Awesome Staircases in San Francisco; Filbert Street Steps

Heather Jacks
Jan 31, 2016
4 min read

San Francisco is a 'walking city' built on 42 hills. I have been told that there are over 300 staircases laced throughout our city. The story is that some of San Francisco’s streets were so steep, that horse-drawn carriages couldn’t make it up. One way to connect these otherwise inaccessible points was to build stairways. Some stairways are easier than others; some more well known than others. I love walking the many staircases of San Francisco, and hope that when you visit our city, you will enjoy them as well.

The first staircase we are going to meet, are some of the more famous ones; Coit Tower, which traverse the Telegraph Hill and North Beach area. Coit Tower was built in 1933 from a donation from Lilli Hitchcock Coit. She was a wonderfully colorful and eccentric personality, who was best known for her support of the local firemen. Allegedly, she would dress up and ‘attend’ the fires as the firefighters worked, and cheered them on. 'Firebelle Lil' Coit, as she became known, was said to have been a cigar smoking, trouser wearing lady, long before it was proper to do so. She was an avid gambler, who would dress like a man, to gamble in the male only gambling dens in North Beach. When she died, she left one third of her fortune for the beautification of the city. The result was the Coit Tower, which is both a memorial for Lillie Hitchcock Coit and for the San Francisco firemen. Some say it is fallic in appearance, but, it is supposed to the the end of a firehose. The concrete tower was constructed by Arthur Brown Jr., best known for his magnificent City Hall.

I would say that these stairs are moderate in difficulty-about a 6 on a scale of 10. The stairs are in great condition and easy to climb, but, it is a climb.

You can start at either side of the stairs, finishing at Fisherman's Wharf or North Beach. We chose the latter, beginning at Filbert & Sansome Streets. There are only about 600 steps on this staircase, and they are broken into three basic sections. The first are concrete stairs, meandering up the side of the cliff on the east side of Telegraph Hill, past secluded, idyllic homes, with beautiful foliage, flowers bursting in bloom and the scent of jasmine wafting through the air.

The public garden, known as Grace Merchant Gardens, is spectacular. It is said that this area used to be an unsanctioned garbage dump. People would abandon broken furniture, trash and debris on the side of the hill. In the forties, Grace Merchant, moved to this area at the corner of Filbert and Napier, and began a thirty year labor of love; removing the buildup and replacing the trash with flowers. She asked the city for a permit to burn the trash, and the story goes, that the fire burned for three days. Take time to smell the roses and keep spring awake in your heart. Take your time, look back over your shoulder to watch the Bay Bridge come into clearer and clearer view. Along the route, you will probably encounter some wild parrots, which leads me to tell you about a wonderful documentary,(available on Netflix), called The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill. It is the story of a homeless busker, (street musician)who finds new meaning to his life when he befriends the wild parrots of Telegraph Hill. It is a slice of life that most of us will never see.

I really think Coit Tower is a great way to spend a couple of hours in the city; and you can go inside the Tower; and well worth it.

Coit Tower Hours and Admission Fees

Open 10am – 6pm (May through October),

Admission to the ground floor of the tower is FREE.

Elevator admission costs:

Adult – $5 residents, $7 non-residents

Senior (65+) – $3 residents, $5 non-residents

Youth (12-17) – $3 residents, $5 non-residents

Child (5-11) – $1.50 residents, $2 non-residents

Child (4 and under) – Free

At Montgomery Street, there is a little median with a short staircase. The third, (and final section) leads you to Coit Tower. Once at the Tower, you can experience unparalleled panoramic views of the city. Breathe in and enjoy. We chose to descend down into the fabulous, trendy North Beach, where at the bottom of the hill, you enter onto Grant Avenue, the heart of North Beach. 101 Music, which is the lone, independent record store in North Beach, lines two corners. Although it is a bit pricey, it is well worth a look for buried, unique treasures within.

Being a fan of all pubs Irish, we wandered into Maggie McGarry's at 1353 Grant, indulged in a perfectly chilled pint and finished our perfect afternoon. One thing to note, is that many establishments in San Francisco are cash only and Maggie McGarry's is one of them.