August 24, 2021
Written by Angelica Irreño
San Francisco has something different around every corner, have you ever seen colorful fishes, frogs and other creatures swimming up a hill before? The Tiled Steps are made of colorful tiles of various designs. It is located at 16th Avenue and Moraga Street. There are more than 200 steps that lead to the top of a windswept hill. This was a neighborhood project led by native San Franciscan and finished in 2005.
When the city is more crowded and noisy than usual, Grandview Park is the perfect place to escape. It offers a wonderful and impressive view. If you look to the west, you will see the multi-colored houses of the Sunset District. To the northwest is the Golden Gate Bridge and Mount Tamalpais. To the east is downtown San Francisco and Mount Diablo is far off in the distance.
You can walk on the red rock at the summit of the hill, which is chert: a sedimentary rock composed of 140 million years old tiny sea creatures and deposited in layers. Grandview Park was the bottom of the ancient sea and is a remnant of a range of dune hills that once marked the city's western edge.
These hills are islands surrounded by the city. The wind and fog off the ocean have bent and shaped the cypress, pines, and eucalyptus planted on the hills. The native plants are scrub brush, dune tansy, and Franciscan wallflower.
Nearby, on 14th Avenue and Ortega Street is Rocky Outcrop Park. One of the smallest and most unusual parks. It is 1.4 acres of steep cliffs and sharp cracks. You may see the way station of the green hairstreak butterflies which are the size of a nickel and as green as an emerald. They live on coastal areas and are common in Marin and other oceanside counties.
Make sure to read the article 12 Coolest Bay Area Things by The Mercury News.