 A must for people visiting or LIVING in SF |
| Review Date: September 11, 2002 |
| Reviewer: William P. Dingell, Reston, VA United States |
| I completed maybe 12 of the walks from the earlier edition before I moved away from SF. I reget not completing them all. My advice for anyone living in SF or visiting it, buy this book and spend a few hours taking in one of the walks. You'll see neighborhoods that even long time residents don't know about. And, you'll be away from the crowds who flock to the usual places. Buy it and do it! |
A Fascinating Adventure Guide
|
| Review Date: August 23, 2000 |
| Reviewer: The Poet, Silicon Valley, CA United States |
| I found the first edition of this book while I was attending college, in the college bookstore. At once I said to myself, "Yes! Cheap, er, I mean creative dates!" , as one knows, most college students don't have much money. But this book was a treasure. Each walk is a fascinating adventure through an already fascinating City. The City becomes even more alluring after one traverses these walks. Especially with a friend, loved one, or just someone you wish to impress. The walks are full of discovery, surprises and beautiful scenery. I only completed about 6 of these walks, and partially completed 3 others. (I've repeated some of these walks up to 3 times) But merely reading about the other walks sounds exciting enough to keep me trying more and more. Now that I have a good job and don't need to be quite as frugal on dates, I still enjoy going on these amazing "mini-adventures" with my friends, and now my wife. And you will too. It's a shame this is out of print. You, dear reader, had better try to find a copy so you can enjoy these exciting walks with someone you love to talk with, impress, or simply take a romantic stroll with. |
Heaven... and good exercise too!
|
| Review Date: September 27, 1999 |
| Reviewer: , |
| My partner and I stumbled upon this book several years back and haven't stopped using it since! Ms. Bakalinsky takes you on some magical journeys in San Francisco, where stairways seem to appear out of nowhere, full of charm and elegance. We are long-term residents of that fair city, yet this book manages to render afresh neighborhoods with which we thought we were long familiar. Filled with lots of fascinating points of interest and written in an engaging, conversational style, you won't be disappointed in this selection. We've made outings of these walks with friends and family and they continue to rave about them years afterward. |
A CITY GUIDE WITH HEART, CHARM -- AND HUMOR!
|
| Review Date: July 6, 1999 |
| Reviewer: Gregg L. Biggs, San Francisco CA |
| This is a book that has something few city guides have -- heart and charm. It reminds us that in many ways San Francisco is a collection of villages that are best explored on foot.The talky narrative provides interesting tidbits about not just individual neighborhoods but even individual homes. It is egalitarian in its selection of spots, not just the familiar tourist points but the "real" neighborhoods.And it something even jaded locals should find enlightening -- even tips on where to find wild blackberries!The illustrations by the late Trudie Douglas add to the charm of the book, making these walks seem like a treasure hunt from a favorite children's adventure book.It is good to see that Ms. Bakalinsky has written a similar book on LA, leading one to hope this could be the beginning of an ongoing series -- Seattle and Vancouver both beckon for similar guides to be published. |
best walking guide to San Francisco
|
| Review Date: February 7, 2006 |
| Reviewer: Johnny99, California |
| There are quite a few guidebooks to walks in San Francisco. I think this is the best one. The routes are longer than in most other books and they take you into the livelier interior of the city, instead of just around the touristy edges like most other books. |
great walks in a great city
|
| Review Date: January 25, 2007 |
| Reviewer: R. M. Sills, Castro Valley, CA USA |
This book describes walks that are wonderful for their views, history, and architecture; the author has done a great service to those who love San Francisco. I've done all of the walks in the fifth edition; the sixth edition has three new walks, as well as minor changes to the 24 walks from the previous edition. There are incredible views of downtown from peaks such as Corona Heights and Tank Hill, and dramatic vistas of the Golden Gate and Marin Headlands from Lands End. At times, you may run into residents responsible for the beautiful landscaping alongside some of the stairways. One of the book's virtues is that it covers not only the famous tourist areas (such as Nob, Telegraph, and Russian Hills) but also quieter neighborhoods not often visited by non-residents, such as Forest Hill and Bernal Heights. The walk to Grand View Park gives you a feeling of what San Francisco was like in the old days, when much of it was covered by sand dunes. A typical walk is about 2 miles (ranging from 1 to 3.5) with a few hundred feet of elevation gain (200 to 700); my only minor complaint is that the book does not include distance and elevation information. Every walk has information on public transit; by using MUNI and BART, you avoid the hassle of searching for a parking space.
|
A great lady and a great book!
|
| Review Date: September 8, 2006 |
| Reviewer: Judy Watt, Land's End, USA |
| I've lived in SF since 1970 and I have had all the editions of this book since she first wrote it many years ago. SF is one of the greatest walking cities in the world, and this book will take locals and visitors alike to some of the most enchanting locations we have to offer. Put on your walking shoes, get a copy of this book, and clumb all the stairways you can manage! |
A Great Way to Fall in Love With San Francisco
|
| Review Date: March 20, 2008 |
| Reviewer: Robert L., San Francisco, CA |
Adah's book is a great collection of walks all over the city. As the name implies, all the walks focus on the stairways for which San Francisco is so well known. This has two implications: one is that these walks will wear you out; the second is that, on sunny days, you get incredible views from the tops of all the stairways Adah has you climb.
For locals, the 27 walks cover the entire town from Glen Canyon to Lands End to Potrero Hill. No matter how long you've lived in San Francisco, I guarantee you'll see great spots you've never been to before.
Most of the walks are well off the beaten path for visitors, but a couple cover the classic tourist areas of North Beach, China Town, and Telegraph Hill. The Russian Hill North walk, done on a sunny day, will have anyone believing San Francisco is the most beautiful city on earth.
Adah provides maps, directions, and a great deal of color commentary for each walk. She tends to focus on eccentric details of the local architecture and flora for each walk, lending a whimsical quality to the whole experience.
Two last things to keep in mind. First, because the views are such a big part of these walks, Adah's trips are much better in good weather than in bad. Second, Adah is sometimes a little loose with her directions; I recommend cross checking the directions and the map often. |
Love this book
|
| Review Date: April 11, 2006 |
| Reviewer: David Pallavicini, San Francisco, CA USA |
I grew up in a few of these neighborhoods and had no idea some of these nooks and crannies even existed. I've done half the walks so far and, without fail, everyone of them has provided a new and spectaclar experience.
Writing a walking tour book is tough. You don't want to bog the reader/walker down with so much text that they don't have the chance to look up and enjoy the view (and there are a lot of them). Adah Bakalinsky hits it just right.
A word of warning: The reason the stairs are there is because of the hills. Like, big hills. Start with an easy walk. Some of these are a real workout. I made the mistake of starting with Walk 17 (the pic on the cover) and was sore for two days. On the other hand, Walk 17 is so cool I've done it twice.
If you are interested in the physical and architectual bueaty of the city, and you want to see it close up and get a workout at the same time, you gotta buy this book! |
Tyler the dog and I,
|
| Review Date: March 21, 2007 |
| Reviewer: K Cornfield, San Francisco, CA USA |
| and sometimes Esta, have recently done 15 of the 27 walks in the 3rd and now this edition and we have never failed to enjoy ourselves. Over the years I have driven by, run or walked portions of each of these, yet as complete walks they are new, delightful and sometimes wonderfully odd when done as Adah Bakalinsky instructs. Generally not for tourists -hard to imagine that they would be interested in Diamond Heights or Edgehill- but if you are a new resident of San Francisco and intend to stay for awhile, or if you moved to the Marina 5 years ago from Grand Rapids and have never been beyond your Yelping radius, there are few better, straightforward ways to get a sense of the whole of the city. I'd give 4.75 stars (for not including distance, elevation/difficulty and abandoned steps like Bengal). |
We are buying our 2nd edition of this book
|
| Review Date: December 1, 2007 |
| Reviewer: Ron Abileah, San Carlos, CA USA |
| We've have been using Edition 1 (published 1984)for ten years. It's our most often used reference for San Francisco hiking. But the copy is now very worn and torn from carrying in back pocket on all those stairway hikes. Almost lost it several times on loans to friends. We are buying the latest edition (No. 6) as a replacement. We'll keep and treasure Edition 1. |
It's a 'must' for any San Francisco travel collection going beyond the general-interest city guide.
|
| Review Date: February 7, 2008 |
| Reviewer: Midwest Book Review, Oregon, WI USA |
San Francisco has over 50 hills with scenic vistas and small neighborhoods - so these nearly 30 urban walks are top picks for any who want to walk the city's byways. The revised expanded edition has been updated with new maps and color photos and adds three new walks, while an appendix lists the City's 600-plus public stairways. It's a 'must' for any San Francisco travel collection going beyond the general-interest city guide.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch |
best S.f. guidebook
|
| Review Date: July 17, 2008 |
| Reviewer: kur-v, california |
| I love this book!! We live an hour north of S.F. and when ever we go to the city we start with one of these great walks. We have gone and explored neighborhoods we never would have without this book. San Francisco is such a beautiful city and getting to the top of some obscure staircase always gives you a unique and beautiful view. It is a must for anyone who lives in or near S.F. |
Put on Your Walking Shoes
|
| Review Date: May 12, 2007 |
| Reviewer: Eloise M. Boyle, Seattle, WA USA |
| I've used this book for 20 years, every time we go to San Francisco. The greatest benefits of the stairway walks are that they get you off the tourist beat, and into the "real" San Francisco, and they offer the adventerous some truly spectacular views of the city and of some otherwise hidden treasures. Once you do a few of these walks, you'll be hooked. It's well-written and researched, and the author thoughtfully tells you how strenuous each hike is - and some of them are definitely challenging! If you carry this slim volume to SF with you, you'll be well rewarded. |
San Fran - the city - as you have not seen or known it
|
| Review Date: July 31, 2008 |
| Reviewer: Gabriel E. Borlean, Odense, Denmark - birthtown of fairytale-writer H.C. Andersen |
I found this book (rather thick - 251 pages) on the shelves of my local Santa Cruz library shelves. At first I thought it was rather boring - the cover is dizzying to look at. Then as I opened and perused thru more pages, I realized that this was a work of love - Adah Bakalinsky's love (a San Francisco local, and an emigrant to the US).
Adah Bakalinsky has expended previous editions and the January 2007 is the 6th edition.
What I liked about this book:
* informs the reader on some cool areas to walk in San Francisco, with cool architecture, and routes that will have your blood pumping.
* the 27 walks are all detailed with a map layout, interesting points of interest, photographs, and many factoids.
* Appendix 1 contains "An Informal Bibliography" (one pager with more info on the San Francisco)
* Appendix 2 lists all the staircases (across 36 pages) for each neighborhood in San Francisco and rates each one according to a 1 to 5 scale of combined: steepness, length, location, elevation, and beauty.
* and ... it was FREE.
Whether you are from out of town visiting San Francisco, a local denizen, or a Bay Area suburbian, you are sure to enjoy this book, even if not completing a walk from start to finish. The details are worth reading before each walk, as one is sure to add more mental details and moments of enjoyment as one walks across the beautiful city of San Francisco. |
Best book ever on stairway walks in any city anywhere...!!
|
| Review Date: July 7, 2007 |
| Reviewer: James Tobin, |
| What a wonderful book on walking the outdoor stairs of San Francisco. Many of these stairs are even unknown to a lot of folks who live in the City. The inside of the book is well designed with maps and details about each stairway walk. You get a good idea of where the stairways are located and what you can expect. Just great. I've turned a few people on to this book. I highly recommend it. |
SF Stairway Walks
|
| Review Date: September 1, 2007 |
| Reviewer: lulu in SF, SF, CA |
| great little book! take it with you to find some of the most beautiful, interesting spots in SF! |
Excellent book for discoveries
|
| Review Date: May 6, 2003 |
| Reviewer: , |
| Other reviewers have already said it - great, great book overall. This is what visitors to our city should do instead of Fisherman's Wharf! |
Stirway Walks in San Francisco
|
| Review Date: November 15, 2007 |
| Reviewer: Robert P. Hunt, Mountain View, CA USA |
| Excellent way to exercise and see the city in many locations, not all the touristy spots. |
No better way to see San Francisco.
|
| Review Date: November 18, 2007 |
| Reviewer: SFTravel.com, San Francisco, California |
| We love to see the City close-up and enjoy the neighborhoods. During our reviews of Russian Hill, Pacific Heights, and San Francisco's crookedest street (Lombard Street) - we've used this book to find secret stairways and understand their twisted history. This book is an invaluable resource to making your trip to San Francisco unique -- and get some good exercise too! |
|
No video reviews found for this product.
Related Posts 
Inland Fishes of California User Reviews Send this to a friend Inland Fishes of California Manufacturer: Customer Rating: List Price: Varies based on product options Sale Price: View Sale Price Availibility: View Product Availability Buy Now Product Description Product Details No details are available for this product Video Reviews No video reviews found...... 
The Best in Tent Camping: Northern California User Reviews Send this to a friend The Best in Tent Camping: Northern California Manufacturer: Menasha Ridge Press Customer Rating: List Price: $14.95 Sale Price: $10.17 Availibility: Usually ships in 24 hours Free Shipping Available Buy Now Product Description From Santa Cruz to Yosemite National Park, from the coastal...... 
SkyGolf SG2.5 Temporary Cart Mount User Reviews Send this to a friend SkyGolf SG2.5 Temporary Cart Mount Manufacturer: Customer Rating: List Price: Varies based on product options Sale Price: View Sale Price Availibility: View Product Availability Buy Now Product Description Product Details No details are available for this product Video Reviews No video reviews...... 
Killerspin Dynamo Table Tennis Racket User Reviews Send this to a friend Killerspin Dynamo Table Tennis Racket Manufacturer: Customer Rating: List Price: Varies based on product options Sale Price: View Sale Price Availibility: View Product Availability Buy Now Product Description Product Details No details are available for this product Video Reviews No video reviews...... 
If you prefer a real book, this book can be bought as a paperback from LuLu.com for $10.93.
0 comments ↓
There are no comments yet...Kick things off by filling out the form below.
Leave a Comment