Painted Ladies Victorian Walk
The Verdict
"Matthew Kavanaugh built the seven Postcard Row Victorians on Steiner between 1892 and 1896, living next door at 722. Roughly 48,000 Victorian and Edwardian homes went up in San Francisco between 1849 and 1915. Start at Alamo Square, then walk Hayes Valley or Pacific Heights for more."
What you need to know
The Painted Ladies on Steiner Street, also called Postcard Row or the Seven Sisters, were built between 1892 and 1896 by Matthew Kavanaugh, who lived next door at 722 Steiner Street. They sit along the eastern edge of Alamo Square. The neighborhoods of Pacific Heights, the Haight, and Noe Valley have additional examples of Victorian and Edwardian architecture: roughly 48,000 of these houses were built in San Francisco between 1849 and 1915. The term “Painted Ladies” was coined in a 1978 book by Elizabeth Pomada and Michael Larsen. Walk from Alamo Square east along Hayes Street through Hayes Valley, or head north into Pacific Heights for the larger mansions.