Pacific Hts. Victorian and Mansions Tour followed by Full Moonrise View Over SF
Details
As you can see by the next paragraph there's a nice evening ahead. That's why the unusual start time. We'll do a very nice tour of Pacific Hts. at a very nice time of year. Then the plan is to have dinner at La Mediterranee Cafe. After dinner we'll stroll back over to Alta Plaza park to watch the full moon rise over San Francisco.
The Moon will to start to rise at about 7:55pm. Sometimes I'm very lucky when I do this event and it's spectacular. The weather clear and on the warm side. The moon is rising in the sky. Timing is so it's just getting dark to make the moon bright as it rises. We've got good timing for our plan. Clear weather would be great. I've found late August and early September are best for this event.
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A Victorian House and Pac.Hts. Mansion Tour followed by seeing the Full Moonrise over San Francisco viewed from atop Alta Plaza Park. For those who would like dinner we'll head over to La Mediterranee Cafe , (Jane's or Perry's are always possibilities.
As far as the Victorians, imagine house after house of these efflorescent, floriated, flamboyant creations. What inspired the Victorians? Makes for an interesting discussion.
Roughly over 48,000 Victorians were built here, (1860s to 1915), with about a third remaining. (con't below)
- This info is provided if you are interested in more details about SF Victorian architecture.
Or just come on the tour and soak up the info!
(Five handout sketches of what is described below, including most of the gingerbread details is provided. We'll also take a minute to go over a color sketch of the interior of a typical Victorian to see what the inside was like.)
(There are five Victorian Styles)
- Flat front Italianate- (earliest Victorians). (French 2nd Empire appear)
- Italianate with slanted bay windows.
- San Francisco Stick Style (also called East Lake). Simpler square bay windows now used. Overall much more elaborate decoration, ornament and gingerbread used.
- Queen Anne Tower House&Witches Cap, with angled or rounded bay windows & front gable
- Queen Anne Row House, 1, 1-1/2 or two stories. Large front gable. Possibly and likely a moongate entry.
Features & "Gingerbread"
Type of Entry (maybe a rounded or partial Moongate entry as above)-
Decorative Ironwork- A low fence in front, or a crown at the top.
Floral Decor-Garlands (one of many types of decorations known as *"Gingerbread")
Fish scale and/or Diamond shingles-
Towers & Witch's Cap-
Stained Glass or Beveled Glass-
Carvings of grotesque faces-
Sunbursts- often painted gold, half or full.
Gables (Queen Anne's) in a variety of material- (mainly redwood)
Newel Posts at the end of railings and Finials on Tower tops and roof peaks.
For dining I always recommend Perry's on Union St. at Buchanan. The Petrole Sole with mashed potatoes is delicious. And moderately priced for SF.
Pacific Hts. Victorian and Mansions Tour followed by Full Moonrise View Over SF