Its no mystery why the richest and most influential San Franciscans built their grand estates in Pacific Heights (and Presidio Heights to the west) as soon as the cable car lines were completed. The view of the Bay is unparalleled, with postcard vistas in every direction: the Golden Gate Bridge, the Marin Headlands, Alcatraz, Angel Island, and the East Bay in the distance. Pacific Heights also lays claim to a number of foreign consulates, including Italian, Russian, Egyptian and German. Although there are few smaller residences, most homes in this neighborhood are palatial and historic.