On our second full day in San Francisco (February 23, 2008) we were not so lucky: the weather was grey and cool and a major rain and windstorm was supposed to arrive in the area. After a nice breakfast at the Queen Anne Hotel we joined the Victorian Homes Walking Tour, led by local expert Jay Gifford.
Jay Gifford, a transplant from Ann Arbor, Michigan, has been a long-time resident of San Francisco since 1979. After his job at IBM was downsized, he decided to become a walking tour guide, specializing in the plentiful Victorian architecture that San Francisco has to offer.
We connected with the tour right at the Queen Anne Hotel which is one of the stops on the Victorian Home Walk tour. After describing the building's interior Jay took our group outside where he explained the difference between Queen Anne, Italianate and Stick Style Victorian architecture. He also explained the term "smothering", which refers to the removal and covering up of authentic Victorian architectural details as it was often practiced from the 1950s to the 1970s. Many of the remaining 14,000 Victorian properties have now been restored, and even homes that were no longer recognizable as Victorian-era structures, are now being lovingly brought back to their former glory with period details and architectural features.
Along the way we also saw two synagogues, various churches and apartment buildings from the 1920s. On Laguna Street we stopped for a great view across San Francisco Bay before we continued our walk through the affluent Pacific Heights district which features an eclectic mix of upscale homes. Jay also pointed out the Victorian homes featured in "Mrs. Doubtfire" and in the "Party of Five" television show.
2.5 hours later we finished our walk in Cow Hollow on Union Street, a popular shopping and restaurant area, just as the first raindrops were starting to fall. We then sat down with Jay for about an hour to get a better understanding of San Francisco, its history and the mentality of its residents. As the local expert, Jay also filled us in on the unique mindset of Northern Californians. We finally capped the afternoon off with a late lunch at a French café called "La Boulange" on Union Street.
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