San Francisco Neighborhoods · Ashbury Heights
Ashbury Heights
Fog zoneA hushed, fog-kissed hilltop of grand Victorians and Edwardians stacked on streets so steep they break into stairways, perched serenely above the busy Haight below.
- Grand hillside Victorians
- Sweeping city views
- Quiet leafy streets
- Tank Hill at the edge
On the map
Open Ashbury Heights on the map →The story
Ashbury Heights climbs the slope above Haight-Ashbury, sharing its name with Monroe Ashbury, a San Francisco supervisor of the 1860s who helped plan nearby Golden Gate Park. As streetcar and cable lines pushed west in the late 1800s, developers terraced these hills with grand Victorian and Edwardian homes, creating an affluent residential enclave perched above the commercial Haight. Its steep, leafy streets, hillside stairways, and panoramic views have kept it quieter and pricier than the neighborhood below ever since.
Things most people don’t know
Buena Vista Park
Bordering the neighborhood, Buena Vista Park is San Francisco's oldest official park, dedicated in 1867. Its wooded summit offers sweeping views across the city and bay.
Hillside Victorians
The Heights is prized for its grand Victorian and Edwardian houses lining steep blocks. Built during the streetcar-era expansion of the late 1800s, many survived the 1906 disaster intact.
Tank Hill views
At the neighborhood's edge sits Tank Hill, named for a water tank installed by the Spring Valley Water Company in 1894. The tank came down in 1957, leaving one of the city's best panoramic viewpoints.
Streets that become stairs
Some slopes here are too steep for cars, so the streets give way to public stairways. These hidden walkways connect blocks and reward climbers with quiet garden views.
Named for a supervisor
Monroe Ashbury served on the Board of Supervisors in the 1860s. He had a hand in planning both the surrounding neighborhood and Golden Gate Park, and the area took his name.
Eating and drinking near Ashbury Heights
Ashbury Heights is primarily residential — these sit in Cole Valley, the Haight.
Restaurants
- Zazie · 941 Cole St
- Crepes on Cole · 100 Carl St
- InoVino · 108B Carl St
- Cole Valley Tavern · 900 Cole St
Bars
- The Alembic · 1725 Haight St
- Aub Zam Zam · 1633 Haight St
Getting around and getting care
Transit. The 37 Corbett climbs through the neighborhood; the 6, 7, and 43 run nearby, and the N Judah Metro line is a short walk downhill in Cole Valley.
Nearest hospital. UCSF Medical Center at Parnassus, 505 Parnassus Ave (about 0.6 mi)
Thinking about Ashbury Heights?
Send me an address and I will come back with its sun, wind and fog, what is under it, and what has closed on the block.