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Russian Hill
Saadi Halil, Acrylic on canvas 2015
There are some cities that have so many landmarks and historically significant places that you can stand in one place and count several within view. Considering that San Francisco is such a relatively young city, it's astonishing that it fits in the club with such cities. One can accomplish this in many parts of the city, but Russian Hill (one of San Francisco's 44) is a special place where you can stand atop it, look down its dizzyingly steep incline, look out to the notorious prison of Alcatraz in the Bay, and see the iconic Cable car go by. This painting captures a scene similar to the picture above.
Russian Sailor historical marker
Lombard St.
The name Russian Hill dates back to the Gold Rush, when settlers found a Russian cemetery there. Russian traders and naval sailers had been stopping in the area decades before the Gold Rush.
The famous Lombard st, claimed as "the crookedest street in the world", with its 8 hairpin turns, is also in the Russian Hill neighborhood. This now tourist attraction was designed as such to facilitate horses and wagons going up and down the hill since it was so steep!
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