Everyone goes to Coit Tower in the daytime, but try a walk up, if you have the energy, during the after-hours. You can start at the bottom, near Levi Plaza, just North of Il Fornaio Restaurant. Find the cul-de-sac across the street to the North and you’ll see a steep bank and a rise of stairs going up the hillside. Climb the seemingly never-ending stairway to the top. You’ll pass by some homes that have no roadway access, only the stairs you’re using. While you’re walking, think of how the furniture in those homes got there.
“The Parrots of Telegraph Hill” is a documentary movie about a man who fed and loved a flock of wild parrots that hung out there too. After going back down, you can treat yourself to a well-deserved drink or dessert at Il Fornaio.
If you don’t want to walk up, you can drive, take a cab, or even a city bus. There are some nice views from up there too.
And before you get to the top, as you come out on Montgomery Street, look to the right and you’ll see a beautiful art deco building that was used in the movie “Dark Passage” starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. I have friends who own a condo there, and it’s incredible.
