Lyon Pride

I happened on the Lyon Street Stairs this weekend in Pacific Heights. What a beautiful thing - a city park that serves the function of scaling the high hills of the city.

The stairs, built in 1916, replace two steep blocks of Lyon Street. They provide a view of the Bay and the Palace of Fine Arts below their spectacular lookout.

There are more than 350 public staircases in San Francisco. They serve to link the public to areas that were too steep for roadways. They are also used by many as free stairmasters for cardio workouts.

The 288 stairs that comprise the four Lyon Street staircases are not the only stairs for this neighborhood. Walk a few steps down the street, to the 369 steps of the Baker Street Stairs. But it is not as pretty as Lyon Street.

The longest staircase is on Telegraph Hill in North Beach. The Filbert Street steps have 377 steps up the steep eastern face of the hill.

I believe that most of the Lyon Street landscaping was done with private funds, although it is maintained by the city. It emulates European gardens with parterres and planting beds.

This area of Pacific Heights is surrounded by beautiful mansions and abuts to the Presidio. The whole neighborhood was abloom this weekend from fruit trees to flowers.