Filbert Steps, Stairs and tourist attraction in San Francisco, US
The Filbert Steps are a stairway in San Francisco that connects the waterfront near the Embarcadero to the top of Telegraph Hill, where Coit Tower stands. The route passes through a garden path lined with old wooden cottages, flowering plants, and a small lane called Napier Lane.
Telegraph Hill was quarried in the 19th century for rock used as ship ballast, which shaped the steep face of the hill. The current concrete steps were built mainly in the 1980s, though wooden stairs had existed on the hillside for many decades before.
Along the climb, a small garden area bears a plaque honoring Grace Marchant, a woman who transformed what was once a trash-covered hillside into a flourishing garden after World War II, with help from neighbors. Volunteers still tend the plants today, and walking through this stretch feels more like passing through a living neighborhood than a tourist route.
The climb starts near Levi's Plaza on Sansome Street and ends at the top of Telegraph Hill near Coit Tower. The path is steep throughout, so sturdy shoes are a good idea, and the wooden sections can be slippery in wet weather.
A flock of wild parrots has made Telegraph Hill its home and can often be heard before they are seen, calling loudly from the trees along the steps. These birds are descendants of escaped or released pets, originally from Ecuador and Peru, and have spread to other parts of the city over time.
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