This is what the Painted Ladies look like: Where to see San Francisco's Victorian houses

Haight Ashbury It is one of the most interesting districts to visit in San Francisco during your trip along the west coast of the United States.

Located in the upper part of the city, north of the Market Street and near the Castro neighborhood of the Golden Gate Park, this district achieved its fame by being center of the hippie movement in the 60s.

Currently, the Haight Ashbury district maintains a bohemian atmosphere in its streets, typical of a European city, with Arab restaurants and cafes, designer stores and hippie style clothing stores.

Furthermore, this environment is complemented by the charm of the victorian style houses.

This is what the Painted Ladies are like, an icon in San Francisco, their story

With their colorful facades, these houses known as Painted ladies have become one of the undoubted attractions offered to tourists by the city ​​of san francisco.

Due to their history, striking architecture, and vibrant colors, they form one of the city's most recognizable postcards and have become a cultural symbol of the United States.

They were built between 1892 and 1896, although the boom in this type of housing in San Francisco spanned from 1849 to 1915, coinciding with the city's historic growth during the Gold Rush and subsequent decades of prosperity.

Why San Francisco's Victorian houses are called Painted Ladies

The term "Painted ladies" was coined in the 1970s by writers Elizabeth Pomada y Michael Larson in his book on local Victorian architecture.

San Francisco once had nearly 50,000 Victorian-style homes, although many disappeared after the 1906 earthquake.

What is the architectural style of the Painted Ladies?

The Painted ladies represent the architectural style “Queen Anne", typically Victorian, characterized by ornate facades, gabled roofs, decorative moldings and large windows.

They are painted in a combination of bright colors such as blues, pinks, greens and yellows, selected to highlight the reliefs and architectural details of the facades.

This use of color became popular starting in 1963, thanks to a group of "colorists" led by the artist Butch Kardum, which undertook a chromatic restoration revolutionizing the appearance of the neighborhood.

How many Victorian houses are there now in San Francisco?

Although San Francisco boasts some 14,000 Victorian homes still standing, the set of poplar square It is the most photographed and emblematic.

The Painted ladies They are popularly known as the “seven sisters" or "Postcard Row”, and have appeared in more than 70 films, series and commercials, being especially famous for their appearance in the television series “Full House”.

Throughout the United States, with the term Painted ladies they are called multi-colored painted Victorian houses, with notable examples in cities such as New Orleans and Baltimore.

Where to see the Painted Ladies in San Francisco

The greatest example of this type of European style houses you will find it in poplar square, a park next to which you can see a row of houses of this characteristic style that will make you think you are in the old continent.

Specifically, you will find them between numbers 710 and 720 of Steiner Street, in front of the aforementioned park.

Its undoubted beauty and the panoramic view of the houses from the park, with the background of the Downtown skyscraper, makes them a must-see for visitors to San Francisco.

More information about the Painted Ladies of San Francisco

• Painted Ladies Victorian Houses of Alamo Park in San Francisco on Wikipedia
• Haight Ashbury district of San Francisco on Wikipedia.

Map: How to get to the Painted Ladies of San Francisco