Eric R.
Yelp
"Love was in the era.
It was a period of grand gestures. There, the etiquette of flirtation was cultivated and scandalously abandoned.
Romance lived on the pages of love letters from Prince Albert to the chapters of timeless novels by the Brontë sisters. Their words still elicit excitement, reflection, joy, hope, and love."
From the pages of the Victorian Trading Co. Ahh so maybe we no longer live in a time of chivalry and Jack the Ripper, but luckily for us we still can admire the architecture of a bygone era...
The Painted Ladies is an Iconic row of Victorian and Edwardian homes nestled on the east side of Alamo Square park in San Francisco. It is sometimes known as "Postcard Row." The houses were built in the late 1890's by developer Matthew Kavanaugh, who lived next door in his mansion on Steiner Street. Even if you've never been to San Francisco you still might recognize the architecture as it is frequently seen from tourists advertisements to the opening credits of the television series Full House.
For me, back in the day, well maybe not quite the 1890's, nonetheless a long time ago, I actually lived just a stones throw from The Painted Ladies. Yet, as a San Franciscan I never really took the time to gawk and admire like the tourists do. You could say I took it for granted since I lived in a Victorian too. Not as pretty or glamorously painted like these famous homes are, in fact, my home was more on the chapters of Bram Stoker in drab trench coat lol.
I finally took the time to actually visit The Painted Ladies recently when a friend visiting from Brazil mentioned how it was on his "places to do" list and I thought it was a perfect time for me to play tourist too. So after jumping on a trolley and walking up several steep hills.. we arrive at Alamo Square park.
Ahh The Painted Ladies. So now what?! Lol! Well... you take a step back and just enjoy the moment. The best views are from the top of Alamo Square park. And another good spot is directly in front of "Postcard Row". Great for a picnic and take pics if you can maneuver around the dozens of tourists lol.
In the end, you don't have to be a tourist to admire one of the most iconic sites in San Francisco. The key here is not to do too much... take a step back into time when life was a tad bit more proper and simpler, sans the male corset! Just enjoy life and beauties from a bygone era. Admission is free! And no, I didn't see John Stamos or the Olsen twins. Ta.