Location
The actual peak of Nob Hill lies slightly to the northwest,
approximately at the intersection of Jones and Sacramento Streets.
South of Nob Hill is the shopping district of Union Square, the
Tenderloin neighborhood, and Market Street. To the east is San
Francisco's Chinatown and a little farther, the city's financial
district. Northeast of Nob Hill is North Beach and Telegraph Hill.
North of Nob Hill is Russian Hill, and eventually, the
tourist-centered areas of the waterfront such as Pier 39 and
Fisherman's Wharf.
History
The area was settled in the rapid urbanization happening in the
city in the late 19th century. Because of the views and its central
position, it became an exclusive enclave of the rich and famous on
the west coast who built large mansions in the neighborhood. This
included prominent tycoons such as Leland Stanford, founder of
Stanford University and other members of The Big Four. The
neighborhood was completely destroyed in the 1906 earthquake and
fire, except for the granite wall that had surrounded the Stanford
and Hopkins mansions. The mansion of tycoon James Flood, though
gutted by fire, was rebuilt and stands to this day as the
headquarters of the Pacific-Union Club. While the neighborhood was
able to maintain its affluence following the quake, many of the
rich rebuilt their mansions further west in Pacific Heights and Cow
Hollow. Many of the hotels now in the area were built over the
ruins of the former mansions. Since the 1990s, Chinatown to its
east has been slowly expanding into the neighborhood, shifting its
demographics to a more Chinese characteristic.
Check out this Map Of San Francisco.
Humm, are you headed up this hill, or will you be headed down
the hill?
Only thing for sure is that this is NOT a park n' grab. Enjoy
your hike out in the park.