"On the summit of Russian Hill there stands a collection of houses unlike any other in San Francisco. Survivors of the earthquake and fire of 1906, they symbolize great themes of the city's history and remind us of their remarkable residents."--Page 4 of cover

The bestselling book from two prizewinning, critically acclaimed contemporary chroniclers of San Francisco-a rich, illustrated, idiosyncratic portrait of this great city. In Spirits of San Francisco, #1 bestselling Cool Gray City of Love author Gary Kamiya joins forces with celebrated, bestselling artist Paul Madonna to take a fresh look at this one-of-a-kind city. Marrying image and text in a way no book about this city has done before, Kamiya's illuminating narratives accompany Madonna's masterful pen-and-ink drawings, breathing life into San Francisco sites both iconic and obscure. Paul Madonna's atmospheric images will awe: his wide-angle drawings offer a new perspective on the “crookedest street in the world” and vistas across the city. And Kamiya's engaging prose, accompanying each image, offers striking vignettes of this incredible city: witness his story of “Dumpville,” the bizarre community that sprang up in the 19th century on top of a massive garbage dump. Handsome and irresistible-much like the city it chronicles-Spirits of San Francisco is both a visual feast and a detailed, personal, loving, informed portrait of a beloved city.

An Architectural Guidebook to San Francisco and the Bay Area is the definitive guide to the history and architecture of the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties. This compendium has been written and photographed by Susan Cerny and twelve Bay Area experts and provides a historic record of how the area developed to became what it is today, and discusses transportation systems, city and suburban landscape plans, public parkland, California history, and economic, social, and political influences. Included are San Francisco Victorians, civic buildings, churches, parks, grand Period Revivals, and rustic Arts and Crafts homes, as well as significant vernacular buildings in less publicized neighborhoods and towns. Features include: Buildings by all major San Francisco Bay Area architects from the 1860s to the present. More than 2,000 entries. Architectural landmarks in every Bay Area county, arranged by chapter: San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, Solano, Napa, Sonoma, and Marin. More than 100 cities, towns, and neighborhoods. A history of architectural styles popular in the Bay Area. More than 20,000 copies sold of our previous architecture guide to the Bay Area.

Eighteen self-guided walking tours down city streets that will take you back in time, with colorful stories about the buildings along the way and the people associated with them. Brimming with insight and the odd fact, laced with humor and drama, this unique guidebook sheds new light on the history of one of America's renowned cities. Easy-to-follow maps, and dozens of historic photographs.

See San Francisco like never before: Step up to 39 of its best stairway walks! Hundreds of public stairways traverse San Francisco’s boundless hills, revealing scenic vistas and connecting colorful, diverse neighborhoods. Since 1984, Stairway Walks in San Francisco has been helping urban explorers discover the best of the City by the Bay via riser and handrail. Now in its 10th edition, this beloved guidebook by Mary Burk with Adah Bakalinsky includes four new walks, updates of classic favorites, and many new photographs. The amazing walks invite you to explore well-known and clandestine corridors, from Marshall Beach and Noe Valley to Lands End and Telegraph Hill. Whether you want to learn about the city’s history and architecture, elevate your exercise routine, or just let your feet lead the way to new adventures, Stairway Walks in San Francisco has something for everyone. It has been the essential city walking guide for more than 40 years! Get this updated edition, and start walking. Book Features Comprehensive list of the city’s 700-plus stairways 39 walks incorporating San Francisco’s magnificent stairway network Lively route descriptions, at-a-glance Quick-Step summaries, and easy-to-read maps Parking and public-transportation information for each walk

National Trust guides are the most in-depth guides available to the history and architecture of U.S. cities. From famous landmarks to back alleys, they take you on exciting journeys through America's cultural, historical, and architectural treasures. The complete guide to the history and architecture of San Francisco Part history, part travel guide, this unique book introduces you to the colorful past and diverse traditions that have shaped the fascinating city of San Francisco. From the arrival of the Spanish in the late eighteenth century to the growth of today's vibrant metropolis, you'll discover the links between the rich history and architectural heritage of one of America's most beloved cities. Follow the book's outstanding walking tours as you explore the remnants of the Gold Rush era city and the early neighborhoods of Telegraph Hill, Chinatown, and South of Market. You'll also enjoy the beautiful Beaux-Arts mansions of Pacific Heights, the striking Queen Anne residences of Haight-Ashbury, the converted warehouses of the Multi-Media Gulch, and much more. 20 detailed neighborhood walking tours and easy-to-follow maps Colorful stories behind the city's best known landmarks 200 vintage and contemporary photographs

"A kaleidoscopic homage both personal and historical . . . Kamiya's symphony of San Francisco is a grand pleasure." -New York Times Book Review The bestselling love letter to one of the world's great cities, San Francisco, by a life-long Bay Area resident and co-founder of Salon. Cool, Gray City of Love brings together an exuberant combination of personal history, deeply researched history, in-depth reporting, and lyrical prose to create an unparalleled portrait of San Francisco. Each of its 49 chapters explores a specific site or intersection in the city, from the mighty Golden Gate Bridge to the raunchy Tenderloin to the soaring sea cliffs at Land's End. Encompassing the city's Spanish missionary past, a gold rush, a couple of earthquakes, the Beats, the hippies, and the dot-com boom, this book is at once a rambling walking tour, a natural and human history, and a celebration of place itself-a guide to loving any city more faithfully and fully. For readers of E. B. White's Here is New York, Jose Saramago's Journey to Portugal, or Alfred Kazin's A Walker in the City, Cool, Gray City of Love is an ambitious, insightful one-of-a-kind book for a one-of-a-kind city.

Over 350 Stairways traverse San Francisco's 42 hills, exposing scenic vistas, linking diverse neighborhoods, and offering challenging routes to get your heart pumping. Absorb the City's sights, scents, and sounds on the 24 urban jaunts featured in this book, from Lands End to Telegraph Hill. Whether you're in the mood to explore a different San Francisco neighborhood, find an inspiring exercise route, or learn about the City's history and architecture, Stairway Walks in San Francisco has something for you. Book jacket.

From the bestselling creators of the "Bungalow" series comes a beautiful tribute to Victorian architecture. 260 color photos.