Hillside Holidays
Details
The hillside neighborhoods near The Castro each have their own charm, decor, and holiday displays. On this walk, we'll visit several neighborhoods and seek out their holiday stylings.
We'll meet at Jane Warner Plaza at the corner of Market and Castro and begin walking at 5:30 ON THE DOT. Please arrive a few minutes early to check in.
This walk takes us past the NORTH POLE HOUSE, NUTCRACKER HOUSE, and the SNOWMAN HOUSE (sorry,snow PERSON house) as well as some old-fashioned and very San Francisco decor. Our walk ends at The Rainbow-themed CASTRO CHRISTMAS TREE which is one block ftom our starting point. The walk should take about 2 1/2 hours, depending on how much we stop to oooh and aaah at the displays.
PARTS OF THIS WALK ARE STRENUOUS. Our route will take us up and down several hills and pathways, and possibly one steep staircase. We'll be walking along residential streets, and there won't be a restroom opportunity on the walk, so it's best to look for one at the starting point. There are 2 gas stations near the corner, and Starbucks is a block away on 18th.
GETTING THERE: The corner of Market and Castro/17th is served by multiple bus lines. MUNI rail line F stops there, and underground K, L, and M, stop at the station across the street.. Bus lines #24 (Divisadero) and #37 (Corbett) land at the corner, and the #33 (Ashbury) is one block away at 18th. BART users should exit at any station between Embarcadero and Civic Center, then transfer to Muni trains.
DRIVING is not recommended. Neighborhood parking is difficult, although there are public metered lots on Castro (next to Cliff's Variety) and 18th (behind Walgreen's) they fill up very quickly. You might have some luck finding parking on the other side of Market Street, near 17th.
We follow pedestrian traffic laws, walk together as a group, and have a safety first policy.
Dogs: Dogs are always welcome on my walks. This one is along city streets at night, so they'll have to be on leash the entire time.
ATTENDANCE- This walk goes through neighborhoods, so I'm keeping the attendance pretty low. Please don't sign up unless you're sure you're available. Crashers will be turned away. This walk is only available to City Steps members.
We walk in mist or drizzle, but rain cancels.