Buena Vista, and The Upper Heights

Let's take an early evening walk along some of San Francisco's most picturesque neighborhoods.

WE START WALKING AT 6:00 PM ON THE DOT. Please arrive a few minutes early to check-in.

We'll meet outside Flywheel Coffee, then walk over non-touristy part of The Haight for the start of our walk. If you've only driven along this area, you'll be surprised how nice the walking paths can be. It gives us a chance to see some of the city's beautiful, pre-earthquake architecture, much of which has been beautifully restored. This part of the walk is almost completely flat. We'll zig zag around side streets, discovering mini-neighborhoods along the way (surely you've been to the "Frederick Nob"!)

From there we'll head over to Buena Vista Park. From Haight Street, it looks like it's just a small lawn, but the park has terrific winding walking paths that lead to stairways that criss-cross to the top. There are several spots along the way designed to help us see the "Buena Vista-s" in this park. The views go out in every direction.

We'll leave Buena Vista and walk through the residential neighborhoods referred to as the "Upper Heights"- Ashbury Heights, Parnassus Heights, Upper Terrace, and Corona Heights. These areas are known for their beautiful, well-maintained homes, and quiet- tree lined streets. I'll bet a few will be all decked out for Halloween.

We leave the Upper Heights and find ourselves in the charming commercial corridor of Cole Valley. So many great little restaurants, stores, cafes and bars dot this 3 block area.

We exit Cole Valley and come to the end of our walk- 2 blocks from our starting point at Stanyan and Waller. If you're in the mood for a bite to eat, both Haight Street and Cole Valley offer a wide variety of casual dining options with outdoor seating.

The walk is easy to moderate - some uphill in the park, and a long downhill stairway. It should take about 1-1/2 hours and be finished just after sunset, so we'll be walking in residential areas with street lights.

THERE ARE NO RESTROOMS breaks on this walk. There's an attended kiosk restroom (The Decaux type) at the Stanyan/Waller entry, but it can be slow going. In a pinch, download the Good2go app to use Whole Foods.

GETTING THERE: Flywheel Coffee is located on Stanyan between Haight and Page Streets- next to the Whole Foods. Please don't stand in front of the coffee shop. It blocks the door. Parking is neighborhood and can be difficult as people will be coming home from work. There is a paid lot two blocks at Kezar on Stanyan and Beulah. DO NOT PARK IN THE WHOLE FOODS LOT -you will be towed.

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION: Muni bus lines #33 (18th Street/Ashbury) & #7 (Haight/Noriega) have a stop at Haight/Stanyan. Bus #43 (Masonic) & #6 (Parnassus) stop 2 blocks away at Cole/Haight. The #5 (Fulton) is 3 blocks north. The streetcar/ bus N (Judah) is 3 blocks south at Carl/Stanyan.

DOGGIE GUEST RULES--
This is a nice walk for dogs, although we will be crossing several streets and will not be in any off-leash areas, there will be plenty of sniffing opportunities. Please read and follow our Doggie Guest Rules.

LIABILITY & SAFETY--
You are responsible for your own safety on all City Steps walks. Your yes RSVP confirms that you have read and agree to the liability and safety statements which can be found at the bottom of every Meetup page.

BRING A JACKET.