Alamo Square (San Francisco)

Alamo Square is a suburban park and leafy residential area that has surprisingly become a popular tourist attraction on cheap city breaks in San Francisco. The park itself is picturesque and a great place to relax with a picnic during a balmy summer’s day, however it is little different from several other residential parks in the city. What makes Alamo Square so special is its rows of spectacular Victorian mansions, known affectionately as ‘the painted ladies’. On two sides these historic three storey homes overlook the park and feature graceful exteriors in rich pastel colours. They are arguably the most photographed private homes on the West Coast and a quintessential picture postcard image of San Francisco.

 

Virtually all the buildings here are at least 100 years old and include elaborate properties such as the Archbishop's Mansion and the official residences of the former Russian and German Imperial consuls in the early 1900’s. It all seems vaguely familiar and this neighbourhood and its environs have featured in countess famous movies. Alamo Square is frequented by large numbers of tourists on short breaks in San Francisco, keen to get that cherished photo yet the well to do locals seem be oblivious to it all and pretty much get on with their daily lives.

 

After a stroll admiring the inspiring architecture, most visitors spend a little time in the park where local residents can be seen walking dogs and playing tennis or Frisbee among blooming flowerbeds. On San Francisco weekend breaks, you should look out for the famous ‘shoe garden’. Created many years ago by the park gardener, a number of flowerbeds have been adorned with old shoes recovered from garbage and now sprout gorgeous blooms during spring and summer months. From this vantage point visitors can catch a breath-taking view down to the ocean and the Golden Gate Bridge.