half of the San Francisco peninsula, stretching out towards Golden Gate Park.

The crowning jewel of Telegraph Hill is the Coit Tower, built in 1933 with donations from Lillie Hitchcock Coit, a well-known volunteer firefighter and unusual female character who lived from 1842 to 1929. The main floor of the Coit Tower holds a series of murals that adorn all sides of the building, featuring vignettes of Californian life in the 1930s. The famous murals were created in 1934 as part of the Public Works of Art Project, a federal employment program for local artists.

The content of the murals is fascinating as they depict scenes from industry and business as well as street scenes and agricultural images. Anyone interested in the history of the 1930s will be fascinated by the depiction of society during the Great Depression. The views from the parking lot of the Coit Tower over San Francisco Bay are exquisite.

After an extensive visit we headed down the hill, taking the hidden-away Filbert Steps on the eastern side of Telegraph Hill. These wooden staircases and walkways are embedded into a residential neighbourhood that is patched against the steep flanks of Telegraph Hill. Once arrived at the bottom we continued our way up to Pier 39, one of San Francisco's most popular tourist areas that features a variety of retail stores, attractions and eateries. Highlights of Pier 39 include the historic carousel, which was handcrafted in Italy and is the only carousel in the United States that features artistic renderings of its home city.

On the west side of Pier 39 another attraction awaits: the famous sea lions that started congregating here in 1990, shortly after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Initially there were only a few dozen sea lions. But over just a few months the population grew to more than 300, and today the sea lions are perennial favourites with locals and tourists alike.

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