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Nob Hill is one of
San Francisco's signature
neighborhoods, renowned for
its city landmarks and the
famous hotels that border
Huntington Park. For those
who explore further, it also
reveals unexpected facets.
In addition to its swanky
character, the area is
influenced by the diverse
personalities of the
downtown neighborhoods that
surround it, making it an
intriguing place to visit.
Huntington Park
The area's reputation of
privilege dates back to Gold
Rush times, when cable car
lines made the hilltop
accessible and the railroad
barons and bonanza kings
built their mansions there,
far above the rowdiness of
the bawdy waterfront. Luxury
hotels now stand in the
place of those original
palaces, and when you hike
to the top of the hill,
historic buildings such as
the Fairmont Hotel and the
Flood Mansion are undeniably
impressive, as are the lush
cascades of bougainvillea
and the genteel apartment
buildings with their
wedding-cake facades.
Venture away from Huntington
Square and the terrain
starts to change. Chinese
temples and small businesses
spill over from Chinatown,
and over towards Union
Square you find upscale
boutiques. Funky shops and
dive bars lie along the
blurred edges of the
Tenderloin (an area known as
the Tender Nob), and the
Polk Street boundary is
lined with nightclubs and
popular bars.
Some parts of the
neighborhood feel frozen in
time. The hill is dotted
with vintage barber shops,
old corner coffee shops and
cocktail lounges from bygone
decades. Nob Hill has also
been home to some iconic San
Francisco characters.
Legendary columnist Herb
Caen lived in the
Brocklebank building, across
from the Fairmont Hotel, and
the neighborhood is
currently home to Marian and
Vivian Brown, the famous
"San Francisco twins," known
for their signature
identical outfits.
It can be difficult to
distinguish the precise
boundaries of the Nob Hill
neighborhood. This guide
covers an area roughly
bordered by Polk, Post,
Mason and Washington
Streets.
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