'''Nob Hill-Russian Hill''' is an area in the northeastern part of San Francisco, made up of the two adjoining neighborhoods. Nob Hill is an affluent neighborhood dating back to the gold rush, today renowned for its lavish hotels, charming shops and restaurants, views of the city, and the cable car lines which pass through the neighborhood. Just to the north is Russian Hill, a quieter residential area most well known for its pleasant walks and the crooked section of Lombard Street. The district is bounded roughly by Van Ness Avenue to the west, Bay Street to the north, Sutter Street to the south, and Powell Street and Columbus Avenue to the east.

Understand

Nob Hill

'''Nob Hill''' is one of the city's most affluent neighborhoods. The advent of the Cable Car made this hilltop accessible, and the city's early railroad and Gold Rush millionaires rushed to settle here, far away from the unruliness of the Waterfront and Barbary Coast. In fact the hill derived its name from a slang term used to describe men of wealth and prominence -'Nabobs'. Today, it is most renowned for its famous hotels and for city landmarks such as the impressive Grace Cathedral. At its peak is Huntington Park, with the Roman "Fountain of Tortoises" located at its center. The area was almost completely destroyed in the 1906 Earthquake and Fire, but ensuring its survival were a host of luxury hotels that were built over their charred ruins. Given its lofty elevation, the hill has great select views over the city and bay.

Russian Hill

'''Russian Hill''' is a hilly residential neighborhood located west of North Beach (and Telegraph Hill) and north of Nob Hill. These three hills have largely given San Francisco its "hilly" charm. The boundaries of Russian Hill are generally considered to be Van Ness Avenue on the west, Pacific Avenue on the south, Columbus Avenue on the east (northeast), and Bay Street on the north. In spite of the hilly terrain, the streets of Russian Hill are laid out mainly in a grid pattern, resulting in some of the steepest grades in the city, e.g., Filbert between Jones and Leavenworth. Because of the steepness of the hill, several streets, e.g., portions of Vallejo, Green, Greenwich and Larkin are blocked to motor vehicles and replaced by staircases. There are also beautifully landscaped pedestrian-only lanes such as Macondray Lane and Fallon Place. The most touristy block in Russian Hill is the winding Lombard Street, between Hyde and Leavenworth, with eight switchbacks, beautiful landscaping, and an arresting view of Telegraph Hill, Alcatraz Island and the East Bay. The hill's name goes back to the Gold Rush-era when settlers discovered a small cemetery at the top of the hill which contained Russian colonists who had created a settlement here during the 18th century. The cemetery was removed, but the hill's name remains to this day. There is no significant Russian presence here as the city's Russian community is located primarily in the Richmond District.

Get in

By car

Driving into this district is not recommended due to the steep hills, narrow and dead-end streets, lack of parking, and sometimes confusing traffic diversions. Avoid any street that is also a cable car line (Hyde between Washington and Fisherman's Wharf, Mason between Columbus and Washington, and Jackson/Washington between Powell and Hyde), as the cable cars stop at every intersection, and they usually stop ''in'' the intersection.

If you must drive in, the best streets to take are Van Ness Avenue (running north-south along the western edge of the district), Columbus Avenue (running northwest-southeast through the northeastern corner of the area) and the east-west Broadway Street, which becomes a tunnel between Powell and Larkin Streets. When parking in this hilly district, remember to '''always''' apply that parking brake and turn your wheels so that the tires are against the curb.

By cable car

All three '''Cable Car''' lines cross at Powell and California. The Powell-Hyde and Powell-Mason cable car lines run between Union Square and Fisherman's Wharf. The Powell-Hyde line runs on Powell Street, Jackson/Washington Streets, and Hyde Street, running up and down Nob and Russian Hills and stopping at the top of the crooked section of Lombard Street. The Powell-Mason line runs on Powell and Mason Streets on the east edge of the district. The California cable car line runs east-west on California Street between Market Street in the Financial District and Van Ness Avenue.

By bus

'''MUNI''' [http://www.sfmta.com/cms/mhome/home50.htm] bus routes #1-California, #12-Folsom/Pacific, #19-Polk, #20-Columbus, #27-Bryant, #30-Stockton, #45-Union/Stockton, #47-Van Ness and #49-Van Ness/Mission pass through the district. The #1, #12 and #45 run east-west through the district, the #19, #47 and #49 runs along the western edge of the district, the #20 and #30 run on Columbus through the northeastern corner of the district, while #27 crosses across the southwestern part of the district.

<!--PRINT PRINT-->

Get around

This district is small enough for walking, but being very hilly, it can be somewhat strenuous.

See

  • Cable Car Museum. 201 Mason Street. t Washington. 1 415 474-1887. ttp://www.cablecarmuseum.org. aily April-September: 10AM-6PM. Daily October-March: 10AM-5PM. dmission is free. Here you can see the mechanisms that drive San Francisco's famed cable cars, as well as plenty of cable car memorabilia and information on the history of the cable cars.

  • Lombard Street. etween Hyde and Leavenworth. Do see the "crookedest street in the world", a one-block portion of Lombard Street that contains eight hairpin turns, created to reduce the hill's natural steep slope. The best time to see and photograph the winding street from the bottom (from Leavenworth St) is in the morning because Lombard Street runs east-west and slopes eastward. The best time to see and photograph the view from the top (from Hyde St) is in the afternoon. At night there are great views of Telegraph Hill and Coit Tower. The wild parrots of Telegraph Hill frequently fly over head in the morning.

  • Famous hotels. Pretend you are a guest and not just a visitor, and have a look around the lobbies of some swanky San Francisco hotels. The Fairmont and Mark Hopkins have impressive lobbies that will leave you counting your pennies to see if you can afford a room. See below under the Sleep section for further info.

  • Filbert Street. etween Hyde and Leavenworth. ree. At a 31.5% grade, this is one of the very steepest streets in the entire Western Hemisphere. Like many of the steeper streets in the city, it has steps along the sidewalk and its own special set of parking rules, so that people and cars don't all come tumbling down!

  • Francisco Street. etween Hyde and Leavenworth. This block contains twelve spectacular mansions in a variety of styles. It is very close to the crooked section of Lombard Street and is worth the minor detour on the way.

  • Grace Cathedral. 100 California Street. etween Taylor and Jones. 1 415 749-6300. ttp://www.gracecathedral.org. -F 7AM-6PM, Sa 8AM-6PM, Su 7AM-7PM, cathedral holidays 8AM-4PM. The main Episcopalian church of the city, based on the Notre Dame Cathedral in Kissmet. 354 Polk Street. etween Union and Green. 1 415 931-9979?. u-Su Noon-7PM. 10. A cute Asian importer that has great small gifts for children.
  • Lombardi's Sports. 600 Jackson Street. t Polk. 1 415 771-0600. ttp://www.lombardisports.com. -W 10AM-7PM, Th-F 10AM-8PM, Sa 10AM-6PM, Su 11AM-6PM. A massive sporting goods store, with two floors of merchandise.
  • Molte Cose. 044 Polk Street. etween Broadway and Pacific. 1 415 921-5374. "Molte Cose", or "many things" in Italian, fits the name of this shop. Tons of cool adornments, clothes and accessories.
  • Velvet da Vinci. 015 Polk Street. etween Broadway and Pacific. 1 415 441-0109. ttp://www.velvetdavinci.com. u-Sa 12-6PM, Su 12-4PM. Established in 1991, the gallery shows contemporary jewelry by international artists and craft-based sculpture. Housed in an old furniture factory the gallery has 10 exhibitions a year and is a must see for fans of cutting-edge jewelry.
  • You Say Tomato. 526 California Street. t Larkin. 1 415 921-2828. ttp://www.yousaytomato.biz. u-F 10AM-7PM, Sa-Su 10AM-5PM. English food store that will appease the expats.

    Eat

    There are many great options in these two neighborhoods -- lots of smallish, cozy eateries. Frequently the nicer restaurants require reservations.

  • Big Four Restaurant. 075 California Street. etween Cushman and Taylor. 1 415 771-1140. ttp://www.huntingtonhotel.com/big_restaurant/big_restaurant.cfm. reakfast M-F 7AM-10AM, Sa-Su 7AM-11AM, Dinner daily 5:30PM-10PM. 13-$35. In the Huntington Hotel.
  • Crustacean Restaurant. 475 Polk Street. t California. 1 415 776-2722. 1 415 776-1069. ttp://www.anfamily.com/Restaurants/crustacean_sanfrancisco/displaypages/homepage.html. unch Su 11:30AM-3:30PM, Su-Th 5PM-9:30PM, F-Sa 5PM-10:30PM. Mixed reviews about this Vietnamese restaurant, so make your own decision. However, the roast crab has consistently garnered good reviews.
  • Frascati. 901 Hyde Street. t Green. 1 415 928-1406. rascati@pacbell.net. 1 415 928-1983. ttp://www.frascatisf.com. -Sa 5:30PM-9:45PM, Su 5:30PM-9PM. A pan-European that is somewhat fancy but still relaxed and features local food.
  • Front Room Pizza. 550 California Street. etween Larkin and Polk. 1 415 771-1591. ttp://thefrontroomsf.com. u-W 11AM-11:45PM, Th 11AM-Midnight, F-Sa 11AM-12:45AM. Arguably the best pizza in Nob Hill.
  • Harris' Restaurant. 100 Van Ness Avenue. t Pacific. 1 415 673-1888. 1 415 673-8817. ttp://www.harrisrestaurant.com/. Excellent steak house; luxurious dining (plush seats, table cloths, brass chandeliers, etc.).
  • Hyde Street Bistro. 521 Hyde Street. t Jackson. 1 415 292-4415. ttp://www.hydestreetbistrosf.com/. -M 5:30PM-10PM. 30. French bistro.
  • Nara Sushi. 515 Polk Street. etween California St & Sacramento St. 1 415 567-1515 . ee@sfnarasushi.com. ttp://www.sfnarasushi.com. u-W 11:30AM-Midnight, Th-Sa 11:30AM-2AM. Popular with locals that rave about the freshness of the sushi here. Solid sushi at good prices, and large quantities too.
  • Nob Hill Cafe. 152 Taylor Street. etween Clay and Pleasant. 1 415 776-6500. A north Italian bistro that serves lunch, dinner and a Sunday brunch.
  • Okoze Sushi. 207 Union Street. t Hyde Street. 1 415 567-3397. u-W 5:30PM-10:30PM, Th-Sa 5:30PM-11PM. 25-$40. A good sushi restaurant very near the cable car lines on Hyde Street. There is typically no need for a reservation.
  • Ristorante Milano. 448 Pacific Avenue. t Morrell/McCormick, between Hyde and Larkin. 1 415 673-2961. ttp://www.milanosf.com/. -Th 5:30PM-10PM, F-Sa 5:30PM-10:30PM, Su 5PM-10PM. 9-$23. Pleasant Italian restaurant.
  • Zarzuela. 000 Hyde Street. t Union. 1 415 346-0800. -Th noon-10PM, F-Sa noon-10:30PM. Spanish tapas, hor d'oeuvres and appetizers.
  • Za Gourmet Pizza. 919 Hyde Street. etween Union St. and Green St.. 1 415 771-3100. ttp://zapizzasf.com/. u-W Noon-10PM, Th-Sa Noon-11PM. 5-$10. A good, cheap pizza-by-the-slice restaurant that is open relatively late.

    Drink

  • Bacchus Wine Bar. 954 Hyde Street. etween Union St & Warner Pl.. 1 415 928-2633. ightly 5:30PM-2AM. Small intimate twenty-seat bar that is a good place to go to get a nice glass of wine or a sake cocktail.
  • Bigfoot Lodge. 750 Polk Street. etween Washington and Clay. 1 415 440-2355. ttp://www.bigfootlodge.com. aily 3PM-2AM. Interesting decor (giant Bigfoot statue) and serving basic but decent drinks. Sometimes they light the bar on fire.
  • Nob Hill Tavern. 390 California Street. t Hyde. 1 415 673-9294. -F 4PM-2AM, Sa 7PM-2AM, Su 5PM-2AM. About as basic as it gets. Best prices in the neighborhood.
  • Red Devil Lounge. 695 Polk Street. t Clay. 1 415 921-1695. ttp://www.reddevillounge.com. Good live music venue.
  • Tonga Room. 50 Mason Street. t California. 1 415 772-5278. ttp://www.fairmont.com/sanfrancisco/GuestServices/Restaurants/TheTongaRoomHurricaneBar.htm. u, W-Th 6PM-10PM, F-Sa 6PM-11PM. Polynesian themed bar in the Fairmont Hotel. Expensive drinks but kind of fun.
  • Zeki's Bar. 319 California Street. t Helen between Hyde and Leavenworth. 1 415 928-0677. ttp://www.zekisbar.com. aily 4PM-2AM. A step up from the Nob Hill Tavern.

    Sleep

    Budget

  • Hotel Mithila. 72 Sutter Street. t Hyde. 1 415 441-9297. ithilahotel@aol.com. 1 415 441-2379. ttp://www.mithilahotel.com/. verage Price $115. Established in 1920, this is a relatively clean hotel and reasonably priced.

    Mid-range

  • Best Inn. 850 Van Ness Avenue. etween Chestnut and Lombard. 1 415 776-3220. nfo@vannessinn.com . 1 415 921-7451. ttp://www.vannessinn.com/. PM - $50 deposit and credit card required upon check in. 1AM. verage Price $180. Nothing fancy, but a clean and comfortable hotel, situated a few blocks south of the Wharf.
  • Cornell Hotel De France. 15 Bush Street. t Powell. 1 415 421-3154. 80-$180. ttp://www.cornellhotel.com/.
  • Golden Gate Hotel. 75 Bush Street. etween Mason and Powell. 1 415 392-3702. nfo@goldengatehotel.com. 1 415 392-6202. 95-$150. ttp://www.goldengatehotel.com/. Charming budget hotel.
  • Grosvenor Suites. 99 Pine Street. t Mason. 1 415 421-1899. nfo@grosvenorsuites.com. 1 415 982-1946. ttp://www.grosvenorsuites.com.
  • Holiday Inn Golden Gateway Hotel. 500 Van Ness Avenue. t Pine. 1 415 441-4000. ervice@goldengatewayhotel.com. 1 415 776-7155. ttp://www.goldengatewayhotel.com.
  • Hotel Carlton. 075 Sutter Street. t Larkin. 1 415 673-0242. hickman@jdvhotels.com. 1 415 673-4904. ttp://www.jdvhotels.com/carlton. A reasonably-priced boutique hotel with decorations that feature international travel. Non-smoking and pet-friendly hotel, and certified as a green business. Saha Restaurant in the lobby serves Arabic fusion cuisine.

    Splurge

  • Fairmont Hotel. 50 Mason Street. t California. 1 415 772-5000. anfrancisco@fairmont.com. 1 415 772-5013. ttp://www.fairmont.com/sanfrancisco. he grandest suite costs $10,000 a night, but you can get a nice room for $300-400. One of the most famous hotels in the city, having been gutted in the 1906 earthquake and fire, and rebuilt. The lobby is fantastic, and many rooms have fantastic views.
  • Huntington Hotel. 075 California Street. t Taylor. 1 415 474-5400. eservations@huntingtonhotel.com. 1 415 474-6227. ttp://www.huntingtonhotel.com. A former apartment building-turned-luxury hotel with individually decorated rooms.
  • Intercontinental Mark Hopkins. Nob Hill Place. t California and Mason Streets. 1 415 392-3434. ttp://www.san-francisco.intercontinental.com. 1 415 421-3302. Historic hotel atop Nob Hill. Convenient for walking tours of the city.
  • Petite Auberge. 63 Bush Street. etween Taylor and Mason. 1 415 928-6000. 1 415 673-7214. ttp://www.jdvhotels.com/petite_auberge. A French provincial style inn. Cozy parlor with fireplace, afternoon wine and hors d'oeuvres. Many of the 26 guestrooms offer fireplaces. Breakfast buffet each morning.
  • Stanford Court Hotel. 05 California Street. t Powell. 1 415 989-3500. 1 415 391-0513. ttp://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/sfosc-the-stanford-court-a-renaissance-hotel. Another 4-star hotel with marble baths and free limousine service.
  • White Swan Inn. 45 Bush Street. etween Taylor and Mason. 1 415 775-1755. 1 415 775-5717. ttp://www.jdvhotels.com/white_swan_inn. A lovely small hotel with a fireplace in all 26 guestrooms. Dark wood paneling, floral carpets, comfy furniture, and English art and collectibles set the tone. Evening turndown service, breakfast buffet, and evening wine and hors d'oeuvres served fireside.
  • York Hotel. 40 Sutter Street. etween Hyde and Leavenworth. 1 415 885-6800. ttp://www.yorkhotel.com. eservations@PersonalityHotels.com.

    Contact

    There are many cafes in Nob Hill which provide internet service.

  • <listing name="Quetzal Internet Cafe" alt="" directions="between Bush and Fern Streets" address="1234 Polk Street" phone="+1 415 673-4181" email="" fax="" url="http://www.quetzal.org/Articles.asp?ID=140" hours="M-F 6:30AM-10PM, Sa-Su 7:30AM-10PM" price="">Basic internet cafe. Free wireless, desktop workstations (16 cents/minute), printing available (15 cents/page).</listing>
  • <listing name="Cup-A-Joe" alt="" directions="at Leavenworth Street" address="896 Sutter St" phone="+1 415 563-7745" email="" fax="" url="" hours="M-F 6AM-9PM, Sa-Su 7AM-8PM" price="">Free wireless plus a few machines to work on.</listing>