About this Event
A Romantic Victorian House Tour followed by seeing the Full Moonrise over San Francisco viewed from atop Alta Plaza Park.
Meet on the park side, sidewalk, where the wide park steps are, at the intersection of Clay St.and Pierce St, Pacific Hts., San Francisco. There are no parking restrictions on the weekend here. If you have trouble finding parking drive over to the very steep streets. If you want a recommendation for dinner, I always recommend Perry's on Union St. Petrole Sole is excellent and reasonably priced.
The Moon will be at about 96% full, but not as dramatic as the photo above. The sun would have to set about an hour earlier then tonight, for those most dramatic of moonrises.
Just imagine house after house of these efflorescent, floriated, flamboyant creations. What inspired the Victorians? Makes for an interesting discussion.
Roughly over 48,000 Victorians were built here, (1860s to 1915), with about a third remaining. (con't below)
Photo credits: Photo below SF moonrise by Dimanche, 2020, taken from Alta Plaza Park looking east. This is more representative of what we'll see. Conditions and timing were perfect for the Getty image above, the event cover photo. Other photos by Jordan H.
The info below is provided if you are interested in more details about SF Victorian architecture.
Or just come on the tour and soak up the info!
(Five handout sketches of what is described below, including most of the gingerbread details is provided. We'll also take a minute to go over a color sketch of the interior of a typical Victorian to see what the inside was like.)
(There are five Victorian Styles)
- Flat front Italianate- (earliest Victorians). (French 2nd Empire appear)
- Italianate with slanted bay windows.
- San Francisco Stick Style (also called East Lake). Simpler square bay windows now used. Overall much more elaborate decoration, ornament and gingerbread used.
- Queen Anne Tower House&Witches Cap, with angled or rounded bay windows & front gable
- Queen Anne Row House, 1, 1-1/2 or two stories. Large front gable. Possibly and likely a moongate entry.
Features & "Gingerbread"
Type of Entry (maybe a rounded or partial Moongate entry as above)-
Decorative Ironwork- A low fence in front, or a crown at the top.
Floral Decor-Garlands (one of many types of decorations known as *"Gingerbread")
Fish scale and/or Diamond shingles-
Towers & Witch's Cap-
Stained Glass or Beveled Glass-
Carvings of grotesque faces-
Sunbursts- often painted gold, half or full.
Gables (Queen Anne's) in a variety of material- (mainly redwood)
Newel Posts at the end of railings and Finials on Tower tops and roof peaks.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Alta Plaza Park, Steiner Street, San Francisco, United States
USD 22.00