The news has been a little heavy the past few weeks, let’s lighten things up with one of the weirdest of all Richmond legends–and one that happens to be true to boot. […]
‘The Front Steps’: The Richmond’s Buried Treasure
‘The Front Steps’: How “Little Russia” Came To the Richmond
Weeks after I first moved to San Francisco for college I was standing in a now-forgotten pizza place, angling for a job. The owner, glancing at my resume, asked, “Do you have […]
‘The Front Steps’: Tracking Down the Oldest House In Sea Cliff
Here at the Front Steps we remain persistently divided over whether or not Sea Cliff is really part of the Richmond. But we still like writing about it anyway, because it is […]
‘The Front Steps’: Is the Central Richmond a Real Neighborhood?
Not to stir things up around here, but it’s about time someone addresses this head-on. Historically, the division between Inner Richmond and Outer Richmond along 19th Avenue has remained pretty consistent; reference […]
‘The Front Steps’: From Classic Theater To Seven-Figure Homes
Sometimes a home listing furnishes a little extra neighborhood history and character–even when said history is actually no longer with us. Case in point, a condo that just came up for sale […]
‘The Front Steps’: A Richmond Guide To Craftsman Homes
A wild new Sea Cliff listing caught our eye this week, described as a “lovely Craftsman style” property that soars up to three stories and sprawls across over 2,100 square feet. That […]
‘The Front Steps’: The Very First Road Into the Richmond
The most important thing about housing is actually transit–you’re never going to sell a house nobody can get to, and even to this day, homes in SF’s western neighborhoods struggle with the […]
‘The Front Steps’: Victorians vs Edwardians (the Richmond Guide)
There’s a lot more to San Francisco architecture (and the Richmond in particular) than just the Victorians. But that’s still all some people are interested in–and really, who can blame them? Sometimes […]
‘Cliff Moving Picture Gallery’ Illuminates Cliff House History
When the 157-year-old Cliff House restaurant closed its doors in December 2020, it was “another blow to lose an iconic restaurant in San Francisco,” said Nicole Meldahl, executive director of the Western Neighborhoods Project. Nevertheless, as one door closes, a window opens.
‘The Front Steps’: What’s an Eruv, and What Does the Richmond’s Do?
It’s Hanukkah, and while sources like Rabbi Sari Laufer write that Hanukkah is not actually a major holiday in most Jewish traditions, it remains the most prominent in American culture and as […]
‘The Front Steps’: Meet the City Architect Who Dethroned the Richmond’s Victorians
The late 19th century, when development in the Richmond truly escalated, was the golden age of the Queen Anne-style Victorian, and the neighborhood sports many fine specimens–but not, evidently, as many as […]
Press Release: Local Students Win Fracchia Prizes for History Essays
The San Francisco Historical Society invited high school students to become a part of the critical national debate regarding the role of civic monuments, including monuments that are controversial.
‘The Front Steps’: How The Richmond Became the ‘New Chinatown’
This week’s big summer blockbuster (there are still technically a couple weeks left in summer) is Marvel Studios’ Shang-Chi & the Legend of the Ten Rings, a martial arts superhero expedition adapting […]
‘The Front Steps’: Meet the Hanson Residence, Outer Richmond’s Only Landmark
San Francisco has 292 city-designated historic landmarks. While most SF neighborhoods sport at least a handful of historic hotspots, and the Inner Richmond boasts half a dozen in its own right, in […]
‘The Front Steps’: The Richmond is SF’s Most Deceptively Historic Neighborhood
Housing is not just housing; housing is history. And in San Francisco, the Richmond District packs more history per city block than almost any other neighborhood. Historians often have an eastern neighborhoods […]
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