Telegraph Hill / Downtown
Located in the upper northeast part of San Francisco is the
district of North Beach/Financial District, which also includes North
Waterfront and Telegraph Hill. North Beach is located between Chinatown
and Fisherman's Wharf and was first settled by Italian immigrants in
the 1870's. Today, the area is predominantly Italian and is often
called the Little Italy of the West. At the heart of North Beach is
Washington Square, a grassy piazza where the Church of Saints Peter and
Paul sits. Located directly east of North beach is Telegraph Hill,
which is known for sweeping 360 degree views and it's well known
landmark, Coit Tower. Numerous high-end, high-rise condos and beautiful
turn of the century single family homes grace the summit and sides of
the hill and offer beautiful views of the Bay.
Stationed in a semaphore on Telegraph Hill, 19th century lookouts
let those on the waterfront below know what kind of ships were coming
into the Bay. In 1933, the city built the famous landmark Coit Tower on
top of the hill with a bequest from the estate of Lillie Hitchcock
Coit, a poker-playing, cigarette smoking millionaire who liked to hang
out with the neighborhood?s volunteer firefighters. Once you have your
fill of the Works Progress Administration murals inside Coit Tower and
the spectacular 360-degree views of the city from Pioneer Park at its
base, take a walk down one of the several stairways that line the
hillside. You can get a close-up view of the homes perched precariously
on the slopes as well as the lush gardens carefully maintained by the
residents.
