Comments (0) Best Panoramic View - 2007
Buena Vista Park
It's not uncommon to see a few European tourists huffing and puffing their way to the top of this park that's true to its name (it means "good view" in Spanish). On a clear day, hiking up the steep 575-foot hill offers spectacular views of the Golden Gate Bridge and much of the whole Bay Area. Tourists aside, most visitors to the park seem to live within walking distance. This park that's San Francisco's oldest (it was originally dubbed Hill Park in 1867) offers up pieces of history, a gay cruising area, beautiful spring wild flowers, and is an excellent place to let your dog run free. A close look at the gutters lining the walkways on the western end reveals pieces of broken-up headstones, some of which show inscriptions. During the Depression, Works Public Administration (WPA) workers used the recycled marble from old San Francisco headstones before the cemeteries were forced out to Colma.
