Lombard Street is one of the most popular and most visited streets of San Francisco. It is often called the most crooked street in the world. Actually, it is an east-west street that is famous for a steep, one-block section with eight hairpin turns. It is located along the eastern segment in the Russian Hill neighborhood. Very few people know about Vermont Street, which is a different San Francisco street that also stakes claim to the title of world's most crooked street. Vermont Street has seven sharp turns as opposed to Lombard's eight, but its hill is steeper than the one on Lombard Street. Due to Lombard's interesting structural approach to the problem of traveling downhill, this place has become a very popular tourist destination. People are often surprised that why this street is so crooked, but the answer is, it is designed only for safety purpose. Surrounded by beautiful Russian Hill mansions and amazing surroundings, it is one of the city’s most scenic streets. Lombard Street has become a very famous tourist attraction that attracts millions of visitors every year.
Image Credit - Brandon Nelson on Unsplash
The crooked famous portion of Lombard Street, especially eight sharp turns, is located between Hyde and Leavenworth Streets. It is generally said that San Francisco residents began to use automobiles more often during the 1920s. Unfortunately, many hills in this area were very steep for the types of cars that were built at that time. Lombard Street creator had the challenge of making a road that would not be too steep for most drivers. Keeping this in mind, a local businessman and property owner Carl Henry (a man who is considered the mastermind behind the Lombard Street design) came up with the idea of a winding street. But one thing was certain that the road would be a combination of several sharp turns, the design was necessary for vehicles to travel downhill. The construction was finished in 1922, which reduced the hill grades from 27% to 16%. This road was a two-way street when it was first built in 1922 but soon became a one-way street in 1939, when the traffic control was a major problem. After the construction of this crooked street, life actually became easier for the locals. It may seem weird but the switchbacks of Lombard Street were actually built to increase road safety.
Image Credit - Wikipedia
The crooked block is perhaps 600 feet long and is paved with red bricks. There is also a sign at the top that recommends the speed limit of 5 miles per hour, which makes a cool experience for driving. There are several ways to reach Lombard Street, including Buses, Cable cars, and cars. You can take several city buses through North Beach. The cable car is one of the easiest and most affordable methods for visiting the location. The Powell-Hyde cable car stops at the top of the block on Hyde Street. At Hyde and Lombard, you can land on the top of the street for capturing the great views of the city, the Coit Tower and the Bay Bridge. You can also use cars and tour buses to reach this beautiful location.
Image Credit - Pixabay
The crooked famous portion of Lombard Street, especially eight sharp turns, is located between Hyde and Leavenworth Streets. It is generally said that San Francisco residents began to use automobiles more often during the 1920s. Unfortunately, many hills in this area were very steep for the types of cars that were built at that time. Lombard Street creator had the challenge of making a road that would not be too steep for most drivers. Keeping this in mind, a local businessman and property owner Carl Henry (a man who is considered the mastermind behind the Lombard Street design) came up with the idea of a winding street. But one thing was certain that the road would be a combination of several sharp turns, the design was necessary for vehicles to travel downhill. The construction was finished in 1922, which reduced the hill grades from 27% to 16%. This road was a two-way street when it was first built in 1922 but soon became a one-way street in 1939, when the traffic control was a major problem. After the construction of this crooked street, life actually became easier for the locals. It may seem weird but the switchbacks of Lombard Street were actually built to increase road safety.
The crooked block is perhaps 600 feet long and is paved with red bricks. There is also a sign at the top that recommends the speed limit of 5 miles per hour, which makes a cool experience for driving. There are several ways to reach Lombard Street, including Buses, Cable cars, and cars. You can take several city buses through North Beach. The cable car is one of the easiest and most affordable methods for visiting the location. The Powell-Hyde cable car stops at the top of the block on Hyde Street. At Hyde and Lombard, you can land on the top of the street for capturing the great views of the city, the Coit Tower and the Bay Bridge. You can also use cars and tour buses to reach this beautiful location.
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