Portrayed in hundreds of movies and television shows, as well as thousands of books, San Francisco has become a city of legends. Of all the romantic images of the city, whether it be Nob Hill, Fisherman's Wharf, Chinatown or the Embarcadero, none has become so adored as Lombard Street. Tourist flock to the city each year, and without fail the majority want to see this street that has gained such an endearing reputation.
Lombard street is actually much longer than people know, running east to west from the Embarcadero to Golden Gate Park. It is one of the longest streets in San Francisco, but the section that most people are familiar with is actually one block long, running between Hyde and Leavenworth Street. Due to its steep 40 degree grade and narrow design, this segment of Lombard is a one-way street and can only be entered from the west side at Hyde Street.
This block long stretch of Lombard is one of the most beautiful blocks anywhere, winding down the hill with eight switchbacks in order to reduce the severity of the grade. To dress up the block, flowers were lined along the brick roadway. This was done not only to lessen the incline, but also to reduce speeding in this residential neighborhood. This block of Lombard is one of the most picturesque areas in San Francisco. From Lombard at Hyde, looking eastward, you can see downhill all the way to the Embarcadero and out to the San Francisco Bay.
Running through the area of town known as Russian Hill, Lombard was originally part of Hwy 101. It was laid out in 1922, at a time when most automobiles could not handle such a steep grade. The speed limit was reduced to 5 mph in order to avoid traffic accidents. It has been called "the crookedest street in the world" with its eight sharp turns, but in fact, there are roads that have many more curves.
In 1999, Lombard Street was becoming a traffic nightmare as San Francisco continued to grow and even more tourists wanted to see the historic site. A commission was started to examine the problem and find a solution. Known as the Crooked Street Task Force, they finally concluded that closing down that section of road to traffic would be illegal, so they recommended issuing a summer parking ban on the street and to increase parking fines in order to discourage citizens from parking in the area.
Today, Lombard street continues to attract visitors as one of the most beautiful spots in the city. For more information about this historic place , please visit: