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Russian Hill, a residential
neighborhood with pockets of
restaurants and shops, feels
a bit more visitor-friendly
than its more formal
neighbor, Nob Hill. The
views are also just as
dazzling. Union Street
The neighborhood got its
name when gold rushers found
seven Cyrillic-inscribed
gravestones at the top of
the hill. Consensus on the
identity of the Russian men
buried there -- they were
reputed to be anything from
sailors to fur trappers --
was never reached, the
gravestones disappeared in
the late 1800s and the
Russian influence has long
since dissipated.
Charming restaurants and
small businesses cluster on
leafy Hyde Street between
Jackson and Union Streets,
and Polk Street is crowded
with unusual boutiques,
antique shops, trendy
restaurants and night spots.
A mini French quarter has
sprung up around Polk and
Green, where you'll find a
great bistro, a traditional
café-boulangerie, a French
antiques store, and several
French-influenced gift and
home décor shops.
The center of Russian Hill
is accessible by the
Hyde-Powell cable car and
two Muni buses, the 41
(weekday rush hour only) and
the 45. The 19 runs along
Polk Street, stopping
frequently from Ghirardelli
Square to the Tenderloin.
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