Your next meeting is just a few blocks from One Market Center. You decide to walk. Moments later, you encounter one of the city’s biggest hills. San Francisco was built on 43 hills, and two of the steepest ones flow right through downtown—Russian Hill and Nob Hill. California Street, home to the city’s famed cable cars, is one of the major culprits of hilly deception in the Financial District. One block might be perfectly flat, while others mimic climbing Mt. Everest.
If you drive, be sure to curb your wheels when you park. This isn’t just for safety. The city is relentless about giving tickets to vehicles improperly parked.
The hills are hard to avoid but provide incredible views of the city’s architecture and expanse of the Bay. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes, and don’t hesitate to jump onto a cable car if California Street looks too daunting.
