Lombard Street
Street in San Francisco, California
San Francisco is famous for having some of the steepest streets in the country. The different gradients on the lane, whether you are walking or driving, will undoubtedly catch your eye and stimulate your heart rate healthily. Lombard Street is one of the vertically dotted highways and is an excellent stopover for any route.
San Francisco Lombard Street is one of America’s most crooked streets and has been seen on numerous tours. The steep and hilly road was designed with sharp curves to travel down the hill past the magnificent Victorian manor houses. If this treacherous path is not eased by the Byzantine curves, people may be killed and settled. To get an idea of how steep this street really is, go up two blocks to Filbert Street and look down over the ridge. Lombard is steeper.
The most expensive property on Lombard Street is in San Francisco. Even with the countless amount of visitors on the street every day, this Russian Hill area boasts stately mansions. Lombard Street is alive with the colour in spring and all summer, as the many lovely flowers flourish. The part that everyone knows from the postcard is called “the world’s most crooked street.” It is called Lombard Street. This refers to the windy turning points of the road between Hyde and Jones. Together with the steep slope of these blocks the curvy nature of the one-way drive allows for a comfortable ride which is also a visual treat. In total you are going to count eight tight turns in the one block street portion here. But did you know Lombard isn’t really the world’s “crookedest” street? It’s not even San Francisco’s most crooked street. This honor is in the neighborhood of Portrero Hill on Vermont Street, between 20th and 22th streets. While technically slightly more curvy than Lombard, this street does not have the reputation or visual appeal of Lombard Street, which is why people flock to Lombard Street to take pictures during their visit.
People still find themselves confused about why this street is so crooked. Safety is the answer. The steep street grade posed a serious safety risk. In the 1920’s, a local estate owner proposed that the scenic backs contribute to the esthetic appeal while improving pedestrian safety. From the very beginning of San Francisco, urban planners and residents have been struggling with the steep hills. Lombard Street was only one of many streets that had difficulty with horse-drawn cars and the early T Ford Model. One alternative was cable cars and another was curvy switchbacks. The home owners of Lombard Street on 1000 blocks decided in 1922 that their street was too steep for comfort and designed a series of 8 sharp turns that would make it easier to deal with.
Lombard Street’s biggest appeal is that people either drive down or drive down the twisted one-block path. On a busy day, a flutter of cars and scooters seem to fly away, their passengers gnaw at every turn in mocked fear. You can walk down (or up) the sidewalks and watch the show if you’re on foot.
