From our lively restaurant and bar scene to scores of popular tourist attractions and scenic vistas, there’s no shortage of cool spots to discover in San Francisco. But sometimes you need a break from madness and when that happens, the city has plenty of options for carving out some peace and solitude. Whether you prefer your alone time in a park, a museum, a bookstore, or a bar (“alone wine” as it’s called), there’s a place on this list for you that’s perfect for reading a book, meditating, and noticing all of the small amazing moments that everyone staring at their phones are totally missing.

Unsplash/Nathan Guzman

Golden Gate Park
This five-acre garden that is surrounded by tall greenery on all sides is home to winding paths, tranquil koi ponds, enchanting blooms, a five-story pagoda, a Zen garden, wooden bridges, stepping stones, bonsai trees, and a tea house , and though it is a popular tourist attraction, if you go during “off” hours, especially weekday mornings, you may have the space almost to yourself (and, even if you’re not alone, the landscape was designed to be calming and slow people down, so it will still feel that way). If you’re an SF resident, you no longer have to pay admission as of spring 2022, so if you get there and it’s a little too crowded for your liking, you can always take a quick stroll around and then wander back outside to Golden Gate Park which is a treasure trove of places one can find peace and quiet—a few obvious ones that didn’t make this list include Stow Lake, the Botanical Garden, the Rhododendron Dell, and, well… you get it.

Grace Cathedral, San Francisco

Nob Hill
You don’t have to be religious to appreciate this stunning French Gothic cathedral known for its mosaics and murals, reproduction of the “Gates of Paradise” doors, stained glass windows, two labyrinths, and awe-inspiring acoustics. Of course, if you do enjoy a religious or spiritual experience, the Episcopal Church does hold regular services, but it welcomes all people, regardless of faith, for yoga classes, sound baths, concerts, art exhibits, and more. You can also walk the indoor labyrinth during cathedral hours and the outdoor labyrinth anytime, day or night.

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Photo courtesy of National AIDS Memorial

Golden Gate Park
It’s impossible to step foot inside this 10-acre grove in eastern Golden Gate Park without thinking about all of the lives touched by AIDS, and that’s the point. It’s a place to “heal, hope, and remember.” But it’s also one of the best spots in the park for a moment of tranquility and reflection. The bowl-like valley was created so that people can find spots to be alone or gather in groups with tons of plants and trees, stone benches, and memorials throughout. There are plenty of places to lay down a blanket or sit on a bench and enjoy a picnic or a book. But when true solitude and quiet are in order, the Redwood Circle, a space surrounded by redwood trees, always does the trick.

Flickr/Anna Majkowska

twin peaks
Tank Hill is one of those SF spots that everyone pretends is some big secret, but a quick Google search will quickly dispel that myth. Still, for whatever reason, it just isn’t as possible with the masses as one might think it would be, considering the amazing views of downtown SF, Alcatraz, the Golden Gate Bridge, and beyond. Tank Hill is right below Twin Peaks and sits at about 650 feet (Twin Peaks is at 922 feet), so the views aren’t quite as stellar (and they aren’t 360 degrees), but you also get to avoid buses full of tourists, a relatively steep walk, or, even worse, potentially getting your car broken into because you decided to drive. The park is small, and there’s nothing much to it, but what more does one need to enjoy quality SF views than a log to sit on?

Chris LaBasco/Shutterstock

sea ​​cliff
The Lands End Trail is one of SF’s best hikes, which means it’s rarely very empty, but if you don’t mind a one-mile-ish hike followed by a short, but steep descent down to the ocean, you’ll be treated to one of SF’s most secluded beaches: Mile Rock, a small, rocky cove covered with driftwood, perfect for watching a magical California sunset.

City Lights Booksellers & Publishers

North Beach
It might be hard to imagine that there’s anything tranquil about what may very well be the country’s most well-known bookstore, but the good news about this shop which first gained notoriety for publishing Allen Ginsberg’s Howl, is that they have a poetry room upstairs, where shelves full of poetry line the wall, muted sunlight comes in through the windows, and chairs beckon you to sit and read. In the mood for a drink to go with your quiet contemplation? Head next door to the iconic Vesuvio and grab a seat in an upstairs nook next to a window.

Hotel Biron

Hayes Valley
This intimate wine bar and art gallery (that’s not actually a hotel) is tucked away on a little alley off of Gough Street and is an ideal spot for first dates and solo dates. Unlike so many bars in SF, you’re not going there to “see or be seen”; Rather, you’re going there to enjoy an excellent glass of wine and maybe some cheese or charcuterie while cozied up on a comfy sofa in a dimly lit room with exposed brick walls and the dancing shadows of candlelight.

California Academy of Sciences

Golden Gate Park
Considering that the California Academy of Sciences is a museum beloved by children and adults alike, it’s hard to imagine the possibility of finding peace and quiet anywhere inside the bustling museum. But, in fact, there are several places to find solitude. 1. Inside of the 75-foot domed Morrison Planetarium where the hyper-realistic virtual environments are so mesmerizing, one remains agog in silence. 2.) In the downstairs aquarium where the lights are dimmed so that the 40,000 colorful animals who live in the underwater and terrestrial habitats can take center stage. Wander among the exhibits—from the coral reef tank, which is one of the deepest and largest displays of living coral in the world, to the bioluminescent “twilight zone,” a recreation of mesophotic reefs located 100 to 500 feet beneath the ocean’s surface, to the California Coast where a giant window reveals eels, anemones, and a giant Pacific octopus—or just find a seat in a dark corner in front of the jellyfish and let their slow, mesmerizing movements lull you into a state of complete tranquility.

Flickr/Lori D’Ambrosio

Sherwood Forest
Just south of the center of San Francisco sits the city’s highest natural point, Mount Davidson (elevation 928 feet) where you’ll find a 30+ acre urban forest perfect for solitary hikes (dogs are allowed on-leash), wildlife-spotting, bird-watching (look for hawks, owls, hummingbirds, and more), views of downtown SF and across the Bay, and a 103-foot concrete cross that’s hidden from view by a thick grove of trees. If you’re really craving tranquility, the best time to hike Mount Davidson is on a foggy morning. You might have to sacrifice the sweeping views at the top, but the sense of overwhelmingly quiet and solitude is unparalleled.

Photo by Henrik Kam, courtesy of de Young Museum

Golden Gate Park
A ticket to go inside of the de Young is $15 but anyone can visit the 144-foot Hamon Observation Tower and the sculpture garden for free. The latter is where you’ll find the most peace and quiet as it’s full of alcoves, open spaces, trees, plants, and, of course, art. The most magnificent part of the garden is James Turrell’s “Three Gems” skyspace, a tunnel that leads to a concrete dome hidden under a grassy mound with a window to the sky, LED lighting effects, and a curved bench. For whatever reason, you can have this space to yourself for at least a little while, 9 times out of 10.

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Daisy Barringer is a freelance writer who grew up in SF and is always on the hunt for new places to explore. Tell her your favorite spot for a reply from real life on Twitter.

The post Peaceable, Hidden Gem Locations in San Francisco appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

Tucked away in the southeastern quadrant of San Francisco is a historic neighborhood that many residents believe has been overlooked for far too long.

Just steps from Daly City may be one of the reasons the Visitacion Valley – also known as the Vis Valley – often features in everything from historical recognition to the city’s investment in services stayed the track. And over the years it has built a reputation for being one of the neighborhoods least known to SF residents.

“In a way … I like this well-kept secret,” said Edie Epps, a lifelong resident and co-founder of the Visitacion Valley History Project, which reminds newcomers that the neighborhood is spelled with a “c” rather than a second. T. “Together with colleagues from the history project and other city representatives, Epps has worked to ensure that the Vis Valley finally receives the attention it deserves in his opinion.

A woman is crossing Schweriner Strasse in San Francisco, California on Saturday, October 22, 2021.

Yalonda M. James / The Chronicle

But despite the isolation from the crowded streets and the gentrification of many neighborhoods of San Francisco, locals also say the reluctance of the area had real downsides for the historically lower-income community – most notably, that the city neglected it for decades, making promises and interest to give up on things like more residential and retail development, including one more grocery store.

And while neighborhood advocates say it’s a treasure trove of historic structures and eclectic architecture, Visitacion Valley doesn’t have any designated historic landmarks or long-established shops. Notable structures to be demolished include a trio of early 20th-century commercial buildings.

“It’s one of the most overlooked neighborhoods in the city,” said Kerri Young, program manager for the San Francisco Heritage nonprofit, which spent October promoting the neighborhood for its program on underrepresented parts of San Francisco. “There are great buildings and great sights. It’s just that they are no longer officially recognized. “

The neighborhood has defied itself over the years – especially in the context of historical recognition – in part because there weren’t always advocates who advocate it, said Diane Matsuda, president of the city’s heritage protection commission, through the more than 230 sights and attractions eleven historic districts were taken over.

“To be completely, completely honest, historical preservation has really focused on pretty buildings, and pretty buildings belong to a lot of wealthy whites,” said Matsuda, adding that the commission passed a resolution in 2019 to promote social and racial justice to create priority in the choice of structures.

“Only … only recently have we started to look at monument preservation from a much broader perspective.”

In contrast to the stately or grandiose buildings that are often considered landmarks in neighborhoods like Pacific Heights or the Financial District, the structures worth mentioning in the Visitacion Valley are more humble and more closely linked to working class communities, proponents say.

An expansive view of the Visitation Valley will be offered by Opal Bolsega on Saturday, October 22, 2021 in San Francisco, California.

Yalonda M. James / The Chronicle

The area has long been a place where low-income populations have found homes due to their remote location and major employers in the factory and railroad industries. According to 2010 census data, the median household income was $ 47,760, compared with the San Francisco median total of $ 78,710.

Fifty percent of the Vis Valley’s population is made up of Asian and Pacific islanders, with Hispanic / Latino, Black and White making up 25, 9 and 14 percent, respectively. In comparison, 49% of the population of San Francisco is white, 34% Asian, 6% black, and 15% Hispanic / Latin, according to the census data.

Throughout October, the history project carried out hiking tours to show hidden historical gems in the Vis Valley, from forgotten street houses to the former Schlage lock factory – an important employer for the residents of the Vis Valley – and Little Hollywood, a micro-district that Known for its Spanish Casas -style detached houses.

Here are some of the landmarks that proponents say showcase the neighborhood’s unique – and somewhat buried – history.

St. James Presbyterian Church

One of the most famous structures in the area, the Arts and Crafts-meets-Mission Revival-style church, was founded in 1906. It was redesigned in 1923 by the famous Bay Area architect Julia Morgan. The stained glass windows – depicting the parable of the sower – are from an abandoned church in a ghost town in Nevada that was stolen by the St. James communities, who happened to know it was abandoned. The structure is among the many buildings the neighborhood community – and proponents of SF Heritage – are looking to consider for landmark status.

St. James, with its mostly Filipino community, is one of the many churches in the Vis Valley that reflect the diversity of the region. A Catholic church, the Church of the Visitacion, sits on the estate of first California governor Peter Burnett and the city’s first motel, Auto Camp.

St. James Presbyterian Church can be seen during a walking tour hosted by the Visitacion Valley History Project on Saturday, October 22, 2021 in San Francisco, California.

Yalonda M. James / The Chronicle

Homes on Schweriner St. can be viewed on a walking tour hosted by the Visitacion Valley History Project on Saturday, October 22, 2021 in San Francisco, California.

Yalonda M. James / The Chronicle

Schwerin Street

Schweriner Straße is just around the corner from the Jakobsweg, where different living styles testify to the architectural diversity of the region. The Art Deco-inspired Visitacion Valley Elementary School, completed in 1937, stands directly across from an Eclectic-meets-Storybook-style house, right next to a Streamline Moderne house. And the eastern portion of the Vis Valley is a collection of homes that hailed from Southern California: palm-fringed Mediterranean and mission-style bungalows and artisans that make up the Little Hollywood neighborhood.

Geneva terraces

For a town with few Eichlers, it may surprise some that there are a few and relatively affordable ones in the Vis Valley. These so-called Geneva Terrace Townhouses are part of the neighborhood’s long history of turmoil – and inequalities – related to home security.

In the 1960s, Eichler planned to develop luxury apartments in two high-rise buildings in the row house complex, but changed plans to secure federal funding and make the towers more accessible to the bourgeois population. After the Eichler Corporation went bankrupt in 1967, the San Francisco Housing Authority stepped in to subsidize rents, and eventually the project was converted to Federal Area 8 Housing.

Over the years, residents have complained of mismanagement, poor maintenance and inhumane living conditions in the towers. The complex became notorious for crime and the US Housing and Urban Development Department called the entire neighborhood “a neglected urban backwater of 18,000 with rampant crime, horrific schools, and a deplorable housing project called Geneva Towers,” according to SF Heritage.

In 1998, many people watched (some wept, others cheered) as the towers were destroyed in a controlled demolition led by redevelopment plans by the HUD and an elected residents’ council. They have been replaced by low-income townhouses called heritage homes, and they remain one of the few affordable housing developments in the city.

A house made of mud bricks, hidden in a cul-de-sac on the hillside

Like so many San Francisco residents, Opal Bolsega had never heard of Visitacion Valley in her 15 years living in the city. But 30 years ago, when her agent was looking for a down payment with only $ 20,000, she found a house on Delta Street – a cul-de-sac overlooking the Cow Palace and San Bruno Mountain. She fell in love.

The multi-story house, painted by a group of graffiti wall painters about 20 years ago, is an unusual example of an adobe house in the Vis Valley, and in other ways the neighborhood may look more like a warmer part of California.

Local historians have told Bolsega that the house was built before 1895, and their own research suggests it is one of the oldest properties in the neighborhood, but the official timeline is still unclear.

Opal Bolsega of Visitation Valley speaks to The Chronicle at their home in San Francisco, California on Saturday, October 22, 2021.

Yalonda M. James / The Chronicle

A (welcomed) demographic change

To the locals, the Vis Valley sometimes feels more like a small town than a metropolitan area. And so many have chosen to stay for their entire life sometimes. Epps, 70, raised four generations in her parents’ home, a small craft that her Italian parents bought after her father started working for the Southern Pacific Railroad, a major employer in the region at the time.

Another member of the history project, Betty Parshall, 86, lived her entire life on Wilde Ave; she owns both the house she grew up in and the one next door. And although vintage cars are widespread, more and more younger people and families in particular are moving in, a trend that has undoubtedly played with its home values. They have increased by 8% in the last year.

But Vis Valley is still more affordable than many other parts of San Francisco, and it has a kind of anachronistic calm that can be felt by a world far removed from the urban vibe of the city. There’s a charm, say the locals, that just can’t be painted over – and maybe can’t be painted over either.

“There’s Noe Valley, all these other valleys,” said Epps. “And that’s great, but we are the Valley. … And its story … it just stays in you. “

Annie Vainshtein is a contributor to the San Francisco Chronicle. Email: avainshtein@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @annievain

The post One among San Francisco’s most traditionally ignored neighborhoods is dwelling to a protracted checklist of hidden gem landmarks appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

In one of America’s most sought-after neighborhoods, San Francisco’s Pacific Heights, there is a newly listed building designed by one of the Bay Area’s most renowned architects of the past century: William Wurster.

Although Wurster designed landmarks like Ghirardelli Square as well as campus buildings at UC Berkeley (where he became the dean of the School of Architecture in 1950) and Stanford University, he was best known for designing hundreds of California homes dating from the 1920s to 1940s.

The entrance is carved into the front of the house – a design step that provides shelter on rainy days in San Francisco.

These houses were built in simple shapes with locally sourced wood and helped define contemporary residential architecture. Wurster’s Gregory Farmhouse from 1928 in Scotts Valley, California, is even considered a kind of prototype for the later ubiquitous ranch house.

The house Wurster designed on 1641 Green Street in Pacific Heights is not a ranch, but an exercise in higher-density urban living – its garage door greets visitors at the edge of the sidewalk, while the living areas are on the upper floors. Even so, there is a surprisingly lush garden area at the rear of the property, reminiscent of the more pastoral settings one associates with ranch houses.

The house leads to its back garden with a series of terraced balconies.

While many nearby apartment buildings are essentially maisonettes, with second units at the rear of their rectangular hilltop lots, this home reserves more than half of its entire lot for green space, including a tall, full-grown eucalyptus tree.

The garden, which combines traditional Olmsted-influenced design elements with modernist sensibility, was designed by William Wurster’s frequent collaborator Thomas Church.

The house was completed in 1940 – a transition period in Wurster’s life and career as he began to move away from primarily house design. Wurster also married influential public housing advocate Catherine Bauer that same year while attending the Harvard Graduate School of Design.

Like the adjoining dining room, the living room opens directly onto the garden.

Wurster’s clients for this Pacific Heights home were significant in themselves. During World War II, Harley and Georgiana Stevens both worked for the Office of Strategic Services, the forerunner of the CIA.

The dining room is particularly flooded with light.

Although they traveled extensively – both during and after the war (including spending several years in Beirut while Harley worked as a lawyer for the oil industry and Georgiana became Middle East correspondent for The Atlantic and The Economist) – the couple never let go of their home. After Harley died in 1959, Georgiana stayed here until her own death in 2004.

A 2017 remodel by Butler Armsden updated the finishes of the house – especially in the kitchen and bathroom.

Butler Armsden Architects from San Francisco completely rebuilt the four-story house in 2017. “Like most Wurster houses, this house uses simple, unpretentious materials – especially the Douglas fir paneling that you find everywhere,” explains Glenda Flaim, the office’s executive director. “It was designed with a flexible, adaptable plan that is still very relevant to our lives today and a great deal of attention to the location.”

The master bedroom looks out over the garden and continues the palette of Douglas fir paneling.

The master suite also has its own fireplace.

In fact, the Douglas fir walls are amazingly beautiful when you step into the house. Although this wood can often take on an unpleasant shade of orange with age, the panels here are exquisitely preserved and at the same time show a level of detail that makes the whole house sing.

“We have modernized the service rooms (bathrooms and kitchen) and restored the beautiful original materials and numerous fixtures,” adds Flaim, “but above all we have worked to preserve the essence of this house.”

The master bathroom on the third floor with its own shower area with glass cubes looks directly onto Green Street.

William Wurster was just one of two major designers involved in this project. The other was Wurster’s frequent associate and professor at the University of California, the landscape architect Thomas Church.

Though Church’s colleague Lawrence Halprin of San Francisco is often credited with introducing modernist principles to landscape architecture, it was Church, born 12 years earlier, that helped pioneer what became known as the California garden style.

The family room on the 4th floor has its own terrace with a garden view.

The family room deck expands the space for real Californian living indoors and outdoors.

Here in Pacific Heights, Church and Wurster created what the property listing aptly describes as “a magical retreat with a towering eucalyptus tree, green lawn and gardens, and an outdoor dining area adjacent to the chic formal dining room. “Church’s original landscape design and concept” has been carefully preserved, adding a sense of space and privacy to the home, “says Flaim.

The main kitchen / living / dining area of ​​the four story house is on the second level, but due to the hillside location of the property, these rooms open directly to the landscaped garden in the background.

The second largest bedroom in the house is actually the one that opens onto its own terrace overlooking the back yard.

The deck on the second floor feels like your own private tree house.

Up one floor is the master suite, which has walls clad in the same beautiful Doug pine paneling and large windows overlooking the garden. Adjacent is a guest room with a convenience that even the master bedroom lacks: it opens to an aft deck.

There is a family room on the top floor which also extends to a private deck overlooking the street. There is also an additional bedroom that can be used as an additional guest room or as a small office. If you don’t feel like climbing three flights of stairs to get there, don’t worry: this home has its own elevator.

Completed in 1940, the house is unusually urban for a design by William Wurster. It borrows from the German Bauhaus movement and the work of architects such as Walter Gropius.

In a place like Pacific Heights, once dubbed America’s most expensive neighborhood, it’s not just about the house. About 12 blocks west is the Presidio, which has hiking trails and lots of greenery. A few blocks east of the property is hundreds of restaurants in Chinatown and North Beach.

Nevertheless, this house with its lush garden offers a personal oasis that one would never want to leave again.

1641 Green Street in San Francisco, California is being offered by Neil Bassi of Sotheby’s International Realty for $ 6,925,000.

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