A little known historical gem sits on 1111 Oak Street and I knew nothing of its existence until…read moretoday. It's the Abner Phelps House, the oldest house in San Francisco, dating back to 1851. That's old for us folks here in S.F. though it would get a chuckle from those in New York, London or Paris. It was owned by Abner Phelps and his wife, Augusta Roussell, who was originally from New Orleans. The story has it that the house was shipped in pieces around the Horn and reassembled on a part of the 160 acres Col. Phelps owned (329 Divisadero). Others say it was locally constructed. It is an Early Gothic Revival style and, to me, looks very Southern with its raised veranda. Many houses are raised on blocks in the South to protect them from flooding. All of this was farmland and sand dunes then and Col. Phelps rode his horse down to his law office on Montgomery St.!! I had heard it was a B&B but there is no signage stating so although the gate is open and you can walk right up to the door. I am taking the S.F. Historical Tour tomorrow in that neighborhood so I hope to have an update.

Hi, I'm Craig, and I'm a licensed California General Building Contractor. Way back in the early…read more1970s I was hired by a now-defunct enterprise known as The Preservation Group, founded by architect Hal Major and a millionaire lawyer, as I recall, and I think his first name was Keith. Oh, and Keith had a very attractive, slender, red-haired associate who later on became involved with Austrian Fritjof Capra. Mind you, this was a LONG time ago, and I don't have much in the way of written records. I was the foreman of a 5-man group of carpenters hired to work on the Abner Phelps house. We were told that it was the oldest house in The City, and that it had been built of lumber from New Orleans, shipped around Cape Horn (because there was no Panama Canal) in 1851. One of our group, incidentally, was a then-55-year old African American named Roosevelt Turner. He wound up working with us only for a short while because he was a member of the People's Temple, and received orders to relocate to Jonestown, S.A. On the payday before he departed, Roosevelt came to work with a velvet-covered jeweler's display tray of rings that he offered to us for sale. Rings that had come off the fingers of new members joining the Temple (and that they wouldn't need in Jonestown...). After getting completing the necessary paperwork for the Landmarks Board and the Planning Commission we did the following. Because the Phelps house had been the first house on the block it had been COMPLETELY surrounded by other houses -- it was utterly landlocked, without even a driveway to access it. Essentially, it was in the backyard of the surrounding homes. Thus, to give it the access and exposure it deserved, we moved one of the surrounding homes to an empty lot two blocks away. Then we detached a small addition that had been added on to the original Phelps home, and rotated the Phelps building and moved it to a new foundation at its present location, 1111 Oak St. Incidentally, before we renovated it, the house had been subject to major abuse. I believe it had been occupied by hippie squatters for some time, who did not provide the care and loving that the house deserved. I've heard that at least one other house claims to be the oldest in SF, and of course Mission Dolores and one wall of the Presidio Officers Club are both reputedly a good 75 years older than the Abner Phelps.

So that's what a $30 million dollar house looks like in San Francisco! Le Petit Trianon is a huge,…read moremansion over 17,000 sqft in the Presidio that's been on the market for a while. Its inspired by Marie Antoinette's house in France back in the day. Over Memorial Day weekend 2019 they had a Designer's Showcase here. For $40/pp, you are invited to tour the estate and meet the 40 designers or so who decorated each room. Think of it as an expensive museum visit, where the combination of creativity and money can create lots of ooohs and ahhhs. Even in San Francisco, $30 million does not get you a private swimming pool - its probably too cold, impractical, and not enough lot space. The house itself is gorgeous, and I lost track of how many fireplaces there were, along with bathrooms with his/her sinks and double golden shower heads. There's also lots of art inside costing in the five digits each, though I'm not sure if they come with the house. Da Vinci marble is present throughout the house, and I love the different color combinations. Also, kudos for the organizers for making a single bathroom available for visitors - its a stylish bathroom with automatic toilet flush. Favorite Rooms: 1. Boy's Bed Room: Designed perfectly for the budding engineer with robot theme and a fiber-optic, color-changing evening sky display. Stare at the stars before you sleep! 2. Wo-Man Cave: I guess it could also be turned into a Man's Cave, but its looks so relaxing and inviting here. 3. Basement Bar: Wow this entire area can host a major party, with a stage where you can have a band, fashion show, etc. Very dark, sleek and sexy! 4. The green room with stylish wallpaper showing cartoons of everyday weirdness in San Francisco: nude bikers on Castro, Weed customers in Haight/Ashbury, and the Bush Guy on Fisherman's Wharf.

Yes! I want this house…read more http://www.sfcityguides.org/public_guidelines.html?article=205&submitted=TRUE&srch_text=&submitted2=&topic=Buildings%20and%20Theaters http://www.forbes.com/2005/02/22/cx_sc_0222home.html

Utterly stunning! This Historic Building has a lobby that rivals all! The early SF photos and…read moreartifacts are simply breathtaking. A spiral stair case twists vertically passing each floor. All surfaces are marble. Stop in to be blown away!

This is a cool building to visit nestled in the middle of Market and all the touristy window…read moreshopping. This building is full of history (check out the photos) and some really gorgeous architecture (it seems pretty old). The place is used for any and everything. From lawyers to therapists to English teachers, this building is full of offices that will surprise you. Great one stop shop for many needs, check out the directory!

Behind the bush…read more.. Well, like what the other reviewers said... what's up with that humongous hedge of a fort surrounding the estate LoL! From what I could see the mansion is huge and stately with an ornate facade. The property has been the residence of bestseller romance novelist, Danielle Steel. The mansion is located across from Lafayette Park in the exclusive Pacific Heights neighborhood. We circled the perimeter and like a stalker I was hoping to get a glimpse inside the French classical mansion. Before it became the super successful novelists' home the story goes back to a successful immigrant entrepreneur, Claus Spreckels, who built his fortune in the sugar industry among many other investments including one with the Santa Cruz Railroad. Adolph, one of the sons, and his wife took over the family sugar business in SF and later purchased the property and had the home built... err, excuse me, he had the "mansion" built as a Christmas present for his wife buying off the other Victorian homes nearby to make room for his mansion. This would become the Spreckels Mansion. Fast forward to present, Danielle Steel owns the home but lives in Paris most of the time. I'm not sure how much time she still spends in the City but the mansion has become a landmark in San Francisco.. After circling around the property once I concluded that I won't be able to see anything aside from the exterior upper part of the mansion... she has those massive shrubbery installed all around the property. Danielle Steel's oversized bush has been a thing LoL! and the subject of some controversy in newspaper articles (and was even called a "botanical freak of nature"). I understand that it's to protect their privacy but dang. Well, just check out the pics... Review #2079

I drove by to see how much more massive the privacy hedgerow has become (it is a bit ridiculous)…read moreand was saddened to see the exterior looks shabby and peeling. Apparently the building is made from limestone and it's crumbling in the salty Pacific air overlooking the Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge. Karl The Fog is not being kind to this stately manse built in 1913 by wealthy sugar magnate Claus Spreckels and his ambitious (and later, very philanthropic) wife, Alma. Designed in the French Baroque style by École des Beaux Arts' educated Applegarth, this stately home has been long owned by romance novelist Danielle Steel. The wealthy and worldly Steel is rumored to spend most of the year in Paris. While she's living her heavenly life in another beautiful city, her hedge stands guard, growing in almost terrifying proportion on a storied block in Pacific Heights.

The Royal is a registered historical landmark and arguably one of the most beautiful building's in…read moreSan Francisco. Incredible architectural detail and location right in the heart of the Financial District. Short walk to Montgomery station, Ferry Building, Union Square, Chinatown, North Beach and so many of the cities best attractions. Converted to luxury condos in 2007 and easily one of my favorites!

Very much an SF landmark but people rarely talk or think about it!…read more Wow it is tall up close. Much bigger than I imagined it was all these years. Standing tall in all its glory. Beautiful red and white

Probably, the most visible San Francisco landmark of them all!!…read more Even when it's foggy, this landmark stands tall. Located very close to Twin Peaks, and obviously it's fenced off so you can only get so close. But being able to see it from everywhere, including the East Bay on a clear day, it was cool to get an up close view of this iconic local landmark!!!

This portico, made up of marble columns, is the entryway to a noteworthy Nob Hill residence, a…read moremansion built in the late nineteenth century belonging to the former VP of the Southern Pacific Railroad Company, Alban Nelson Towne. It's a lovely memorial and reminder of the 1906 earthquake and fire in which this monument survived, getting its name from a quote by poet Charles Kellogg Field. The structure, which has been restored over the years, sits along the pathway bordering Lloyd Lake at Golden Gate Park. It doesn't lead to anything, and it shows signs of wear and dirt, but it's worth checking out and learning about its history, and the surrounding area is gorgeous, with delightful scenery and a serene environment.

"...but I've loved another with all my heart and soul, and to me, this has always been enough..."…read more *sighs* The Notebook. Have you ever passed by a spot dozens, or even hundreds of times, and not noticed it? I have. So today started like any other off day during pandemic times. A take-out lunch and a spot to eat it. This time I wanted someplace more quiet so headed to Golden Gate Park. Today I took a step back into time at Portals of the Past. Built during the Victorian Era and a survivor of the great earthquake of 1906. I've been on the John F. Kennedy drive hundreds of times, yet oddly never stopped at Lloyd's Lake. After eating my lunch I noticed over the lake, in the distance, a structure. Serendipity brought me to Portals of the Past, so of course I had to find out what this structure was all about. I walked the dirt path, water fowl of all sorts, flying around, just enjoying the lake. I head towards this curious structure and find a plaque mentioning how it survived the great earthquake of 1906. Many see her as a symbol of the perserverence for the city of San Francisco... working towards an optimistic future, regardless of the tragedy of the past. To me, I felt a romantic tragedy vibe. I couldn't help but think about the stories she could tell... if only. Did she ever witness a Noah and Allie Hamilton love affair, or is that only for Romance novels? I like to think that sort of love is out there...

One Market Plaza is a couple of minutes walking distance from the ferry terminal. It has several…read moretowers which have offices mostly. I was there for a professional meeting at one of the offices on the 22nd floor in Spear Tower. The views were gorgeous. One Market Plaza is huge, each tower has a concierge at the first floor who enable through the electronic system access to the upper floors. There is a huge lobby in the centre with sofas for waiting. There are eateries too- on the lower level. Paid street parking is available. There is also a parking garage within a minute's walking distance.

Very beautiful downtown photo that I can't wait to put my wall. Caught this beautiful photo during…read moremy time at the Ferry Building. Really recommend coming down here and checking out the new shops and restaurants San Francisco has to offer. Crime has been super down as well and tourism has bounced back.