Pacific Heights
Every city boasts its wealthy neighborhood, such as Beverly Hills in Los Angeles or the Upper East Side in New York City. In San Francisco, the posh section of town is called Pacific Heights. It’s the tall hill overlooking the rest of the city.
Started in the 1870s once residents could reach the area using the newly formed cable car, Pacific Heights turned into a posh neighborhood rather quickly. Mansions were built to outsize the nearby competition on Nob Hill, and today, several of those mansions still line the streets. Some are owned by their wealthy residents, but others (you’ll notice them once you walk the streets such as Broadway) have become consulates for various countries, including Germany, Portugal and South Korea.
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If it’s not a consulate (a small embassy), chances are a resident owns the house. And the owners are paying a boatload in property taxes, too. Billionaire Larry Ellison, currently the fifth richest man in the world, lives in Pacific Heights, as does novelist Danielle Steele.
Even Jonathan Ives, the guy who invented the common iPhone and iPod design we know today, lives in Pacific Heights. The cost of his home, you ask? A cool $17 million.
Shopping also has its place in the neighborhood. Fillmore Street is the main drag where you can browse upscale boutiques, dine at local (and often expensive) restaurants or sip a coffee and people-watch until the sun goes down.
Pacific Heights is a pain-of-a-hill to walk up (considering there’s no cable car to the top anymore), but once you arrive, you can sit back and dream of the houses you’ll own one day. The neighborhood is well worth a visit, especially on a clear day.
How Do I Find Pacific Heights?
- Pacific Heights is located at the top of one of San Francisco’s famous hills. Although out of the way for your typical tourist attractions, it’s a cool spot for views and to rub shoulders with San Francisco’s elite. The main hotspots are the corner of Divisadero and Broadway Streets and the corner of Jackson and Scott Streets (Alta Plaza Park).
- Use public transportation routes 1, 3, 12, 22, 24, 43 and bus 45. Because Pacific Heights is on a somewhat-remote hill, the only forms of S.F. transportation to reach the neighborhood are busses. You can also walk.
- To reach Pacific Heights from Union Square you can ride the above mentioned busses (specifically bus 3 and bus 45), or walk there on your way to sanfranciscos such as the the Presidio or Palace of Fine Arts. As an FYI, the walk takes around 40 minutes and involves hills.
- Other attractions and places of interest near Pacific Heights include Billionaire’s Row, the Lyon Street Steps, the Presidio, Alta Plaza Park, Fillmore Street, the Spreckle’s Mansion, the Mrs. Doubtfire House and the Full House house.
Orange Sky Co. says:
Not many tourist attractions line Pacific Heights, but that’s what’s cool about it. Climb the Lyon Street Steps, photograph the Spreckle’s mansion or hang out in Alta Plaza Park on pug day. The neighborhood is best remembered on a cloudless day.
Location of Pacific Heights
