Located on Russian Hill, Lombard Street is well known as the "Crookedest Street in the World". The truth of this statement is sometimes questioned around the San Francisco area, but what is not questioned is that it is an experience not to be missed during your visit to the area. As the story goes (at least according to our tour guide), the hill was so steep that the safest (and quickest) way down it was to build a series of "hairpin" turns coming down this section.

The street is basically a one-block residential area descending Russian Hill in which the one-way street has been created with a series of seven "hair-pin" turns. In addition to the turns, the neighbors on this block have beautifully manicured flowers that bloom and are visible from multiple vantage points around the city. In your excitement to descend the hill, don't forget to look out at the city and the surrounding bay from the top. The view is breathtaking.

The best way to experience this attraction is actually to handle it twice. First, I would suggest taking the cable car line that originates at Ghiardelli Square to the top of the hill. This is a beautiful experience in and of itself and it can drop you directly at the top of Lombard Street. You can then look around at the top of the hill before meandering your way down the steps to the bottom. Be sure to take pictures all the way. Once at the bottom there will likely be a crowd of tourists taking pictures and posing. Be careful not to step out in front of traffic while taking your "perfect" shot, however. The road at the bottom is relatively well traveled by both onlookers and locals. It is tempting to stand in the middle of the road to take your pictures, but it is definitely not advised.

After walking down the steps and taking all the pictures you desire, I would suggest hailing a taxi and having them drive you down the hill. This way you can actually experience what it is like to go down the hill in a vehicle. It will also give you your transportation to the next stop on your agenda. Also, and perhaps most importantly, it will keep you from having to walk back up the steps (as I did). The steep incline is not something most tourists are eager to tackle!

Introduction
Known as the "crookest street in San Francisco", it is one of the most popular attraction in the city. The hill is paved and lined with a spectacular arrangement of shrubs and flowers make this one of the most photogenic stops on your trip.

Location/Getting Here
Cable Car. The easiest way to get here is taking the Powell-Hyde cable car line and getting off at the Lombard street stop. The gripmen on the cable cars will let you know where the stop is as it is one of the most popular stops on the line. 

Car. You can only drive one way on this section of Lombard Street. Going Down... To get here get on Hyde St and then turn onto Lombard street to start the slow trek down the street at 5 mph whilst negotiating the many switchbacks.

Walking. You can always walk to Lombard street but depending on where you are coming from it might be a long steep climb to get there.

Highlights
With the 27 degree drop on the hill it can feel like you can make one slip and you would roll all the way to the bottom. However the views and landscaping make it more than worthwhile.

For those not driving down the street there are two wide sidewalks with steps cut into them. The steps are shallow make it easy for everyone to experience the sights. To fully appreciate the area it is best to walk to the bottom of the hill as the views from the bottom are even more spectacular than from the top.

The landscaping on the hill is fantastic. There is an abundance of manicured bushes shrubs and explosion of colors with the thousands of flowers in the flowerbeds that line the street.

Recommendations
If you have the time to visit this attraction I would highly recommend it. It's easy to get off the cable car, spend some time exploring then hop right back on the next cable car.

After hiking up the steep, steep Hyde Street from the bay, we arrived at the top of the famous Lombard Street: "the crookedest street in the world." The intersection was a hubbub of excitement, where cars from all directions merged awaiting their turn to slowly maneuver down the windy road. This is also a popular cable car stop on the Powell-Hyde route, so the distinct bells are heard down the street signaling the upcoming stop for the lines and lines of hopeful passengers waiting to hop on.

We took on Lombard Street by foot the first time and, of course, stopped at the bottom to take a photo looking up at the confusion. The view from the top is worth a trip to look over the city toward the Coit Tower. Our second trip down Lombard was in a car, and was interesting, although not as much of a view unless you have a convertible. Lombard is great to say you've seen it - and a good photo-op...but bring your good shoes!

A little detour on our way home from Port Reyes, this very steep street involves five or six hairpin turns. It is a bit of a novelty for tourists (the residents must hate us!) but the views from the top are stunning. A 5 minute bit of fun!

Lombard Street is one of the major arteries of the city of San Francisco, but between the blocks of Hyde Street and Leavenworth Street in the Russian Hill section of town, the street serves as more of a sight to see as opposed to the best way for traffic to get through. It is here that the street becomes incredibly narrow, windy, and steep. It has the claim of the "crookedest road" in America and was one of my favorite sights in all of San Francisco.

Lombard Street boasts an incline of 27 degrees--that's pretty steep! Its curves were designed in the 1920s by necessity rather than for aesthetic. Cars and people could not just go down the hill without crashing or falling over and rolling to an unpleasant demise. The banked curves helped make it possible for cars to navigate this cliff (both going up and coming down).

Though this historic section of Lombard Street is now a one-way road (going down the hill), the curves are still a necessity. In the past, task forces and commissions have tried to deal with the traffic problems this section of the street causes, but in the end, they have found that banning parking during the summer and making it a one-way street is all they can do.

This section of Lombard Street is a very swanky section of town and an excellent place to get a view of the nearby attractions like Coit Tower and Alcatraz. Mums bloom during the warmer months in the garden plantings that line the curves, which adds to this neighborhood's beauty. The houses on this block are among the priciest in San Francisco and beautifully kept up.

For the best view of Lombard's quirky design, try looking from the bottom of the hill upwards. It is just amazing how this brick-road section has served its purpose for so many years yet is still such a tourist's marvel.

Lombard Street is truly a San Francisco sight that must be seen for yourself. You won't see anything like it anywhere else!