05/12/2023
A favorite San Francisco topic for debate is the number of hills that make it one of the hilliest cities in the world. Some say 42, others say 48…the real treasures are the stairs that lead up to some of these breathtaking vistas.
Two of my favorites are the Greenwich Steps (387 steps), which starts at the base of Greenwich & Sansome and rises up through Telegraph Hill’s gardens and tree-drenched landscape to Coit Tower. Big views emerge as you walk up and cast your eyes on San Francisco Bay and the East Bay shoreline. Its next door neighbor, the Filbert Steps (400 steps) also provides picturesque views from concrete and steel stairways that sharply contrast the more ancient-looking Greenwich steps built into the hillside. With sunshine in the forecast this Mother’s Day weekend, it’s a perfect time to enjoy these secret stairways.