35 South Park Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94107
Modeled after a square in London, South Park was constructed in 1855 as an exclusive residential community comprising of seventeen mansions plus townhouses that surrounded an oval shaped grass area. The community featured the first paved sidewalks and streets in the city, and originally had a windmill in the middle of the park to pump the water to the residences. After the 1906 earthquake demolished most of the Rincon Hill neighborhood, warehouses, nightclubs, and industrial buildings replaced the mansions of this once tony neighborhood. Over the years, dot com companies, restaurants, retail, and upscale lofts and condos have moved in to bring the splendor back to this charming little district within a district. While much has changed in the neighborhood, I love this part of the city for its tree-lined streets, a park with a playground and grass area, beautiful architecture, great restaurants to grab a bite and some unique shops worth exploring.
