Description

Essentials about Telegraph Hill in brief

Telegraph Hill is the most northwestern hill and district of San Francisco. With its height of 83 meters, it is the most prominent feature of downtown San Francisco, along with Russian Hill and Nob Hill. Telegraph Hill borders Fisherman’s Wharf to the north, Chinatown to the south and North Beach to the west. Telegraph Hill is best known for its many Painted Ladies, the typical Victorian houses of San Francisco, and the Coit Tower observation tower.

The name “Telegraph Hill”

Telegraph Hill owes its name to a mechanical signaling device located here since 1849 before the introduction of electric telegraphy – a mast with two movable arms, the position of which indicated to local residents the type of incoming ships. This information was used by traders and speculators to predict the price development of certain goods.

The Painted Ladies

Telegraph Hill is home to some of the oldest houses of Victorian architecture (the so-called “Painted Ladies“), so typical of San Francisco. The Great Fire of 1906 did not extend to the eastern part of the hill, so some of the oldest buildings in the city survive here.

Coit Tower

However, the most famous structure on Telegraph Hill is Coit Tower, built in 1934. The 64-meter tower was commissioned by the wealthy Lillie Hitchcock Coit, who was a great admirer of San Francisco firefighters, in honor of the fire department and primarily as a viewing platform of San Francisco. Both from the hill itself, but especially from Coit Tower, one has a magnificent panoramic view of the city and San Francisco Bay.

Website

Unavailable.

Opening hours

None.

Admission fees

None.

Address

Getting there

By public transport:

Bus line 39: Several stations within Telegraph Hill

By car:

On Telegraph Hill there are only limited parking possibilities.