Russian Hill

About Russian Hill

Russian Hill is a residential neighborhood on the hill north of Nob Hill, between Polk Street and the bay. Mostly known for Lombard St.

Macondray Lane is a wooden staircase walkway between Leavenworth and Taylor Streets. Armistead Maupin used it as the model for Barbary Lane in his Tales of the City novels. Ferns, flowering vines, and adjacent gardens line the railings.

The Vallejo Street steps cut between apartment buildings between Mason and Jones and offer views of the bay. The terraced gardens along the stairway are visible from the public walkway.

George Sterling Park is at Hyde and Lombard. Benches on the upper terrace face west toward the Golden Gate Bridge.

Jack Kerouac stayed at 29 Russell Street, on the eastern slope of the hill, in the early 1950s. There he revised “On the Road” and worked on “Visions of Cody.” The building is a private residence; the street view is visible from the public sidewalk.