On Saturday I did one of my favorite things, I took a stroll through a neighborhood lined with beautiful old homes just to stare at the architecture and be inspired by the design. This particular stroll was through Pacific Heights in San Francisco, the most prestigious location to own real estate in the City by the Bay.
These are the residences that make you dream of what it might be like to live here if only you had an extra, oh, 2 to 20 million. As you walk, the facades vary from classic Victorians to European revival to newer Contemporary exteriors and many have views of the San Francisco Bay.
I’m a looky loo so I loved walking up and down the hills of the neighborhood and admiring the details of these homes: the grand doors, the moldings, the touches of gold leaf, the entry gates, the clipped boxwood and espalier, the exquisiteness of them all. Come on along on the walking tour!
I’ve mentioned before that Matt is a real estate appraiser and broker so as we walked he was filling my ears with the history of these homes and the costs of their renovation. (up to 5 million? Ouch!) The interiors piqued my interest so I went online in search of what some of them look like on the inside and naturally one turns to high end real estate listings and design firms. Here are six eye candy favorites…
Tour this stunning modern Mediterranean listed on Sotheby’s, what a view! I love the contemporary wood cabinets and the modern planting beds in the outdoor area; the sunny and bright living room with its arched windows is perfection.
Take a peek into this wonderful Pacific Heights home renovation completed by Green Couch Interiors.
Here’s a gorgeous apartment listed on Sotheby’s, I love that moody blue bedroom!
This Victorian is ornate on the outside but has several pretty modern spaces on the inside.
This Italian Renaissance mansion has a panoramic view of the Golden Gate Bridge!
And don’t miss this contemporary beauty on the edge of the Presidio and its zen bathroom.
Who among you has walked around the Pacific Heights homes of San Francisco? Stunning right? .
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wow!!!!! what beautiful places!!!! great!
Thanks for sharing the photos. I often wondered what the inside looked like….now I have an idea!
Absolutely gorgeous, thanx for sharing. That’s one city I’ve yet to visit. Love those arch windows, too. Wish I knew the source of that area rug in that living room. Beautiful, I’m in love!
San Francisco is one of my favorite cities for architecture. We were there earlier this summer and I was drooling all over myself. We were going to head down Lombard St. but it was closed for filming. Booooo…
Oh you evil temptress. Just when I started to get over staying there 4 months ago, you splash that beautiful neighborhood all over my screen! We stay in Lower Pac Heights in a painted lady close to Japantown. I LOVE the neighborhood, the architecture, walking to Lafayette Park or down to Fillmore St. One day we walked 12 miles from Pac Heights down to the Ferry Building (thru Chinatown) then around the Wharf area to Ghirardelli Square and back up Gough all the way to Pac Heights. It was long and hilly and killed my legs the next day but I’ll tell you, there is NO better way to see the city than walking a majority of it!
I did that stroll around too! I was visiting with my then 3 year old son and we were staying in the Financial District. We walked (me pushing a stroller!) from the Mandarin up to Russian Hill, then upwards to Fillmore Street, over to Alta Plaza for play time, strolled through Pacific Heights and down into Cow Hollow. We then went to the CA science museum and walked back through the Marina District before going to the crooked street. Finally, walked down to Ghiradelli Square and Fisherman’s Wharf and back to the hotel. I was *exhausted* but it was a great way to see various parts of the city and soak it all in! Alta Plaza, Pacific Heights, and Cow Hollow are my favorite areas – would love to live there if only I could scrounge up millions. Thanks for the beautiful pictures, really brings back great memories!
Oops, it was the Palace of Fine Arts not CA Academy (that was another day!)
Beautiful! I’ve been there, but it’s been about 6 years ago. The exteriors are so polished and elegant – I’d love to find a way to incorporate that feeling into my basic brick exterior home – maybe the wrought iron is the way to go! Thanks for sharing the tour – makes me want to go back!
Love this post in addition to all of your wonderful design posts. As a former Marin County transplant I love hearing and seeing about the area. I hope you and your husband are still considering doing a guide book for the area. I had purchased Bay Area Back Roads and other books, but there are so many hidden treasures and not one good resource that we found.
Thanks for the post!
WOW amazing – I’m visiting San Francisco in October so I will be sure to add a tour of Pacific Heights to my travel plans! thanks.
I love looking around too at interesting homes, architecture, landscapes, doors…..It makes for a fun day to be able to walk around and take in the sights. Love your pics!
-Patti
I absolutely LOVE San Francisco! I lived there for 4 years while attending medical school and also met my husband there. :} All my money went to rent…. it was so expensive! But the beauty of it made up for being broke. I never got tired of jogging through the neighborhoods, Golden Gate Park, or the Presidio. I lived in a flat right on the border of the Richmond district and the Pacific Heights neighborhoods. So many gorgeous homes there!
That’s a great place to run Christa!
I love San Francisco and the 49ers. If I had many millions would live there.
Beautiful picture! They made me feel like I was on the walk with you.
My favorite part of the city as well! Vallejo Street has the most beautiful homes and striking views. For anyone visiting, start on Vallejo and Gough and stroll until you hit the Presidio. You’ll come across the Lyon Street Steps, which is one of the city’s best kept secrets!
Great pictures! It’s also fun to drive through Pac Heights at night during Christmas time where you can get a good look inside the windows.
Great tip Audrey, thanks!!
Beautiful! We live in Georgia and my son just moved to Oakland this summer. He lives just off Lake Merritt. We will definitely have to take this walk when we come to visit him.
Be still my heart! Back in the late 1960s I lived in SF for a few years in a 1-room studio (with a murphy bed!) in a mansion converted to apartments. It was at the top of the hill in Pacific Heights and I LOVED the architecture all around me. I remember the home next door sold for $3 million. This was in the 1960s!! I miss San Francisco to this day. Thanks for the memories!
Ah-so many happy memories! My grandparents lived right below Pacific Heights on Greenwich and Baker. On Saturday mornings my nonna and I would walk up and go to the most awesome garage sales in Pacific Heights! I also used to lay in bed and listen to the fog horns and the buses go by. We lived in Marin and it was so quiet in comparison!
So beautiful. I particularly love the heavy wooden doors in the 3rd photo. Sigh… one can only dream..
Eye candy is right!! Thank you for sharing your stroll!
A friend just forwarded me this because the white house in the first picture on Pacific Ave is ours. I love that it is included here and we feel very lucky to live in such a beautiful city!
Oh my goodness Jessica, really????? Amazing!! Thanks for commenting, you have a GORGEOUS home!
Kate
The pictures were all so beautiful and inspiring. Thank you so much for the tour!
What a stunning neighborhood, you lucky lady!!
x Lily
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I want to move in to the first house!!! Do you think Jessica would take about 10% of that instead. Hey, I’m from Florida, houses are cheap here
I just love love love the architecture in San Francisco; especially the ones with Victorian influence! (But I’d have to be really friendly with my neighbors with the houses so close together!) :)
On my bucket list. Your pictures may have moved it up a couple of spots. Simply splendid!
I was in Frisco about 17 yrs ago (only time I have been there). I would love to go back and explore the city more and the neighborhoods. I just love seeing these homes. I live near the Twin Cities. We go walking up and down Summit Ave. there, like you are doing here.
I love walking around to explore and enjoy architecture wherever I go…Paris, Prague and Vienna neighborhoods among my favorites…never been to San Francisco and always wanted to look at Victorian homes lining up the streets there, often coming alive from book pages…Thanks for sharing! So nicely captured!